NOTICE TO MARINERS.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 194, 8 April 1848, Page 2

NOTICE TO MARINERS.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 3\sl March, 1848. HIS Excellency the Governor- in-Chief lias been pleased to direct the re-pub Heat ion for general information, from the Hobart TownGflse/tfe, of the following memorandum, respecting the Light Houses on Goose Island, and Swan Island in Banks' Straits. By His Excellency's Command, for the Colonial Secretary, J. Coates.

BANKS' STRAITS. Port Office, Hobart Town, 26th November, 1845. A Light is now, and will continue burning, from sunset to sun-rise, on Swan Island (Banks' Straits), 101 feet above high-watermaik. The supporting column is 74 feet 6 inches in height ; the upper part coloured red, the lower part white.— Its diameter is 24 feet 6 inches at the base, and 17 ieet 6 inches at the summit. The' Lantern is 10 feet high, having a revolving li«ht, which ihows a bright flash of 2\ seconds' continunnce at intervals of a miuute. It has been seen in either side from a distance of 25 miles. The following magnetic bearings were taken from the light:— Peak of Cape Barren — N. 18 ° 47' E. Look-out Rock (Clarkes Island)— N. 1 9 ° 45' W. Reef north-westward of Swan Island— N. 46 ° O'W Black Reef— S. 52 ° O'E. Variation 10 degrees easterly It is also expected that the Light now preparing on» Goose Island will be ready for exhibiting on Ist Peb 1816. Goose Island is the western of the Chappell Islands. The column, which stands on the southern point of the Island, is m every respect similar to that which has been erected on Swan Island. The Light will be a fixed light. The following magnetic bearings were taken from the Light-House :—: — South-west extreme of Hummock or Prime Seal Island—N. 30 °W. F.eef o.ff ditto— N. 23 ° W. Eitreme of Reef off northwest point of Badger Island— N. 34° E. South point of Badger Island-^S. 85 ° E. Western Extreme of Boxing Island— S. 56 °E. Beef between Badger and Boxing Islands— S. 63° E» South Extreme of Clarkes Island — S. 54 ° E. Centre of Kangaroo Island— N. 20 °E. Variation 10 degrees easterly. (Signed,) Wm. MORIARTY, Port Officer.

The Light-House on Deal Island, forming one of the clußter of Islands, called " Kent's Group," in Bass's Straits, latitude 39 °29' south, longitude 147 ° 21' east, havingnow been erected, alight is burning and will continue from sun-set until sunrise. The Light-House is erected on a hill 901) feet above high-water mark. The supporting column is 46 feet in height. The upper part of the column (like all the Lighthouses within the Government of Van Diemen's LandJ ii coloured red, and the lower part white. The lower part of the column is built of granite, each block worked to a mould. The cornice and blocking are 6 feet high, of free tone. The lantern is 7 feet high, having a revolving c atoptric light with 21 lamps and patent pipes, smoke on-uraers, working in three groups, each group confining 7 lumps with reflectors, and revolves round enre in five minutes, showing 150 secoeds of light, nd 150 seconds of darkness. The light may be se^su 13 leagues, has been set; by cross bearings dt a distance of 1 2 leagues, and is visible ull round the compos, unleis the li^ht be intercepted by being close m u'Jih any of the surrounding Islands, (Signed,) W'm. MORIARTY, Port Officer.

Tub Avon.— Serious Affray with the Natives of New Caledonia. — This vessel, the property of Captain Towns, sailed from Sydney on the 13th October list, for Port Nicholson, and from thence proceeded to the South Sea Islands on a sandal wood voyage. After cruising for some time off Erroraanga, and along the east side of New Caledonia, without success, she proceeded to the west side of the latter island, and on the morning of the 2nd January, an. cbored in the same bay where three months previous, the captain and two boats' crews of the schooner Vanguard were entrapped by the natives. This circumstance, however, was then unknown to Captain Cooper. During the day (Sunday) the chief Aeulla, (ihe same was concerned with the Vanguard) accompanied by another chief who called himself Jackey, went on board the Avon, and remained there about three hours, appearing very friendly, and telling Captain C. if he would send his boats ashore the next day, they would have plenty of wood ready for them. They were treated on board with every kindness, and Lid several presents made them. The next morning, two boats proceeded on shore in charge of the first and second mates, and obtained about a tou of wood, with which they returned to the ship. On their leaving the shore Agulla told them to bring more men the next day, as they would have plenty of wood cut. Late at night, Captain Wooden, of the barque Eleanor, of Hobai't Town, which vessel was lying a distance of eight miles to windward, paid Captain Cooper a visit on board the Avon, for the purpose of putting him on his guard, and informing him that, having a native boy of the Isle of Pines on board the Eleanor, he had tent him on shore for a few hours, as a spy, and on his return to the vessel, he informed him that the natives were in possession of two boats which had belonged to the Vanguaid, and the crews having been all murdeied and eaten. Cap'aiu Wooden left the Avon again the same night, for his own vessel. At seven a.m., on Tuesduy, (4th January,) the two boats again proceeded on shore in one of which was the chief mate, (Mr. Edward Rodd) and four of the crew, (Joseph Gabriel, Dand Oit, William Moffitt, and Tait,) and in the other, the secoud mate (Mr. John Moorcrofc) and four of the crew, ( I homas Johnson, Henry Aaron, William Curtis, and Edward Huntingdon ) Previous to their leaving the vessel, they were cautioned to watch closely the actions of the natives on approaching the shore, and if they thought there was the least danger not to land. About an hour after they had left the vessel, a number of natives went alongside in a canoe, with sandal wood, and wanted the crew to take it out. It immediately struck Captain Cooper that they wanted to take possession of the ship, and therefore he would not allow them to go down into the canoe, but ordered them to load their fire arms, and directed the cook to have plenty of hot water ready. lie told the natives, if they would hand up the wood themselves, he would pay for it, which they subsequently did ; finding they could not accomplish their purpose, and on a smoke signal being made from the natives on shore, the canoe left the vessel. At the lame time, Captain Cooper observed his boats leaving the s iore, about two miles and a halt distant; and before they reached the ship it was seen they had been attacked, the civet mate lying in the stem hhedts covered with blood, and the back of the second mate, who was steering, also streaming with the tame. Having been got on. board, they informed the captain, that on reaching on s iore they found the chiefs, Agulla and Jackey, with about thirty natives» who appeared very friendly. They told them there wai plenty of wood in the bush, if they would go for it ; but the mate told them t> fetcli it thi'uosplves, as he would not leave the beach. Agulla finding he could not entrap them into the bush, dnected his people to fetch the wood down to the beach, which they did. and from thence it wat taken to the boats by the crew. They had got about halt, a ton in, and were beginniug to have more confidence in the natives, when Mr. Rodd, (the chief mate) stooping to examine a piece of wood, observed Jackey raising a tomahawk, to give him a blow ; he raised his lett arm before his face, and drew his pistol with the right hand but scarcely had he grasped it, than the blow was struck by Jackey, and with that force, as to sever his hand from the left arm, which was upraised, and to take off the right cheek. This was followed up with a second blow in the back, which broke one of his ribs, and ltft a deep cut ; he then ran, or rather staggered a short distance, falling insensible in the water, within a few yards of the boat. Jackey, seeing he was not dead, was about to give him a third blow, when Gabnel rushed forward with a cutlass, and saved him. Tue fust blow given by Jdckey was the signal for an attack ; the instant it was given, a, shout was raised, and about forty more natives rushed from their concealing places, and joined with the others. The second mate, (Mr. John Moorcrolt) was attacked by Agulla, and received some very severe cuts on his shoulders and other par-s of tbe body with * tomahawk ; Johnson received a blow from a tomahawk which laid his right side completely open ; Huntingdon, who had been left in charge of the second mate's boat, received some severe cuts in defending it, from the hands of the natives ; Moffitt was slightly injured ; On* and Tait, who were in charge of the first mate's boat, escaped wholly without any injury, as also Aaron and Curtis. All miraculously were enabled to reach the boats, and they instantly shoved off. The natives then retreated up the hills, and raised a fiie which was the signal for the canos to beware of the ship's boats. The wounds of these unfortunate men having been dressed a 9 well as possible by Captain Cooper, with the assistance of some of the crew, he proceeded in the afternoon to the haique Eleanor, and informed Captain Wooden of the cirenmstance. The chief officer of that vessel (Mr. Westbrook) being the son of a iurgeou at Hobart To wn, and knowing something of the profession, with the assent of the Captain afforded his services to Captain C, which were gladly accepted, and they at once returned to the Avon. The next day Captain Wooden moved his vessel to within a short distance of the Avon, and on Friday both Captains landed with strong crews, well armed, on the beach where the attack was made ; not a native, however, was to be seen ; but a ton and a half of wood remained there, which they brought away, and then set fire to the huts and plantations. On the Bth January, both vessels got under weigh and proceeded farther down the coast — cruising in company until the 9th February, in search of wood, when Captain Cooper thought it advisable to return to Sydney, in order that the chief officer and others seriously wounded might receive proper medical assistance, and fortunately has had a quick mn of six days. On her arrival yesterday morning, Rodd and Johnson were immediately forwarded to the hospital ; the former, we are sorry to say, has lost the sight of his right eye. The bay in which the occurrence took place 1 ci in lat- 22*40 south, long. 166*19 east. We thould mention that the suddenness of the att ck rendered it impossible for the crew to make any resistant c— a 1 their fire-arms being in the boats, and they carrying wood at the time it commenced ; but it was suprosed that Agulla, and one or two of the nativei were ki led, the former having been struck by Huntingd. n with the butt end of a musket. The Eleanor hnd been rather unsuccessful in obtaining wood. The | biig Spy had obtained about fifty tons, which she had put on board the former vessel, and proceeded trj( crui»e off Erromanga. ; they were to meet ag"in on

Ist of March, when the Spy would be despatched to China. Captain Cooper, of the Avon, speaks in most grateful terms of the kindness shown to him, his officers, and crew, by Captain Wooden, of the Eleanor, and his chief officer — Mr. Westbrook. — Sydney Morn - ing Herald.