May 25.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1021

AFRICA.
East Coast.

DELAGOA BAY.—A triangular beacon, 39 ft. high, white, is est. in approx. 25° 58′ S., 32° 59¼′ E., on the N. pt. of Inyack Isl., entr. to the bay, with Inyack Lt.-H. S. 15° E., 6 cables, and Cape Inyack S. 63° E. This beacon, in line with Inyack Lt.-H., S. 15° E., leads through the Cockburn Chan. Aug.

Further information has been received that the buoy marking the Hope Shoals lies in the following position: Hope Shoals buoy, now the N. buoy, red, and surm. by a cage, lies in 5½ fms. at l.w., in approx. 25° 51¼′ S., 32° 55¾′ E., with Cape Inyack Lt.-H. S. 2° E., 8¹⁄₁₀ miles, and Gibbon Pt. S. 35° W. April.*

On 16th Feb., 1900, the S. buoy, red, moored 7²⁄₁₀ miles N. 3° E. of Cape Inyack Lt.-H., and marking the Hope Shoals, had disappeared. A hulk, black, with 3 pole masts, is moored in approx. 25° 53′ S., 32° 54′ E., with Inyack Lt.-H. S. 20° E., 7½ miles, and Black Bluff S. 14° W. Pilots can be obtained from, and discharged to, this hulk. Also, with reference to Admiralty Notice to Mariners No. 104 of 1898: Further information has been received that the intention to constr. a Lt.-H. in approx. 25° 53¹⁄₄′ S., 32° 51³⁄₄′ E., nrd. of Cockburn Shoal, has been definitely abandoned, owing to the works having been constantly washed away. April.

ARABIAN SEA.
West Coast of Hindustan.

MANGALORE.—On 1st May, 1900, a F. white lt., elev. 33 ft. above H.W., R. 11 miles, is to be exh. from a grey-and-white Lt.-H., in 12° 50³⁄₄′ N., 74° 49¹⁄₄′ E., on the srn. part of the Marine Yard, Mangalore. It is not stated whether the lt. now exh. from Mangalore will be disc. or not. April.

CALICUT.—The positions of the port boundary pillars have been altered as follows:—a. N. boundary pillar has been moved about 2⁶⁄₁₀ miles to the nrd. of the Lt.-H., and now stands with the Temple, srd. of the rifle range, S. 76° E., 2 cables, and W. extr. of rocky islet N. 37° W. b. S. boundary pillar is in approx. 11° 13¹⁄₄′ N., 75° 46³⁄₄′ E., about 17¹⁄₃ cables srd. of the Lt.-H., with large flat tree N. 76° E., 3²⁄₄ cables, and Calicut Lt.-H. N. 16° W. Feb.

MINIKOI ISL. LT.—Minikoi Lt. (8° 16′ N., 73° 1′ E.) is now only obsc. by trees between S.W. and W. by N., and at from 5½ miles on the first bearing to 1½ miles on the last. Dec.

AUSTRALIA.
South Coast.

KING GEORGE’S SOUND.—From further information received, the foul ground, in approx. 35° 3′ S., 117° 59³⁄₄′ E., wrd. of Michaelmas Reefs, carries 18 ft. L.W. springs, and lies with the centre of Gull Rk. N. 8° E., 16 cables, and King Pt. Lt.-H. N. 74° W. April.*

East Coast.

INNER ROUTE TO TORRES STRAIT.—On 21st Aug., 1899, the available depth in the dredged entr. chan. to Cairns Harb. (16° 55¹⁄₂′ S., 145° 47′ E.), Trinity Bay, was 11 ft. 9 in. at L.W. springs. The depth available at any time is to be obtained by adding 11 ft. 9 in. to the height shown on the dial of the tide-gauge at the Fairway Beacon, instead of 12 ft. 6 in. as hitherto. Nov.*

On 2nd Sept., 1899, the beacons on Swinger Reef (15° 14¹⁄₂′ S., 145° 32′ E.) and Marx Reef (15° 12′ S., 145° 37′ E.), Lark Pass, Cooktown approach, had disappeared. Jan.

A circular coral patch 20 yds. in diam., with a least depth of 4 ft., and 6¹⁄₂ to 7 fms., mud and sand, around, lies in approx. 14° 51′ S., 145° 15³⁄₄′ E., wrd. of Decapolis Reef, with Decapolis Reef beacon N. 88° E., 7 cables, and Sandhill (139 ft.) S. 24° W. Feb.

On 17th Jan., 1900, the s.s. “Karaweera” is reported to have touched on a shoal carrying about 12 ft., with the summit of Howick Isl. (186 ft.) W. by N. ½ N., 7½ miles. In 1858 H.M.S. “Megæra,” when running for an anchorage under Howick Isl., passed about 200 yds. nrd. of appar. a pinnacle rk., carrying an estimated depth of 6 ft., with the srn. Howick Isl. W. ¾ N., 4½ miles. As a subsequent search failed to find this rk., it was removed from the charts. Although the area in the vicinity of these dangers has been recently re-exam. unsucc., it is probable a shoal exists, and it has been temp. charted midway between the two positions, and marked “‘Megæra’ P.D.,” in approx. 14° 33¹⁄₄′ S., 145° 5¹⁄₂′ E. April.

The following beacons have been destroyed by a recent hurricane, and will not be replaced: 1. Ar (R) Reef beacon, in approx. 14° 32¹⁄₄′ S., 144° 55¹⁄₄′ E. 2. Ess (S) Reef beacon, in approx. 14° 21¹⁄₂′ S., 144° 44¹⁄₄′ E. Nov.

The following coral patches exist between Flinders and Denham Isls.: 1. A coral patch with a least depth of 12 ft., in approx. 14° 12¹⁄₄′ S., 144° 16′ E., with the N.E. extr. of Denham Isl. S. 40 E., 4⁹⁄₁₀ cables, and N. extr. of Maclear Isl. S. 87° W.; this patch lies on the S.-ern. edge of a 5-fm. coral shoal, about 2 cables long, E. and W., and about one cable broad. 2. A coral patch with a least depth of 19 ft.,

with the N. extr. of Maclear Isl. S. 63° W., 2¹⁄₁₀ cables, and the N.E. extr. of Denham Isl. S. 72° E.; this patch lies 1¹⁄₂ cables from the N.-wrn. extr. of a 5-fm. coral shoal, about 4¹⁄₂ cables long, N.W. and S.E., and one cable wide. Caution.—These rks. make the passage between these isls. unsafe. April.

A coral patch, now called “Flinders Rock,” with a least depth of 4 fms., and 12 to 14 fms., mud, around, on the ebb it is marked by riplings, lies in approx. 14° 7′ S., 144° 13³⁄₄′ E., with Cape Flinders, Stanley Isl., S. 8° E., 5¹⁄₁₀ cables, and Castle Hill summit S.E. Note.—In order to avoid Flinders Rk. when bound nrd., follow the track recommended until Bay Hill bears S. 42° E., when course should be altered to N. 42° W., keeping Bay Hill S. 42° E. until the S. pt. of King Isl. bears N. 85° E. A S. 85° W. course should then be steered until the track recommended is again joined between Eff and Ead Reefs. March.

With reference to prev. notice, further information has been received respecting the shoal heads discovered erd. of Claremont Pt.: a. A coral shoal, about 1½ cables long N. and S. and ¾ cable wide, with a least depth of 16 ft., and 8 to 10 fms., mud, around, lies in approx. 14° 3¹⁄₄′ S., 143° 55³⁄₄′ E., with Ead Reef beacon S. 37° W., 15⁶⁄₁₀ cables, and See Reef beacon S. 86° E. Note.—Mariners are cautioned against endeavouring to pass between Ead and See Reefs; they should follow, as far as practicable, the course recommended. b. Within a few yds. of the shoal head of 4½ fms., 3 miles N. 35° W. from Eff (f) beacon, a pinnacle rk., carrying 3 fms., has been found in approx. 14° 1′ S., 143° 49¹⁄₄′ E. Feb.

A group of coral heads, carrying 4¹⁄₂ to 5 fms., exist nearly midway between Aye (i) and Eff (f) Reefs, erd. of Claremont Pt. The shoalest head, of 4½ fms., lies in approx. 14° 1′ S., 143° 49¹⁄₄′ E., nearly in the centre of the group, with Eff (f) Reef beacon S. 35° E., 3 miles, and Claremont Pt. S. 89° W. From this shoal head the foul ground extends about 7¹⁄₂ cables to the N.-wrd. and S.-erd., and 4¹⁄₂ cables to the N.-erd. and S.-wrd. The depth between the heads varies from 7 to 10 fms., soft mud btm. The beacon on Aye Reef is situated one cable nrd. of the srn. extr. of the reef, and not in the position shown at present on the chart. Jan.

About Feb., 1900, a red triangular beacon was to be est. on the ern. extr. of Pea (p) Reef, in approx. 13° 32³⁄₄′ S., 143° 39¹⁄₄′ E., srd. of Cape Sidmouth. March.

On 1st Nov., 1899, the Claremont Lt.-V. is to be moved to approx. 13° 28¹⁄₄′ S., 143° 39³⁄₄′ E., with the wrn. extr. of Heath Reef N. 85° E., 8 cables, and Pea Reef S. This will be done to mark a new track which a recent survey shows to be better than the former. The “track recommended” has therefore been amended on the charts as follows: Follow the track now laid down until the tree on Fife Isl. bears N. 85° E., about 8 cables, then steer N. by W. ¾ W. towards the new position of the Claremont Lt.-V.; pass erd. of the Lt.-V. at a dist. of about 2 cables, and then steer N. ¾ W. until the track now marked is joined, abreast of Bow Reef. Oct.

Torres Strait (and as far as Pera Head).

FLINDERS PASSAGE.—H.M.S. “Royalist” touched on a shoal in Flinders Passage about 2 cables S.W. of Scott Rk. Royalist shoal carries about 2½ fms., and lies in approx. 10° 33³⁄₄′ S., 142° 18¹⁄₄′ E., with the S. extr. of Tuesday Isl. N. 72° E., 15¹⁄₄ cables, and Horned Hill S. 25° E. Feb.

PACIFIC OCEAN.
Santa Cruz Islands.

GRACIOSA BAY.—The black rk. in the centre of the reef, in approx. 10° 43′ S., 165° 48¹⁄₂′ E., wrn. passage into the bay, and marked E.D., does exist and is plainly vis. The E.D. has been erased from the chart. Jan.

New Caledonia.

GRAND PASSAGE.—A breaking reef is reported in approx. 18° 38¹⁄₄′ S., 163° 12′ E., about 12 miles from Surprise Isl., Grand Passage. April.

CAPE NDU A.—In May, 1900, a F. white lt., R. 15 miles, is to be exh. from a Lt.-H. on the cape (22° 23³⁄₄′ S., 166° 56¹⁄₄′ E.), entr. to Prony Bay. An international code sig. station, connected by tel. with Noumea, is est. on the cape. March.

Ice.

On 9th Nov., 1899, the “Torridon” is reported to have seen several large bergs in 54° 30′ S., 81° W. Feb.

Promotion in the Department of Lands and Survey.

Department of Lands and Survey,
Wellington, 11th May, 1900.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to promote

CARLTON KAIN

to be an Assistant Surveyor in the Department of Lands and Survey.

WM. HALL-JONES,
For Minister of Lands.