214
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
H.M.S. "Brisk" experienced a heavy south-west |
sorts. He also acts as pilot to them, and it is chiefly
gale while at anchor there in May, 1865, with | from him that I derived whatever information did
Clatchie point bearing west-south-west in six | not come under my own notice.
fathoms, fine black sand. The gale lasted forty-eight
hours, one cable parted and the ship was in a very criti- | On the east side of Pitt Island there is an an-
cal position, a high breaking sea running, and a strong | chorage much frequented by whalers, where vessels
offset from the shore keeping the ship at times | may ride well sheltered from westerly gales; and on
broadside to wind and sea. An American whaler, | the west side there is good anchorage with northerly
laying further in, also parted a cable, and the crew | and easterly winds, in a bay behind a very high and
left her expecting her to be wrecked, but she rode it | precipitous island called by the residents "the
out safely; as did also a schooner laying close under | Castle." This island, which is probably that named
Point Hansom. A shoal, having five fathoms on it, | in the chart "the Fort," occupies more nearly the
is said to lie a mile-and-a-half to the northward of | position of "the Outposts" as there laid down; this
the anchorage, but the exact spot is uncertain. It is | latter, a very remarkable sharp pointed serrated
however known to the natives, who go there to fish. | rock, is further to the south-west; and the extreme
Port Waitangi is the principal place in the | rock of this group, called "the Sail rock" from its
Chatham Islands, the Resident Magistrate lives here, | extraordinary resemblance to a boat with a gigantic
as also several other Europeans. Fresh meat, | lug-sail, lies considerably to the south-west of its
poultry, and vegetables may be had here in abun- | position on the chart. This group of rocks is very
dance and very cheap; the potatoes, for which the | remarkable; the "Castle" is flat topped with per-
islands are celebrated, are very fine; and at times a | pendicular precipitous sides 300 or 400 feet high.
large quantity is exported to New Zealand and | We were too far off to judge of the position of the
Australia. The land in this neighbourhood is very | rocks off the south end of the island. As we did not
good; wheat is cultivated and answers well, and all | anchor, being pressed for time, I was unable to fix
kinds of English fruits and vegetables come to | the position of the north end of Pitt Island with
perfection. The lakes abound with wild ducks, and | accuracy, but it is certainly five miles south of its
there are also curlew, plover, and pigeons, with | position on the chart.
abundance of wild pigs all over the islands.
On steaming along the southern shore of Petre | On leaving the north end of the island, we steered
Bay, nothing was seen of the Heaphy shoal, and I | north-north-east, which took us about four or five
was told it had no existence. There was a heavy | miles to the northward of Beetier rock, a flat-topped
swell running, but there was no appearance of a | islet of about 150 feet high. It is laid down some
break anywhere off this shore, except upon the | six miles too far to the north-west of its proper
Jenny reef, which appears to be rather less in extent | position, as it lies on the parallel of 44° south, and
than the chart shews.
The coast from Point Durham to Point Evêque is | has thence obtained the local name of "the Forty-
high and bold, apparently clear of dangers. Point | fours."
Evêque has close behind it a remarkable hill, with a | Round Island is placed about four miles too far to
cleft rock on the top exactly like a bishop's mitre, | the north-west. The existence of the three rocks laid
from whence its name is given.
The Sentry reef appears to be correctly placed, | down in latitude 44° 20' south, longitude 176° 30'
but it is smaller in extent than is laid down in the | west, is very doubtful; and the Star Quay reef is
chart. It is entirely under water, but the sea | said to occupy quite a different position.
breaks violently upon it. The "Brisk" passed about | Abundance of fresh meat, potatoes and vegetables
a mile-and-a-half to the northward of it.
There is said to be a rock some little distance from | may be obtained at Pitt Island, as also poultry, milk,
the shore, two or three miles to the westward of | and butter. The island is thickly wooded; the soil,
Cape Fournier, but it is out of the ordinary track of | very fertile; and, as at the great island, all kinds of
vessels passing through Pitt Straits, and we saw | English fruits, &c., grow and thrive. Wheat is also
nothing of it. I was assured by residents, that with | cultivated, but not in quantity sufficient for ex-
the exception of this rock and Sentry reef, Pitt | portation.
Straits are entirely free from dangers; the rocks | H.M.S. "Brisk," Auckland, 31st May, 1865.
laying off the west and south-west sides of Pitt
Island being so high and steep as to be quite unde-
serving that name.
Pitt Island and its surrounding islets and rocks, | Colonial Secretary's Office,
are most incorrectly laid down on the chart; in fact, | Wellington, 1st July, 1865.
with the exception of Sentry reef, the entire chart | THE following letter from the Honorary Secretary
south of Capes Evêque and Fournier is erroneous. | to the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition, is
The north end of Pitt Island is placed five miles too | published for general information.
much to the northward, and its shape and the
outline of its shores are altogether different. The | J. C. RICHMOND.
north end of this island is formed by a bay about a
mile-and-a-half in width, and half-a-mile in depth, | Offices of the Royal Commission,
where there is good anchorage with all southerly | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand,
winds. From the centre of this bay, Point Evêque | 24th June, 1865.
bore by compass north 81° west, and Cape Fournier, | SIR,-I have the honor, by direction of the Com-
north 33° west; and, assuming that these two capes | missioners, to forward for the information of Govern-
are correctly laid down on the chart, this point in | ment the following extract from the last letter
the bay would be in latitude 44° 13' south, longitude | received by the Commissioners from their Agent in
176°29' west. This latitude is at all events nearly | England, Mr. John Morrison:-
correct, as it agrees with our observations at noon. | "I may call the attention of the Commissioners to
Mr. Hunt, an Englishman who has resided twenty- | the fact that the date for holding the next Great
five years on the island, lives in this bay; he farms a | International Exhibition at Paris has been fixed for
great portion of the island, and gains his livelihood | 1867, and would urge the desirability of giving the
by supplying whalers with fresh provisions of all | Colony a prominent position on that occasion, for
| Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, and other
| Australian Colonies have already been favourably
| known in France and Europe by their products shown
| at these Exhibitions.
| "As this could be well carried out in connection
| with any collection of articles permanently kept in
| London, it is therefore to be hoped that some sum
| may be granted by the General Government for such