NOTICES TO MARINERS.

West Coast Times, Issue 185, 23 April 1866, Page 2

NOTICES TO MARINERS.

(From the Gouorwnent Gazette, of March 6.) North -East Coast op Australia. — Coral PATOn IN 81/AOKWOOD CHANNEL. Information has beon received at tho Admiralty that H.M.S. Salamander, January 20, 1865, whilst steering to tho south-west through tho Blaokwood channel, on tho vouto recommended, from Raino Island towards tho Middle Bunk, struck on an unknown coral patch, with only seven feet on its shoalest part at low water. Tho patch lies about a milo E.S.E. of tho eastern part of tho Middlo Banks, or in lat. lldeg. 47mii). lOscc. S. ; lon. 143deg. 41u»n. 35seo. E. It is about 230 yards long, oast and west, 110 yards wide, has ton to sovon- I teen fathoms all round it, and fifteen to seventeen futhoms in tho channel, a milo wido, botween it and tho reef in connection with tho eastern sand bank on tho Middlo Banks. From its shoalest 6pot of sovon feet, tho centre of tho eastern sand bank on tho Middlo Banks bears W. £ N., distant two and a half miles, and tho south oxtromo of Sir Charles Hardy Islands S.W. fourteen and a half miles. Vessels ontering tho Groat Barrier Reef by tho Rnino Island entrance, should, as soon as possible after passing north or south of Raino Island, bring its beacon to bear N. E. '} E., steering S.W. $ W. (allowing for tido and a northerly sot) for Sir Charles Hardy Islands. As soon as tlio boacon is lost sight of, tho veß9el will be clear of tho shoal patches westward of ,tho 100 fathoms lino of soundings, and- m tho bank. Look out now for Sir Charles Hardy Islands, and when they are plainly scon, steer for thoir south oxtremo on a S.W. &W. beaVing, and when the easternmost sandbank on tho middle bauks bear N. W. by W., and tho west Ashraoro bank (if seen S.S.W. 4 W., tho vessel will bo woll to tho south-west of tho Salamander patch, and a course may then bo shaped for either tho north or Pollard channels." (All bearings aro magnetic Variation Gdog. E. in 18C5.) By command of thoir lordships, Gtno. Henri- Richards, Hydrographor. Hydrographio Office, Admiralty, London, July 7, 1865. This notice affects tho following Admiralty charts: — Australia, north and oast coasts, Bhect 21, N. 2,354.: Coral Sea, No. 2.7G4. : and Australia, northorn portion, No. 2,759 a ; also, Australia Directory, vol. 2, page 228. Leading Lights and Beacons pob Newcastle, New South Wales. In order to incroaso tho facilities for navigating Newcastle Harbor, leading lights i for entering, and also loading lights for taking tho north channel, will bo oxhibited on and aftor Tuesday, tho Ist May, 1866. The two fairway lights for entering (red and bright), will bo shown from beacons 228 feet apart, in a S.W. half S. and N.E. half N. direction, orcctcd on a clear space of ground on tho hill at tho back of tho town, betweon tho Wesleyan and Catholio churches. Thoso' for taking tho north channel, ulso red bright, will bo shown from boacons oreolod on tho breakwater in tho vifcinity of tho old Bull Beacons, at a distance of 100 feot apart, in a W. by N. and E. by S. direction. In both cases, whon tho lights aro in lino, tho bright will bo tho iippormost and tho red tho lowermost of tho^two. In tho daytime, however, tho order of colors will bo rovorsod, as it is intended to paint tho uppor boacons red and the lower ones whito. The lower or north-eastern of tho two obolisks at proßont used for tho loading mark in, situated on Shepherd's Hill, will bo roinovod, as likewise will bo tho romnant of tho Bull beacons on tho breakwater. Tho exhibition of these loading lights will not necessitate different sailing directions to thoso already published, any nioro than the lights and now beacons being substituted for tho obolisks and boacons which aro at prcsont in uso. In ontering tho port of Nowcastlo at night great caution will bo necessary, in consequence of tho strength of tho tido, and duo allowance will havo to bo made for ebb or flow, on sighting the north channel lights, and about to alter course from S.W. £- S., with tho fairway lights in ono, to W. by N., tho direction which a vessel will havo to steer to keep the north channel lights in line to gain an anohorago in tho north harbor. Francis Hixson, Superintendent. ♦ ■