THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1677

NOTICE TO MARINERS.

No. 30 of 1878.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 23rd November, 1878.

THE following hydrographical memorandum, re-
ceived from the Commodore Commanding the
Australian Station, is published for general informa-
tion.

J. BALLANCE.

FIJI, NEW GUINEA, TORRES STRAITS, BANKS' GROUP,
LOUISIADE ARCHIPELAGO, MARAU SOUND (SOLOMON
GROUP), BROUGHAM, BRIDGEWATER, AND PRINCESS
SHOALS.

"Wolverene," at Hobart Town,
2nd November, 1878.

Hydrographic Memorandum No. 25.

THE accompanying hydrographic information, rela-
tive to parts of the Australian Station, is promulgated
for general information and guidance.

A. H. HOSKINS,
Commodore.

The respective Captains and Officers
Commanding Her Majesty's Ships
on the Australian Station.

CORRECTIONS to Chart No. 2691, furnished by Her
Majesty's surveying schooner "Alacrity," 1st Oc-
tober, 1878.

Fiji Group.—The rocks shown as (1) S. by W.,
10 miles from Vanua Vatu, and (2) N.W., 4 miles
from Frost Reef near Mago, do not exist.

The S.E. horn of the Bukatatanoa or Argo Reef is
13 miles in error. Its correct position is lat. 18° 21'
S., long. 178° 12′ W.

INFORMATION furnished by Navigating Lieutenant of
H.M.S. "Sappho."

New Guinea and Torres Straits—Teste Island.—A
passage, with good anchorage inside the reef, is said
to exist close to the westward of east islet. There
is a rock in the centre of the passage which may be
passed on either side.

Tissot Island.—A sunken patch is reported N.W.
½ mile from N.W. end of this island. A patch, with
two fathoms on it, is reported in lat. 10° 41' S., long.
150° 2' E. (approximate). The sunken barrier, from
about long. 149° 43′ to long. 149° 50′ E., and about
3 miles to northward of its position as marked on
chart No. 2123, is reported to have several patches
awash.

The islet marked on Chart No. 2123, with centre
in lat. 10° 30' S., long. 149° 51′ E., is part of the
mainland.

There is a good passage eastward of Dufaure
Island; the passage north of this island is not
recommended.

Robinson Harbour (Hydrographic Notice No. 11,
of 28th April, 1877).—Entrance to this harbour is
very difficult, and there is probably less than three
fathoms of water in it.

Isabel Cove is not recommended.

Stacey Island (South Cape on charts to 1875).—
Good anchorage was found off the London Mission-
ary Society's station on the north of this island.

Hood Lagoon.—The Barrier Reef extends about
W.N.W. 3 miles from point on west side of entrance
into Hood Lagoon, and is about a mile off shore at its
western end. The "Sappho" went inside this reef
from Hood Bay, passing about a half mile off shore,
and carried five fathoms into the entrance of the
lagoon, where she anchored in eight fathoms (mud).
The water from Hood Lagoon making the water

muddy, the reef cannot be seen from aloft. A large
ship should not attempt to enter Hood Lagoon, as
there are some shoals of about two and a half fathoms
within a mile of the entrance; but anchorage under
the reef, in from six to eight fathoms, may be ob-
tained outside these shoals.

Round Head Point.—Inside the Barrier Reef, in
the vicinity of this point, numerous coral patches
and heads exist, and great care is required as they do
not show out from aloft. From about 5 miles to the
northward of Round Head Point to Port Moresby
the passage inside the reef was found clear, with the
exception of a few patches, which were easily seen.

Port Moresby.—A coral patch, awash at low water,
extending N.W. and S.E. 2¼ cables, and N.E. and
S.W. 1 cable, lies with its centre S.W. by W., 6
cables from S.W. end of Ethel Island. The patch
lying N. by W. ¾ W., 3.5 cables from Paga Point,
and marked on plan No. 2126, with two fathoms on
it, appears to be nearly awash at low water. Inside
the reef, between Port Moresby and Caution Bay,
the least water obtained was four fathoms.

Just inside Basilisk Passage the water shoals;
three and three-quarter fathoms was the least ob-
tained by the "Sappho."

During the "Sappho's" cruise on the south coast
of New Guinea in June, July, and August, the S.E.
trade blowing fresh, the land was covered with haze,
rendering it indistinct at a short distance.

Torres Straits (Great N.E. Channel).—In picking
up an anchorage north of Cocoanut Islet, soundings
of twenty fathoms were obtained, and the ship
anchored in seventeen fathoms, with Cocoanut Islet
E. S., and Dove Islet N.N.E.

Ipili Reef.—The small red beacon, placed upon a
portion of wreck lying N.N.E., ¼ mile from the reef,
is now gone. The sunken reefs "D" are reported
by the signalman at Goode Island to have grown out
to the W.S.W. to long. 142° 6' 15" E., the course
recommended passing very close to them.

Banda and Moneta Shoals.—The "Sappho" passed
very close to the position of the Banda and Moneta
Shoals. No signs of their existence was seen.

Lucius and Aurora Shoals.—The ship also searched
for the Lucius and Aurora Shoals, of which nothing
was seen.

Ellis Channel.—The following buoys and beacons
have been placed in Ellis Channel, Torres Straits:—
Black Beacon on reef north 5 cables from east
side of Black Rock.
Black Buoy close off the reef west of Thursday
Island.
Red Buoy on Rocky Patch. Channel Rock on with
S.E. of Thursday Island, and Quoin Point on with
Vivien Point.
Red Beacon on reef S.E. by E. ¾ E. 7 cables from
Vivien Point.
Black Beacon on reef S.S.E. 7 cables from east
end of Thursday Island.
Red Buoy S.S.E. 6½ cables from east end of Thurs-
day Island.
Black Buoy west end of Hovell Bank.
Black Buoy east end of Hovell Bank.
It is intended to place a red buoy north 1½ cables
from West Hovell Bank Buoy.

NOTE.—The black beacons are square; red, trian-
gular.

The following charts are affected by this informa-
tión, viz. : Nos. 2123, 2122, 2121, 2375, 1043, 691,
2126.

INFORMATION received from Lieut. Masters, of Her
Majesty's schooner "Conflict," in July and August,
1878.

Santa Maria.—Found a first-rate anchorage at
Santa Maria, Banks' Group, with fresh water, round