846
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 62

Anchorage: The “Espiègle” anchored off the south-west side of the island in 7 fathoms water, with the left extreme bearing N.E. ½ N., and the right extreme E.N.E.

Nukulailai (Mitchell Island).—The principal village, where the king and missionary live, is on Motuloa Island, the northern one of the cluster.

There is a small village and church on Fangawa, the western island, which, however, was not inhabited at the time of the “Espiègle’s” visit.

No signs of houses or natives were seen on the south-west side of the cluster.

Anchorage: The anchorage of Fangawa Island is not good, being on a small bank of coral rock.

The “Espiègle” anchored in 7 fathoms 1½ cables from the shore reef, and, with 30 fathoms of cable out, had 17 fathoms under her stern, and no bottom at 20 fathoms a few yards farther out. This bank is best found by eye from aloft, being easily seen with a favourable light.

The off-lying reef hitherto shown on the chart does not exist in or near that position. It was not seen from the masthead, and was searched for unsuccessfully in a boat.

The natives state that there are two boat-passages into the lagoon, one in the northern and one in the south-western part.

Water: There is water on Fangawa and on one of the small northern islands. The only supplies obtainable are fowls and pigs.

Funafuti (Ellice Island).—The “Espiègle” entered the lagoon by the north passage, and found the bearings given very useful; but it should be noted that the bearing E. ¾ S. is that of the northern of the two small islets north of Funafuti, the largest of the cluster. These two islets are covered with trees and bushes.

Anchorage: The “Espiègle” anchored in the eastern part of the lagoon, off the village and mission station.

The observation spot, close to the mission church, was found to be in lat. 8° 30′ 57″ S., long. 179° 12′ 30″ E.

Passage: An examination of the 4-fathom channel shown on the chart resulted in 5 fathoms being the least water obtained at high-water neap tides. The “Espiègle” used this channel in leaving the lagoon at low-water neaps, and 4½ fathoms was the shoalest cast.

Between this passage and the mission station there are several shoal patches, and immediately inside the passage they are numerous, but are all easily seen from aloft with a good light. This and masthead pilotage are absolutely necessary. Until a complete examination of this passage is made, it appears advisable to sound it by boat before taking a vessel through. It would be useful for a vessel leaving, with the sun to the northward.

To the westward of the fourth islet an apparently deep and good passage was seen from the masthead.

Oaitupu (Tracy Island).—The “Espiègle” anchored off the north-west side of this island in 7 fathoms, with the extremes bearing E. and S.E. ½ S. Traders report a better anchorage off the village, about one and a half miles farther to the southward, with the double-ridge roofed white church open southward of the missionary’s white house.

Oaitupu has two lagoons, a small one at the northern part, and a larger one at the south-eastern, the latter having two entrances, one of which is practicable for boats at high water. There is a small islet situated in the entrance.

Water: There is a large well in the centre of the village; the water is, however, a little brackish.

Population in 1883 was 430.

Landing is difficult, and best effected in the native canoes.

Winds: The island is subject to violent storms in December, which do considerable damage to the cocoanut trees.

GILBERT ISLANDS.

Arori (Hurd Island).—There was no opportunity for observations when the “Espiègle” was off this island, but it was presumed to be at least ten miles to the westward of the chart position, or in long. 176° 50′ E.

Anchorage: Traders report that small vessels have anchored off the reef in 25 fathoms, but so close that a shift of wind to the southward or westward renders the position most dangerous.

Villages: The following names were obtained from the natives: Nanimona, the southern one; Tarnoa, the centre; and Tamaroa, the northern.

Nukunau (Byron Island).—The island is not divided as shown on the chart, but appears as three islands from a distance, in consequence of the centre being low and sandy with a large clump of trees on it. There is no anchorage for a large vessel.

Peru (Francis Island).—There is anchorage on the west side of this island, to the northward of the most western point of the reef, in from 5 to 7 fathoms, about 1½ cables from the reef, with the north-west point of the island bearing N. 28° W., and the south-west point S. 76° E.

The bank is very steep, and coming from the southward care must be taken to avoid a shoal running out from the west point of the reef.

Taputeouea (Drummond Island): Peacock Anchorage.—The sandbank to the south-eastward of Peacock Anchorage covers at high-water spring tides.

As there are several villages opposite the anchorage, the Village of Utiroa cannot be considered a good mark for it. After rounding the north point, about a mile distant from the reef, steer to the southward until the first gap between the islands bears E. by S. ½ S., then steer for it, keeping a good look-out from aloft to clear the point of the reef.

Apamama (Hopper Island).—The following positions were determined by the officers of the “Espiègle:” Long. of south point of cluster, 173° 53′ 30″ E. (approximate); west point of western island, lat. 25′ 30″ N., long. 173° 42′ E. (approximate).

Maraki (Matthew Island).—The north point of this island was found to be in long. 173° 15′ E. (approximate).

The principal village is on the west side of the island about one and a half miles to the southward of the north point. No anchorage could be found off this part of the island; numerous tide-rips were seen off the north point, and the current was observed to be running to the eastward at the rate of three-quarters of a mile an hour.

Makin (Pitt Island).—The principal village is on the south-west side of the north island. There is no anchorage; no bottom could be obtained with 25 fathoms of line close to the fringe reef.

Remarks.—Too much reliance should not be placed on the information received from trading vessels as to anchorages in this group, as they frequently anchor close to the reefs, and trust to the wind remaining in the same direction to keep them off it. The masters of these vessels appear in the habit of reporting good anchorage in places where this practice obtains.

Winds and Weather.—The weather in June was hot and dry, the wind was generally between east and south-east and light. The current, which was westerly in the southern part of the group, began to set to the northward and eastward, north of Apamama.

MARSHALL ISLANDS.

Mulgrave Island: Port Rhin.—The 2½-fathom patch shown on the chart as situated 5 cables S.E. ½ S. from the observation spot was not seen from the “Espiègle,” which vessel passed close to that position, although the water was so clear that bottom was plainly visible in 10 fathoms.

Arhno Atoll.—Between the eastern passage and the south-west point of the north-east island there are quite a dozen small islands.

The eastern passage is one and a half miles from the westernmost of these islands. At high-water neaps 3½ fathoms were found in this passage. Between the eastern passage and the small islands there are two small passages frequently used by small craft. Traders report the first boat-passage to the westward of High Island to be the best and deepest of all the passages.

Majuro Atoll (Arrowsmith Island).—The entrance to this atoll is about one and a half miles wide, but there is a shoal bank of coral dividing it into two channels, the least depth in which is about 7 fathoms. There is reported to be not less than 3 fathoms on this bank; there appeared from the “Espiègle,” however, to be less water in many places.

The entrance is easily recognized by the small islet on its western side.

The west channel is close to this islet, the reef the islet stands on forming the west side. When entering, this is perhaps the easier channel to distinguish, but it has the disadvantage for a sailing-vessel of being farther to leeward during easterly winds.

A vessel making this channel from the eastward should keep the small islet a little on the port bow, steering W. by S. until the passage is seen; a S.S.W. course leads through it. Having passed through, steer for a remarkable small sharp gap in the island on the east side of the atoll, until the white buildings on Ejeet Island are seen, when a course may be shaped for the anchorage.

A sailing-vessel entering the east channel with an easterly wind must luff close round the reef off the island on the east side of the entrance; when through, steer for the before-mentioned sharp gap bearing E. by S., until the white buildings are seen. This course leads close to two shoal patches (both easily seen), one about a mile from the entrance, the other laying off a small sandy spit four or five miles to the eastward of it.

Current: Inside the lagoon there is an almost constant westerly current; vessels working up should keep over to the north shore to avoid the strength of it. The anchorage off Ejeet Island is nine and a half miles from the entrance of the lagoon.

Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane have a tank on Ejeet Island containing 6,000 gallons of water; they depend on rain for the supply.