306
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

fresh breeze from the northward, inclining to the
eastward and westward, as land and sea breezes, but
mostly blowing from the westward, whilst in the
middle of the Gulf the wind will be light and south-
easterly.

Investigator Roads: Sweer's Island.

SWEER'S ISLAND shelters Investigator Roads to the
eastward; it is about five miles long by a mile broad;
it has rocks and foul ground extending off it to the
eastward for about one and a half mile; cross-bear-
ings of Locust Rock, and the north-east point of
Sweer's Island, are the best guide for keeping outside
of it; the south and south-west sides, also, have shoal
water and rocky patches running off shore for about
three-quarters of a mile.

INSPECTION HILL, at the south-east point of Sweer's
Island, is 104 feet in height, and being the only hill
in the neighbourhood, forms a good landmark.

LOCUST ROCK is a small rocky islet, about one and
a half mile S.E. by S. from Inspection Hill; it has
a small reef (dry at low water) about one mile
E.N.E. of it; both rock and reef are connected with
Inspection Hill by foul ground. Locust Rock has
also a bank of small gravel running off it to the S.S.E.
about one mile; the least water on it is one fathom.

MACDONALD'S POINT is the south-west point of
Sweer's Island; it has rocks and foul ground running
off it for about three-quarters of a mile, and extending
along the south side of Sweer's Island to Locust
Rock; to keep outside the shoal water, do not bring
Locust Rock to the southward of E. by S., nor Raft
Point to the westward of N. by W.

INSCRIPTION POINT, the west point of Sweer's
Island, is of white sand, and on it the township of
Caernarvon is situated.

RED CLIFFS form the point projecting into the bay
between North and Inscription Points.

NORTH POINT of Sweer's Island is rocky and
wooded.

RAFT POINT, the east point of Bentinck Island, is
wooded, and easily made out; to vessels coming from
the southward, it appears as the point of the land
projecting from the west side of Investigator Roads.

FOWLER'S ISLAND is a small island S.W. by S.,
two miles from Raft Point; it is one and a quarter
mile long, N.N.E. and S.S.W., and has a clump
of trees near the south point; it is fronted towards
Investigator Roads by rocks and shoal water, to
clear which Raft Point should not be brought to the
eastward of N.E.

INVESTIGATOR ROADS, the anchorage of the port of
Sweer's Island, is sheltered to the eastward of
Sweer's Island, to the westward by Fowler's Island and
the south part of Bentinck Island, and to the north-
ward by the reefs running off Bentinck Island,
and the shoal water between Bentinck and Sweer's
Islands; it is well sheltered from the prevailing
winds, spacious and easy of access, having a broad
and clear passage to it, with four to five fathoms
water in every part.

ANCHORAGE.-Vessels trading to Caernarvon, the
township of Sweer's Island, should anchor to the
westward of Inscription Point, at a distance from it
of about three cables, in five fathoms water, mud
bottom: a favourite anchorage is with the Red Cliffs
in sight over Inscription Point, about two cables'

DIRECTIONS.-To gain the anchorage in Investi-
gator Roads, all but very small vessels must enter by
the southern passage; vessels running in with a
south-east wind should keep about three miles off
the land until the centre of Sweer's Island bears
north, when an opening will be seen between Raft
and Inscription Points; a course N.N.W. should

then be steered for the north point of Fowler's Island,
until the north point of Sweer's Island is seen over
Inscription Point; then steer for Inscription Point,
and anchor about two cables' lengths off, with the
Red Cliffs just in sight over it.

Should the wind be from the northward, and the
vessel have to beat in, care must be taken, in
approaching Locust Rock from seaward, to clear the
reef to E.N.E. of it-the north-east point of Sweer's
Island, bearing N. by W., just leads clear of this ;-
to avoid the covered bank running off it to the S.S.E.,
Locust Rock should not be approached nearer than
one and a half mile; the clump of trees on the south
end of Fowler's Island bearing N.W. by W., will
lead clear of the bank, but this will be difficult for a
stranger to make out, as Bentinck and Fowler's
Islands are low and in one-a surer guide is the
lead;-in rounding Locust Rock closely, if you have
less than ten fathoms water, keep to the southward,
until Locust Rock is well open to the eastward of
Sweer's Island, when the bank will be passed.

When standing along the south side of Sweer's
Island, keep Locust Rock to the northward of E. by
S., to clear the foul ground running off. In working
up the Roads, you may stand into Fowler's Island
until Raft Point bears N.E., and into Sweer's Island
until Raft Point bears N. by W., until so much to
the northward has been gained as to shut in the S.E.
point of Sweer's Island with the next point to the
westward; then in standing in to Sweer's Island, the
north point must be kept in sight over Inscription
Point.

When fairly in the channel between Sweer's and
Fowler's Islands, the lead will be of great assistance;
standing into Fowler's Island, tack when the water
you have carried across shoals a fathom; in standing
into Sweer's Island, tack when the water deepens
half a fathom.

WINDS.-From the end of May to the middle of
September, the wind blows more or less strongly from
south-east, freshening into a gale just before full and
change; after the middle of September the wind
hangs mostly from the northward, blowing a fresh
breeze from the north-east in the morning, moderating
and drawing round to north-west in the afternoon,
falling light at night, and freshening again about
4 a.m.; these winds last till about the latter part of
December, when unsettled cloudy weather, with rains
and north-west winds in the day-time, and heavy
squalls from the mainland at night, set in; these winds
last until about the end of February, when till the
end of May the winds blow mostly from E.N.E. This
description of the winds applies to the head of the
Gulf of Carpentaria as far east as the Norman River.

TIDES.-Flood tide sets to the southward, and ebbs
to the northward, from one to two knots at springs;
the strength of the stream, and length of time of
setting, depend on the strength of the prevailing
winds, the tide going mostly with the wind.

Port Office,
Brisbane, 8th April, 1869.

G. P. HEATH, Lieut. R.N.,
Portmaster.

No. 16 of 1869.

MANUKAU HARBOUR.

Marine Department,
Wellington, June 23rd, 1869.

CAUTION.-Mariners are hereby cautioned to
place no dependence on the leading Beacons and
Buoys at the entrance to Manukau Harbour.

The Tranmere Buoy has disappeared, and any
vessel running in on the line of the South Head
Beacons would cross the tail of the bank.

Masters of vessels must therefore exercise the
greatest caution in entering; they must pay close