TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 177 



prised to learn last spring that "the Viceroy has applied to the Home Government 

 to send out a civil engineer, possessed of special experience, to be employed in' 

 examining' the coast of India, with the view of discovering sites for ports." Among 

 the ports surveyed by the late Indian Navy were, first, Poshetra and Seraia, or 

 Kanibalia, situated at the entrance of the Gulf of Kutch, and sheltered from all 

 the prevailing winds. Either of them is capable of receiving the largest iron-clad 

 of the navy. Seraia might be compared to the Mersey, and Poshetra was some- 

 thing between Cork Harbour and Milford Haven, without their hilly features. No 

 expensive breakwaters were needed, and they simply required lights and beacons 

 to guide vessels in and out, wharves for ships to lie alongside, and roads in the 

 interior to briug down produce. Since the opening of the Suez Canal, the northern 

 position of these ports, which previously would have been a disadvantage, has 

 become one of their strongest recommendations. They are 300 miles to windward 

 of Bombay, i. e. nearer to Aden, in the south-west monsoon, the season when the 

 fresh crops require carriage to Europe. Neither steamer nor large sailing-vessel 

 would find real difficulty in getting out of the Gulf of Kutch. The author found 

 that the strong winds of the south-west monsoon blew only for three or fom- days 

 at a time, and then abate for a day or two. The Mualims, or pilots of Kutch, are 

 a caste deservedly famous for skill and daring ; many of them have quadrants and 

 nautical tables, and can determine the latitude by sun and pole-star, and their lon- 

 gitude by dead reckoning. Some of their boats are large, well built, and decked, 

 and carry a pair or two of carronades. Large native vessels coming from the Ma- 

 labar and African coasts can now, after the commencement of the south-west 

 monsoon, boldly run into the gulf. A third important harbour on the coast of 

 Katiawar was Chanch Bunder, formed by Shalbet Island, and surveyed by the late 

 Capt. R. Ethersay. Southward of Bombay there was the excellent harboiu* of the 

 Rajpuri, or Jinjera river, without the usual bar of sand that is found at most river- 

 mouths along this coast, but having 3| and 8f fathoms at low tide, and 4^ fathoms 

 inside in mid-channel. Next to this, following a southerly direction, was the 

 Jyghur, or Shastri river, the principal channel to which has 3 fathoms at low tide. 

 Kalbadevi Bay, Viziadroog, Desghur, Sedashighur Tudri, or Mirjan river, and 

 various other ports capable of being made serviceable in our commerce with 

 India, were also described ra some detail. 



On Windward Great Circle Sailing. By John T. Towson, F.B.G.S. 



The author referred to the tables constructed by him, and published by the 

 Admiralty twenty-four years since, in which he pointed out the value of wind- 

 ward gTeat circle sailing. The other modification of this sailing had been brought 

 into successful use ; but windward sailing, although it appeared most simple, had 

 been generally misunderstood by practical men. Some had obtained charts having 

 great circle routes laid down. If they were driven from this track by adverse 

 winds, they returned as soon as the wind would permit them, not perceiving that 

 when they had quitted one great circle there was another great circle, which was 

 their nearest route. Others imagined that this sailing consisted in going a certain 

 number of miles to the northward. The rule was simple : — " Find the great circle 

 course, and put the ship on that tack which is the nearest to the great circle 

 course." In January last he was invited by Mr. Ashbury to prepare sailing-direc- 

 tions for the ' Cambria' yacht. The directions which he prepared were shown by 

 a chart. It consisted of the great circle com-se, corrected for variation for every 

 part of the Atlantic that it was probable that a vessel should pass. All the ma- 

 riner had to do was to ascertain his approximate position, and then he would find 

 by inspection how to keep the ship's head by compass. The distance from the 



Elace of destination was also given by another chart, containing the position of 

 oth yachts at noon for each day. Mr. Towson showed that the ' Cambria ' saved 

 the race by superior navigation. This sailing gave the greatest advantage when 

 the distance oi longitude was greatest ; and thus the ' Cambria ' attained all the 

 advantage that this sailing could afford in the first five days, which was about 

 110 miles; afterwards the superior power for an ocean race possessed by the 

 ' Dauntless ' prevailed, and reduced this advantage to a minimum. 

 1870. 12 



