146 EKMAN. ON DEAD-WATER. [norw. pol. exp. 



SUPPLEMENT. 



Kapt. H. Meyer mentions in "Annalen der Hydrographie und Maritimen 

 Meteorologie", Heft I, 1904, a case, of which the chief points are briefly cited 

 below. 



"In August 1874, in a fresh sea-breeze, we entered the Congo River with a brig draw- 

 ing 3'8 m., speed about 5 knots. At the mouth, in the neighbourhood of Shark Point, 

 there was a distinctly seen "rip" forming the boundary between the sea-water and the 

 river-water; after having passed this rip, the ship suddenly ceased to answer her helm 

 and after oscillating for a time, about her course, laid herself right across the current. 

 Manoeuvres with the sails were of no avail, although the wind was fresh. The river-water 

 flowed past the vessel as if she were grounded. Gradually she drifted right across to the 

 shore on the north side of the river and here we anchored. The ship then laid herself 

 along the current; a double wake was observed, the two directions of which formed an 

 angle of about two points. We endeavoured once more to sail with the fresh and favour- 

 able wind, but the ship neither made head-way nor answered her helm, and we therefore 

 anchored again. 



"The next day the current seemed to be somewhat weaker, the other circumstances 

 the same as before. Again we tried to sail with the sea-breeze but with the same result 

 as before; finally we were obliged to lie to. 



"On the third day, a dutch pilot, who was acquinted with local conditions, helped 

 us to reach Banana with the sea-breeze. He let the ship drift so near in shore that she 

 must according to our opinion have had very little water under her. The current was there 

 considerably weaker; we steered along the shore always in about the same depth of water, 

 and continually with the usual double wake aft. At first, she did not answer her helm, 

 but gradually she recovered her steering-power and finally steered quite well. 



"A barque which lay in Banana when we came there, had a like experience. 



"A month after, we left Banana and the ship again lost her steering in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Shark Point; just as before, we drifted over to the other shore and were 

 obliged to anchor. After having again tried without success to sail away from the coast 

 with the sea-breeze, we tried at night with the land-breeze, and then succeeded." 



The double wake mentioned by Kapt. Meyer, seems to prove that dead- 

 water has been, in any case a contributive cause of the accident. Kapt. 

 Meyer cites some other accounts of vessels which have lost their steering 

 on the mouth of the Congo under similar conditions; although the double 

 wake is not mentioned in any of them. One of these cases, when a vessel 



