78 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 17TH FEBRUARY, 1877.
No. 39.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION. ICATION.
The following Hydrographic Notice, received from the Government of India, is published for general information.
By Command,
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 17th February, 1877.
The information contained in this Notice is to be carefully considered, to be noted in the Sailing Directions, and compared with the charts when the ship is navigating the locality to which it refers.
Hydrographic Notice. [No. 4.]
BAY OF BENGAL-COAST OF ORISSA.
The following information is derived from the recent survey of False Point Harbour, and remarks by Navigating Lieutenant G. C. Hammond, R.N., commanding the Indian Government Schooner Constance.*
[All Bearings are Magnetic. Variation 2o 35′ East in 1876.] FALSE POINT HARBOUR.
False Point Light-house, situated in lat 20° 20′ 20′′ N., long. 86° 44′ E., on low wooded ground, is a granite masonry tower of reddish brown colour, with a large white star painted on it, facing south-east, and exhibits, at 125 feet above the level of high-water, a fixed white light (common argand), visible seaward and over the anchorage between the bearings from N.N.E., through north and west, to S.W., and can be seen from a distance of 18 miles.
Note. In the early morning, during the months of January and February, fog banks occasionally rise over the land, which cause the light to appear as if suddenly extinguished.
The outer coast-line is formed by a tongue of land extending from False Point light-house in a north-east direction to a distance of 3 miles, meeting Dowdeswell island (Nurrea banga Nassee), and thence curves to the northward, terminating at Reddie point, which bears N.N.E., 63 miles from the light-house. The principal feature of this coast and Dowdeswell island, which protects the anchorage, is the range of small sand-hillocks, averaging from 6 to 8 feet in height, 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 Masters' location, the latter being a refuge-house, and the highest in the locality. A conspicuous flagstaff stands about 100 yards W. by S. of it, on the high-water line near the jetty.
The inner coast-line of the bay, extending from False Point light-house 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. Thence 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.
Beacons and conspicuous marks.-The beacon on the north part of Dowdeswell island is a wooden tripod,t surmounted by a cage, 23 feet in height, situate 63 miles N.N.E. } E., from False Point light-house.
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., distance 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 flag- staff bearing W. by S., 43 miles from the tripod.
About 3 miles N.N.E., from Temple tree, and 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.
The only mark of importance on the southern shore is Plowden beacon, on the east side of Plowden point, consisting of a pole and cage, painted white, and from Dowdeswell tripod bearing S.S. W. W., 22 miles.
Buoys-Fairway buoy, painted in black and white horizontal stripes, with staff and cage, lies in 4 fathoms at low-water spring tides, with Plowden beacon and False Point light-house in line S. by W. W., Temple tree W. by S. S., and Dowdeswell tripod S. by E. 2 E.
Note. It is proposed to shift the Fairway buoy half a mile seaward on the leading mark, and to place a bell buoy off the north extreme of Dowdeswell island, about 3 cables N. by W. 3 W. from the tripod.
Outer buoy, a black can buoy, lies in 13 feet, N.W. W., 7 cables from the tripod, and indicates the western side of the Fairway channel.
A red buoy, with staff, lies close to Reddie point in 20 feet, 3 cables N.W. W. from the tripod, and marks the eastern side of the channel.
Four buoys denote the boundary of the inner anchorage: on the western limit are two black buoys, and on the eastern limit, two red buoys; each buoy lies in 12 feet at low-water.
Anchorages. The outer anchorage, for vessels exceeding 18 feet draught and the most convenient for vessels making a short stay, is off the north point of Dowdeswell island in 4 fathoms at low water, mud bottom, with the tripod bearing S. by E. E., and Temple tree about W. by S. This position is outside the tide-rip caused by the wind along the coast meeting the freshets from the numerous creeks in the bay.
From the inner anchorage, 18 feet, green mud, the tripod bears E. by N., and Hookey Tollah flagtaff S.S.E., distant 13 miles. At one mile from this position in the direction of the light-house is a depth of 2 fathoms.
Tides. It is high-water, full and change, at the inner anchorage off Hookey Tollah at IX hrs. 15 min.; ordinary springs rise 7 feet, neaps 4 feet. The range of tide, however, is much affected by the water out of the numerous creeks, and also by the prevailing winds; the best or highest tides occur during the north-east monsoon, the least or lowest tides in the month of May. The tidal streams within the harbour set fairly through the several channels, and at springs average a velocity of 2
knots an hour.
* See Indian Marine Survey Chart, False Point anchorage, No. 109; also Taylor's Sailing Directory, Vol. 1, page 469. + It is proposed to exhibit a small harbour light from a wooden structure at the tip of Reddie point, N.W. by N. of the tripod.
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