EXPORTS.

West Coast Times, Issue 321, 3 October 1866, Page 2

EXPORTS.

Per Jane^ Lockhart, for Svdney-^5 bdls sheepskins, 4 cases, W. S. Lockhart; 300 hides, 136 bales sheepskins, 1 bale wool, 30 cwt. bones, 500 horns, order." - • Per Sarah and Mary, for Melbourne — 25 chests tea, 120 half-chests tea, Spcnce Bros. ; 39 firkins butter, Churches and Ching ; 1 qrcask runi; Hall, Finlay, and Co.

Quite a fleet of inward boundera rounded to in the roadsread yesterday, and feiere they are compelled to remain' until the channel clears, r.s nothing with a draught of more than five feet ilare attempt the bar. This detention is most untoward, as they are all good sized bottoms heavily freighted from Melbourne, DuneJin, and Sydney, and would be move in place if fastened to the wharf instead of being at anchor in open water outside. Knowing the uncertainties which attend the entry of sailing vessels into the river, we abstain from, classing them under the head of arrivals in -our shipping column until they are safely berthed in the tier, for we remember too well how many crafts have been delayed for weeks outside 'owing to an impassable bar and unfavorable weather, and in one or two instances were compelled to discharge their enrgos at another port. It is true this occurred in days " lang syne," when the port was unprovided ■with an efficient tug service ; but since the Advent of those- handy steamers, which are ready to cross the bar whenever it is practicable to 'do so," traders have received sucli prompt attention that an enforced sojourn in the roadstead seldom extends over twenty-four hours. Admitting that the coast is " ugly," and the roadstead a most undesirable anchorage, it cannot be denied thnt the detention of many vessels outside- was due in a great measure to . the over-caution of shipmasters, who displayed an unaccountable objection to the use of ground tackle, rather preferring to keep under canvas in the offing until fastened to by a tug. Such a procedure is most unwise, and should never be adopted unlcssthe anchorage is rendered untenable by a heavy sea, or in case of bad weather, when the alternative would naturally bo resorted to for safety, as through the prevalence of strong coastal currents and light winds, we haye v known vessels to be swept many miles north and south 6f the port, which they were unable to regain .for <lays. The new arrivals which we above alluded to are the Lady Darling and Mary from Melbourne, Lizzie C'oleson from Sydney, and Isabella from Duuedin. The former was off the bar on 'Monday- night, but- did not anchor, and in consequence was hull down to the northward yesterday morning, having lost that much ground through the current and light wind which -prevailed during. the night. The Mary and Lizzie Coleson .bVuiight up as soon as the anchorage was gaincif, and but for th*e channel being blocked would have towed in at tide ' time. The Isabella fetched in- rather late in the afternoon, which destroyed her chance of entering even had the bar been open\ She, however, brought to within a short distance of the Mary, and at sunset both "vessels were riding comfortably to their anchors. During _ the forenoon the wind was extremely light, but after the sun had crossed the meridian, a breeze sprang up from the S.W., which enabled the Lady Darling to 1 work to windward, and when we last saw her she was well up to the bar. The Lizzie Coleson/which had laid some three miles to the northward during the day, also seized the opportunity *hus afforded to improve her position, and when we left the beach was standing off the land close-hauled, with the evident intention of making a long leg, so as to fetch the anchorage on the other lack. We trust she succeeded in so doing, and that the detention of these vesseis will ■ not extend over to-day. The ketch John Mitcholji was sold by auction yesterday under a bailiff's writ. As some doubt's were entertained respecting the title to her, the bidding was anything but spirited, and the price realised was totally disproportionate to her absolute value. She was knocked down to Mr Gordon ion the sum of

LBO. . _ ' ** The Tmr has again played one of its old pranks, and until a freshet comes down to ( clear the channel will, we fear, be impassable. Yesterday, the entrance was " nowhere," the westerly sea having thrown up a bank of sand between the spits ; and although a channel did exist it was so tortuous that -to follow the windings thereof was next to impossible. Notwithstanding this, both the Challenge and Persevere worked it, but with great difficulty. The former ran out and transhipped passengers from the Mary, and communicated with the Lizzie Coleson, but grounded- both in going and returning. The Persevere made two trips to the Omeo, and relieved that vessel of all but a few packages of the undischarged

portion of her cargo. These would have been also landed if the steamer coiild have laid alongside the second time, but x tho sea had so much increased that sho found" it impossible to do so, and carried away her port rail in the attempt. Btfo tried to tow out the cutler Dart to the Otago, for the purpose of lightering that vessel, but/grounding ontho bar, was compelled to cast off her charge, which was thus> placed in somo jeopardy. ■ But the little craft had her canvas ready, and being smartly handled, managed to regain the river, and fetched'the wliarfj safely. •• ' * • For the first four days of this week the sea was unusually calm, only the. smallest ripple breaking on the beach, and it, 'was possible at any time of tide for tft'o tiniest skiff to have crossed the bai\ It was so fine on Sunday that a party ;of digger 3 launched a small boat at the Five Mile Beach, and rowed up to Okarita, returning in the afternoon, "and on any of the following days the same experiment might have been repeated. — " Westland Observer," Sept. 29. ' y The schooners Florence, and John and Jane, one from Greymouth, and the other from Hokitika, have had very violent weather on' their way up. Both had to seek shelter, the former for five days under Flinders Island^ and the other for nine days under Waterhouse Island. — Melbourne "Age." The " Northern Daily Express" reports a terrible collision which has occurred between the screw stenmer Mary Nixon, Captain John Davison, belonging to Newcastle, -and a schooner, name unknown, resulting in the loss of the latter vessel and her crew. The captain reports that the Mary Nixon left Hamburg on the Ist mh., and proceeded all right until the 4th, when at, midnight, about half way be* tween Portland and Isle of Wiglit, while ia the cabin, he heard the mate shout " Hard-a-port!" He immediately ran on deck, shouting out " Hard-a-porfc !" until ho reached the bridge. The engines were stopped, and within a minute of his reaching the bridge the steamer came into qollision with a schooner, which went down almost instantly she . was struck. Just' before the collision a voice was heard from the schooner calling out " Keep your helm a-port !" As she went down a voice was heard, imploring assistance^ from the water astern of the steamer. A boat .was launched and roweu round the Mary Nixon, but not a -soul was to be seen, nor a vestige of the schooner. The average speed at which the steamer was going at the time of- the accident was about eight knots." The captain believes nUic schooner to be an English ship, as it' was an English voice that shouted out. The only injury to the steamer .was the loss of foretopmast, which caught the schooner's yard in the collision. ' - ' The steamship Alhambra, after an absence of seventeen days, returned yesterday, and . made fast alongside the Sandridge Eailway 1 Pier, at two p.n: . On the passage td Hoki- j tika she had very severe gales, and in^ conse- j quence of having been struck by a heavj 1 sea, i which carried away "a portion of the bulwarks ; and seventi staucheons on the starboard quarter, as well as the mizen rigging, she put into Refuge" Cove to effect repairs. She 'arrived at Hokitika ou the 13th, and left again at six p.m. on the 15th, with onlj sixteen steerage passengers. Strong south-west gales prevailed the whole way bock, and at one part bf the pnssage the wind was so severe that the vessel '"was hove , to for sixteen consecutive hours. The steam tugs Persevere and Lioness were still on shore wlifen the Alhambra left. — Melbourne " Arras," Sept. 241h.