THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 24TH MARCH, 1883.
261
The substance of this Notice is to be inserted in red ink on the Charts affected by it, and introduced into the margin, or otherwise in the page, of the Sailing Directions to which it relates.
HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICE. [No. 5 of 1883.]
ATLANTIC COAST-DANGEROUS ROCKS IN WESTERN PART OF FISHER'S ISLAND SOUND-APPROACHES TO NEW LONDON AND MYSTIC HARBORS.
Lieutenant Richardson Clover, U. S. N., Assistant Coast and Geodetic Survey, commanding Coast and Geodetic Survey schooner Palinurus, reports the following dangers to navigation in western part of Fisher's Island sound and in Pine Island channel :
PINE ISLAND CHANNEL-ENTRANCE TO NEW LONDON.
following bea
ledge. One-half mile SE. of Pine island, small ledge of rocks, 10 feet mean low water, on ́the
Black Ledge beacon
North Dumpling light-house.
And on the following ranges:
Black rock and Pequot house.
Black ledge beacon and inner (smaller) of three large houses on Goshen point.
W. & N.
.SE. S.
North Dumpling light-house, with Barlow's ice-house, Fisher's island, just open to eastward. (H. N. 5-'83.)
12. Sunken rocks.—A small cluster of rocks, 12 feet of water, lies directly in channel 150 yards SW. by S. from
Red buoy, near Pine island, or 350 yards same bearing from SW. end of Pine island. (H.N. 5-'83.)
13. Sunken rooks.-A similar ledge lies in center of channel, with 12 feet of water, north of Black buoy, and 500 yards E. 1 S. from Frank's ledge. Until these dangers are buoyed it will not be safe for vessels drawing more than 10 feet to use Pine Island channel. (H. N. 5-'83.)
14. Sunken rock.-There is a small rock, three feet of water, out of the channel, 150 yards NW. by N. from Black rock. (H. N. 5-'83.)
(Bearings magnetic. Variation 9° 40′ westerly in 1883.)
SOUTHWEST ENTRANCE TO NOANK-MYSTIC HARBOR.
15.-Sunken rock.—A rock, with six feet of water, lies about 300 yards east of Red buoy at outer entrance, and another, locally known as Planet rock, 43 feet of water, lies farther in, on line of the two spindles.
Vessels will avoid these dangers by keeping to westward of channel buoys, and shonld be careful in turning inner spindle, as there is a rock with nine feet of water S. by. W., and another with seven feet NW. by N., from spindle, both distant about 100 feet. (H. N. 5-'83.)
16. Sunken rocks.-There are two rocks in Mystic river with four feet of water in mid-channel, above Sixpenny island, near stone quarry. (H. N. 5-'83.)
་
(Bearings magnetic. (Variation 9° 40′ westerly in 1883.)
(U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Notice to Mariners, No. 35, Washington, 1883.)
This Notice affects the following Charts, &c.:
Hydrographic Office:
11 to 16, inclusive,-Nos, 238, 21 and 18, East Coast of North America.
Coast Survey:
11 to 16, inclusive --Nos. A, 8 and 114, Eastern Part of Long Island Sound.
11 to 14, inclusive.-Nos. 359, Harbor of New London.
14 to 16, inclusive.-Nos. 358, Fisher's Island Sound.
British Admiralty:
11 to 16, inclusive.-Nos. 2754 and 2480, America, East Coast.
11 to 14, inclusive.-Nos. 2471, New London Harbor.
Sailing Directions:
"Atlantic Coast Pilot," Division B, Boston to New York, page 347 (11 and 12); pages 413 and 417 (13); page 414 (14); pages 338
and 342 (15 and 16).
By order of the Bureau of Navigation:
J. C. P. de KRAFFT, Commodore, U. S. N., Hydrographer to the Bureau.
U. S. HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE, Washington, D. C., January 16, 1883.
The substance of this Notice is to be inserted in red ink on the Charts affected by it, and introduced into the margin, or otherwise in the page, of the Sailing Directions to which it relates.
HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICE. [No. 6 of 1883.]
RED SEA.
The following information is extracted from the reports of several French officers :
17.-Winds.-The winds, in the Red sea, are variable, in all seasons of the year, in force as well as in direction, and one cannot count, with certainty, upon the general information, on this subject, contained in the sailing directions. For instance, between Suez and Dedalus shoal, in the month of December, instead of fresh breezes from NW., calms have been encountered; between Dædalus and Jibbel Teer, instead of calms, sometimes calm and sometimes fresh breezes from south to S SE. have been experienced, and finally, between Jibbel Teer and Aden, instead of fresh southerly winds, there have been found, at different times, calms, southerly breezes and winds, varying from north to east.
Currents.-The currents are in a like degree variable, and there is no way of describing them with certainty. In September, with the wind from the north, a westerly current of eight miles was observed, and on the next day, near the Brothers, an easterly current of 10 miles was encountered, while further to the northward was found a westerly current of 24 miles in 24 hours. In December, to the northward of Massowah, with a strong breeze from S SE. a current of 29 miles to the N NW. has been observed. At Zebayer islands, the pilots report a northeasterly current of two miles an hour, as a very frequent occurrence, which constitutes a veritable danger to vessels sighting Jibbel Teer, during the night.
Lights.--In the Red sea, it is impossible to count with certainty upon the indicated range of visibility of any of the lights, as it is often diminished by divers atmospheric conditions, and particularly by the storms, which raise clouds of sand along the coast. In February, 1882, the despatch vessel Forbin, was unable to see Ras Gharib light beyond a distance of 10 miles, (the indicated range of Ras Gharib is 20 miles); at a distance of six miles, the same vessel was unable to see the light at Zafarana, the range of which is 14 miles. While running for Ras Gharib light, the French steamer Bassac, in February, 1882, grounded nine miles from the light, which was not visible at all until the end of a SWly. gale, which raised great clouds of sand along the whole coast.