688606-1878-Hydrographic-Notice-Java-Celebes-Sulu-Flores-and-Banda-seas-Gillolo-passage-and-Dampier-strait- — Page 1

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No. 137.

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 6TH JULY, 1878.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Hydrographic Notices are published for general information.

By Command,

J. M. PRICE, Acting Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 6th July, 1878.

The information contained in this notice is to be carefully considered, to be noted in the Sailing Directions, and compared with the chart when the ship is navigating the parts to which it refers.

HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICE.

(No. 9.)

EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO.

NOTICE NO. 16.

The following information relating to Java, Celebes, Sulu, Flores, and Banda seas, also to Gillolo passage, and Dampier strait, has been received from various sources between the years 1875 and 1878.

[All Bearings are Magnetic. Variation 1° 30′ Easterly in 1878.]

JAVA SEA.*

Great Solombo or Nusa Lumba island, 600 feet high, in lat. 5° 34' S., long. 114° 27′ E. (approximate), is 5 miles long north-west and south-east, 4 miles broad, thickly wooded, and surrounded by a reef which extends one to 2 miles from the

shore.

Little Solombo island, about 100 feet high, 5 miles North of Great Solombo, is 5 miles long north-west and south-east, with an average breadth of one mile, flat topped, thickly wooded, and surrounded by a reef which extends one mile from

the shore.

The channel between the reefs of Great and Little Solombo is 2 miles wide.

Arends island, 220 feet high, 26 miles N. by E. E. from Little Solombo, is level, thickly wooded, 34 miles long North and South, 2 miles broad, and surrounded by a reef which extends one mile from its west, and half a mile from its east side.

A rock, the position of which is doubtful, is said to lie 10 miles W. § S. from Arends island.

CELEBES SEA.†

Sibocu or St. Lucia Bay, situated about 70 miles south-west of Tanjong Unsang the north-eastern extreme of Borneo, has on its north side several mountain ranges, the spurs of which extend to the shores of the bay and, to the neighbouring coast; the mountains and valleys are covered with extensive forests.

boeu bay,ridge extends 11 miles to the 3 miles to the dwest

ོཉམ“ཡ

From mount Andrassy, 2,600 feet high, situated about 7 or 8 miles north-westward of

terly dire estan to mount Wüllerstorf, 720. feet Figh hotron which and eastward flows Sibocu river. From the highest mountain (1,600 ree of southward, and terminates over point Delconte, in two peaks each 1,000 feet hig

3

Siboc

Fe steep-to; the Erzherzog Friedrich reefs, situated about 4 miles from the shore on the north-... westernmost and smallest reef, three-quarters of a mile in extent, dries 7 feet at low water; the middle beef, 1 miles in extent, dries 8 feet at low water, and is separated from the westernmost by a channel 12 miles wide, having near the centre a depth of 12 fathoms; the easternmost and largest reef, portions of which dry at low water, is separated from the middle reef by a narrow impracticable channel.

Caution.-Care is necessary when approaching Erzherzog Friedrich reefs from the eastward, as the extent of the

-ot known. largest reef is

Friedrich u.

The channel between Erzherzog Friedrich reefs and the north-east shore of Sihocu bay forming Friedrich haven, is 18 miles E EN.E. and W.S.W., and one to 4 miles wide, with depths of 3 to 14 fathoms, mud; in the west entrance of the haven, ie the three Lehnert reefs, which dry 2 feet at low water; the southern reef, 24 miles from westernmost Erzherzog Friedrich reef, the northern reefs are 2 miles apart and the shore, bears W.N.W. 5 miles from t

lie close to the shore.

At the entrance of Sibocu river, which empties itself into the western part of Friedrich haven, lies Kiraz island, 100 feet high, thence to abreast Silungan island (100 feet high and thickly wooded), 6 miles in an easterly direction, a shoal having 12 feet water near its outer edge and 4 to 13 fathoms close to, extends nearly 2 miles from the shore, narrowing the haven in that part to about one mile.

The east entrance to Friedrich haven, between Erzherzog Friedrich reefs and the Ligitan islands, was not examined by the Erzherzog Friedrich. H.M.S. Samarang, 1845, Captain Sir E. Belcher, however ran in between these reefs and (See Hydrographic Notice No. 7 of the islands, anchoring in 10 fathoms within a convenient distance from the shore. 1868, page 3).

Sandy island, small, and thickly wooded, situated in the east entrance of Friedrich haven, 5 miles east from Silungan island, stands on the north-west part of a shoal about a mile in extent; a portion of this shoal dries at low water in a south-easterly direction from Sandy island.

Anchorage. The Erzherzog Friedrich entered the haven between the two westernmost Erzherzog. Friedrich reefs, anchored in 5 fathoms, mud, 14 miles north of the western reef.

and

Tides. It is high water, full and change, in Friedrich haven at 6h. 30m.; springs rise 12 feet. The streams run one to 2 knots an hour.

Boom-Boom islands, about 2 miles north-eastward of Sandy island, are three thickly wooded islands situated on Boom-Boom reef, near its western edge; these islands extend 24 miles in a north-east and south-west direction; Sipangon the south-westernmost, and Timbu-Mata the north-easternmost, have each one summit 340 feet high; Boom-Boom, the central and largest has two summits about 340 feet high.

Carr island, 2 miles E.N.E. from Timbu-Mata, is small and thickly wooded; several low, wooded islands lie to the northward of Carr island, separated from the main land by narrow channels.

* See Admiralty charts :-Australia, general, No. 2759 a; and Eastern archipelago, sheet 2., No. 941 b: also Hydrographic Notice, No. 14 of 1871. Voyage of Austrian corvette Erzherzog Friedrich, 1875.

See Admiralty charts:-China sea, northern portion, No. 2660 b; and Sulu archipelago, No. 2576; also Hydrographic Notice, No. 7 of 1868. Voyage of Erzherzog Friedrich, 1875.