40

LOW LIGHT.

Fixed Red and White.

The new low lighthouse tower will be painted white like the present one.

The centre of the light will be ninety feet above high-water level.

The white light will be visible at a distance of fourteen miles, and the red light at a distance of ten miles, and at lesser distances according to the state of the atmosphere.

With the view of facilitating the navigation between the Heads, and through the South Channel, and guiding ships to a safe anchorage at night, the following alterations will be made in the color of the low light, which has hitherto been all red:—

On and after the evening of the 19th of February next, the low light will show white from about N.E. by E. to N.E. and from N.N.E. to W. by N.; and red from about N.E. to N.N.E.

These bearings, it will be observed, show the low light to be white from Point Lonsdale to a safe berth clear of the reef; thence red to a safe berth clear of the Corsair Rock; thence white to a line passing from the lighthouse through the south channel to the southward of the Pope’s Eye and black buoys, and to the northward of the white buoys, so that vessels caught after dark with light winds or adverse tide in the south channel will be aided in their passage through by a bearing of the light.

The change of color from red to white is intended to warn vessels approaching Points Lonsdale and Nepean Reefs to haul to the eastward or westward, as the case may be, to get into the stream of red light which will lead them clear of both reefs.

The two lights in one will as heretofore be the safest course of vessels of heavy draught entering between the heads.

SWANSPIT LIGHT.

Fixed Red and White.

This light which has hitherto been colored red all round, will, on and after 10th February next be altered so as to show white from about E.N.E. to N.E. ½ E., and from N.E. ¾ N. to N. by W. ¼ W., and red from N.E. ½ E., to N.E. ¾ N., and N. by W. ½ W. to S. ¼ W.

These bearings show white from the Queenscliff Jetty round to a safe berth clear of No. 1 black buoy; thence red to a safe berth clear of the Royal George white perch buoy; thence white to the chequered buoy on Nicholson’s Knoll; thence red across the Symonds and Lelia’s Channels, and up the west and Cole’s Channels.

These changes are intended to obviate the difficulties hitherto experienced in estimating a vessel’s distance at night from the Shortland Bluff Reef, and the two channel buoys at the entrance of the west Channel.

CORSAIR ROCK MARKS.

Alteration in the marks on Shortland’s Bluff for clearing the Corsair Rock.

The present leading marks to clear the Corsair Rock are the Flagstaff kept open west of the low lighthouse.

As the latter will be removed on the exhibition of the new lights, and the flagstaff being now on the spot where the lighthouse keeper’s quarters are to be built, it will also be removed on the 19th of February to a site close to the high lighthouse, and from that date will cease to be a mark for the Corsair Rock.

Before the removal of the old low lighthouse and flagstaff, a stone obelisk forty (40) feet high, colored red, will be erected close to the site of the former.

The leading marks to clear the Corsair Rock will then be the red obelisk and the east end of the Queenscliff Telegraph Station, a two-storied light-colored building, close to the high lighthouse.

On and after the 19th February next, the following will be the directions to clear the Corsair Rock:—

Keep the east end of the Telegraph Station open to the westward of the Red Obelisk until you open the White Beacon on Point Nepean well out to the northward of the Red Beacon when bound inwards, and well out to the southward of the Red Beacon when bound outwards.

Masters of vessels and others who may possess the sailing directions and charts for this port can have the particulars of this notice inserted in their proper place in the directions, and the positions of the recently discovered rocks laid down on their charts, by sending them to this office.

The bearings are all magnetic, and are given from the ship, not from the lights.

CHARLES FERGUSON,
Chief Harbour Master.

Office of Ports and Harbours,
Williamstown, 27th December, 1862.

DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP.

NOTICE, the business hitherto carried on by FRANK PINKERTON, WILLIAM MILLS, and JAMES HOPCRAFT, under the style and denomination of PINKERTON, MILLS & Co., has this day been dissolved by mutual consent. All debts due by the late firm, and accounts to be paid them, will be settled by William Mills and James Hopcraft, by whom the business will in future be carried on, in the name of MILLS & HOPCRAFT.

Signed by us this twenty-third day of January, 1863.

FRANK PINKERTON,
W. MILLS, JUN,
JAMES HOPCRAFT,

In the presence of

JAMES MULHOLLAND
W. MILLS, SEN.