be lighted on the 1st of April next; and will, thereafter, continue to be lighted every evening at sunset.

By His Excellency's command,

(Signed)
JOHN MONTAGU,
Secretary to Government.

SAILING DIRECTIONS FOR RECEIFE LIGHTS AND ALGOA BAY.

Light House:

Latitude of . . . . . . . . . 34° 01’ 0" S.
Longitude, East of Greenwich . . . 25 40 7 E.
Longitude, East of Cape Observatory . . . . 0 26 46

Heights above mean water level:

The Foundation . . . . . . . 10 feet.
The Top of Cornice . . . . . . 80 "
The Height of Light . . . . . . 90 "
The Lantern Wall . . . . . . . 4 " 6 inches.
The Height of Lantern . . . . . 20 "

Colour:

The Light House will show alternate horizontal bands of White and Red, two of each.

Light:

Is fixed, with brilliant flashes at intervals of a minute.

The Colour—Is White.

In clear weather the Light may be seen from seaward on any point from S. by W. (that is, the ship bearing from the Light N. by E. round by S. to East, or 13 points) and at a distance of 12 miles, should the height of the observer’s eye be 12 feet above the sea level. All the bearings are magnetic, and all the distances are expressed in nautical miles.

Magnetic Variation—Is 30° 07' W.

St. Croix—The Large Island:

Latitude of . . . . . . . . . 33° 47’ 36" S.
Longitude, East of Greenwich . . . 25 47 0 E.

Bird Island—The Easternmost island:

Latitude of . . . . . . . . . 33° 52’ 0" N.
Longitude, East of Greenwich . . . 26 18 30 E.

Approach:

In approaching Algoa Bay from the Southward, in clear weather, the first land that will appear will be the mountains in the interior; the most remarkable of these can be seen from 50 to 60 miles, and the bearings of the same are given on the chart of the survey made by the officers of H.M.S. Hermes.

From Cape Receife:

The bearing of Cockscomb is N.N.W. ½ W. 37 miles, and that of the mountain with a rugged top, to the Eastward of it, N. 18° W. 29 miles.

From Cape St. Francis:

(Sometimes mistaken for Cape Receife,) the bearing of the Cockscomb is N.E. ½ N. 30 miles. The above bearings will be sufficient guide in steering for the two Capes respectively, when they may not be seen. Continuing to steer for Receife, the next land that will appear will be the high land in its immediate vicinity, on which is a horizontal line of sand, looking much like the beach, but which is not so; afterwards Receife itself will appear a little further to the Eastward, showing low but distinct as a Cape, with one hummock near the extreme point; but the Light House will not be seen till after a further approach of about 4 miles.

Dangers:

No vessel should approach the Cape 4 miles to the Westward of Receife, or Receife itself nearer than 2 miles, and then only with a commanding breeze or in a steamer, as the reefs extend nearly a mile and a half from the shore, and because there is a very decided and dangerous indraught towards them. When the height of the Light House subtends an angle of 23 minutes, the distance from it will be 2½ miles;—therefore no greater angle should be got. Neither should any one be tempted, by the absence of break, to approach nearer the East side of Receife Light House, as it often occurs that it does not break upon a 7 foot patch a mile from the Light House, and yet it will, without previous warning, break in 7 fathoms and even in 10 fathoms. It is seldom prudent to get less than 13 fathoms water while still outside of Receife.

Marks for entering Algoa Bay:

When rounding Receife, or before a white stone beacon will be seen to the North-Eastward of the Light House, which when in one with it, or, more accurately, when its top is in one with the centre line of the Light House, points to the 8 foot patch of the Roman Rock, and is the leading mark up to it, on a course about N.N.E. ½ E. 2½ miles. After picking up these leading marks with the eye, it should be carried along the side of the hill, and to the Northward, opposite to where the Roman Rock lies, where will be seen two wooden beacons, about 2 miles N. of the Light House, which when in one with each other, point to the 8 foot patch of the Roman, and from which, these beacons, when in one, bear W. by N.

Passage between the Roman and the main land:

When the Light House has been brought to bear N.W. ½ W., and the soundings are from 10 to 13 fathoms, the course may be altered to North. After running about 2 miles from the time of bringing Receife Light House to bear N.W. ½ W., and yet before the wooden beacons have come in one, or when Beacon Point, which is a low sandy point, terminated by brown-coloured rugged rocks, is N.N.W., the white stone beacon must be opened, and kept open to the Eastward of the Light House; this will take the vessel to the Westward of the Roman in about 7 or 8 fathoms, with exception of one or two casts of 6 fathoms before coming up to the wooden beacons. When the wooden beacons have been brought in one, and are again opened on the other side some distance, the anchorage off the town may be steered for, always giving Beacon Point a berth of a full ¼ of a mile.

Passage to the Eastward or outside the Roman:

After having brought the Light House to bear N.W. ½ W., the course, N.E. ½ E. may be steered, or any course more to the Northward that will admit of the stone beacon being kept open to the Westward of the Light House; then when the wooden beacons have been brought in one, or when the Staff and Point of the Diamond on Fort Frederick have been brought in one with the centre of the remarkable hill behind it (a sketch of which is given in the Chart), or, if these should not be seen, when Beacon Point bears W.N.W., the anchorage off the Town may be steered for.

Anchorage:

The Captain of the Port will indicate where merchant vessels are to anchor; but a sandy bottom and good holding ground will be found anywhere in 7 fathoms. In taking up a berth, however, room should be left to admit of veering to 100 and even 130 fathoms, as less than this quantity should, as a rule, in this bay, never be tried;—and, indeed, it is seldom judicious to use less than this quantity anywhere, unless the harbour is land-locked, and the water much less than 7 fathoms in depth. There is a little foul ground in the S.W. part of the bay.

Roman Rock:

There is a Red Buoy moored in 9 fathoms N.E. by compass from the 8 foot patch of the Roman, outside of which vessels going to the Eastward of the rock should go. Going to the Westward of the rock, they should not approach the buoy on its West or S.W. sides nearer than one cable’s length;—the Roman not being, as has been supposed, a single rock, but several, rising above a bed of rocks full 500 feet long.

At night:

Directions for entering Algoa Bay.— In coming from the Westward no vessel should make the Light on a bearing to the Southward of East; and should she from any cause have fallen to the Northward, and have thus brought the Light to the Southward, she must, without fail, before she arrives within five miles of the Light, haul out till the Light bears East, or if in doubt about the amount of deviation of her compasses, to E. ½ N., after which she may steer E.S.E. till the Light bears N. by W.,