CURRENT PAPERS. 



133 



LIFE BUOY DRIFT. 



The following letter dated March 13th, 1901, which did 

 not appear in the last pamphlet was received from the 

 Department of Navigation : — 



" I have the honour by direction of the Superintendent to 

 report for your information that a life buoy marked " Rio, Napier," 

 was picked up yesterday on the Manning Bar. The log book of 

 the vessel has been inspected, and it appears that the buoy referred 

 to was thrown overboard on the 15th of January, 1901, in Lat. 

 33° 10' 8., Long. 159° 20' E. It will be remembered that the 

 chief officer of this vessel fell overboard on the voyage from New 

 Zealand, and it appears that this life buoy was thrown to his 

 assistance. This communication is made as the Superintendent 

 thought it might be an item of interest to you." 



(Signed) Norman 0. Lockhardt, Secretary." 



This life buoy was found on the Manning River Bar, Lat. 

 31° 55' S., Long. 152° 33' E., so that it also appears to have 

 drifted in the adverse direction to the southerly set of the 

 current. It traversed a distance in a direct line of 397 

 miles in 56 days, at a daily rate of 7*1 miles. 



In conclusion, I wish to thank the captains of ships who 

 have contributed to this paper by casting adrift the ocean 

 current forms, for without their cooperation it would be 

 almost impossible to obtain the information as to the direc- 

 tion of the principal ocean drifts, and to the officer of the 

 Observatory, Mr. W. O. Graham, for his services in compiling 

 these records. 



List of current papers arranged in months in which they 

 were found : — 



Year. 



Jau. 1 Feb. 



Mar. 



April 



May 



June 



July 



Aug. 



k be 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 



Total 



1896 



No 



bse 



rvat 



ions 







Wor 



gan 



3 



7 



11 



21 



1897 



5 



7 



4 



5 



10 



7 



9 



9 



3 



8 



9 



6 



82 



1898 



6 



7 



6 



2 



10 



7 



5 



9 



4 



16 



8 



12 



92 



1899 



11 



11 



11 



6 



13 



9 



10 



15 



7 



16 



11 



10 



130 



1900 



14 



20 



11 



12 



8 



10 



9 



7 



9 



17 



10 



8 



135 



1901 



13 



13 



14 



11 



10 



13 



6 



9 



9 



14 



11 



15 



138 



1902 



12 



15 



15 



17 



9 



12 



9 



8 



12 



8 



13 



11 



141 



1903 



15 



12 



8 



7 



7 



11 



6 



6 



6 



6 



6 



14 



104 



1904 



5 



6 

 91 



9 



78 



2 



62 



7-7 



5 



72 

 9-0 



3 



72 

 90 



1 

 55 

 6-9 



63 



50 



88 



75 





31 



Total 



81 



87 



874 



Average 



10-1 



11-4 



9-8 



79 



6-3 



9-8 



8-3 



9-7 



97-1 



