30

Superintendent’s office,
Napier March 10, 1864.

THE following Extract from the New
Zealand Gazette is republished for
general information.

DONALD M’LEAN,
Superintendent.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Auckland, 16th Feb., 1864.

The following Notice, received from the
Government of Mauritius, as to the esta-
blishment of a new Lighthouse, is pub-
lished for general information.—"Provin-
cial Gazettes."

WILLIAM FOX.

GOVERNMENT NOTICE.

His Honor the Officer administering the
Government directs it to be notified for
general information that, on and after the
1st March next, a fixed Dioptric Light of
the First Order will be exhibited on Isle-
aux-Fouquets, a small Islet on the edge
on the reef ½ a mile to the North of the
Southern entrance of the Port of Mahe-
bourg in the Island of Mauritius.

A detailed description of, and sailing
directions for making this Light, are pub-
lished below for general information.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
4th November, 1863.

EDW. E. RUSHWORTH,
Acting Colonial Secretary.

MAURITIUS.

SAILING DIRECTIONS IN REFERENCE TO THE
LIGHTHOUSE ON ISLE AUX-FOUQUETS,
GRAND PORT.

1. The Lighthouse is built upon a small
   Island called Isle-aux-Fouquets, in lati-
   tude 20° 24’ 20” South and longitude 57°
   45’ 9” East. It marks the Southern en-
   trance to Grand Port, and is 880 yards to
   the E.N.E. of Ile de Passe; there is a
   small islet between them.

2. Ile de Passe, which bounds Grand
   Port entrance to the Northward, is easily
   known by the Battery and other buildings
   thereon; there are times when rollers en-
   tirely block the Pass, although the depth
   is from 14 to 22 fathoms; but generally
   speaking the reefs on either hand are per-
   fectly visible from the foreyard.

3. The island on which the Lighthouse
   is built is 3 miles to the Eastward of the
   nearest point of the mainland, and on the
   very edge of the Coral Reef which skirts
   this part of the coast of Mauritius; the
   Lighthouse (as well as the adjacent build-
   ings) is white; its ground line is 39 feet
   above the mean sea level, and it forms a
   most conspicuous object, which cannot pos-
   sibly be mistaken.

4. The Lighthouse serves as a guide to
   vessels passing Grand Port by day or by
   night.

5. The apparatus is a Dioptric of the
   First Order, showing a fixed white light
   from sunset to sunrise, visible in every
   direction from seaward, but dark on the
   land side. The light (focal plane) is 108
   feet above the mean sea level (the rise of
   the tide being 3 feet), and in clear weather
   can be seen at a distance of 16 nautical
   miles from the deck of a vessel 12 feet
   above the water.

6. There is a Government pilot in Mahe-
   bourg, who will in a few months be stationed
   at the Lighthouse, and who will board ships
   bound to Mahebourg on their making the
   usual signal.

7. Vessels bound to Mahebourg may ap-
   proach the Light on any bearing from N.
   by E. to W. by S.; when about 2 miles
   from it they should heave to, with the head
   off shore, until the pilot comes alongside.

8. Should it be desired to get into shelter
   as soon as possible, approach the Light
   under easy sail till within about ½ of a mile,
   in order to avoid a shoal patch of 6 fathoms
   off Pointe Laverdie, which is the extreme
   point of the Coral Reef bounding the South
   side of the entrance of Grand Port; steer
   so as to round Ile-de-Passe at the distance
   of ¼ of a mile, as a Spit runs out from its
   South side for about a cable’s length; then
   haul to the Northward, and anchor in 18
   to 20 fathoms; it is, however, not recom-
   mended to attempt the foregoing without a
   pilot, except in cases of extreme necessity.

9. A vessel coming from the Southward,
   and bound to Port Louis round the North
   end of the island of Mauritius, the usual
   track, should, after sighting Grand Port
   Light, steer so as to pass it at a distance of
   about 4 miles; when, at that distance, the
   Light bears W. by S., a N. N. E. ¼ E.
   course for 9 miles will, if the weather be
   clear, bring a vessel in sight of Flat Island
   Revolving Light, bearing about N. by W.
   ½ W.; the course can then be shaped as
   required.

10. A vessel coming from the North-
    ward, having Flat Island Light on a bear-
    ing of N. N. W., must be careful, after
    sighting Grand Port Light, not to bring it,
    when at less than eight miles distance, on
    a more southerly bearing than S. W. by
    W. ½ W., or she will be too near the Coast
    Reef to the Northward of that Light.

11. The Coast Reef to the Eastward of
    and bounding Grand Port has a Bank of
    irregular soundings extending some dis-
    tance to seaward; the lead, if carefully
    attended to, will prove a tolerable guide in
    very thick weather.

12. The bearings in the foregoing in-
    structions are all MAGNETIC, and will carry
    a ship at least 3 miles from the Coast Reef.

13. No Vessel bound into Grand Port
    ought to approach it at night; she should
    heave to well to the Southward of the
    Light, as the drift being to the Northward,
    she might find herself to Leeward in the
    morning, and lose much time in working
    up.

W. L. MORRISON,
Captain Royal Engineers,
Surveyor-General.

Surveyor-General’s Office,
3rd November, 1863.