TELEGRAMS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3359, 30 November 1871, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

Napiee: 28th— 9.30 p.m., Keere, from Wellington. FoxroN: 29th— 10.30 a.m., Go-a-Head, from Wellington. Lyttelton : 29th— 5.45 p.m., Alhambra, for Wellington.

The Halcione is almost a full ship, having now stowed 2440 balos wool, 1035 bales ilax, and ofcher produce. Thero aro 300 bales expected daily, which will complete hei* cargo. The Shepherdess, whicli arrived in port on Tuesday nighfc lasfc, did not succeed in landing her stores at Messrs Pharazyn's station. Being driven oufc of Palliser Bay by fche late N.W. gale, she proceeded to Kekeranga, and obtained 63 bales wool from Mr Lovegrove's -.tation. The ketch Glimpse arrived in this harbor on Tuesday night last, from the Easfc Coast, with 100 bales of wool from Messrs Nairn's Etation. It was transhipped to tho Halcione yesterday, and she will proceed to Riddiford's Tea waite station to-day for another cargo of produce. The brigantine Enterprise leaves to-day for Castle Point and Matakuna. Since her arrival in port she has been refitted, and furnished With new anchors and cables. A plan has been proposed for transferring steamers and ships by railway overland from one body of water to another, which has been endorsed as practicable by W. L. Hnnscom, United States Naval Constructor, and others. The plan is to employ an ordinary floating dock to raise the vessel and place it on a cradle bed which stands on trucks. When the water is pumped oufc of fcho dock, and tho wholo is lifted to the proper grade, a locomotive is attached, and t_tf whole is hauled away like any other load. The road over which this trans portation is to tajko place is to be from forty to sixty feefc wide, with eight or more rails, the roadbed fco be capable of sustaining any weight. Mr Hanscom thinks such a railway, with docks, kc, thirty* soven miles aoross the Isthmus of j?anama, could bo builfc for 22,500,000 dols, while a canal, with the necessary locks and basins, would cosfc eight times thafc Bum or more. At first sight such a project seems visionary, bufc moro improbable achievements have been accomplished — fcho electric telegraph, for instance. Tho following letter on fche preservation of iron has been addressed to the editor of the " Scientific American" : — Sir, Permit; mo to allude to whab has been said on fcho important subject of the preservation of iron, by Professor Coiton, who, I am sure, has never paid a bill for docking and painting fcho bottom of an iron ship. When the ship is building there is, generally, time enough and weather good enough to pufc on several coats of paint, and allow plenty of time between each for hardening ; but when an iron ship or eteamor comes from sea, and is advertised to sail on a certain day, there is very rarely time to clean aud dry the ship inside and oufc, ancl not often suitable weather, so that tho paint will dry and adhere Under these circumstances, I know of no paint thafc will fulfil the necessary conditions, and I doubfc if one has been found. Let me go a little into details. The expenso per day for hauling up or docking a ship of 2,000 tons will amount; to nearly the cosfc of tho Professor's plan. Wo will give one day for cleaning and drying, inside as well as oufc, so as to guard against tlie usual eifecfc of condensation, or whufc we salts call sweating. One day for each of the threo coats of red lead, and two days for drying between coats. Ono day for the coafc of beeswax, tallow, and resin mixture. This makes six days of fair weather. It will readily he seen, and, I think, generally admitted, that this will cosfc too much money. The question is nofc wholly, what will " ward off the attacks of atmospheric osygen, and be unaffected by acids and salfc water;" bufc, what will do fchis besfc, afc a reasonable cosfc ? Tho mere cosfc in money is usually small, compared to time, interest;, or capital, and the contin gencies connected with delay. I have had a good deal of costly experience on tho subject of pigments for iron siiips, and have found pure white zinc paint put over red lead, fche best of all — it dries quick, and docs not rub off easily — but nothing will stand when pufc on in frosty weather, or when the surface is damp from cold without and heat within, and the reverse — artificial or natural heat without, aud cold within. Therefore, the composite ship, planted with teak, elm, or yellow pine in two layers, and suitably fastened so as not to be injured by galvanic action, is the besfc and most durable ship, for she can bo sheathed wilh metal, ond will be likely to keep clean if you keep her going. — Old Salt. The " Greymouth Star," in noticing thafc the steamship Tararua, on her recent visit to West Coasfc ports, was commanded by Captain John M'Lean, says a year ago Captain M'Lean ceased to be iv regular command of any of Messrs M'Meckan k Blackwood's boats in tho New Zealand trade, and on this occasion ho only made the trip in consequence of the Budden illness of Captain Hagley. He was able to do so os his own vessel, fcho Aldinga, is now in the hands of the boiier-ma!_er and ship carpenter, undergoing extensivo repairs and alterations, the alterations including a powerful new boiler, new decks of kauri, and other improvements calculated to make her quite a new ship. Another vessel belonging to fcho same company, the Albion, is being refitted for the New Zealand trade, and she will probably make tho first of her intended

trips to Hokitika, Greymouth, and Manukau, under command of Captain M'Lean. Sinco she traded in these waters fcho Albion has been fitted with a hurricane deck, and has received other alterations which should mako hor a more favorite boafc with passengors than she was when owned and sailed by tho Otago Steam Shipping Company. The " Nelson Examiner" of tho 22nd says that as the stoamer Lady Barkly was crossing tho Bay on the Friday previous from Motuoka, when aboufc four miles from the porfc, a large whale was descried by Captain Walkor coming right down on the track of the steamer. The monster then disappeared for a brief time, and when it a?ain rose it was only a short distanco from the vessel, and looked as if it would come against her bow. Bufc when witi.in a few yards of the steamer tho whale again sunk, and passed under her keel, and when next seen was afc some distar.cn. Tho fish was of tho humpback species, and was within a few feet of the length of tlio little steamer.