The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning, Saturday, October 1, 1887. BOCKS IN THE BAY!

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 48, 1 October 1887, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning,

Saturday, October 1, 1887. BOCKS IN THE BAY!

Be juft and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country's, Thy God’s, and truth's.

The alleged existence of rocks in the Bay is a matter of very serious import to the district, and it is well that the Harbor Board should keep the question in view until some action is taken by the Marine Department. Captain Andrews’ report, so far as he commits himself, is of a reassuring nature, but he has been unable to give any definite opinion, nor can any satisfactory information be obtained at present. That the Te Anau did strike on something we know to our great inconvenience, because the larger vessels now refuse to venture within a great distance from the shore, which will of necessity very often prevent their being tendered at all. But the opinion advanced by Captain Andrews that the boats anchor too near the bank and are liable to strike anything when swinging round which otherwise there would never be the least danger of doing, might give an explanation to the whole matter. If the masters of vessels will not anchor in a proper position they needlessly run a risk of meeting any unknown impediments. Still we have to face the question as it is presented to us. . The Union captains have an immense responsibility on their shoulders, and they are only to be respected the more for their action, out of the way as it does seem to many who should have a good knowledge of the circumstances. The captains cannot make any allowance for conjecture one way or the other—they have (it is alleged) the potent fact to hold in view that several of their vessels have struck something in a spot which is shown on the chart to be navigable. This would prove that the chart does not give an accurate plan of the bay, and it must be attended to.

We must re-assure the captains that there is not the slightest ground to fear danger if they adhere to the course laid out by the pilot, and it is clearly the duty of the Marine Department to immediately set all doubts at rest. A complete survey of the bay should be made with as little delay as possible. It will be a serious matter for business people if the masters persist in keeping their vessels so far out. In any kind of rough weather it will be impossible to tender the boats, and we know very well what that means in the way of inconvenience.