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marks for crossing the Bar are the extreme of North Point, in line with a point on the south side of the harbour, gradually sloping from a low hill about 3 miles inside, bearing N.E. by E. ¼ E.; water on the Bar at low water spring tides, 9 feet, and the channel straight in from the Bar to the Heads, carrying in 2, 3, 4, and 5 fathoms between them. When inside, by keeping mid channel, you may sail up to where the river branches off into the Waitetama River, Kokaka and Waikuku creeks.

Good anchorage inside the points leading into Kokaka River—so also there is in every part of it. Small vessels generally anchor off the first limestone rocks under the North Head, in 9 fathoms. Off Hou Village there are three other creeks, besides those mentioned, flowing into the main branch.

Strength of tide between the Heads, from 4 to 6 knots.

Time of high water on the Bar at full and change, 9h. 30m.
Rise, 12 feet.
Latitude, South Entrance Point, 37d. 47m. 31s. S.
Longitude, ditto ditto, 174d. 51m. 1s. E.

SAILING DIRECTIONS FOR AOTEA HARBOUR.

On approaching the harbour of Aotea, the entrance looks like a great gap, with sand hills on either side; the South point (Kupua te mauna) is 4 miles north of Kawhia, and its summit is darker than the rest of the hills on the coast.

The North Head is a low point formed by a gradual slope of the sand hills.

The high water marks between the heads are ¼ mile distant.

From the North Head a long sand-spit, dry at half-tide, runs to the southward for 1 mile; and ¾ mile to the southward of the South Head, the south spit runs off, and outlies the north spit, and dries out at low water about ¼ of a mile.

In steering for the Bar, two small triangular patches of yellow cliff, to the right of the south point, will be seen; the right of these patches in line with where the summit of the dark hill meets the sand hill (or where they appear to join), bearing E. ½ N.

After crossing the Bar, in 11 feet low water, haul in along the spit (E.S.E.) until abreast of the tail of the north spit (always showing); you will then gradually have to haul up, keeping the north spit on board to the North Head—still keep the north shore on board (as there is an extensive sand bank off the south shore), until abreast of the abrupt termination of the sand on the north shore; then steer for the red cliffs on the south shore, and anchor off them in from 4 to 6 fathoms.

The depth of channel from the Heads to this point is from 2 to 4 fathoms, which continues to the eastward ½ of a mile towards the White Bluffs, when it turns to the northward, and divides into three small channels; the westernmost one leading to the Mission Station, above which it is dry; the middle, towards the Pakaka Creek, dry at low water; and the east one to Makamaka Creek also dry at low water.

Latitude of South Head, 37d. 59m. 52s. S.
Longitude ditto, 174d. 47m. 16s. E.
High water on Bar, at full and change, 9h. 30m.
Rise and fall, 12 feet.
The tide runs between the Heads from 3 to 5 knots.

There are two rocks lying to the northward of Aotea, about a mile off shore. The north one is awash at low water and is nearly always breaking; the south one about ¼ of a mile from the other, breaks only in heavy weather—one cable inside is 4 fathoms.

The bearings of the first are—from North Head W. ½ N., and from the Bar N.W. ¼ N. 1½ miles: the one which seldom breaks is ¼ of a mile south of the north one.

All bearings magnetic.

BYRON DRURY,
Commander and Surveyor.

COLONIAL BANK OF ISSUE.

TOTAL Amount of Notes in circulation at the Office of the Colonial Bank of Issue, at Auckland, on the 29th day of April, 1854, being the close of the preceding four weeks:

£5 and upwards .......... £4,595
Under £5 .......... 2,886

Total .......... £7,481

Total Amount of Coin held by the same office on the same day:

Gold .......... £5,558
Silver .......... 40

Total .......... £5,598

I, Alexander Shepherd, the Colonial Treasurer, do hereby certify that the above is a true account, as required by the Ordinance, No. 16, Session 8.

A. SHEPHERD,
Colonial Treasurer.

Dated at Auckland, this 1st day of May, 1854.

Printed and Published by Williamson & Wilson, for the Provincial Government.