PATEA HARBOUR BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 399, 12 February 1879, Page 2

PATEA HARBOUR BOARD.

A meeting of the above Board was held on Monday last, wlien Mr Aitchison’s tender for llie erection of a lighthouse at the Patea Heads was seceptod. Mr T. Ely ton was elected secretary. The engineer’s monthly report was read and adopted. The following letter from the Harbourmaster (Mr A. Wood) was road : “ Gentlemen,—l be# to report there is 5 feet of water over the bar, an average depth of G feet in the thanuel, and 14 feet at end of breakwater, at neap lidos ; 9 feet over bar, an average of 10 feet in channel, and 19 feet at end of breakwater at spring tides. Width from breakwater to north spit 50 feet, with a sharp turn, at neap tides ; and 90 foot, with an easy turn, at spring - tides. Last month thochnnnel was nearly straight, being only a little to southward of breakwater. The entrance lias gradually’gone back, and it is now nearly closo to boulder bank. The nosth spit has pressed the channel towards the south bank and loe-boach. 'The north spit is gradually lowering with a bend in, and the river will likely force through at this bond in a day or two ; if so, it will be nearly a straight channel again. Every concrete block laid down seems to have a good effect ; and I may say that I have never seen the channel so far north in my time as it has been this summer, notwithstanding the present summer has been a very dry one, with hardly sufficient rain to cause a fresh. Twenty-one vessels have crossed the bar—-three out of this number crossed at night time. Tonnage, about 1,200 tons, as they were full of cargo in and out. The above number have crossed the bar since Ist January, 1879. — Au?ued Wood, Harbour-master.”