PORT OF HOKITIKA.

West Coast Times, Issue 316, 27 September 1866, Page 2

PORT OF HOKITIKA.

High Water This Day.— 11.23 a.m. L 1.48 p.m.

ARRIVED.

September 26. — Sarah and Mary, brigantine, Duncan, from Melbourne, Spence Bros 4 Co, agents.

SAILED. September 26.— Nil, ENTERED IN. Nil. ■> CI/EARKD OUT. Nil. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Omeo, s.s., from Melbourne, daily. Nelson, p. 8., from Nelson, rtirly. Phoebe, s.s., from the North, to-day. Francis, sihodner, from Heathcote, early. Elizabeth, cutter, from Sydney, early. . Albion, s.s , from Melbourne, via Dunedin, fo-dftv. Aurora, sehoolier, fronvDuuedin, early. Oymraes, schooner, from Dunedin, daih\ , Mary Van Every, schooner, from Dunedin, early. Julia, schooner, from D.unedin, early. Isabolla, schooner, from Dunedin, cnrly. Lady l)arliug, schooner, from Melbourne. Pilot, schooner, from Melbourne. Jane Loekhart, from Sydney, early. Lizzie Coleson, from Sydney, early. Alhambra, from Melbourne, early. Gothenburg, from Melbourne, early. Bruce, p.s., from Dnnedin, 29th inst. Koera, s.s., from Dunedin, to-day. Taranaki, s.s., from Wellington.

PROJECTED DEPARTURE

Phoebe, for Bluff and Duneflin, this day.

Taranaki, s.s., for Melbourne, to-day. Albion, for Melbourne, this day. Otago.for Wellington, early. ** Claud Hamilton, for Nelson aud Northern and Southern Ports, this day.

" TES3BL3 IN TOUT. ' Brigantine — Sarah and Mary. Schooners — Iona : Mary Jane, Tiger, John Mitchell, Dimedin, Prince Consort, Tambo. Cutter— Ellen. Si earners — Yarra, Challenge.

That fortunate trader, a*nd smart brigantine, the June Loekhart, has once, more put in an appearance, having roum'.ed-to off the bar yesterday afternoon, and communicated with the shore by signul. Captain Beaumont, agent for the Loekhart line of vessels, was in attendance, and promptly responded, by informing her that — weather permitting— tsho would be served with a- steamer in the morning. The " Jane" then filled her head sails and stood to sea again, and at a late hour last night wo observed her far iv the oflhig', under

easy canvas-. Another vessel — square-rigged forward — was in sight to the southward. Wo believe her to ba tjie Georgiua. Smith, from Melbourne, bound to Gro) mouth.

Yestorday a telegram • was forwarded to Messrs Carey nnd Gill*;?, from Bluff Harbor, containing a notification that the s.s. Kecra, for Hokitika, had paised the port at 4<i>.m. on the preceding day. . Her arrival maj r , , therefore, be expected this evening, favored as ( she must have been, after rounding the West Cape, with strong S.W. breezes Never was the cut ranee to the port in better condition than .yesterday, the absence of suvf during the last few days, having allowed the

river to scour a deep^straight channel through the bar. Yesterday thu steamers Challenge and Yarra ran outßide two hours before highwater, and both found ten feet on the shallowest paxt of the bar. The Yarra ran in again oa the top of the tide, and then the leadline gare nearly two fathoms aud a-half. At pre-

sent the channel runs slightly to the south- ' ward, and tlie beacons, have, in consequence, been removed from the South to the North

Spit. We quite anticipate there will be a busy time omougst the shipping to-dayy as five large steamers — tho Claud Hamilton, Phoebe, Taranaki, Albion, and Omeo, are due. One

of them, which we believe ib be the Claud Hamilton, arrived in the roadstead about an hour after sunset last night, too late to show

her number with any chance of its being-made otit on shore. .She, however, gave notice of her arrival by gunfire, and immediately afterwards burnt p blue-light and sent up a rocket, a.nd many were the surmises' amongbt the shipping agents as to whie*i of the five sjic: could possibly be. Mr White, of the Panama Company, eventually claimed her, and shortly after the voice of lhe bellman was heard

announcing that fhe " Claud Hamilton, from Sydney, having arrived, would be despatched, &c, &c." We believe that such is the case, as the other boats are not expected until today, whilst the Claud is certainly due, according to her advertised day of sailing from Sydney. She will leave for Nelson, on her ' usual tour, this day. The Sarah and Mary, a fine, sightly brigantine, of 175 tons register, belonging to' Messrs Sperice Bros, was towed to the wharf ♦yestnday morning, by the p.s. Challenge, this being her first visit to the port. She appears well suited for the Westland trade in every respect, as she has a large~ carrying capacity on a light draught of water ; for, although laden with a miscellaneous cargo, amongst which dead weight predominates, her draught is considerably under nine feet. She has, moreover, proved herself a fast vessel, making the run from land to land in five days. The following particulars of her trip JYom Melbourne have been supplied us by Captain Duncan, who is well known in the trade as late master of the brigantine Mary. The brigantine Sarah and Mary left Port Phillip Ifcads on the 16th instant, with strong, steady, W.N.W. winds and fine woathor, which carried her through the Straits by 5 a.m. the next day. Took her last departure from Deal Island at 7 a.m., nnd at 10 a.m., then being sixty mihjs eastward of

the group, she sighted a barque, supposed to be .the Alma, from Hokitika, standing to the v "westward. After a pleasant run* during which strong westerly winds and a high sea prevailed, Mount Cook was sighted on the 22nd, at 0 p in., when the breeze fell light and scant, which kept her to the southward until the 26th. On that day she reached the*Yoads, was fastened to by the Challenge, and arrived as above. The captain reports that qn the 23rd instant the G-eorgiim Smith, from Melbourne, was sighted standing in to the land. The 1\ and O. Co.'s TOl.S.S^Taclras, A. B. Farquhar, commander, with tne European and Indian mails on board, arrived at tho heads yesterday morning, at two o'clock, and, after the usual detention at Queenscliff, came to an anchor in the bay at twenty minutes past fiye o'clock. The passage of the Madras on this occasion has been successful, and mavked throughout* by a punctuality and promptitude quite praiseworthy, andls certaraly a manifest and surprising improvement ' on former doings of the company's vessels. The Madras JeJr Point dc GaHc at se\cn o'clock on the evening of tho 21st ult., and arrived at King George's Sound at one o'clock on the afternoon pf the sth inst., and having taken iv hor complement of souls left again at midnight, passing Cape Otway at seven p.m. on Monday. From Point de Galle to the line a succession of moderate south-westerly winds prevailed. The trades were fallen in with in the second' degree of south latitude, but were lost again in 27deg. S. From this - point fresh westerly winds were experienced until arrival at the Sound. From the Sound t» Port Phillip Heads the Madras had strong westerly winds, accompanied with a high south-west sea, and accomplished tho distance lin a little over 100 hours. — Melbourne •"Argus."- , .- The schooner Mary, which arrived in port y&Bterday, from Hokitika, had* to encounter heavy N.W. gates throughout the passage.— Ibid.

The s.s. Gothenburg, after an abseuce on her WM«I tf»w £ealancl trip pf barely' twenty

days, arrived in tho bay early yesterday afternoon, from Ilokitika, which port she left on me morning of the 7th 'mutant. Captain Mackie reports that, after leaving Hokitika, he experienced a continuation of fresh W.N.W. and S.W. winds to Kent's Group, which was paised at half-pnsl four p.W on Thufsday. JiYom tin-nee to Cape Schanck, light N.E. winds, with lino weather were^motvjvith, and afterwards strong N.W. winds. Several vessels bound to the' 1 Westward "w.erc passed botu ecu tho Promontory- and' Port Phillip Heads. The Gothenburg Jtoings ab0ut ,,17,0000/-. of gold, eh jefly from " Hokitika. After ,dischargiug her passengers and gold at Stnylridge, tho Gothenburg steamed over to-'Williamstown for the purpose oMjeing taken pu the Government Patent Slip to have a thorough overhaul. — Melbourne ''"Argus," Sept. 15.

Thk M.VT.WKA. — The decisive tviul trip of this sore w"at earner, which has boen built by 'the Millwall Ironworks, Shipbuilding, and Graving Docks Company (limited), for the performance of the new mouthh mail service across the Pacific, which is to form a connection between the colonies of Australia and the Islhmus of Panama, was mado on Saturday. The Mataura had been taken down the Channel previously on the <4th instant, and driven full speed against a strong W.S.W. gale with very favornblo results. 'On the following day the first trial trip was arranged, and the vessel was run over the measured mile in the Maplin sands, wheu a speed of 12675 knots was attained, though the weather was very , boisterous. The Mataura left GraVesend on Saturday, for her second trial, at 11.15 a.m. A largo' number of shareholders and visitors, ia all about 150, of whom a considerable number were ladies, were on board to witness the vessel's performance. Among those present were Lord Claud Hamilton, M.P., chairman of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Mail Company, for which the Mutaura has been built, Admiral Baillie Hamilton, Mr Wilson. Mr Edmett, nnd Mr Raymont, directors ;, Sir Charles Clifford, Mr T. Cave, M.P., Major Hayes, Capt Mackenzie, besides several gentlemen from' New Zealand. • The vessel was timed in running from the Mouse Light to the Nore, pud also in passing the measured mile at the Lower Hopo. The mean speed attained was 13.048 knots, which was considered by those interested a satisfactory leault having regard to the quantity of cargo on board — upwards of 1000 .tons dead weight. The lengthtover all of the Mataura is 3Qsft. ; length between perpendiculars<2Ssft.; breadth 35.} ft .; depth 2Qft. 9iu. • Her tonnage by builder's-" measurement is 17G7, and though her nominal horse power is 400, the indicated horse power is as much as. 2300. It is expected that by the new monthly mail service in continuation of the present line of packets between Southampton and Golon (Aspiuwall), the dihtanco between England and New Zealand \\ ill be shortened by nearly 2000 milqs, a* compared with the route via the Isthmus of Suez. The voyage from Southampton to Wellington (New Zealand) will be aecompliscd inkbrty-nine dajs, and that between Panama and Wellington in twenty-seven days, no call being made for coal at any intermediate port. The Mataura is commanded by Capt. G. E. Bird, late of the Golden lleece, and' is oxpecttSd to start for Sydney on the lOtll, where she is expected to arrive tho first week iv September. After the trial trip on Saturday, the invited visitors were entertained at a dejeuner on board, at which Lor.cl Claud Hamilton presided. In proposing "Success to tho Mataura," the chairman 1 dwelt on the benefits •which would accrue not only to EngLuicl, but also to the colonies, by the establishment of the Panama, New Zealaud, and Australian Mail Company . — " Times," July 10. ,