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THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

NOTICE TO MARINERS.

No. 23 of 1874.

REPORTED DANGEROUS GROUND IN FOVEAUX STRAITS.

Customs Department (Marine Branch),
Wellington, 14th October, 1874.

CAPTAIN THOMSON, Harbour Master at the
Bluff, reports having observed from the Bluff
Hill heavy breakers in three places to the N.E. of
Toby Rock, near Ruapuke Island. He states that
in his opinion there are not more than 4 or 5 fathoms
in these places, and probably less. The position of
the northernmost breaker is given by Captain Thom-
son as bearing—

From Bluff Hill, S. 83° E. magnetic.
" Dog Island, S. 87° E. magnetic.
" Green Island, N. 29° E., magnetic.
" Toby Rock, N. 29° E. magnetic, distant
two miles.

He also reports seeing breakers in several places
from one to three miles N.E. of Dog Island.
Until these localities have been surveyed, masters
of vessels should approach them with great caution.

EDWARD RICHARDSON,
(for the Commissioner of Customs).

Surveyor under Merchant Shipping Acts Adoption
Acts appointed.

Office of Commissioner of Customs,
Wellington, 19th October, 1874.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint

WILLIAM THOMSON,

Harbour Master at Port Chalmers, to be a Surveyor
under the Merchant Shipping Acts Adoption Acts,
1869 to 1874. This appointment to date from the
16th instant.

EDWARD RICHARDSON,
(for the Commissioner of Customs).

NOTICES TO MARINERS.

No. 24 of 1874.

Customs Department (Marine Branch),
Wellington, 17th October, 1874.

THE following Notices to Mariners are published
for general information.

EDWARD RICHARDSON,
(for the Commissioner of Customs).

Office of the Marine Board of New South Wales,
Sydney, 9th September, 1875.

HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICE.

THE following continuation of the remarks of Lieut.
L. S. Dawson, R.N., Admiralty Surveyor, upon the
east coast of New Guinea, Goschen Strait, and
islands lately surveyed in H.M.S. "Basilisk," have
been made by order of Commodore James G. Good-
enough, and are promulgated for general infor-
mation.

FRANCIS HIXSON,
President

All bearings are magnetic.—Variation in 1874,
7º easterly.

ISLANDS OFF THE EAST COAST OF NEW GUINEA.
Heath Island to East Cape.

Heath Island, the western of the recently dis-
covered islands on the east coast of New Guinea, is
situated about 17 miles E.N.E. from the peak of the
west Brumer Island, and is 44 miles long north-east
and south-west, by about a mile broad. Of its two

peaks, the southern is a little the highest, rising to
an altitude of about 1,000 feet. They appear in the
shape of a saddle from the east or westward, are
well defined and thickly wooded, forming a con-
spicuous mark for the whereabouts of China Strait,
and Possession Bay (Hayter Island). The island
has patches of well-cultivated ground; and on its
eastern side two villages. A small woody islet
lies about a cable eastward of its eastern centre, and
a reef, having on it three prominent rocks, sur-
mounted with small trees, runs half a mile south-east
from its south-east point. An off-lying reef of flat-
topped rocks, about a cable in extent, and 10 feet
above water, is situated about 8 cables south-east
from the same point; and between them and the
shore reef is a depth of 17 fathoms. Midway be-
tween Heath and Blanchard Island (to the south-
east), and about 1 mile S. by E. of the south-east
point of the former are three small islets, lying in a
north-west and south-east direction, the middle being
the highest—about 250 feet; they are rocky and
wooded, but were not closely examined, or sounded
around.

Blanchard Island—S.E. by E., 34 miles from the
south-east point of Heath Island—is nearly 2 miles
long E.S.E. and W.N.W., by about a mile in breadth.
Its two most prominent peaks are situated near the
north-east and south-west extremities. Of these,
the north-east, which is the summit of the island,
rises to an estimated height of 450 feet. An islet,
about half a mile long, lies at a cable's distance from
the south-east point of the island; it is well wooded,
and a village was seen in a small sandy bay on its
north-west side. No landing was effected here, nor
were the depths in the vicinity ascertained.

Beehive Islet—so named from its shape—is small,
steep, rocky, and about 250 feet high. It is rather
more than 2 miles S.E. of the south-east point of
Blanchard Island, and affords a good mark, appearing
steep-to, and free from surrounding dangers.

The Coast of New Guinea, from the point of the
main land north-eastward of the Leocadie Isles to
the point immediately north of Heath Island, trends
in a north-easterly direction for about 12 miles, and
consists of high ranges of hills, intersected by woody
valleys, descending in some places to the water's
edge. Two reefs, having but little water upon them,
lie about a mile and a mile and a half from the coast,
2 and 3 miles respectively from Leocadie Point;
and a small islet, particulars of which have not been
ascertained, is situated N.E. by E. E. miles from
the same point, and about a mile from the coast.
Between Heath Island and the point immediately
north of it, is a channel leading into China Strait, in
which soundings of 16 fathoms were obtained in the
"Basilisk" during the survey of 1873; but further
north it becomes narrowed by four scattered islets,
and is not recommended.

China Strait, dividing the south-east part of New
Guinea from Hayter Island, is about 4 miles long,
N.E. by N. and S.W. by S., by rather more than
three-quarters of a mile wide in its narrowest part.
It was formerly thought that this strait might afford
a shorter route to China, hence its name; but upon
further examination it was found that the intricacy
of the navigation to the north-eastward of it, caused
by the many obstructing reefs there situated, was so
great as to render preferable the route some 25 miles
farther east.

The depths in the strait vary from 24 fathoms,
sandy bottom, eastward of and between Dinner Islet
and Hayter Island, to 18 fathoms, mud, abreast
Scramble Point. The only danger noted in a cursory
examination was a 4-fathom patch, about half a cable
westward of Steep Point.