SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 200, 21 March 1868, Page 2

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

POET OP WESTPOB-T. incur water. This Day ... 7.30 a.m., 8.0 p.m. ARRIVAL. March 20—Lioness, steam tug, from Hokitika. DEPARTURES. March 20—Nelson, p.s., for Hokitika and Greymouth. Mur.ay, s.s., for Greymouth. CUSTOMS ENTRIES. INWARDS. March 20 —Lioness, p.s., tug, 26 tons, M'Meikham, from Hokitika, Spence Bros., agents. Nelson, p.s., 88 tons, Whitwell, for Hokitika and Greymouth N. Edwards & Co., agents. OUTWARDS. March 20 —Volunteer, cutter, 22 tons, F. Green, for Picton, via Mokihinui. Master, agent. Nelson, p.s., 88 tons, Whitwell, for Hokitika and Greymouth. N. Edwards and Co., agents. PASSENGER LIST. Per Nelson—Messrs Crate and Anslow. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Northern Light, from Melbourne. Mary Ann, from Melbourne. Walliby, s.s., from Fox's and Hokitika. Nightingale, from Melbourne Wanganui, s.s., from Wanganui and Wellington. VESSELS IN PORT. Schooners—Ada, Mary. Ketches—Constant. Cutters—Dart, Volunteer. Brigantinc—Maid of Erin. Steamers—Lioness. IMPORTS. Per Nelson—ll qr casks ale, D. Leslie ; 2 cases eggs, Hay and Co.; 1 parcel, Hay and Co.; 1 truss, Anslow; 7 bags sugar, Anslow; 14 head cattle, Kir wan; 80 sheep, N. Edwards and Co. ; 3 sacks potatoes, Freeman. EXPORTS. Per Volunteer—3s tons coals, A. Beauchamp. The screw steamer, Murray, which was through stress of weather, unable to reach Greymouth yesterday, and in consequence put back to port, left again last night with original cargo. The paddle steamer, Nelson, with part of her original cargo on board, left last night for Hokitika and Greymouth.

The stcain tug, Lioness, belonging to Messis Spence Brothers, came into port yesterday morning, from Hokitika. She will attend on the Maid of Erin, which vessel will )>e ready for sea in a few days. Her length of stay is not yet determined. She brings Hokitika papers with news from Sydney to the llth inst. The weather outside has been very severe, accompanied with rain ; and the bar, both here and at, the southern ports, has been very rough the last few days. Towards night the wind moderated, and the sky gave indications of finer weather.

The Aberdeen clipper Thyatira, commanded by Captain James feoss, which arrived in this port on Monday, has brought with her a novel sort of anchor, the first of the kind, we believe, which has ever been seen in these waters. It is known as " Martin's patent self-canting anchor," and it differs from other anchors in having moveable flukes, which turn in the shank, so that both enter the ground, no matter which way the vessel swings. The oldfashioned stock is also done away with, so that, let the vessel alter her position as she may, there is no possibility of the cable fouling the anchor. When the ordinary anchor is used the danger always exists, when a ship swings round with a change of wind or tide, of the cable becoming foul either of the stock or of the upper fluke, in which case the anchor "trips" and becomes useless. As soon as the new anchor drops, however, both flukes are buried, and as there is no stock in the way, there is nothing which the cable can fold, so that a vessel may change her position a dozen times with absolute safety. In the new anchor the shaft and flukes, instead of being welded together, consist of two separate pieces of iron, an arrangement which gives a material increase in strength. The shank, too, is much heavier" than that oi' the common anchor, another improvement on the old plan. The new invention lias been subjected to a thorough trial, and the owners of the Thyatira, which has just completed her first voyage, had no hesitation in adopting it. Subsequent experi■ence has confirmed the opinion derived from the experiments made at Home, arid the new anchor will, no doubt be very generally used ere long.— Melbourne Argus.