350
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 26

BALANCE-SHEET of the Botanical Garden Board,
New Plymouth, from the 1st January to the 31st
December, 1879.

1879. Jan. 7. To Cash
      ... ... ... ... ... ... £ s. d.
      1 6 0

1880. Donation
      ... ... ... ... ... 16 8 6
      Feb. 26. Borough Council
      ... ... ... ... 13 10 0
      July 29. C. W. Govett
      ... ... ... ... 50 0 0
      Aug. 5. Rents
      ... ... ... ... ... 1 0 0
      Dec. 31. Overdraft at Bank
      ... ... ... 5 16 3
      156 16 1
      £244 16 10

1881. Dec. 31. By Overdraft
      ... ... ... ... £ s. d.
      17 1 0

1882. Jan. 1. Insurance
      ... ... ... ... 1 10 0
      to
      Dec. 31. J. Russell
      ... ... ... ... 48 3 6
      Painting
      ... ... ... ... 4 0 0
      Wages
      ... ... ... ... 108 7 5
      Carpentering
      ... ... ... ... 3 8 8
      R. H. Thompson
      ... ... ... ... 1 4 8
      Cartage
      ... ... ... ... 1 0 0
      Printing
      ... ... ... ... 2 5 0
      Ironmongery
      ... ... ... ... 8 8 6
      R. C. Hughes (refund to Bazaar
      Committee)
      ... ... ... 32 8 6
      Cheque-book
      ... ... ... 0 4 2
      Interest
      ... ... ... ... 7 19 8
      Sundries
      ... ... ... ... 8 15 9
      £244 16 10

ROBT. C. HUGHES,
Chairman pro tem.

R. BAYLEY,
Hon. Secretary and Treasurer.

Examined and found correct.
WM. BENNETT,
Auditor.

Decision of Court of Inquiry on Wreck of "Sophia"
confirmed.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 13th March, 1880.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
confirm the following decision of the Court of
Inquiry into the cause of the stranding of the
schooner "Sophia," official number 70508, 200 tons
register, William Burk, master, holding a South
Australian certificate of service, No. 204.

The vessel struck on Bull Rock, off Portland
Island, at 6 a.m., on the 28th January.
H. A. ATKINSON.

THAT Captain Burk was guilty of default, whereby
the above shipping casualty was caused.

1. Though the lighthouse on Portland Island was
   first seen at 2 p.m. on the 28th, and its bearing
   observed, no other observation of it was made till
   9.30 p.m. As when first observed it bore N.N.W.,
   and ship's course was N.N.E., and going about four
   knots, even occasional noting of the ship's position
   by steering and by bearing of light must have
   shown that she was not keeping her N.N.E. course,
   but was setting in shore.

2. The captain, having no certificated mate, should
   have been extra careful, and remained on deck when
   in the vicinity of danger, but did not do so.

3. A cast of deep-sea lead would have shown him
   that he was too far in shore, but the lead was not
   hove.

I, therefore, suspend the certificate of Captain
William Burk for one month, and further order him
to pay to the Clerk of the Court at Auckland the
sum of £11 5s. as the cost of this inquiry.

Given under my hand this twentieth day of
February, one thousand eight hundred
and eighty, at Auckland, New Zealand.

ROBERT CLAPHAM BARSTOW,
J.P. and R.M.

I concur in the above report.
W. FRASER,
Nautical Assessor.

Notice to Mariners. No. 11 of 1880.

BLUFF HARBOUR, MIDDLE ISLAND, N.Z.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 17th March, 1880.
THE following Notices to Mariners, received from
the Bluff Harbour Board, is published for gene-
ral information.
H. A. ATKINSON.

BLUFF HARBOUR.

Two dolphins have been placed on the "middle spit,"
which lies to the north of the wharf, and between
the two channels. One is on the extreme east end
in 12 feet; it is surmounted by a cross, painted red
and white in horizontal bands. The other is on the
middle of the spit, in 4 feet, and surmounted by a
Y-shaped beacon, painted red and white in diagonal
bands. These, when kept in a line about N.W. by
W. W., lead through the deepest of the channel,
in not less than 24 feet from the red cone buoy with
staff and ball, till abreast of the lightship.

The sandy knoll laid down on the Admiralty charts
about 3 cables length to the north-east of Starling
Point, with 2 fathoms marked on it, has disappeared,
and there is now 3 fathoms in that position.

The knoll, 2 cables length south of Tewaewae
Point, marked 3 fathoms, has shoaled up and ex-
tended about 1½ cables to the south, and there is
only 1 to 2 fathoms over the whole area. A
chequered buoy, black and white, has been placed on
its north-west end, and a red buoy on its south-east;
both are in 3 fathoms. When entering by the west
channel the buoys must be left on the starboard
hand, and on the port when entering by the north
channel.

There is not less than 3 fathoms over the area to
the south-east of the knoll, within a line between
the outer red buoy in the west channel and the inner
black buoy in the north channel.

The depths given are at low-water spring tides,
and bearings magnetic.

Bluff, 8th March, 1880.
THOMAS THOMSON,
Harbourmaster.

Notice to Mariners. No. 12 of 1880.

DANGERS IN BAY OF PLENTY AND NEAR CAVALLI
ISLAND, NORTH ISLAND, N.Z.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 17th March, 1880.

THE following dangers have recently been dis-
covered in the Bay of Plenty:-

A shoal, consisting of a narrow ridge, with from 2
to 4 fathoms on it, deepening to 10 fathoms rather
suddenly to the south and east, and more gradually
to the westward, extends from the south end of
Motiti Island for a full mile in a S.W. by S. direction.

A rocky patch (Tokeroa Shoal), about three quar-
ters of a mile long in a S.W. direction by half a mile