'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎92] (203/258)

92
LIEUTENANT SELBY’S REMARKS
We. In a moderate N. Wly breeze we found the swell on it less than
in the vicinity, and I have no doubt a vessel, not making much way in a fresh
N. Wester, could anchor there with advantage.
The flood tide runs to N. E., ebb to W. S. W., about 1 knot per hour.
High water, on full and change, at about 10. 30. Rise and fall 9 feet.
Great Bassas de Pedro Bank, called “ Munyulpar” by the Natives, ex
tends fromlat. 12° 31'N. to 13 ° 36' N., centre in long. 72 ° 30'E., and is
from 8 to 16 miles broad. The shoalest part is on the Northern end, where
we found 21 fathoms, deepening gradually to the Southern, where the soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water.
are regular, from 33 to 35 fathoms. The bottom throughout coarse sand, de
cayed coral and broken shells. It is very steep too, in most places no bottom
being found close to it with 300 fathoms of line. We however obtained sound
ings on the very edge of it at 270 fathoms, and as the vessel drifted over it, the
lead was dragged up the side, deeply cut into by, and bringing up several
pieces of, sandstone rock.
We found the tides here very irregular, in fact for 10 days, from 2Sth De
cember to 6th January, while on then Northern and centre part of the Bank,
we had a constant set to W. N. W. of from 1 to £ a knot per hour. After this
from the 7th to the 10th January, while on the Southern end, it was from N. E.
to N. N. W. 3 of a knot per hour, the wind being throughout from North
to East, Easterly to N. E. during the night and until about 10 a m, then
hauling to Northward—but seldom in this month, as far to Westward as
N. N. W.
Little Bassas de Pedro Bank or Coradeeve, bears from N. Western
point of Great Bank N. West, 15 miles.
It is 19 miles long, and 4 to 6 broad, running in a N. N. East and S. S.
W. direction, and has on it a depth ranging from 25 to 30 fathoms,—coarse
sand, decayed coral, and broken shells ; steep too like the Great Bank, and
no soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. could be obtained between them at 308 fathoms.
Sesostris Bank, discovered by Captain Carless, I. N, in April 1847,
in the H. Go’s Steam Frigate from which it is named; bears West, 15 miles,
from centre of Great Bassas Bank. It is about 15 miles long in a N. W.
and S. E. direction, 9 or 10 miles broad on the N. Western end, narrowing to
a point of about 2£ miles broad on Southern edge, on which in one place we
found only 11 fathoms. It is very steep too, having no bottom at 300 fathoms
close to it. On the very edge however, we obtained soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. at 140,180,
190, 220, 260, and 295 fathoms,—sandstone rock. The centre is in lat 13 °
7'N., long. 71® 58' E.
Being of the same formation as the Great and Little Bassas de Pedro and
A ngria’s Bank, and lying in the same parallel of longitude as these, and the
centre of the Laccadive group, it may reasonably be concluded that it is