Peak comes on with Point Cook; when in, standing to the westward, do not bring the lightship to the eastward of N.E. ½ N., nor until you are at the northward of it approach Gellibrand’s Point within a mile. The bottom, that distance off shore from Wilson’s Point to Gellibrand’s Point, is rocky, with patches having not more than eight feet over them.

East side of Port Phillip Bay.—“Anonyma” Shoal.—The east side of the Bay is clear of danger, and may be approached within a mile from Arthur’s Seat right up to the Red Bluff, off which a rocky shoal lies at the distance of a mile, with only four feet water over it, and three fathoms within a cable’s length all round to within a quarter of a mile of the beach. A chequered beacon has been placed on the shoal, between which and Hobson’s Bay do not stand into less than three fathoms.

River Yarra.—The mouth of the Yarra is on the west side of Hobson’s Bay; the fairway is marked by black beacons on the port and red on the starboard hand. A new entrance has recently been cut from Hobson’s Bay into the river about two cable’s length N.E. of its mouth. This entrance is marked by a black cone-shaped buoy with staff and ball, moored in fourteen feet water at the N.W. angle of Hobson’s Bay, which kept in one with two black dolphins, each surmounted by a staff and ball, bearing W. by N. ½ N., mark the port side of the channel, the starboard side being marked by red dolphins. This cut is 270 fathoms long, and 30 fathoms wide; least water, ten feet at low water.

Tidal signals, River Yarra.—The height of water in the Yarra is now shown by a self-acting tide-gauge, erected on the outer red dolphin at the entrance to the river.

To assist persons on board vessels at a distance in ascertaining the height of water shown by the self-acting tide-gauge, six projecting arms are fixed on its south side, the upper edge of each arm coinciding with the lower part of each figure on the face of the tide-gauge, which commences with the ten feet mark.

N.B.—The top of the indicator, as it is moved up or down by the tide, shows on the face of the gauge the height of water over the shoalest part of the fairway.

DIRECTIONS FOR GEELONG.

Inner Harbor of Geelong—Point Wilson Shoal.—Ships bound to Geelong should steer from the West Channel lightship N. by W. six miles for the black buoy, which lies in seven fathoms at the north end of Prince George’s Bank. When abreast of this buoy, and the extreme end of Indented Head bearing S. ¼ W., steer W. ½ S. until Point Richards bears S. by E., off which a shoal lies due north about three quarters of a mile, with not more than ten feet on its northern end, which is marked by a black buoy bearing from Point Richards N. ½ E. in 4½ fathoms of water; when the latter is on with Point Richards haul up S.W. by W. for the white perch buoy on the southern part of Point Wilson shoal, which may be passed on either side unless the vessel’s draught of water exceed fourteen feet; in that case round the buoy as close as practicable, leaving it on the starboard hand. The course is then W. for the anchorage off Port Henry, about a mile off shore in four fathoms, with the middle of the town of Geelong just open clear of Point Henry; but if bound into the inner harbor, steer, when you have the town open, to bring the beacon on the Bird Rock to bear N.W. by N., which will lead you down into three fathoms to the entrance of the ship channel, when the water shoals gradually to sixteen feet within a few fathoms of the white buoy, which must be left on the starboard hand; then steer for the lightship, keeping it just on the starboard bow until close to; pass her on the port side, then haul up for the red buoy, and bring it half a point on the starboard bow, leaving it and all the red dolphins on the starboard hand, and black buoy and dolphins on the port hand. From thence a course may be steered S.W. by S. three and a half miles to the anchorage at three cables’ length to the northward of the wharves, in four fathoms water. This ground being soft mud mixed with sand and clay, a long scope of chain is required in strong winds to prevent the ship’s driving.

Tidal Signals, Geelong.—The following Tidal Signals are exhibited on board the Geelong lightship, to indicate the depth of water on the bar:—

Directions for the New Channel into Corio Bay and Geelong Harbor.—The artificial channel across the extensive sand-bank which fronts Corio Bay has been deepened to eighteen feet at low water.

The channel is about one mile and two-tenths long, in an E. by N. and W. by S. direction, and is 132 feet wide at bottom, sloping 165 feet at the surface at its narrowest part.

Entering from sea, the edges of the channel are marked by white beacons on the starboard hand, and black beacons on the port hand.

About half a mile S.E. from the east end of the main channel a passage eighteen feet deep at low water, about a cable’s length in a N.W. and S.E. direction, and half a cable wide, has been dredged across the neck of sand which forms the south-eastern side of the deep basin lying to the eastward of the bar. This passage is marked by four buoys, two black on port side, and two white on starboard side. The easternmost white buoy is cone-shaped, and, as a distinguishing mark, is moored broad end down; it swims nearly upright, and is surmounted by a staff and ball; the other three are cask buoys.

The foregoing sailing directions for Geelong will be sufficient to guide navigators to the upright white cone buoy at the S.E. end of the outer cut; passing which, steer direct for the Bird Rock beacon, taking care to keep it a little open to the westward of a gap in the trees N.W. of the rock, until you begin to bring the line of black beacons in one, which marks the new channel, when haul sharp up and pass through, keeping midway between the two lines of beacons.

As the tides, both flood and ebb, set across the entrance of the new channel, care must be taken that the vessel is kept under good command, and not horsed over on either bank.

Vessels drawing twenty feet can, by choosing a proper time of tide, and employing steam, pass through this channel into Corio Bay up to the wharfs.

The height of water in the new channel can always be ascertained by adding eight feet to the height in the old channel as indicated by the tidal signals hoisted on board the lightship.

Vessels intending to proceed from sea to Geelong, and requiring the harbor pilot, would save time by