Story: Auckland region

Map of the Manukau Bar

On this 1863 navigation map of the Manukau Bar, the hatched lines represent sand banks. The lines with numbers show the course that ships needed to follow to safely cross the bar. The numbers themselves are soundings, showing the depth in fathoms (one fathom = 1.83 metres). Also shown is the spot where the Orpheus foundered earlier that year, with a large loss of life – it had entered the harbour incorrectly.