THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27TH OCTOBER, 1877.
467
GINDURAH RIVER is nearly midway between Manda Rock and Point de Galle fort, and may be known by the different character of the coast on each side of it. To the northwest of the river entrance the coast is low and sandy, to the southeast it is rugged and rocky. From Waal or Ragamma Point to Point de Galle, the shore has a level appearance, covered with cocoanut trees, and is dangerous to approach under 20 fathoms, several rocks being situated from one to two miles in the offing, some of which are nearly dry.
THE WHALE ROCK, under water, bears W. N. 24 miles from Point de Galle fort light-house, and is 13 miles from the nearest shore; it always breaks, but in fine weather only once in 4 or 5 minutes, so that a good lookout is then necessary. There is no safe channel inside of it, the bottom being rocky, and the soundings irregular. A bank lies about mid-way between the Whale and the shore, with 4 and 4 fathoms on it, so that the inside channel, which is unexamined, should not be taken except in case of necessity, as there are many shoal spots within half a mile of the coast. There are 7 fathoms close outside the Whale Rock, 12 fathoms at two cables and 20 fathoms at less than half a mile off. The soundings between the Whale and Gindurah Rocks deepen gradually from 8 fathoms near both rocks to 16 fathoms midway between them.
THE LITTLE WHALE ROCK, sometimes called Grampus, is a small rock above water, lying about half-way between the Whale and Point de Galle fort light-house, on the same line of bearing. There are many rocks inside of it, with only from 3 to 6 feet water on them. Vessels, therefore, when driven to the necessity of passing inside the Whale, should be careful to haul out between it and the Little Whale, where there is a clear channel with 8 to 10 fathoms, rocky bottom. The recent survey of Ceylon marks a small bank, called Cadra-welle, lying about three cables south-east of the Little Whale, with a depth of 8 fathoms.
OFF-LYING DANGERS.-Cadda Rocks consist of disconnected patches, two cables in extent, N. by E. and S. by W., with only two fathoms on the shoalest part. There is deep water between the rocks. During the S. W. monsoon heavy breakers extend the whole length of the reef; but in the N. E. monsoon there is seldom a break. The Outer Cadda, on which the least water is 13 feet, lies S. by E. E. about two-thirds of a mile from the Fort light-house, with the Pilot's Tree (on Moodliar Hill, 157 feet high) and Sailors' Bastion in line, and the white mark on the east side of the bay almost shut in with Watering Point. The Inner Cadda has 15 feet on its shoalest part, from which the Pilot's Tree is in line with Flat Rock, and the Fort flag-staff in line with the north end of Pigeon Island. Para Rock, having 5 fathoms, never breaks; it lies about 2 cables E. by N. of the Outer Cadda; from it the Fort light-house and east end of Elephant Rock are in line; and the white mark is shut in with Watering Point.
Buoy The Outer Cadda Rock is now marked by a Red buoy, placed a few fathoms to the eastward of the danger. This buoy is mantained in position all the year round. In the event of its breaking adrift, cantion is necessary not to approach the rock too near, by keeping Ereminia Point (a bluff point crowned with cocoanut trees, rather more than a mile to E. S. E. of Oonawatty Point) well open south of Oonawatty Point.
THE WEST ENTRANCE is between the Inner Cadda aud Meemattia Rocks, and should not be attempted without a pilot.
ROCKS ON WEST SIDE OF CHANNEL.-Meemattia Rock is half a cable in extent, has 17 feet on it, and breaks in bad weather during the S.-W. monsoon. It lies nearly in mid-channel between the Inner Cadda and the islets off the Fort light-house. Poleatté Rock has only 3 feet on it, and always breaks; it has a Black buoy moored in 6 fathoms, about 30 yards E. S. E. of the rock. Bellicatua Rock has 24 fathoms on it, and forms with the inner Mata-Mada Patch (distant 11⁄2 cables in an E. by N. direction) the narrowest part of the entrance to the west portion of the bay. This rock breaks in bad weather during the S. W. monsoon, and is marked by a small nun buoy. Kapera Rock, about to cables northward of Bellicatua, has a shoal spot of only 9 feet water a Black buoy is moored in 5 fathoms about 70 yards, E. by N. from the 9 feet patch. Velicocco, or Veluvaka Reef, consists of two rocky patches, with from 3 to 9 feet water. The shoalest part of the north patch, with only 3 feet on it, is the danger on which the P. and O. Company's steamer Malabar struck, causing her total loss in May 1860; a Black buoy is moored in 4 fathoms, bearing East 40 yards from this patch.
ROCKS ON EAST SIDE OF CHANNEL.-Several groups of rocks lie between Watering Point and the fair channel, the outer ones taking nearly a straight line in the direction of Galle fort. Imburynha Rock, with 4 fathoms on it, never breaks. It is the south part of a rocky ridge of 5 fathoms one cable in length north and south, and bearing W. N. W. 21 cables from Watering Point, with a general depth of 7 fathoms between. Deumba Dava Rock has 12 feet on it, and breaks during the S. W. monsoon; a Black and White buoy is placed a few fathoms south-west of this patch, which lies about midway between Imburynha and Mata-Mada Cabeera Rocks are two patches, half a cable apart, in a north and south direction, with 5 and 6 fathoms between; they lie about two cables north-east of Deumba-Dava.
MATA-MADA ROCKS are the westernmost group of those abovementioned, and make the eastern border of the fair channel into the harbour. These rocks form two distinct patches about three-quarters of a cable apart, and always break; a Red buoy is moored in 6 fathoms, about 30 yards west from the inner and shoalest patch of 6 feet, from which the Roman Catholic Church- -on an eminence outside the fortifications-is just open of Schwarte Fort, and the centre of Pigeon Island is on with the north end of Flat Rock.
Wara Rocks always break, having only 3 feet on their shoalest part; they lie rather more than a cable north-east of Mata-Mada.
Avareea Rock, with 4 fathoms on it, lies directly in the channel, midway between the Kapera and Wara Rocks, with the Fort light-house open of Utrecht Bastion, and the Roman Catholic Church on with Kapera Rock Black buoy. A small Red buoy, marking another rock, lies about two-thirds of a cable N. by E. of Avareea Rock. Cata Rocks consist of a long ledge, extending in a south direction from near the west end of Gibbet Island, towards the Wara Rocks. There are several detached patches on the ledge, with from one to 3 fathoms on them, and deep water around; a Red buoy is moored in 54 fathoms about 80 yards westward of the one fathom patch.
ROCKS IN HARBOUR.-Tanna Rock with 3 fathoms on it, lies nearly two cables due west from Gibbet Island. Gull Rock is a small round rock, about 5 feet in diameter, 3 feet above the sea level, and lying two cables north-east of the landing place. There is a large iron ring on its summit, to which native vessels secure their stern hawsers.
COAST TO EASTWARD.—Omawatty Point, sometimes called Bellows Point, the south-east head-land of Point de Galle Bay, is steep, rocky, covered with trees, and conspicuous to a vessel coming from the eastward. Edward's Pillar, 264 feet above the sea, is an excellent white land-mark* standing about three-quarters of a mile northward of the point. There are several rocks off this point, on the outermost of which, called the Bellows, the sea breaks very high in bad weather. This rock bears S. S. E. § E. from Oonawatty Point, distant about six cables, and S. E. † E. 24 miles from Point de Galle fort light-house. When Oonawatty Point bears N. W. 10 to 12 miles it may be known by a clump of trees on the seaward slope of the hill; and if the weather is clear, the flag-staff and Fort light-house will be seen about one point open to the westward.
Luna Horowa Rock. This rock, the position of which is doubtful, is shown on the Admiralty Chart of this coast. appears to have a depth of 18 feet over it and bears S. E. | S. about 13 miles from Oonawatty Point and about eight and a half cables due south of Ereminia Galle.
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Ereminia Galle Point, covered with trees down to the water's edge, is the most projecting point eastward of the Bellows Rock, and lies about 14 miles E. by S. S. from Oonawatty Point.
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* To make this pillar more conspicuous above the jungle it is proposed to blacken the upper part. A new light-house, 250 feet above the sea, is to be crected on Oonawatty Point: these directions will then require considerable modification (September 1877).