'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎406] (425/622)

406
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
pied him from April, 1857, to March, 1860, during which
period he had the invaluable assistance of Lieutenant A. W.
Stiffe, who, at his request, was appointed Assistant-Surveyor,'
his other officers being Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. T. M. Lambarde and h!
Hewer.
this period the vessel was also ready for action, but the boats were continually
away, sounding and buoying the harbour to facilitate the landing of the army
stores and troops. My assistant, Lieutenant Sweny, was despatched to the
mouth of the Euphrates, which he sounded and buoyed previous to the entrance
of the fleet of men-of-war and transports which went up to Mohamra. The
creeks in the vicinity of the brig were surveyed also at this time. As soon as the
vessel was released from this position, the survey of Bushire Harbour and roads
was commenced, and this was completed by the 5th of September. In the mean
time the brig was sent away with despatches to Mohamra, which took nearly a
month. The strong north-west winds fill the air with dust for days together at that
season (June and July), so much so, that often when lying at anchor in company
with thirty and forty ships crowded together in this anchorage, only three or four
nearest to us could be seen. The extreme heat of the weather, and, moreorer,
the paucity of officers—for besides Lieutenant Stiffe, the Assistant-Surveyor, there
are but two midshipmen—will sufficiently account for the time occupied. "We
sailed for Kharrack on the 15th, having been detained until then by our carpenter's
services being required to fit up arm-racks in the transports. We had just com
menced a trigonometrical survey of Kharrack too, had erected the necessary
station marks, and were engaged measuring the base line, when I received orders
from Commander Eennie to break off and return to Bushire, from whence I was
to sail and ascertain the latitude and longitude of all points, &c., around the
Gulf. It is to be regretted, that although Kharrack has been twice in the
possession of the British, our Government are still without a Marine Survey of
it and the neighbouring island of Congo with its outlying reefs. The Persian
Government is so jealous, that to survey those islands, whilst in their hands, is
out of the question. We left Bushire on our cruise for fixing the positions on
the 27th of September, and returned last Friday, having been absent nearly
seven months. We have taken observations of two points of the Coast of Arabia,
one sixty-seven miles north-west of El Kateef, the other at Cape Mussendom,
and fixed the position of Biddulph's Islands, which lie on the Arabian side of
the Gulf; with the above exceptions, our attention has been devoted to the
Persian shore, considering it the wisest course to proceed systematically and
finish one side at a time. The Persian coast, from Bushire dow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. r n to the entrance
of the Gulf, is nearly done, it remaining only to take observations at three or
four more points. Our maxim is, ' Let what is done be well done.' As we sail
from place to place, soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. are regularly taken and registered, so that from
all I have mentioned, you will perceive that a large amount of data towards
forming an entire new chart of the Gulf is in my hands, which it will require
leisure to compile and reduce into uniform scale. At the towns where we have
taken observations, the Sheikhs have treated us with the utmost kindness, giving
us a room in their house, with carpets and pillows to sleep on, and food has been
cooked for us. Never has any objection been made to our surveying operations,
but every facility afforded. A natural curiosity has brought a hundred people
around the instruments, but they never cause the least annoyance ; they are too
well-behaved for that. When requested to sit quiet, because their moving caused
the mercury in the artificial horizon to vibrate, they do so, and do not move
until they are told they may do so. The duty over, we permit them to look
through the telescopes, &c. ; then old men and children are equally delighted.
On two occasions our boats have been sw amped in the surf on the beach; the
crew were insufficient to move them, but the Arabs hastened to their assistance
and hauled the boats up, and saved everything belonging to them. One party I
was able to reward with some money, but in the other instance, the accident
occurring in front of the town of Congoon, the Sheikh was present and would
not allow his subjects to receive a com. He said that they had only done their
duty, and the English always assisted the Arabs when their boats are in
distress. 5 '