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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 15TH APRIL, 1882.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 180.
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The following Hydrographic Notice, is published for general information.
By Command,
FREDERICK STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 15th April, 1882.
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. 2.]
BAY OF BENGAL.
NOTICE No. 12.
COAST OF ORISSA.
FALSE POINT ANCHORAGE,
The following directions for False point harbour, resulting from a survey by Navigating-Lieutenant G. C. Hammond, R.N., commanding the Indian Government surveying vessel Constance, 1876, are now republished with corrections by Commander A. D. Talyor, Superintendent Marine Survey of India, 1880, and supersede Hydrographic Notice No. 5 of 1877.*
[All bearings are Magnetic. Variation 2° 30′ Easterly in 1881.]
FALSE POINT LIGHTHOUSE, on low wooded ground, is a granite masonry tower of reddish-brown colour, with a large white star painted on it, facing eastward, and exhibits at 129 feet above the level of high water, a faced white light visible from seaward between the bearings from N.E. 4 N., through north and west, to S.S.W., and can be seen from a distance of 19 miles.
In the early morning, during the months of January and February and March, fog banks occasionally rise over the land, which sometimes cause the light to disappear as if suddenly extinguished, although the weather at sea may be clear.
The outer coast is formed by a tongue of land extending from False point lighthouse in a north-east direction to a distance of 3 miles, meeting Dowdeswell island (the piece of land named Nurrea banga Nassee, but not always an island), and thence curves to the northward, terminating at Reddie point, which bears N. by E. E. 63 miles from the lighthouse. The principal feature of this coast and of Dowdeswell island, which protects the anchorage, is the range of small sand hillocks, averaging in height from 6 to 8 feet above high water, and covered with grass and scrub.
Hookey Tollah, on the inner shore of Dowdeswell island, is the name given to the Custom House officers and harbour master's location, where there is now a good traveller's bungalow and a refuge-house, the latter being the highest in the locality. A conspicuous flagstaff stands about 100 yards westward of it, on the high water line near the jetty; cocoa nut trees have been planted among the houses and are growing fast.
The inner shore of the bay, extending from False point lighthouse to Bacood creek, embracing what was formerly known as Plowden island, past the entrance to Jumboo river and towards Temple point, is principally formed of mangrove. Temple point is a projecting point of trees, which now (1880) bears W. by S. S., and is 3 miles from Reddie point. From Temple point to the South Broni river the land is low, covered with grass and scrub, with occasional patches of mangrove swamp, fringed with sand, which forms the high-water line. Further northward the sand hills become more elevated and the mouth of the North Broni river or creek forms a conspicuous gap between high sand hills. At the distance of 14 miles N.E. by N. of Reddie head the sand hill of Sátbaia (with a solitary clump of trees) forms a good land mark, in case of a vessel getting too near the land when southward of the Palmyras shoals.
Beacons and conspicuous marks. On the north part of Dowdeswell island is a wooden tripod, † surmounted by a cage, 23 feet in height, situate 64 miles N.N.E. from False point lighthouse. But, as the sandy point extends itself in a N.N.W. direction at the rate of 70 or 80 yards every year, other beacous (single poles with distinctive marks at the top) are erected to the north-westward of the tripod.
Three-quarters of a mile within Temple point, on the west shore of the bay, is a remarkable tree, the highest in its vicinity and known as Temple tree, with a pole projecting from its top, which bears from Dowdeswell Island tripod W. S., distant about 4 miles.
At the proposed site of the Jumboo location, which is three-quarters of a mile to the south-west of Temple tree, is a flagstaff, bearing W. by S., 43 miles from the tripod; the telegraph office is 200 yards southward of the flagstaff.
Marking the southern entrance point of the South Broni river, is an upright spar with topmast and black cage, situate N.W.W., 4 miles from Dowdeswell tripod, and about 3 miles N. by E. E. from Temple tree.
The only mark of importance on the southern shore is Plowden beacon, on the north side of Plowden point, consisting of a pole and cage, painted white, and bearing from Dowdeswell tripod S.S.W. W., distant 2 miles.
Ο
Buoys.-Fairway buoy, painted in black and white horizontal stripes, with staff and cage, lies in 33 fathoms at low- water spring tides, with False point lighthouse bearing S. by W. W.; Temple tree W. by S. & S., and Dowdeswell tripod S.S.E. & E.
*See Admiralty charts :-False point anchorage, No. 755; The Sandheads, No. 814, False point to Matlah river; and Cocanada to Bassein river, No. 829. Also IIydrographic notice No. 5 of 1877 (hereby superseded), and No. 12 of 1880.
† It is proposed to exhibit a small harbour light from a wooden structure at the extremity of Reddie point, N.N.W. of the tripod.
It is proposed to replace this beacon by a better one placed about 100 yards further westward.