THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19TH NOVEMBER, 1881.
1027
HAÏNAN HEAD about 180 feet high, situated A.W. 15 miles from Mofou hill, is composed chiefly of sand, having at its north-west extreme a flat-topped mound, Hainan bluff,1 173 feet high, from this bluff the land rises gradually nearly a mile in a south-east direction to the highest part of the head, thence it slopes, merging into the low sand hills of which the coast between Haïnan head and Mofou point consists; it is covered with short scrub almost to the water, which continues for about one mile to the S.E., where all vegetation ceases except a few isolated green patches.
A pinnacle rock lies S.E. S. 14 miles from Hainan point, and half a mile from the shore, also some detached rocks skirt the shore at half a mile distance, for 14 miles in a south-easterly direction from the point.
A sand bank, 3 feet above high water, and of small extent, lies E. N. 3 miles from Hainan bluff, having shoal water with rocks extending W. by N. N. 24 miles, S.S.W. three quarters of a mile, and E. by S. 2 S. 7 miles from it; there is a patch of sand which uncovers at low water springs 24 miles E. by S. ₫ S. from this bank.
The Coast from Haïnau point trends south-west one mile to Haïnan bluff, off which a rock 7 feet high lies W. by S- nearly half a mile, there is another rock 2 feet above high water at the same distance northwestward, thence the coast curves gradually to the south-west 34 miles, west 23 miles, and south-west 14 miles to Pochin point.
A fringe of rocks extends for a quarter of a mile off this coast, and there are several rocks above water in the western part of the bay.
The coast is sand, backed by low sand hills and covered with scrub, with occasional trees; there is a single palm on the ridge in the eastern part of the bay.
Pochin Hill and Pagoda.-Pochin hill situated S.W. W. 5 miles from Hainan bluff, has seven peaks (but seldom more than four are visible at the same time), the highest of which, 459 feet high, has on it a large pagoda surmounted by a red ball; this hill slopes gradually towards Pochin point, where it merges into the sand hills of which the coast it formed.
At 14 miles S.S.E. from Pochin hill lies another flat topped hill with a small hummock in its centre 383 feet above the level of the sea.
Pochin point, situated W. by N. 14 miles from Pochin pagoda, above high water extending to the westward half a mile.
There are also two rocks off Pochin point lying respectively N. W. pagoda.
composed of sand with a reef of rocks 10 feet
W. 13 miles and N. by E. 4 E. 13 miles from the
The Coast from Pochin point trends in a southerly direction for 4 miles to the entrance of Pochin lagoon, thence W. by N. 12 miles to Backsha point, the shore from Pochin point to the entrance of the lagoon is faced with rocks to a distance of one mile, and must be approached with caution.
Pochin Lagoon entrance may be easily recognised by a well defined gap in the low land which gradually increases in height towards Pochin point; there are depths of 18 to 21 feet within, but a bar with 7 to 8 feet on it at high water springs renders it useless except for junks."
The Coast from the western entrance of the lagoon is low and sandy to Backsha point, intersected by a few creeks, and backed by trees from 14 to 2 miles inland.
Backsha Spit3 is half a mile broad and extends E. by N. 3 N. 94 miles from Backsha point, it dries one foot in the centre at low water springs, and has one to 12 feet water on its eastern end; the western part may be crossed in 18 feet ut low water about 2 miles Ề, by N. N. from Backsha point.
Its eastern extreme lies W.N.W. 64 miles from Pochin pagoda.
Pochin Bay, formed by the coast between Backsha and Pochin points, has two good anchorages. The bay abounds with heavy fishing stakes that are liable to foul the propeller of a steam vessel if not stopped when passing through
them.
ANCHORAGES.-There are several anchorages between the eastern entrance to the Inner passage and Hoi-How. At 5 miles S.S.E. E. from Hainan point there is anchorage in 7 fathoms, sand, one mile off shore, which is slightly protected by the shoals to the northward.
With Hainan bluff bearing N.E. one mile, an anchorage in 6 fathoms, mud, may be taken up, but this is also open to the northward.
There is good holding ground West 14 miles from Pochin point in 7 fathoms, sand and mud. Also good anchorage in 3 fathoms for a small vessel off Pochin lagoon, with Pochin point bearing N.E. distant 3 miles; but these are not at all protected from northerly winds and consequently a sea soon gets up.
The best anchorage is in Kien-chu roads in 5 fathoms, stiff mud, with Pochin pagoda bearing N. 85° E. and Kien-chu pagoda S. 44° W. The Magpie rode out a typhoon at this anchorage, being protected from the northward by Backsha spit. There are also two good anchorages with northerly winds on the north side of the strait, in Hai-an bay, with the White Fort (60 feet high) bearing N.N.W. distant 13 miles, in 5 fathoms, mud; and in Hongham bay with the East point of the bay bearing E.N.E. distant one mile, in 7 fathoms, mud.
HAÏNAN BANKS.-These dangerous sand-banks upon which the sea usually (but not always) breaks in either the N.E. monsoon or an easterly swell, have deep water channels between, but extreme caution is necessary in using them, as the tides are uncertain, and the shoals far from land. These channels should not be used at night, or in thick weather.
The following is a description of the different banks, their extremes being taken from the 8-fathom line.
North-east Bank, with 24 feet over it at low water springs, is one mile long north and south, and half-a-mile broad its north-east extreme is in lat. 20° 25′ 55′′ N., long. 110° 58′ E.
North Bank.-The eastern extreme of this bank is in lat. 20° 22' 30" N., long. 110° 58′ 20′′ E. It extends to the westward 7 miles, with an averge breadth of about a mile; on its western end there is a rock with 3 feet water, at 12 miles S.S.W. of which there is a depth of 21 feet.
Seal Bank is 5 miles long in an east and west direction, 3 miles broad at its western end and half a mile at its easteru.. the latter being in lat. 20° 23′ 30′′ N., long. 110° 49′ 24′′ E. The least water is 12 feet.
Shoal water exists at a distance of 5 or 6 miles northward and southwestward of Seal bank, but the examination did not extend beyond this.
West Bank. The eastern extreme of this bank is in lat. 20° 17′ 20′′ N., long. 110° 43′ 35′′ E. It is 54 miles long in an east and west direction, half-a mile broad at its eastern, and 13 miles at its western ends with 3 feet least water.
This bluff, though not the highest part of Haïnan head, is the most conspicuous except when approaching by Inuer passage. There is a small fort at the entrance of the lagoon.
The sand banks off Hoi-How which form Backsha point as well as Hoi-How spit are liable to alteration during heavy weather.
• These stakes are occasionally shifted.
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