'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎23v] (51/820)

38 AST—AST
shore of Little Ashhr a sand-bank runs out in a nor’-nor’-easterly
direction, where 12 feet of water is not to be found nearer than 3| miles
from the bank. Near the end of this sand-bank, in a depth of from 16 to
17 feet of water, and 4J miles* in a direction bearing 15° north-east from
Little Ashur, and 6| miles at a bearing of 51° from Great Ashur, is placed
a floating lightship. The height of the lantern above the sea is 38‘5 feet,
and its horizontal spread of light is 7'1 miles; but at an elevation of
10 feet the light is visible up to 10£ miles. The lightship is black and one-
masted. By day a yellow flag with a blue cross is hoisted, and at night
a reflecting apparatus of eight lamps. In stormy and thick weather a
bell is rung every ten minutes. The latitude of the lightship is 36° 58' 30 /l ',
and longitude 53° 31' 55" east of Greenwich. It lies 287 miles south-east
from the island of Nargin, 255 miles south-east from the end of the
Shakau sand spit that bounds Baku Bay, and 116 miles sou’-sou’-east
from the end of the island of Ugurchin. This lightship serves to
mark the passage by the narrow channel, depth 15 to 20 feet, which
lies between the above-mentioned sand-bank and the Turkoman coast.
The length of the channel from the lightship to Little Ashur is barely
4 miles ; the width about a mile. At the western extremity of the
sand-bank, almost in mid channel, lies a shoal marked on the eastern side
by a black buoy. Another buoy painted white is placed at the extremity
of the sand-bank, which runs out to the east from Little Ashur.
In order to enter the Astarabad Bay by this channel, a course south
or south-J east must be held from the lightship on the black buoy, which
is left to the west ; thence the same course may be held, or a slight bend
may be made to the west, and the course be directed on the white buoy.
Having passed this on the west side, a westerly course will lead straight
on to the Ashur roadstead, where ships can anchor at from 200 to 500
yards from the shore in 17 feet of water having a muddy bottom. The
distance between the lightship and the black buoy is If miles, between the
black and white buoys is 3 miles, and from the latter to the Ashur road
stead is 4 miles, so that the whole distance from the lightship to the
roadstead is 8f miles,* the bottom being mud the whole way.
To enter the Astarabad Bay in stormy weather, when it is impossible to
see the kghtship or to hear signals, it is necessary to keep in the deep
water by the eastern shore and to cast the lead frequently. When the
ship is about 6 or 7 miles north of the lightship, the eastern shore should
be hugged, which is distinguished at this spot (south of the Hasan Quli
Bay) by but slight depth of water. After this a depth of 25 feet is reach
ed, and a course sou’-sou’-east is held until a less depth of water is
reached. About the latitude of Khwaja Nafas, a depth of from 14 to
15 feet should be found and a soft clay bottom ; thence the course is
south, keeping to the Turkoman shore in a depth of 17 to 18 feet. The
soft mud shows the proximity of the Turkoman coast, where the depth of
water lessens gradually : a sandy bottom betokens the nearness of the
Ashurada sand-bank, where the depth of ^ater rapidly decreases, so that
from 21 feet, 10 and 8 feet are very quickly reached.
* Probably geographical miles.