1878.] Ohservnf ions in tJie Gulf of Catch. 33 



were constructed in suitable lengths to be easily transported to the tidal 

 stations and there put together. The several self-registering instruments 

 which were to be employed — the tide-gauges, the aneroid barometers and 

 the anemometers or anemographs — were overhauled and put into good 

 working order. The tide-gauges were tested by being employed to register 

 the tides in the harbour of Bombay for several weeks continuously, and 

 were set up over wells connected with deep water by piping, in order that 

 the experimental observations should be taken under precisely similar 

 circumstances to the actual observations. Sundry alterations and improve- 

 ments were made in them, and in fact everything was done which could be 

 thought of to ensure the instruments being found in a satisfactory condition 

 when they were set up for work at the tidal stations. It was a matter of 

 great importance to have all this done at Bombay, because the advan- 

 tages of excellent workshops and skilled artificers were not to be met 

 with in the places where the instruments had to be set up for observation. 



While in Bombay, Capt. Baird also constructed three portable obser- 

 vatories for erection at the tidal stations. These observatories were made 

 in such a manner as to be readily put together, or taken to pieces and 

 re-erected at any other place where they might afterwards be required. 

 They were about 12' x 9' X 9' and about 12 feet high in the centre, the 

 roof sloping from the ridge to the sides which were about 8 feet high. 

 They were clinker-built, but it was found necessary to cover them with a 

 tarpaulin to keep out the heavy rain during the monsoons. 



Operations at Oklia Station. — Okha station being near the mouth of 

 the Gulf and the nearest to Bombay, where all the preliminary arrange- 

 ments were made, was selected as the first to be taken in hand. There all 

 the instruments and stores, and the European assistants, including Mr. 

 Peters, a skilled artificer of the Bombay Harbour Works, whose services had 

 been obligingly placed at Capt. Baird's disposal by Major Merewether, B. E., 

 6 sub- surveyors and 24 men were sent, on the 13th October, 1873, direct from 

 Bombay in a large 'pattimar (or native sailing vessel) . Meeting with contrary 

 winds, the " Kotia Romani" took such a long time to perform the voyage 

 that Capt. Baird began to fear that she was lost with all hands on board ; at 

 last, however, she arrived with her passengers and crew nearly starved, for 

 they had only taken a week's provisions for a voyage which lasted a fortnight. 

 On the 5th November the stores were landed and the first thing to be done 

 was to make an excavation for the iron cylinder. At Okha, as well as at 

 Nawanar, the soil being sandy, it was necessary to take measures to prevent 

 the sides of the well from falling in during the excavation, and therefore a 

 masonry well of sufficient diameter to receive the iron cylinder and vertical 

 shaft of the piping had to be s\mk in much the same manner as the wells 

 so frequently used in this country for the foundations of bridges and aquo 



