ERICSSON'S LEAD-REPORT OF LIEUT. BISSON.

H. M. Brig Partridge, Plymouth, Sept. 22, 1836. MY LORD, I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, in pursuance of orders received from Rear-Admiral the Hon. Sir Charles Paget, I proceeded to sea in H. M. brig under my command, accompanied by Mr. Ericsson, with his several sounding instruments, and commenced at once operations within soundings. I continued that duty until we had reached a sufficient depth to give the instruments fair and repeated trials, the results of which (taken with the utmost care every second hour, by night and by day) I have the honour to inclose in the form of an abstract.

And I beg leave to state, that the manner of using Mr. Ericsson's lead is in my opinion perfectly simple, requiring only the care to see that no water remains lodged in the tube, and the stop-cock at the bottom of the instrument turned previous to using it, which our ship's company very soon understood. It is also advisable to lower the machine into the water, instead of plunging it, after the manner of old deep-sea leads, because additional air will be forced up the small aperture in the top of the instrument by the sudden plunge, which will take longer to compress, and consequently not give the soundings with so much accuracy. There is the same objection to using it as a hand-lead, (if swung over the head,) besides the risk of striking the ship's side; but it can be used as such if dropt gently into the water, and will be found a valuable instrument in obtaining soundings in shallow water, (say from ten fathoms, and upwards,) when a ship is going at such a rate that a leadsman in the chains cannot catch bottom with the common hand-lead, it will indicate the depth correctly, without reference to the quantity of line out. It will also be found extremely useful in deeper soundings, under all circumstances, but especially when time is precious, and a ship under full sail is anxious for a cast, going at the rate of six or seven knots, as much time must of necessity be lost when using the old lead, in shortening sail, heaving to, and making sail again, particularly in a case where it would be desirable to make land before night. When the instrument is hauled up, it must be kept in an upright position until the soundings are read off, then the stop-cock must be opened, to permit the water confined in the tube to escape.

Mr. Ericsson does not profess that the sounding instrument shall give very great depths, going at a very great rate; there is no necessity for its doing so; on the contrary, it would employ too much line, and lose too much time in dragging it in; but I have no hesitation in stating, that seventy or eighty fathoms may be obtained, going at the rate of six or seven knots, provided the line be freely given. It is, however, calculated to reach any depth, when the ship is stationary, and particularly when used with wire instead of line.

It unfortunately happened that it was not calm when the Partridge was out of soundings, else, by means of a wire two miles in length, (which we had on board,) some very interesting results must have been obtained. I endeavoured by every means to render the brig stationary, even to furling all the sails, and dropping the kedge anchor, with seventy fathoms of hawser; but to no purpose, there being still too much drift for the wire, which requires to go down very perpendicularly. I regret to say, that in these trials Mr. Ericsson lost a very scientific instrument (for ascertaining the compressibility of water at given depths) by a sudden jerk of the wheel detaching the instrument. I would recommend, however, the sounding instrument and wire for all purposes where great accuracy is necessary, and on all occasions of surveying where opportunities can be seized for bringing a ship stationary. As to correctness, I tested the instrument on several occasions by means of a measured wire, and found them very exact; and, in short, I consider Mr. Ericsson's lead an instrument truly useful, and extremely scientific, and think it cannot fail to answer every purpose intended by the ingenious inventor.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

PHILIP BISSON, Lieut. and Commander.

To The Right Hon. Lord Amelius Beauclerk,
Commander-in-Chief, &c. Plymouth.

[We have not considered it necessary to give every day's proceedings, as it would perhaps be a useless repetition, and have therefore selected three, including the greatest variety of depth. The depths obtained with the new lead are generally rather less than those given by the survey of Captain White, on which we have laid them down. But there are two instances in these days in which they are greater. On the 13th Sept. at 10 A.M. the depth by the chart is 57 fathoms; at noon on the same day it is 58 fms. ED. N. M.]

P.M.

6h 30m Off the Rame Head

Off the Eddystone

Coarse ground
Ditto

0 Eddystone, S.E. by E. 6 miles

Dark-grey sand

St. Ann's light North

Lizard lights N.W.b.W.W.414 Dark sand and stones

2h A.M.

48° 50' N.

6° 38′ W.

70

Fine sand and small shells

(Tried our own deep-sea lead at the same time, which gave 32 fathoms-26 ditto -26 ditto.

REMARKS ON THE BRITISH SETTLEMENTS ON THE EASTERN
COAST OF BURMAH.

By Henry Davy, R. N.

THE Coast of Martaban and Tanasserim are easy of access, both in the N. E. and S. W. monsoons, and although the Andaman islands afford considerable shelter from the heavy seas which, during the latter period, are driven into the Bay of Bengal, yet is the coast sufficiently exposed, but that for the shelter of its harbours, and excellent anchorage, it would be deemed unsafe to approach.

In the N. E. monsoon, a ship leaving the Sand Heads, should steer about S. E., or if the current to the southward should be found stronger than usual, more easterly, passing mid-channel between Cape Negrais and Preparis Island, or, if bordering on the weather shore, round Sunken Island in not less than twenty fathoms; the depths in this channel will be found deepest towards Preparis. From this the soundings become regular, with mostly mud bottom, decreasing as you advance eastward. On no account make the low land, or steer higher than E. S. E. until you have passed the longitude of Bragu Point, as the shoals off the mouths of the Irrawaddy extend farther out than laid down in the Admiralty charts. After passing that meridian, stand on, and make the land about Double Island, the Table land and Peak, to the eastward of Amherst, being very remarkable, and visible at the [distance of ten to fifteen leagues, which, together with the high land of Martaban to the N. E., first seen off deck in about 15 fathoms, will be found excellent guides in closing with the land. The parallel of 16° N., should not be crossed on any account until within five miles of the coast, as the tides there are at the strongest and the dangers of Bruxe Island, and the flats at the mouths of the rivers, are very great. Double Island is not easily distinguished until well in with the shore, it is about 100 feet high, as many long, and thickly wooded; indeed, it resembles an immense bush, and is very inconsiderable as compared with the high lands in the back ground. Its double appearance is caused by a chasm in the trees, and visible on any bearing between N.E. b. E. and S.E.; the island bears S.bE., 12 miles from the Upper Quekmi Pagoda, is bold, and may be safely approached within a mile.

Ships bound to Amherst, in the S. W. monsoon, should endeavour to make the land a little to the southward of Callagouk, and in the event of bad weather, or a threatening appearance, more particularly if it should be at or near the springs, should not think of anchoring at Amherst, but run inside Callagouk, and anchor in 6 to 9 fathoms. The island of Callagouk is about 5 miles in length, moderately high and peaked, very woody, as indeed the whole country is, irregularly formed, with rocky sides, and trends

with the main land, from which it is distant 4 miles. This space is a most secure and desirable anchorage, easy of ingress and egress, and perfectly sheltered from the prevailing winds at that season. The entrance is round the south end of the island, giving a berth of a mile to the islet and shoal, which lies half a mile from the point; the inshore side of the islet, and of Callagouk, is bold and clear of danger. Fresh water may be had on the N. E. part of the island; fuel is in the greatest abundance, and most excellent fish may be procured. A dangerous shoal stretches 6 miles to the N. N. E. of Callagouk's North end, and the passage that way is about a mile wide, formed between two shoals, the North shoal of Callagouk, and an islet on the spit of a rocky shoal projecting out from the main; this channel is not in use. Double Island and the North end of Callagouk bear from each other S.bE. half E., and N.bW. half W. 17 miles, and in working ship, and standing inshore, do not pass that line of bearing; to a stranger this will afford the best possible guide. No part of the coast should be approached nearer than two miles, on account of the strong tides, and rocks and breakers, which jut out from the shore. Proceeding on to Amherst, great attention must be paid to the tides, and large vessels may anchor with the reef buoy bearing N.bE., and the upper pagoda, N. E. to E. N. E. in 10 fathoms, low water.

Tides. High water on full and change of the moon at Amherst Point, 2 hours and 2 hours 20 minutes at the reef buoy; the greatest rise and fall is during the S. W. monsoon, when it is often 26 and 28 feet, and the velocity 6 to 7 knots. Hence during strong S. W. winds, with a sea, and such a rapid tide, the anchorage is unsafe. It is at this time that the value of Callagouk's harbour can be properly appreciated. In the N. E. monsoon the rise and fall is 18 to 20 feet, and rate of tide 3 to 4 knots per hour. The change of the tides is effected almost instantaneously, indeed there may be said to be no slack water. The ebb tide coming out of the river may be seen at some distance, it brings a vast accumulation of dark-coloured matter, which contrasts strongly with the ocean sea,-it comes down with great force, and when it strikes the ship, it makes, as sailors have it, "all grin again." The strongest tides are found on the parallel of the river, and are not felt at the distance of 60 miles from the land: the strength of the tides also take off as you pass to the southward;-with a 6 knot tide at Amherst it will be found to have lost half its rate at Callagouk; and 10 miles farther to the southward, very easy.

The island of Pelew-Gewen, or Bruxe, which fronts the coast of Martaban, is about 6 leagues in length, and 3 at its broadest part; it is moderately high, being rather more elevated, and having thick clusters of trees on its north and south ends. A remarkable white pagoda is situated on its south end on the eastern part of