Mar. 7.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 967

Notice to Mariners No. 18 of 1912.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 29th February, 1912.

THE following Notices to Mariners, received from the Marine Board, Melbourne, Victoria, are published for general information.

J. A. MILLAR.

VICTORIA.

Weather Conditions.—Port Phillip.

MARINERS and others are hereby notified that flag signals indicative of weather conditions as directed by the Meteorological Department of the Commonwealth will be exhibited from the yard-arm of the flagstaff on the Gellibrand Pile Lighthouse.

C. W. MACLEAN,
Port Officer.

Melbourne, 13th January, 1912.

Port Phillip Heads.—Deepening Operations.

Notice is hereby given that submarine blasting operations will be resumed forthwith, with a view of deepening the entrance to 42 ft. Operations will be carried on in the vicinity of the line of leading-lights, either eastward or westward of such line, as the progress of the work necessitates.

The following signals will be shown from the masthead of the steamer engaged on the work :—

Letter “B” when on blasting duty.

Code signal “XHC” when on sweeping duty.

Mariners and boatmen are cautioned not to approach the boats engaged on blasting-work nearer than a quarter of a mile, and warning will be given by prolonged whistle blasts from the attendant steamer when a charge is about to be exploded. Mariners are specially requested to keep clear of the steamer when sweeping, as the apparatus employed will render the movements of the sweeping vessel slow and uncertain.

C. W. MACLEAN,
Port Officer.

Melbourne, 16th January, 1912.

Submarine Mining, South Channel, Port Phillip.

It is hereby notified for general information that the waters of the South Channel, between Nos. 5 and 9 buoys northward of an imaginary line drawn about 200 ft. south of the line of Nos. 5 and 9 buoys and parallel thereto, and southward of an imaginary line parallel thereto, through South Channel Fort, will be reserved from the 1st to the 30th April, 1912, for the purpose of permitting submarine-mining practice.

Vessels therefore should not be navigated northward of the southernmost imaginary boundary-line of the reserved area above described.

C. W. MACLEAN,
Port Officer.

Melbourne, 20th January, 1912.

Green Light on Quarantine Jetty, Port Phillip.

Referring to General Notice to Mariners dated 1st August, 1907, page 65, regarding a fixed green light shown from the outer end of the Quarantine Jetty, mariners and others are hereby notified that the exhibition of such green light will be discontinued except when required for quarantine purposes.

C. W. MACLEAN,
Port Officer.

Melbourne, 22nd January, 1912.

Notice to Mariners No. 19 of 1912.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 4th March, 1912.

THE following Notices to Mariners, received from the Board of Trade, are published for general information.

J. A. MILLAR.

PACIFIC OCEAN.

SOLOMON ISLANDS.—GOWER ISL.—AMENDED POSITION AND DESCRIPTION.—The isl. is of even outline, covered with trees, from 150 ft. to 170 ft. high, and is very much smaller than is now shown on the charts. The only sheltered anchorage is near the S.-wrn. end of the isl., where a bay runs in for ½ mile, and is the same dist. across. A sunken reef extends across the mouth of this bay, with the exception of a deep passage, about 1 cable wide, situated near the S.W. pt. of the bay. Inside the reef the depths are from 6 to 3 fms. over sand and broken coral. A village is situated in the N.E. corner of the bay. A reproduction of a portion of Chart No. 214, showing the isl. in its correct position and delineation, is given below. Position : S.E. extr., 7° 56½′ S., 160° 38½′ E.

[Image: Map of Gower Island and surrounding area with annotations including "Gower I.", "Ramos I.", "Breakers", "C. Astralabe", "Gamu I.", "Reported shoal ground in this Channel", "Four small islands with banks of soundings 10 to 12 fathoms", "high and over about 3000 ft.", and coordinate grid with labels "TRUE NORTH", "8°", "15′", "30′", "15′", "16°", "162", "160", "158", "156", "154", "152", "150", "148", "146", "144", "142", "140", "138", "136", "134", "132", "130", "128", "126", "124", "122", "120", "118", "116", "114", "112", "110", "108", "106", "104", "102", "100", "98", "96", "94", "92", "90", "88", "86", "84", "82", "80", "78", "76", "74", "72", "70", "68", "66", "64", "62", "60", "58", "56", "54", "52", "50", "48", "46", "44", "42", "40", "38", "36", "34", "32", "30", "28", "26", "24", "22", "20", "18", "16", "14", "12", "10", "8", "6", "4", "2", "0", "-2", "-4", "-6", "-8", "-10", "-12", "-14", "-16", "-18", "-20", "-22", "-24", "-26", "-28", "-30", "-32", "-34", "-36", "-38", "-40", "-42", "-44", "-46", "-48", "-50", "-52", "-54", "-56", "-58", "-60", "-62", "-64", "-66", "-68", "-70", "-72", "-74", "-76", "-78", "-80", "-82", "-84", "-86", "-88", "-90", "-92", "-94", "-96", "-98", "-100", "-102", "-104", "-106", "-108", "-110", "-112", "-114", "-116", "-118", "-120", "-122", "-124", "-126", "-128", "-130", "-132", "-134", "-136", "-138", "-140", "-142", "-144", "-146", "-148", "-150", "-152", "-154", "-156", "-158", "-160", "-162", "-164", "-166", "-168", "-170", "-172", "-174", "-176", "-178", "-180"]

Port Bouquet.—A shoal carrying 1¼ fms., marked by a barrel buoy, black and red hor., exists 3·6 cables S. 16° W. from the wooded rk. (21° 40¾′ S., 166° 22¾′ E.) wrd. of Nénu Isl., and S. 85° E. from the ern. extr. of Cagu Pt. Jan.

CHINA SEA, ETC.

PE CHILI GULF.—PEI HO ENTR.—1. Taku Lt.-v. (38° 57′ N., 117° 53′ E.) has been replaced by a new lt.-v., hull red with “Taku” in white on sides, an iron column with lantern, exh. a rev. white lt. every 10 secs., elev. 35 ft., R. 11 miles; and carrying a fog-gong struck every min. Should the lt.-v. be driven from her station the lt. will not be shown, but a F. red lt. will be exh. from each end of the vessel by night, and a red flag hoisted by day. 2. The entr. buoy, black spar surm. by a sphere, is re-est. on srn. side of entr. to chan., 23¼ cables N. 72° E. from the front leading-beacons (38° 57¾′ N., 117° 44¾′ E.). 3. Outer lt.-buoy, black, exh. an occ. white lt., has been moved 8·4 cables N. 71° E., and now lies 38½ cables N. 71° E. from the front leading-beacons for the chan. Jan.

AFRICA.—EAST COAST.

LOURENCO MARQUES APPROACH.—POLANA CHAN.—LT.-BUOYS EST.—(a.) A lt.-buoy, black and white hor., exh. a F. white lt., is est. on srn. edge of dredged chan., 35¾ cables N. 66° E. (true) from Ponta Vermelha Lt.-h. (25° 58½′ S., 32° 36′ E.). The unlighted entr. buoy, prev. in the above position, has been withdrawn. (b.) A lt.-buoy, cyl., black, exh. a F. red lt., on srn. edge of dredged chan., 1·6 miles N. 75° E. (true) from the same lt.-h. The conical buoy surm. by cone, charted about 2 miles N. 70° E. (true) from the lt.-h. has been withdrawn. (c.) A lt.-buoy, cyl., black, exh. a F. red lt., on srn. edge of dredged chan., 5¾ cables S. 73° E. (true) from the lt.-h. (d.) A lt.-buoy, conical, red, exh. a F. green lt., on nrn. edge of dredged chan. 23·3 cables N. 68° E. (true) from the lt.-h. (e.) A lt.-buoy, conical, red, exh. a F. green lt., on nrn. edge of dredged chan., 10·3 cables N. 80° E. (true) from the lt.-h. Note.—The lt.-buoy srd. of Ponta Vermelha, in the wrn. entr. to the dredged chan., is painted red. From a position 6¾ cables S. 19° W. (true) from Ponta Vermelha lt.-h., the srn. edge of the dredged chan. trends N. 59° E. (true) through buoys (b) and (c) for a dist. of 4 miles, thence N. 72° E. (true), through the entr. buoy, for a dist. of about ½ mile. The present depth of the chan. is 19 ft., and it is about 360 ft. wide. Dredging is still in progress. Jan.

NEW ZEALAND.

THREE KINGS ISLS.—AMENDED POSITION.—Recent obsers. show the whole gp. of the Three Kings Isls. to be 1·7 miles S. 33° E. from the charted position. The accompanying reproduction of a portion of Chart No. 2525 shows the gp. in its amended position. Position : Great Isl. summit, 34° 10′ 15″ S., 172° 8′ 50″ E. Note.—The note on the charts with regard to the position of these isls. has been erased.