364 NAVIGATION. 



west-by-west, in nine fathoms, two miles from the shore, is 

 a good berth for a large ship. The masoolah-boats are used 

 at Madras ; and when the surf is too high for them to go 

 off, a flag is hoisted at the beach-house called the foul- 

 weather flag. While this continues flying all communica- 

 tion with ihe shore is interrupted ; yet the catamaran-men 

 will at these times venture off with a letter, which they 

 contrive to keep dry by placing it in their scull-cap, over 

 which the folds of the turban are tightly twisted. 



The coasts of Golconda and Orissa (after passing the Pu- 

 licate Shoal) may be safely approached in most parts with 

 the lead. 



The approach to the Hoogley in both monsoons is ren- 

 dered very difficult, from the circumstance of long spits of 

 sand extending from the mouth of the river, out of sight of 

 land. Between these sands or reef* are different channels, 

 and the one now used is bounded on the east by Saugor 

 Sand, and on the west by the Eastern Sea-reef. The en- 

 trance to this channel, as before mentioned, is out of sight 

 of land. Ships bound for Calcutta in the south-west mon- 

 soon ought to make the land about Pondy or Ganjam, where 

 it is of considerable height. The Juggernaut pagodas are 

 a good mark to run for ; the coast abreast them is safe to 

 approach, and they cannot easily be mistaken. In a clear 

 day, at a moderate distance, they present a magnificent ap- 

 pearance. There are three large circular buildings with 

 domes, and several smaller pagodas ; from the sea they look 

 like one vast palace. Having passed the pagodas, a course 

 about north-east-by-east, keeping in about fourteen or fifteen 

 fathoms, must be shaped for False Point, abreast of which 

 the soundings are brovsTi sand and shells with black specks ; 

 but to the northward of False Point, all over False Bay, 

 the bottom is very soft green mud. With False Point 

 bearing west-north-west, in fourteen or fifteen fathoms, the 

 course is north-east ten leagues, to clear the reef off Point 

 Palmyras ; but the lead is the best guide, and a ship ought 

 not to come under fourteen fathoms crossing False Bay. 

 This depth may be increased to fifteen fathoms rounding 

 the reef off Point Palmyras ; for when the point bears to 

 the southward of west a ship in fifteen fathoms will not be 

 far from the edge of its reef. On the island of Mypurra a 

 Ijo-hthouse has lately been erected, which in cleai" weather 



