General Examination of the Indian Ocean

Front Cover
U.S. Government Printing Office, 1870 - Indian Ocean - 265 pages
 

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 228 - The wind arrows show the wind to be moving in a direction opposite to the movement of the hands of a watch (counterclockwise) when it is laid, face up, on the map.
Page 231 - N. latitudes against the course of the sun, that is to say, from right to left, or in a direction contrary to the movement of the hands of a watch, and in S.
Page 182 - It is visible from the deck of a ship at a distance of fifteen miles, when it disappears below the horizon, but it may be seen much farther from the masthead, as its brilliancy is so great that the horizon is the only limit to its range. The reefs and dangers which beset the eastern entrance of the Strait of Malacca are all within the influence of the light as visible from a ship's deck. It has been named the
Page 179 - Islanders for making their annual excursions to the islets which lie off the northeast coast of Australia. The question of winds is, however, of little importance when steam routes are under consideration, especially on the present occasion, as parties interested will be satisfied on learning that no winds have ever yet been experienced in Torres Strait which are calculated to interfere materially with the progress of steamers in either direction.
Page 182 - OD the revolving principle, attaining its greatest brilliancy once in a minute as the concentrated rays strike the eye of the spectator. It is visible from the deck of a ship at the distance of 15 miles, when it disappears below the horizon, but it may be seen much further from the masthead, as its brilliancy is so great that the horizon is the only limit to its range. The reefs and dangers which beset the eastern entrance of the Straits of Malacca are all within the influence of the light as visible...
Page 228 - ... with the movement of the hands of a watch, you are in the dangerous semi-circle of the tempest ; and whatever may be the latitude, you should heave-to on the starboard tack, or, if the force of the wind is not too great, stand on close-hauled on the starboard tack. If, on the contrary, the wind hauls by the compass to the left, or in an opposite direction to the movement of the hands of the watch, you are in the manageable semi-circle of the tempest; and if the sea is not too heavy, you should...
Page 48 - Hemisphere, the direction of the wind is from left to right, or with the movement of the hands of a watch. The storm is most furious, and, of course, most dangerous, nearest...
Page 179 - Straits, where it only appears in spurts of eight or ten days' duration about the change of the moon. Occasionally these westerly winds blow with considerable strength ; but they are usually unsteady, in fact mere interruptions of the SE trade wind. These spurts may be expected in November and in the following months until March. Sometimes, but rarely, they are encountered as late as April. In this month of 1844, the writer, while en route from Sydney to Port Essington by the Middle Passage, met...
Page 182 - ... of the eastern entrance of the Strait of Malacca, which has been the leading mark for vessels entering or leaving the strait for ages past. The main channel, which lies immediately to the north of the rock, is four miles wide in the narrowest part. A light-house of dressed granite...
Page 48 - P' is the south consequent pole of the field, since, from the rule in Art. 29, Part 1, in looking through the coils c and d from a position near P', the current is circulating around the field cores in the same direction as the movements of the hands of a watch; while, on the contrary, in looking through the coils a and b from a position near P, the current is circulating around the upper field cores in a direction opposite to the movements of the hands of a watch.

Bibliographic information