WANGANUI RIVER NAUTICAL PLAN OF HARBOUR 1884

SAILING DIBECTIONS FOB ENTEEING WANGANUI HABBOUB.—March, 1884.

The mouth of the Wanganui Eiver lies in Lat. 39° 57' S., Long. 175° 1' E., and bears from the north end of Kapiti Island N. by W. 52 miles. The best guide for the entrance is Taupiri (or the Devil's Thumb), a remarkable sharp double-peaked bill, 1,860 ft. high, about eighteen miles inland, bearing N. by E. |E. in a line with Buapehu Mountain. This leads directly for the entrance. When these mountains cannot be seen, the Seven Hummocks are a good guide to the river. These are a range of hillocks to the northward of Wanganui, eight miles from the coast, extending in an east-and-west direction for three miles. The easternmost one bears from the entrance of the river N.W. by N. 12 miles. The Landguard Bluff, a conspicuous cliff facing north, about 125 ft. high, two miles up river from the entrance and on the south bank, is a prominent object. The North Head, or Castle Cliff, is a vertical cliff 40ft. high facing south, on the top of which are the pilot-station, flagstaff, and leading beacons. All the beach in the neighbourhood is sandy. Two miles to the north of the entrance the land facing the sea changes from low sandy hillocks to a high cliff about 150 ft. above tin sea. The submarine cable from Whakapuaka is landed about a mile to the north of the entrance. The flood-tide in the river, when there is no fresh, runs in five hours, and the ebb out for seven. On the adjacent coast the flood runs to the northward and the ebb to the southward from one to one and a half knots. There are eight fathoms in the offing one mile from the entrance. The bar is from a half to three-quarters of a mile from the flagstaff, but shifts according to weather, &c. There is lift, to 14ft. on the bar at high-w rater springs, and at neaps about 2ft. less. Highwater, full, and change, lOh. iom. ; rise and fall springs, Bft.; neaps, 4ft. 2in.; range at bridge, about 2ft. 3in. less. A rubble training breakwater is being run out towards the bar on the north side of the entrance as shown, and in March, 1884, had reached a distance of 80 yards from the North Head. The wall is 6ft. above high water, and at night a bright light is shown at the end 10ft. above high water. Lights and Beacons. —To show the position of the entrance, there is a white fixed light exhibited from the flagstaff on Castle Cliff (North Head) 70ft. above mean sea-level, which should be visible about thirteen miles from the deck of a vessel. Two shifting pyramid-beacons, painted white, the inner one highest, for guiding across the bar, are erected on the North Head, and bear red flags by day and red lights by night when the tide serves and the bar is safe. When the bar is unsafe these red flags or lights are not shown; but at night a green light is exhibited when vessels approach. When the bar is to be crossed by day the two beacons should be kept in one line, particular attention, however, being paid to the semaphore arms on the flagstaff on account of the curves in the

channel inside the bar. Crossing the bar at night, keep the red lights on the beacons in one line, and pay particular attention to the green light, which is used like the semaphore arm for guiding vessels in steering over and inside the bar. It travels on a yard on the outer beacon, and vessels must be steered in the direction in which it is moved. Masters of vessels arriving off the bar at night should show a flash light at short intervals, or burn blue lights, which will be answered by a torch or flareup light from the pilot-station. In moderate weather vessels can approach safely within signalling distance. In fine weather the pilot will board inward-bound vessels when requested by signal to do so. In fine weather vessels having to wait for the tides can anchor in from four to eight fathoms one to two miles off the bar. When inside the entrance, and off the outer point of the Castle Cliff, haul to the eastward and S.E. by E. round the end of the South Spit, keeping the two beacons behind on the cliff in line as well as the two guide-poles up river on the South Spit. At night two bright lights are burned on these beacons on the cliff, which must be kept in line. After about three-quarters of a mile on this course the beacons on the south training-wall, near Landguard Bluff, will be seen. These beacons on both walls are numbered as shown on plan. Those on the north wall are white piles with a black barrel on top, and those on the south wall are of similar construction but painted red all over. Keep the red beacons on the starboard and the white beacons on the port side. There are also buoys in the river, the black to be kept on the port and the red on the starboard hand going in. Three red lights are burned on the lower beacons of the south training-wall as shown on plan. On passing the upper red light, steer for the east end of the bridge. At night there are two leading lights, as shown, near the east end of the bridge, which should be kept in line till near the wharf. A green light is burned on Beacon No. 4on the north wall, which should be kept on the port side going in. Sailing vessels should not attempt to cross the bar at night, as the wind generally dies away or draws off the land towards sundown. Night Signals for Vessels in the River, bound out. Green light on bluff: Bar dangerous. Red light on bluff: Bar safe. There is a telephone for the use of masters from the town to the pilot-station. All bearings given are magnetic.