July 17.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2405

II. Restrictions on Use of W/T.

All restrictions on the use of W/T in ships are removed, except in the following waters :—
North Sea.
English Channel, east of a line joining Dungeness and Boulogne.
Baltic.
Northern Russian waters.
Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Sea of Marmora.

2. In the above waters W/T communications are permitted as follows :—
   (i.) Between masters and owners on matters concerning the safety and working of the ship. Messages must be in plain language.
   (ii.) Between masters and naval authorities. Messages must be in plain language; except in the Baltic and Northern Russian waters, where all messages must be in code. A special code (not the Mercantile Tables) is being supplied for this.
   (iii.) Official messages from accredited Ministers or officials of H.M. Governments, or officers of the naval or military forces, travelling in their official capacities as passengers on board, to Government Departments, or naval or military authorities on shore. Should such officials require to send messages of any other description, they should be shown these instructions as constituting the master’s authority for refusing to have messages despatched.
   (iv.) Private telegrams are forbidden.
   It should be borne in mind that stations belonging to foreign Governments are not yet all open to public correspondence.

3. In order to avoid delay in making distress signals whilst in the above waters the master is responsible that the W/T office is informed whenever the vessel enters any of these zones. Whilst in these zones the operator is to be kept supplied, while on watch, with the position of the vessel. This is to be communicated to the operator in writing, and is to be corrected every half-hour.

4. Owners wishing to divert their ships, when in or approaching the above waters, must send the telegram to “Director Mercantile Movements, Admiralty, London,” in the following form :—
   “Following for master, steamship [Name of ship], [Name of wireless station, if desired], begins [Text of message and signature].”

5. Prepayment by the sender for these messages will be :—
   (i.) Telegraph charge from office of sender to Admiralty for the whole message.
   (ii.) Telegraph charge from Admiralty to the W/T Station
   (iii.) Coast charge .. ..
   (iv.) Ship charge .. ..
   } For the address, text, and signature of the actual W/T message.

6. In the event of danger from mines preventing the despatch of such a message, the telegraph office of origin will be informed by telegram that the message has been stopped by Admiralty, in which case the sender will be entitled, on application, to the refund of unexpended charges.

Naval Staff, Admiralty, 10th April, 1919.

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Notice to Mariners.—No. 36 of 1919.

HAURAKI GULF.—BUOY ON D’URVILLE ROCK.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 14th July, 1919.

NOTICE is hereby given that a large iron cone buoy painted black has been placed 400 ft. west of the highest part of D’Urville Rock in 8 fathoms of water. This position is on the Motuihi Channel side of D’Urville Rock.

Charts, &c., affected.—Admiralty Chart, 1896; “New Zealand Pilot,” eighth edition, 1908, Chapter ii, page 44.

GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.

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Notice to Mariners.—No. 37 of 1919.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 14th July, 1919.

1. THE compulsory routeing of British merchant vessels will cease from Monday, 28th July, inclusive, from which date the responsibility of obtaining the latest information of danger areas, &c., devolves entirely upon the masters.

2. The orders contained in C.B. 415 (“War Instructions for British Merchant Vessels”) and in the new publication (entitled “Admiralty Instructions for British Merchant Vessels”) which replaces it, and is now in course of issue, which direct masters to call for route instructions, are cancelled from that date, except for special voyages which may be specified later.

3. The closing of the special naval route-giving offices will commence on 28th July, but the offices at a few special ports will be kept on for one or two months in order to assist and advise masters who wish for it.

4. The offices which will be kept open will probably be—
   Liverpool. Newcastle-on-Tyne.
   Leith. London.
   Hull. Cardiff.
   Devonport. New York.
   Swansea. Galveston.
   Norfolk V.A. Pernambuco.
   Colon. Monte Video.
   Rio de Janeiro. Ponta Delgada.
   Madeira. Sierra Leone.
   St. Vincent (Cape Verde Is.). Gibraltar.
   Capetown. Port Said.
   Malta. Constantinople.
   Glasgow.

N.B.—The above list is subject to alteration.

5. Masters are advised to consult the above offices, at which all assistance possible will be given to them.

6. The information regarding mines is now published in “Mine Warnings to Mariners,” issued by the Admiralty, and printed in green.

7. The New Zealand Marine Department receive from the Admiralty an advance telegraphic copy, called a “Route-warning Telegraph,” sent immediately a “Mine Warning to Mariners” is prepared, and the “Route-warning Telegrams” are thus far in advance of the printed “Mine Warnings.”

8. Reproductions of the telegraphic “Route-warning Telegrams” issued by the New Zealand Marine Department will be printed in red, and will contain the serial number of the Admiralty “Mine Warnings” to which they correspond.

9. The different areas for which Admiralty “Mine Warnings to Mariners” are issued are as specified in New Zealand Notice to Mariners No. 39 of 1919 (Admiralty “Mine Warning” No. 2 of 1919).

10. The only warnings which will, until further notice, be obtainable from New Zealand Collectors of Customs will be those relating to the area defined in Admiralty “Mine Warning” No. 2/1919, as “South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Pacific.”

The current warnings for the other eight areas mentioned in Mine Warning No. 2 may be obtained from the Marine Department upon a clear week’s notice being given to that Department through any Collector of Customs.

Vessels which are, however, intending to call at any of the ports mentioned in paragraph (4) above are recommended to wait until their arrival there for the latest information in regard to any area except “South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Pacific” (which is obtainable in New Zealand).

11. In spite of the discontinuance of compulsory routeing, the attention of mariners is called to the fact that it is most important to maintain the utmost care to avoid mine-fields.

Masters should obtain and study all “Mine Warnings,” marking the information contained therein on their charts, keep the charts corrected, and should consult (in New Zealand) the Marine Department, and, elsewhere, the various reporting officers, with a view to obtaining the latest telegraphic amendments.

GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.

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Notice to Mariners.—No. 38 of 1919.

MOKO HINOU LIGHT.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 14th July, 1919.

NOTICE is hereby given that since the incandescent burner has been installed to the light on Moko Hinou, the light shows two distinct flashes between the main flash, when at a distance of from two to eight miles.

The flashes are faint, but can be seen by the unaided eye at five miles distant, and with binoculars at eight miles. Apparently it is refracted light from the lens.

Charts, &c., affected.—Admiralty Charts Nos. 3565, 2543, and 1212; “New Zealand Pilot,” eighth edition, 1908, Chapter ii, page 33.

GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.