300 
Some Account of the Keeling Islands ; 
. [ 001 *, 
the vicinity of the N. W. monsoon, from January to March. No two seasons have 
been as yet alike since the formation of the settlement ; but until the present, we 
have never had more than an occasional squall or breeze of a few hours continu- 
ance from the northward or westward. Fresh water, obtained from wells dug on 
the isles, is good, wholesome, and abundant. The anchorage is safe; the narrow open- 
ing between the Reefs of Horsburg and Direction Isles not affording ingress to any 
heavy sea, as was experienced during the late northerly gale. The Channel lead- 
ing into the inner anchorages has only .'1^ fathoms at low water, and is tortuous and 
narrow for nearly a mile. During the prevalence of the general winds, no vessel 
draAving more than 12 feet water may safely sail in ; all larger must remain in the 
outer anchorage. Ships requiring heaving down, &c. may be warped, for that 
purpose, into the basin inside of Direction Island. No vessel can, however, have 
occasion for entering the port beyond the outer anchorage, except for safety in time 
of Avar ; the intricacy of its entrance is then an advantage ; since enemies’ vessels 
oould not reach them to capture them, by making a sudden dash into the harbour, 
and would not care to run the risk of entangling themselves therein, and thereby 
running the chance of having their retreat cut off by the arrival of a superior force. 
High Avater occurs at about half past 4 o’clock in the anchorage, on full and 
change. When the sun is near the equator the two tides are nearly equal, and rise 
from 3£ to 4 feet ; when he is near the southern tropic, his zenith or evening tide 
rises to from 5 to 5 § feet ; and the morning tide to and 3 feet. The contrary 
happens Avhen he is near the northern solstice ; thence indicating that his attrac- 
tiA’e force is exerted on the globe in a diagonal direction. The zenith tide being 
raised in our hemisphere, and the nadir iu the other ; and it would be seen, 
that by keeping this circumstance in view, the occurrence of 12 hours’ tides, or 
one ebb and one flood, in 24 hours, may be accounted for by reference to the 
moon’s position at the time ; assuming that her force is also diagonally exerted, 
while from the rapidity of her declination it is more or less Aveakened or merged into 
the more regular effect produced by the sun. 
Report of Shipping , which have anchored in the Port of the Cocos Keeling Isles, 
since the British settlement has been established on them. 
Dates ol 
Arrival. 
Ships’ Names ant 
Commanders. 
Flag. 
Burthen. 
Whence, & whi- 
ther bound. 
Why Anchored. 
Date of 
Depar- 
ture. 
1827. 
Tons 
London, and Cape 
of Good Hope, 
Java, 
Feb. 16, 
Ship Borneo, J. 
C. Ross, 
B. 
9 
428 
To land party ol 
settlers. 
6 March. 
A pi. 10, 
Ditto ditto, ditto, 
do. 
do 
Batavia, to Su- 
matra, 
Touched to law 
supplies, 
25 April. 
May 8, 
Do. Hippomenes, 
R. C. Ross, 
do. 
336 
Sumatra, to tnef- 
land, 
To fill up water and 
wood, 
16 May. 
Do. 12, 
Sehooner Rem- 
bary, Benot, 
ShipPliamix, An- 
derson, 
D. 
120 
Java, toSuinatra, 
To land supplies, 
19 ditto. 
Do. 26, 
B. 
450 
Do. to England, 
To secure a startec 
butt end, which 
done, sailed same 
evening. 
26 ditto. 
Aug. 18, 
Do. Borneo, J. 
C. Ross, 
do. 
428 
Coast of Sumatra, 
to ditto, 
To be dispatched for 
Englaud, under 
command of R.A. 
Whichelo, 
3 Sept. 
Nov. 28, 
Bark Leda, — 
North wood, 
do. 
280 
Sydney, N. S. 
W. in 35 days, 
to Calcutta, 
For water. 
29 ditto. 
1828. 
Dec. 2, 
Schooner Molu- 
elio, J, Climics, 
Ship Panther, 
Lloyd Bowers, 
D. 
120 
Surabaya, to Su- 
matra, 
Java, Cowes, to 
England, 
To land supplies, 
0 Jan. 
Do. 11, 
1828. 
N. 
380 
To stop a leak. 
14 Dec. 
May 22, 
Schooner Molu- 
cho, J .Clmiies, 
D. 
120 
Ditto, to Batavia, 
To land supplies, 
5 Aug. 
Ditto, 
Do. Nancy, Ber- 
lin do, 
do- 
35 
Ditto, to ditto, 
Very leaky, 
Ditto. 
Oct. 31, 
. 
Brifr Walmoutb 
Castle, G. Sin- 
clair, 
B. 
290 
GlasgoAv, to Cal- 
cutta, 
To take in water. L 
■ 
Nov. 
