2S J. Waterhouse— J;z Account of the Tidal [No. 1, 



Selectio7i of Stations. — On Col. Walker's return to India, in November 

 1872, he deputed Lieut. Baird to make a reconnaisance o£ the Gulf of 

 Cutch, with a view to selecting tidal stations, and more particularly to 

 ascertain how the instructions which had been received from the Govern- 

 ment to establish a station " at a point as far into the Runn of Cutch as 

 possible to which the tide has free access" could be best carried out. 

 For a point to have free access Avith the sea it is necessary that it should 

 always have at least 4 or 5 feet of water over it at lowest tides, and also 

 that the sea should approach it directly, and not through tortuous channels ; 

 the point must also be either on the edge of the mainland or at no great 

 distance beyond, because of the difficulty and expense of constricting a 

 station on the foreshore. It seemed not improbable that it might not be 

 possible to find a point at the edge of the Kunn which would satisfy all the 

 requisite conditions. 



Lieut. Baird proceeded first to Juria Bandar, close to the head of the 

 Gulf, where he fitted up a country boat for navigating the creeks and chan- 

 nels of the Gulf, and secured the services of an experienced pilot to accom- 

 pany him in his explorations. After a month's cruising about and long 

 searching along the muddy foreshores of the Gulf, three places well adapted 

 for tidal observations were found. 1st, Nawanar Point, midway up the 

 Gulf on the Cutch coast, 15 miles from Mundra ; 2nd, Hanstal Point at 

 the head of the Gulf, about 18 miles from Juria, and 3rd, Okha Point on 

 the Kattywar coast, just at the mouth of the Gulf, opposite the Island o£ 

 Beyt. At Nawanar there was a minimum depth of 19 feet of water within 

 836 feet of a site for a station ; at Hanstal 72 feet within 160 feet of a site 

 for a station, and at Okha 23 feet within 220 feet of a site for a station. 

 Nawanar is about 9 or 10 and Hanstal 16 miles from the nearest village 

 where drinking water can be procured ; Okha Point has Beyt within 1 mile, 

 but a boat is required for communication with it. 



The three places selected were considered to be well adapted for the 

 operations, which was the more fortunate in that Lieut. Baird believed 

 them to be the only suitable points to be met with for the purpose. It is 

 to be regretted, however, that an intermediate point could not be found on 

 the Kattywar coast, between Okha and Hanstal, for Nawanar being on the 

 opposite coast had to be connected with the other two stations by a very 

 long line of levels passing round the head of the Gulf ; and, as it afterwards 

 turned out, Nawanar proved unsuitable by constant changes in the con- 

 figuration of the foreshore. 



'Preliminary Arrangements. — The stations having been selected, pre- 

 liminary arrangements were commenced. 



The first question to be decided was whether the tide-gauges should 

 be set up on stages erected in the sea beyond the low-water line, or on 



