866 NAVIGATION. 



the western side of the channel, and a ship ought to avoid 

 the risk of a hard cast, standing towards Saugor Sand. 

 The course of the channel is north-north-west and south- 

 south-east. In the channel the bottom is soft mud ; on all 

 the reefs the bottom is hard sand with bright specks like 

 steel filings. The leadsmen of the pilot-brigs can tell in a 

 moment by the feel of the ground whether they are on the 

 reefs or in the channel. The tides have a rise and fall of 

 ten or eleven feet, and the water is highest over the ground 

 on the Sea-reefg, and in Bala sore Roads about nine hours 

 full and change. The tail of the Eastern Sea-reef is in 

 about lat. 21° north. The first or Reef-buoy is close to 

 the eastern edge of the Sea-reef, in lat. 21° 16' north, from 

 whence the course is north-north-west half-west, to the buoys 

 in Thornhill's Channel. If it is determined to stand over to 

 the mouth of the Saugor Channel, from Point Palmyras, in 

 search of a pilot, great attention must be paid to the tides, 

 and the reefs ought to be approached about the first of the 

 flood, as ships cannot work to the southward again till the 

 ebb makes. If a ship could, in a clear day, about noon, 

 when the latitude has been obtained, and with the last of 

 the flood, be near the tail of the Western Sea-reef, she rnight 

 venture to cross and look into Saugor Channel, and either 

 anchor there or work to the southward with the ebb. 



At all times during the south-west monsoon great caution 

 is requisite in approaching the Hoogley. Cloudy weather, 

 with frequent hard squalls and rain, may be expected, par- 

 ticularly from May to September. In June and July, which 

 are the worst months, ships standing towards the Western 

 Sea-reef, across Balasore Roads, or towards any of the reefs, 

 ought to have good canvass bent, and have every thing 

 ready for turning to windward, in the event of suddenly 

 getting a hard cast on any of the reefs, which spread out to 

 seaward from the mouth of the river something in the form 

 of a human hand, supposing Saugor Sand to be the thumb. 

 From Point Palmyras, the flood-tide sets over towards the 

 Eastern Sea-reef with considerable velocity on the springs ; 

 but close to and over the reef of Palmyras, the flood sets 

 towards the mouth of Kanaka river. In July the freshets 

 from the river cause a drain of current to the southward. 

 A ship under way off the mouth of the Hoogley ought never 

 to neglect the lead for one moment. 



In the north-east monsoon, which generally commences 



