'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎94] (205/258)

9 {
LIEUTENANT SELBY’S REMARKS
Although however no danger is to be apprehended in making it in the day
lime, yet at night it is very dangerous to approach, as no indication of danger
can be perceived until close upon it. No soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. can be obtained within i of
a mile except on the South point, and unless there is much swell, the surf
does not break, so as to be seen or heard a sufficient distance to warn a ves
sel running into danger.
Byramgore Reef, called Cheriapani by the Natives, South East end in
latitude 11° 48'N., longitude 71° 51' E.,is a very dangerous and exten
sive bank of coral, extends 10 miles in a N. N. West and S. S. East direction,
by 44 miles broad, and has soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. all over it from 1 to 11 fathoms, but
with numberless detached and sunken patches of coral rock in every direc
tion.
It is of the same formation as the Cherbaniani, from which it bears South
by West 17 miles—steep too, having no soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. , at 300 fathoms, within i of
a mile. Unlike that bank, however, it has not a barrier reef all round, ex
cept on the South West, South, and South Eastern extremes, where a heavy
surf always breaks. Besides these, there are two patches on the North
Western extreme, and two on the North Eastern, and all which are dry at
low water spring tides.
From the South Western and South Eastern points of the reef, the sound
ings extend off a distance of nearly 4 a mile, gradually increasing from the
breakers, to about 15 fathoms on edge of bank of soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. , and afford good
anchorage ; but between these points it is very steep too, no soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. being
obtained 300 yards from the breakers.
Anchorage close in may, however, be obtained all along the East and
West sides,—and extending 7 miles from the Northern extreme of the reef,
is a bank of regular soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. , from 4 to 8 fathoms, affording good and per
fectly safe anchorage in any season. The bottom sand and coral rock.
Across the centre of the reef, between the breakers on the North Western
extreme and the Southern part of the reef, is a passage, where, should a ves
sel find herself embayed, she might, as a last resource, and with a good look
out from the fore yard, run over the reef, and as the water is beautifully clear,
and all the dangers clearly visible, avoid the sunken rocks with which it is
thickly studded.
The tidal wave, which sets round and along the Cherbaniani reef, by
which the danger likely to arise from being becalmed near it is considerably
lessened, meeting here much less opposition than is there offered by the
complete barrier which constitute that shoal, in many places sets across the
Byramgore. There is however little danger to be apprehended from this
cause, as this only happens in those places where, from the formation of the
r eef, a vessel might always anchor in time to avoid drifting into danger.