HARBOUR OF TRINCOMALEE. 



361 



above the water. After passing Dondre Head, by keeping 

 alontr the edge of the Bank of Soundings, and never shoal- 

 in o- the water under thirty-four fathoms, a ship will pass 

 about two miles outside of the rocks. In clear weather, 

 and daylight, they may be approached to the depth of 

 twenty-four fathoms, which is about half a mile from the 

 Great Basses. About Dondre Head and the Basses the 

 currents are very uncertain,— sometimes running with great 

 velocity to the north-eastward; by not observing which 

 many ships have overshot their reckoning in the night, and 

 come up with the Basses very unexpectedly. His majesty's 

 frio-ate Dajdalus, Captain Sir Murray Maxwell, was lost on 

 the Little Basses, and the fleet under her convoy nearly 

 shared the same fate. The Elephant Hill is a high isolated 

 rock on the low land near the sea, and is on-with the Great 

 Basses, bearing north 5° west. Chimney Hill is pretty 

 hit^h, near the sea, with a remarkable rock rising from its 

 side, resembhng a chimney. It is on-with the Little Basses, 

 bearing north 59° west. Proceeding to the northward, 

 alono- \he east coast of Ceylon, if bound to Trincomalee, 

 a ship should keep well in with the coast after passing the 

 Basses, and make the land (in the south-west monsoon) to 

 the southward of Flag-staff Point, which is in lat. 8 33i 

 north, long. 81° 23' east. It is high, bold, is covered with 

 trees, and has several fortifications on it. This point is 

 easily known from its bluff appearance, and from th£ land 

 to the northward and southward being very low ; it is steep- 

 to, and safe to approach. Trincomalee has little trade, and 

 is not much frequented, except by the men-of-war on the 

 Indian station. The harbour is capacious and safe ; al- 

 thoutrh there are many shoals and rocks in it, yet they are 

 all well known, and 'there is plenty of room, with good 

 holding-Tound. The navigation of the harbour is some- 

 what intricate ; but with Horsburgh's sailing directions and 

 a chart there is nothing to prevent a stranger either run- 

 nintr in with a fair wind, or working into the bay. In 

 former days, when dull-sailing ships were navigated by 

 dead reckoning, it was usual to keep in soundings if bound 

 to Madras, after passing Ceylon, in order to avoid the chance 

 of failin<T in with the land to the northward of Madras, m 

 the south-west monsoon. In the present day this loss of 

 time seems unnecessary ; for it is hardly to be supposed 

 Vol. III.— H h 



