2624

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 99

Notice to Mariners.—No. 49 of 1919.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 12th August, 1919.
The following Notices to Mariners, which have been received from the Hydrographic Office, Washington, and the Governor, Balboa Heights, are published for general information.
GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.

INDIA.
WEST COAST.—BOMBAY HARBOUR APPROACH.—LIGHT-VESSEL ESTABLISHED.—FURTHER INFORMATION.
The light-vessel recently established temporarily in the approach to Bombay Harbour has now been made permanent. This light-vessel is unwatched, and shows an occulting white light every 15 seconds—light 10·5 seconds, eclipse 4·5 seconds —elevated 32 ft. above the water and visible 11 miles.
The hull is painted red, with “Bombay Floating Light” on the sides. She carries a tower with ball.
Approx. position : 18° 49' 30" N., 72° 44' E.

AUSTRALIA.
NORTH COAST.—TORRES STRAIT.—WESTERN APPROACH.— LIGHT-VESSEL ESTABLISHED.
About 15th June, 1919, and without further notice, an unwatched light-vessel will be established in the western approach to Torres Strait, in about 20 fathoms of water, 20 miles 240° from Merkara Shoal.
The vessel has one mast carrying the lantern. The hull is painted red, and marked “Carpentaria” in white on the sides.
The light is group flashing white, of 1,500 candle-power, showing 3 flashes every 15 seconds—thus, flash 0·5 second, eclipse 1·5 seconds; flash 0·5 second, eclipse, 1·5 seconds ; flash 0·5 second, eclipse 10·5 seconds—elevated 32 ft. and visible 10 miles.
• The fog-signal is a bell sounded by the motion of the vessel.
Approx. position : 10° 40' S., 140° 55' E.

CHILE.
PORT OF CORONEL.
The Press announces the discovery of a hidden rock at the entrance of the port of Coronel, Chile, in front of the Maule River, in the path of usual navigation. This rock was detected and reported by fishermen in that vicinity.

PANAMA CANAL.
CAPE MALA RADIO SERVICE.

1. The Cape Mala Radio Service (call letters NNT), located at Cape Mala, Republic of Panama, latitude 7° 27' 30" N., longitude 79° 59' 30" W., has recently been placed in operation, and is now prepared to handle all Government traffic and position reports, as required by Article XXIV, paragraph one, and Article XXVIII of Service Regulations of London International Radio Telegraph Convention, 1912. No charge is made for this service, and the information received is furnished port captains, ships’ agents, the newspapers, and, in addition, is forwarded to New York daily, where it is furnished ships’ owners or agents and published in the daily shipping news. Colon and Balboa radio stations also handle this service.

2 It is desired that ships in the Pacific, when more than fifty miles from Balboa, forward their Government messages via Cape Mala (NNT). When Cape Mala is opened to commercial traffic all radio work by ships in the Pacific, when more than fifty miles from Balboa, will be handled by Cape Mala. Government messages to or from Cape Mala and the Canal Zone are handled by telegraph direct via Balboa Radio Station. There is no charge for this service.

3. Cape Mala Radio Station is operated by the U.S. Naval Communication Service and has the same status as Colon or Balboa radio stations, except that it will not be open to commercial traffic until new tariff for telegraphic service on Panama national telegraph lines is issued, which it is expected will be about 1st June, 1919.

Notice to Mariners.—No. 50 of 1919.

CIRCULAR TO SHIPOWNERS AND MASTERS OF BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS re WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY IN MERCHANT SHIPS.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 12th August, 1919.
REFERRING to Notice to Mariners No. 35 of 1919, the following circular is published for general information.
GEORGE ALLPORT,
Secretary.

CIRCULAR TO OWNERS AND MASTERS OF BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS.
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY IN MERCHANT SHIPS.—RELAXATION OF RESTRICTIONS.

1. Disposal of Documents.
   Two copies of this circular are to be supplied to every British merchant ship fitted with W/T.
2. One copy is to be kept in the W/T office, the other by the master.
3. This circular is to come into force at noon, G.M.T., on Sunday, 1st June, 1919, when the following action is to be taken on board merchant ships, if this has not already been done :-
   (a.) Circulars to owners and masters of British merchant ships, dated 22nd January, 12th March, and 10th April, 1919, are to be destroyed.
   (b.) Para. 3 of circular letter to shipowners and masters of the British mercantile marine, dated 23rd November, 1918, issued by the Director of Trade Division, Admiralty, already deleted, is to be marked “See circular of 24th May, 1919.”
   (c.) The following documents are to be handed to the nearest Shipping Intelligence Officer or other distributing authority for destruction :—
   C.B. 733D (3) W/T Instructions for Merchant Vessels, 1918. Addendum No. 3 (1 copy).
   Mercantile Tables (all editions up to and including No. 35).
   (d.) The following documents are to be withdrawn from use and kept on board, but need no longer be regarded as confidential. They will be replaced later by revised instructions :-
   C.B. 733A (1)
   C.B. 733B (1)
   C.B. 733C (2)
   C.B. 733D (2)
   W/T Instructions for Merchant Vessels, 1918
   Part I (1 copy).
   Part II (2 copies).
   Appendix (2 copies).
   Addendum (No. 2) (1 copy).
   C.B. 435 Cover for ditto (1 copy).
   C.B. 384 Cover for Mercantile Tables (1 copy).
   Note.—Before Parts I and II are put away, the pencil amendments ordered by the now obsolete Addendum No. 3 (see (c) above) are to be rubbed out in both copies.
   (e.) The following documents will then be the only ones relating to W/T, issued by Admiralty, which will remain in use :-
   (i.) This circular.
   (ii.) Commercial Call Signs (C.B. 832A), and Supplement.
   (iii.) Commercial Call Signs (C.B. 833A).
   (iv.) Notices to Mariners concerning Time-signals, Weather Reports, Direction-finding, Aircraft Distress-signals, Instructions to Vessels with regard to Aircraft, &c.

II. Restrictions on Use of W/T.
4. 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.
5. 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, Black Sea, and Northern Russian waters, where all messages must be in code. A special code (not the Mercantile Tables) is 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.
6. 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