'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎223] (396/524)

FROM RAS JASIIK TO BASRAH.
223
at the surface, which might have been anticipated. Such observations
require to be taken during the hottest season to give any result of im
portance to the well-being of the cable.
Currents at Bottom .—At Has al Kuh and off Ghubbet Ghazireh the
stream was so weak as hardly to call for such observations. At Ras
as Sheikh, by attaching a heavy lead to the meteor, it was sunk to about
15 fathoms below the surface, and there registered similar results to
those at the surface. The whole apparatus was swept off the bottom
owing to the strain on the line. A wire line might have enabled me to
obtain more satisfactory results.
Permanent Marks .—A permanent mark should be placed at the
mouth of the gut of Khor Abdallah, or about 60 miles from Fail. It
should be a first class buoy, with perhaps a perch, and should be
anchored with one or more old guns, so as not to give the Arabs the
temptation of stealing the anchor. The buoy to be placed, say half a
mile to Northward or Southward of the cable. Above this position, the
cable might be picked up by a vessel feeling her way down or up Khor
Abdallah, keeping in the deep vrater, and crossing from side to side,
always provided the cable is not too deeply sunk in the mud, which
near Fad, I think very probable. Another buoy might perhaps be
placed midway between the last, and a point at which Khareg island
would be visible ; or two more at equal distances apart. In the re
maining portion of the cable no marks would be required ; sketches
should be constantly taken while paying out, particularly when passing
islands, noting its appearance, and the degree of visibility, as whether
the beach is “ up” or merely the highest part visible, or the elevation
by sextant of the highest peak should be noted, or any remarks made,
which would enable a stranger, when the high land is not visible, to
correct his estimated distance off it.
The soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. shown were all taken with Massey’s Sounding
Machine attached to the lead, which was also fitted with a cup and
valve for bringing up specimens of bottom- They were fixed by two
or more angles to shore objects ; no magnetic bearings being used, the
‘‘Johnston Castle” being an iron ship, and her compasses not having
been adjusted since leaving England : out of sight of land as numerous
celestial observations as possible were taken, and near the river they
were partly fixed by sound.