TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 689 



at the mouth of the river Tawe, partially sheltered from prevailing winds by the 

 INFimihles Headland hearing from tl;e harbour entrance south-west three-quarters 

 west, the shelter from that headland affording good anchorage as regards holdino- 

 ground, but subject to the range of the sea in south-westerly gales. The entrance 

 to the port is exposed from south-west three-quarters west to south-east, the 

 heaviest seas occurring when the ■^^•ind is south-westerly or directly up the Channel. 

 Previoiis to the year 1794 no engineers appear to have been consulted as to the 

 improvement of the port, which at that period simply consisted of the bed of the 

 River Tawe, the latter discharging over the flat foreshore after passing through 

 a small subsidiary bay, termed Fabian's Bay, lying between two points of land 

 called Black Point and Salthouse Point, the entrance being fully exposed to the 

 range of the sea from the points of the compass before enumerated, and con- 

 .sequently blocked up by sand driven into it by the action of south-westerly seas, 

 and only accessible at spring tides in fair weather by a small class of coasting 

 Teasels. 



In the year 1794 the then Trustees consulted Captain John Huddard, F.R.S., 

 who at that time had the reputation of being an eminent marine engineer, and a 

 perusal of whose report shows that, having regard to the meagi-e knowledge of 

 harbour improvements at that pei-iod, he possessed great powers of observation and 

 considerable practical engineering knowledge. In his first report, which is of con- 

 Mderable length, dated 24th September 1794, he states that he was called upon 

 ty the Trustees to answer various queries generally bearing on the possibilitv of 

 providing an increased depth of water by improving what is termed the ' bar ' or 

 sand carried into the navigable channel by the tidal action in south-westerly gales, 

 and the protection of the harboiu' entrance from the inrun of the sea during those 

 \vinds. The condition of the harbour at that period m regard to depth can be 

 inferred from the following passage in his report — ' On the 5th August I foimd 

 only 8 feet of water in the harbour, and in the evening of the 31st July a vessel of 

 about 13 feet draught of water, in sailiug out of the harbour, grounded upon the 

 bar, where she remained till the 10th August, when the tide rose to take her off; 

 and every ship in the harbour loaded to that draught of water, and ready to sail at 

 that time, must suffer the same detention.' 



Captain Huddard gave as his opinion that a greater depth of water could not 

 Ije obtained, nor the drifting of the sand from the effect of the sea into the entrance 

 channel prevented, without the construction of piers, which he termed the eastern 

 and western piers, the first extending from Black Point and the latter from Salt- 

 house Point, which piers in consequence of his recommendation were subsequently 

 constructed. Captain Huddard further observes that the increased depth antici- 

 pated consequent on their construction ' would continue so long as the tide is 

 .•suffered to flow up the river as at present,' but at the same time it would appear 

 that a project was then entertained, often since revived, for damming the river and 

 converting it into a floating dock, as his report contains the following passao-e — 

 * Should the river be embanked for a floating dock, sluices will be necessary to clear 

 away the silt out of the channel which the sea will deposit in the outer harbour ; 

 for though the harbour of Swansea will not be so liable to silt as many others from 

 the strength of the tide in the Severn being thrown off by the Mumbles and Nash 

 Points ; yet, in fresh gales, the same being impregnated with mud, will deposit it 

 in the harbom* and require a current to clear it out of the channel.' 



The construction of the West Pier, as recommended by Captain Huddard, was 

 carried out, and in May 1804 he was again called on to report. He states that the 

 only alteration which he observed on his second visit was that the sand to the extent 

 of 270 yards south of the pier head was worn down nearly one foot, but that what 

 was termed the ' Bar ' seaward was higher than the harbour entrance, and that 

 it was absolutely necessary to complete the Eastern Pier in order to secure a 

 pennauent depth of water and to afibrd the necessary protection from south- 

 westerly winds. The Eastern Pier was in consequence constructed, the result beinc 

 the prolongation of the river current and the driving of the bar further seaward, 

 and in the year 1831 it was reported that a depth of 21 feet existed over it at 

 snrinsr tides, as anticipated in Captain Huddard's report of 1794. 

 1880. Y Y 



