MAR. 3.]
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, 275

cases no bottom with 20 fathoms of line close to the | 157° 15′ 25″ E., depending on Makua Harbour, San
shore. It is of coral formation, and densely wooded | Christoval, being in 161° 26′ 39″ E. (Denham).
to the water's edge. At the north-east end of it
are three small islands—Blanche, Renard, and | Harbour.—About half a mile to the eastward of
Observatory Islands. The two former are one mile | Renard Entrance is the entrance to a good-sized har-
and half a mile long, and 280 and 220 feet high re- | bour, with many small islets in it, which probably
spectively. Observatory Island is about 100 yards | affords good anchorage. It was not, however, closely
in diameter and 180 feet feet in height. They are all | examined. It is connected with Rendova Harbour
densely wooded and steep-to all round. | by a shallow passage, passable by boats at high water.

Renard Cove.—Round a point, immediately to the | The Coast.—From Rendova Harbour the coast
westward of Observatory Island, is Renard Cove, a | runs S.W. by S. for about thirteen miles to Banyetta
small but apparently secure anchorage, three-quarters | Point. This coast, for a distance of five miles south,
of a mile in depth, with 15 fathoms 90 yards from | has many reefs and outlying dangers off it, and ves-
the beach, the only danger being a small reef running | sels would do well to pass outside them and use
parallel with the shore for a distance of nearly a | Renard Entrance in preference to the western en-
quarter of a mile towards the head of the cove and | trance to Rendova Harbour, thereby also avoiding
extending about 300 yards from the shore. This | the numerous reefs and shoals in the harbour itself,
reef partly dries at S.W., and there are two or three | as the best anchorage is decidedly in the north part
large stones on it which are always uncovered. At | of the harbour.
the head of the cove are several lagoons leading into
one another, making good boat harbours. In the | From Banyetta Point the coast runs S.E. 1/2 E.
centre of the cove the water is deep (42 fathoms | towards Bluff Point for eight miles.
black mud). The "Renard" anchored here, being
unable to reach the head of the cove, the wind having | There appears to be no anchorage of any sort to
fallen, and there being a strong outset from the | the southward of Rendova Island.
lagoons before mentioned. |

The Coast.—From the point inside Observatory | From the westernmost islets in the Harbour of
Island the coast runs about N.E. for one mile, and | Rendova a barrier reef extends to the westwards and
then trends away to N.N.E. three and a half miles to | curves away to the southward for a considerable
Cape Richards, the N.E. point of the island. Up to | distance; but it was not closely traced.
this cape the coast is pretty regular, and densely
wooded. From Cape Richards it trends to the | From Cape Pleasant, the south-east end of the
N.N.W., and becomes broken up into several small | island, the coast trends to north-westward and north-
creeks, in one or two of which small craft can obtain | ward to Renard Cove.
anchorage. |
Deep water exists in nearly every case close to the
Tippinge Creek.—Two and three-quarter miles | shore. In one small cove (probably the Blanche
past Cape Richards is a creek. (Tippinge Creek) | Cove of the published chart) 21 fathoms was found;
formed by a small coral islet and the main island. | but there would be room for a small craft only, and
The "Renard" anchored in 15 fathoms black sand, | it is open to the north-eastward and east.
and remained there two days. The creek is small,
but secure from all winds except from the north. It | NEW GEORGIA.
may be recognized coming from the northward by |
New Georgia is separated from Rendova Island by
the cocoanut trees on the right-hand side, and some | Blanche Channel, which is two miles across in the
conspicuous large dead trees beyond them. There | narrowest part. The water is deep, no bottom being
is a small reef awash on the left-hand side entering, | obtained with 25 fathoms line, and it is clear of
extending about 30 yards from the shore. Water | dangers, with the exceptions of the reefs skirting
could be obtained from a good running stream close | Rendova Harbour and the barrier reef off Moonda.
to the before-mentioned cocoanuts. A few natives | Moonda Harbour, W. by N., about five miles from
were seen, but they probably only make it a calling- | Renard Entrance to Rendova Harbour, is the en-
place during the yam season. Fish were plentiful in | trance to Moonda. There is a bar, or rather a break
the creek. | in the reef, with 12 feet on it at high water, which

The Coast.—From Tippinge Creek the coast trends | must be crossed before the harbour can be reached.
away to the northward and westward for four miles | On this, with southerly winds, the sea breaks very
to Renard Entrance to Rendova Harbour; and there | heavily. The passage to the eastward into the har-
are several bays and inlets where, no doubt, small | bour, after the bar is crossed, is intricate and full of
craft could obtain anchorage if necessary; but a com- | coral patches, and should not be attempted by a
plete examination of them was not made. | stranger, unless in a steam vessel.

Rendova Harbour.—This harbour seems to be the | The Coast.—The coast of New Georgia, for a dis-
only one about here adapted for vessels of any size, | tance of eighteen miles to the eastward, is broken up
and must be used with caution in consequence of | into innumerable islands enclosing shallow lagoons,
the numerous shoals and reefs which exist in it. | inside which vessels having local knowledge some-

Renard Entrance.—This passage is about one- | times pass. Immediately after passing through
eighth mile broad, and carries an average depth of | these passages between the islands shallow water is
8 fathoms sand and coral. A slight reef fringes each | found. As the tide runs with great velocity in them
side of it. After passing through, the "Renard" | they should be only attempted at slack water.
anchored just to the northward of the Observatory |
Island of the published plan, in 14 fathoms sand and | Natives.—The natives hereabouts seem friendly,
broken coral. On the second occasion of visiting the | but, of course, should not be trusted too far.
harbour she anchored in the middle of the passage. |
This place cannot be recommended on account of the | Montgomery Island.—About fifteen miles long in
strength and uncertainty of the tides, and the liability | an E. by S. by N. direction. The coasts seem broken
of a foul anchor. | and rocky; they were not closely examined. It is

Observation Spot.—The "Renard's" observation | uninhabited. There are some fringe reefs off the
spot was on the white coral beach on the left side of | western extremity, but the eastern end is steep-to.
Renard Entrance, and is in lat. 8° 23′ 23″ S., long. | The "Renard" passed within half a mile of it.
There is a cluster of about nine small islands
situated about midway between the East end of
Montgomery Island and the land of New Georgia.

RUSSELL ISLAND.

The group consists of two principal islands and a
great number of small islets scattered round them,