4276
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 133

GENERAL NOTICES.

CAUTION.—MINES IN THE NORTH SEA.—The Admiralty wish to draw attention to their prev. warning to vessels of the dangers of traversing the North Sea owing to mines. In the circumstances the Admiralty desire to impress not only upon British but on neutral shipping the vital importance of touching at British ports before entering the North Sea, in order to ascertain, according to the latest information, the routes and chans. which the Admiralty are keeping swept and along which these dangers to shipping are reduced as far as possible. Sept.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO MARINERS.—CREWS OF MERCHANT SHIPS CAPTURED BY A BELLIGERENT.—The following are the regs. regarding the crews of enemy merchant ships captured by a belligerent, which form part of the convention relative to certain restrictions on the exercise of the right of capture in maritime war, annexed to the Final Act of the Second Peace Conference held at the Hague in 1907 :—

Chapter III. Regs. regarding the Crews of Enemy Merchant Ships captured by a Belligerent.

Article 5. When an enemy merchant ship is captured by a belligerent, such of its crew as are subjects or citizens of a neutral State are not made prisoners of war. The same principle applies in the case of the captain and officers, likewise subjects or citizens of a neutral State, if they give a formal undertaking in writing not to serve on an enemy ship while the war lasts.

Article 6. The captain, officers, and members of the crew if subjects or citizens of the enemy State, are not made prisoners of war, provided that they undertake, on the faith of a written promise, not to engage while hostilities last in any service connected with the operations of the war.

Article 7. The names of the persons retaining their liberty under the conditions laid down in Article 5, in the second paragraph, and in Article 6, are notified by the belligerent captor to the other belligerent. The latter is forbidden knowingly to employ the said persons.

Article 8. The provisions of the three preceding Articles do not apply to ships taking part in hostilities. Sept.

WIRELESS TEL.—1. The use of wireless tel. is prohibited in the harbs. and territorial waters of the United Kingdom and Channel Isls. 2. On entering any port or harb. or on directions being given to that effect by any naval, military, exam. service, Customs, or police officer, the aerial wire or antenna is to be at once lowered, disconnected from its halliards and from the operating-room, and is not to be rehoisted while the ship remains in British territorial waters. 3. Any breach of these regs. renders the masters of offending ships liable to penalties and to the confiscation of the wireless apparatus of their ships. NOTE.—These regs. do not apply to ships owned (not chartered) by the Admiralty, whether they fly the blue or the red Ensign. Sept.

GOVERNMENT WAR INSURANCE SCHEME.

It is an essential feature of the Government War Risks Insurance Scheme that all insured ships must obey implicitly all orders and directions given by the Admiralty as to routes, ports of call, stoppages, &c. To avoid misapprehension on this point, the Board of Trade wish it to be clearly understood that this provision is intended to secure the safety of both ship and cargo, and that any deviation which may be rendered necessary in consequence of Admiralty orders or directions is in the interest of the cargo as well as of the ship. It is important that this fact should be borne in mind by all parties concerned in the shipment or carriage of goods on insured ships, and that in contracts of carriage the ship-owner’s obligation to comply with the Admiralty requirements should be fully recognized. Oct.

SWEEPING OPERATIONS.

CAUTION.—H.M. vessels are frequently engaged in sweeping operations off ports in the United Kingdom or Canada. Whilst so engaged they work in pairs, connected by a wire hawser, and are consequently hampered to a very considerable extent in their manoeuvring powers. With a view to indic. the nature of the work on which these vessels are engaged, they will show the following sigs. : A black ball at the foremost head and a similar ball at the yardarm, or where it can best be seen, on that side on which it is dangerous for vessels to pass. For mutual safety, other vessels, whether steamers or sailing craft, should endeavour, without violating the Rule of the Road, to keep out of the way of vessels flying this sig., and should especially remember that it is dangerous to pass between the vessels of a pair. Oct.

ADMIRALTY ORDER.—The use of the Blue Ensign by merchant vessels is prohibited, and no vessel will be allowed to fly the Blue Ensign except under special Admiralty warrant issued subsequently to the 24th Aug., 1914. All outstanding warrants are therefore to be regarded as non-effective. Oct.

WASHINGTON.

JUAN DE FUCA STRAIT.—HEIN BANK.—BELL-BUOY TO BE REPLACED BY GAS AND BELL BUOY.—About 1st October, 1914, Hein Bank bell-buoy will be replaced by a cylindrical light and bell buoy, painted red and black, and exhibiting 12 ft. above the water a flashing red light of about 40 candle-power every 3 seconds—thus, flash 0·3 second, eclipsed 2·7 seconds.

Approx. position : Lat. 48° 21′ N., long. 123° 3′ W.

CHINA.

YANGTZE RIVER ENTRANCE.—SOUTH CHANNEL.—MEASURED MILE BEACONS ESTABLISHED.—The Chinese Government has given notice that three pairs of beacons have been established on the right bank of the south channel, Yangtze River entrance, near Kiutoan small beacon, to mark a measured mile course. The distance between the western pairs of beacons is 1 nautical mile or 6,080 ft., and between the eastern pairs 2 nautical miles or 12,160 ft.

Approximate position of Kiutoan small beacon ; Latitude 31° 19′ 23″ N., longitude 121° 39′ 30″ E.

AUSTRALIA.

SOUTH-EAST COAST.—GABO ISLAND LIGHT-STATION.—AUXILIARY LIGHT DISCONTINUED.—CHANGE IN FOG-SIGNAL.—The auxiliary fixed red light at Gabo Island Light-station, has been discontinued.

The characteristic of the explosive fog-signal has been changed from 2 reports every 10 minutes to 2 reports every 5 minutes.

Approx. position : Lat. 37° 34′ 15″ S., long. 149° 54′ 49″ E.

NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN.

CAROLINE ISLANDS.—PIKELA OR LYDIA ISLAND.—NON-EXISTENCE REPORTED.—The German Government has given notice that Pikela or Lydia Island does not exist, and should be expunged from the charts.

Approx. position : Lat. 8° 37′ 30″ N., long. 147° 15′ E.

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

OAHU.—SOUTH COAST.—HONOLULU HARBOUR ENTRANCE.—TARGET BUOYS ESTABLISHED.—Information has been received that about 25th August, 1914, three target buoys, each a large barrel painted yellow, would be established off the entrance to Honolulu Harbour, located as follows :—

First buoy, nearest to the harbour entrance, on the bearings—

Quarantine Island flagstaff, 21° dist. 2,800 yds.

Honolulu Harbour Light-station, 40° 30′, dist. 2,800 yds.

Leahi Crater (High Point, Diamond Head), 109°.

Second buoy, 1,000 yards 273° from first buoy.

Third buoy, 2,000 yards 273° from first buoy.

All buoys are moored in about 12 fathoms of water.

OAHU.—SOUTH COAST.—HONOLULU HARBOUR ENTRANCE.—BUOYS ESTABLISHED.—Information has been received that about 31st August, 1914, three buoys, to be used as aids for the submarine flotilla, would be established off the entrance to Honolulu Harbour, in the vicinity of the target range-buoys recently established, located as follows :—

First buoy, nearest to the harbour entrance, in 3 fathoms of water, with Quarantine Island flagstaff bearing 20°, distant 1,625 yards.

Second buoy, in 12 fathoms of water, with Quarantine Island flagstaff bearing 21°, distant 2,875 yards.

Third buoy, in about 3 fathoms of water, with Quarantine Island flagstaff bearing 56°, distant 2,800 yards.

All buoys are barrels, painted yellow. They will be subject to changes in location in the vicinity without notice.

URUGUAY.

PLATA RIVER ENTRANCE.—LOBOS ISLAND.—WRECK TO EASTWARD DISAPPEARED.—NON-EXISTENCE OF BUOY.—Information has been received from the Hydrographic Office at Montevideo that the wreck of the Greek steamer “Proodos,” sunk 10 miles eastward of Lobos Island, in (approximately) latitude 35° 2′ S., longitude 54° 41′ W., has disappeared.

Information has also been received that the buoy shown on H.O. Chart No. 930 on the northern end of the reef making out to the northward of Lobos Island does not exist.