The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-27 00:00:00

A -

IMPORTANT INQUIRY.
(From the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald.)
n inquiry of great public importance was held at
the Union Tavern, Garth, Bangor, on Monday, the
19th, and by adjournment on Wednesday, the 21st
%net, before Captain Claxton, U.N.
The inquiry was ordered by the Admiralty, in con-
sequence of a memorial from master mariners, pilots,
shipowners, fishermen, and others interested in the
navigation of the Straits of Menai.
The memorial represented that Grisia Bach, at a
small bight to the westward of Garth Point, was an
ancient landing place, which, with the adjoining
beach, had from time immemoral been used and en-
joyed by the public, without let, hindrance, or mo-
lestation,—that it was the only place during easterly
gales at which boats could land, or from which boats
could put off, either from or to vessels lying in, or
sailing through, the Straits—and that depriving the
public of its free use, as the walls and buildings now
erected had done, wag a great injury inflicted upon
the coasting trade, and a serious damage to the navi-
gation of the Straits ; and lastly, praying the Admi-
ralty to institute an inquiry, and to adopt effective
means to remedy the grievance complained of.
After the memorials and the Admiralty instructions
for instituting the inquiry had been read,
Captain Claxton called upon Dr. 0. 0. Roberts, as
the person who had forwarded the memorial, to pro-
duce evidence in support of the allegations contained
in it.
Dr. 0. 0. Roberts explained that, having been
called upon by a deputation from the parties more
directly interested for advice as to the best course for
them to pursue, with a view to preserve Grisia Bach,
so a landing place, he had suggested the one that had
been adopted, and forwarded the memorial to the Ad-
miralty. He had not even signed the memorial
himself.
Captain Claxton—Then who is to call the evidence ?
Dr. 0. 0. Roberts—Had not the slightest objec-
tion to perform that duty, and called
John Hughes, pilot, who stated that he had known
Grisia Bach from his childhood. It had always been a
public landing-place ; and the closing of it up, by the
present wall, had inflicted a serious injury on the na-
vigation. It was the only place, when it blew fresh
from any point between North-east and South-east,
that could be used to communicate by boats between
vessels and the shore. Before the bight at Grisia
Bach was enclosed they could always land or launch
their boats ; but since the place had been enclosed
with the present wall they could not do so. (Wit-
ness was then shown the plan of a wooden pile pier,
which it is contemplated to construct; and when
asked his opinion as to its probable effect upon the na-
vigation, he answered, that it would not interfere with
his calling as a pilot, but in drifting out when there
was no wind, he thought that vessels might run foul of
it, or that in heavy gales vessels might be driven against
it when their anchors did not hold.) With respect to
the old weir at Gorad y Gut, he considered it dangerous
to vessels, when those on board were unacquainted with
the locality. It was surrounded by a bed of soft good
ground for vessels to lie upon. Masters of vessels
navigating the Straits took care generally not to
get foul of the weirs to the eastward of Port Penrhyn.
In beating to windward, vessels were of course forced
to make shorter tacks to avoid those weirs, as well as
to keep clear of the ballast bank.
In answer to a question by Captain Askew, did not
know whose duty it was to prevent ballast being
thrown into the Straits.
Examination continued by Dr. 0. 0. Roberts—
There are at times a large fleet of coasters, and other
vessels lying wind bound opposite Garth, and if they
be deprived of Grisia Bach, as a landing place, they
cannot in many cases have a free and safe communi-
cation with the shore.
Mr. Dodson, the gentleman connected with the
inclosure of Grisia Bach, declined putting any ques-
tions to the witness.
John Hughes, master mariner, deposed in sub-
stance to the same facts. He had known Grisia Bach,
and used it as a public landing-place, for between
forty and fifty years. The closing of it up had se-
riously interfered with the navigation of the Straits,
and with the interests of those who were concerned
in it.
In answer to Mr. Dodson—He had been in the
habit of using Grisia Bach as a landing-place, and to
be blocked out of it would seriously injure himself
and others.
John Nanney, master mariner, deposed that he had
been in the habit of using Grisia Bach for about
twenty years ; and that its use was of great import-
ance to the navigation of the Straits, so that closing
it up was a serious injury. His opinion as to the
proposed pier was in accordance with that of the
preceding witnesses ; and, with respect to the weir
nearest the quay, it did not interfere much with the
navigation, because in general a vessel would strike
on the ballast bank before coming up to the weir.
Captain Askew observed that she would then be
swamped on the ballast bank, instead of being scuttled
OR the weir.

In answer to Mr. Dodson, Captain Nanney said
that he very frequently used Grisia Bach : even when
it blew a gale from the eastward, he could always
land at Grisia Bach, and haul up his boat, so as to be
in safety.
John Jones, a pilot—Had known Grisia Bach from
his childhood. Its use was of great importance to the
public. Five or six boats could he hauled up in the
bight, and left in safety, to be launched when wanted.
Nothing of the kind could be done now. The steps
were cut in the rock; and near the top they were
formerly protected with masonry.
This witness gave testimony similar to the former
ones touching the pier, and after some answers as to
the effect of weirs on the navigation,
Captain Claxton stated that he was to inquire
touching Grisia Bach, and the proposed pier, and to
report upon the weirs and other alleged obstructions,
and that he had put questions in reference to the latter
points merely for his own satisfaction.
Captain H. Ellis, an old master mariner, was about
to be examined, but in answer to Captain Claxton,
Dr. 0. 0. Roberts stated, on behalf of the memo-
rialists, that though there were a great many master
mariners, fishermen, pilots, and others present, to tes-
tify as to the ancient usage and value of Grisia Bach
as a landing place, still, as their evidence would be
substantially the same as that already given, he con-
sidered it a waste of time to call them.
Captain Claxton then read a letter from the Bishop
of Bangor, and called upon
Mr. Dodson, who stated that the shore ground
between high and low water mark belonged to the
Bishop. He had not had a lease for the portion of
it hi question from the Bishop, but he had the pro-
mise of a lease from his Lordship's legal adviser.
The wall had proceeded so far as to be four or five
feet high, when a deputation of pilots and master
mariners waited upon him about Grisia Bach as a
landing place.
John Hughes, the pilot, here appealed to Mr. Dod-
son's foreman, if he had not protested against the
-works when the foundation was being cut ?
Mr. Dodson— Perhaps it might have been so ; but
when the deputation waited upon him he told the
parties composing it that they must establish their
legal right before he would attend to them. The
work was half done when he received an intimation
from the Admiralty that the Board must be supplied
with maps, plans, and sections of the ground and
proposed erections, and that the works in the mean-
time were to be stopped. He intended putting up a
vertical ladder, but did not tell the pilots so. He pro-
posed to grant permission, not as a matter of right,
but on sufferance, to pilots and masters of vessels to
use the vertical ladder to land on the pier.
Mr. If. B. Roberts who appeared to support the
Bishop's claim to the shoreground, stated that the
application was for a lease to build a pier.
Dr. 0. 0. Roberts denied that there was any
pretence for the Bishop's claim. The public claim
the use of Grisia Bach, and the adjoining beach, not
on sufferance, but as a matter of right, and he had
advised a memorial to the Admiralty in the first
instance, instead of a more summary method of
asserting that right.
Mr. Dodson then called John Morgan, who stated
that he had been three years on the Garth Ferry, that
they seldom used Grisia Bach as a landing place.
John Hughes, pilot—The boats belonging to the
Garth Ferry are now kept on the Anglesey side ;
they were until recently kept on this side, and when
that was the case the ferry could not be worked
without having the bight at Grisia Bach. He had
seen the ferry boat but a few days back unable to
land at Garth point, which they might have done had
Grisia Bach been left in the state it used to be.
In answer to Captain Claxton, John Morgan as-
signed as a reason of not landing at Grisia Bach
oftener that their boats now in use were too heavy ;
but that lighter boats, such as used by the pilots
and the masters, used to do so.
Mr. Jones, harbour master, of Beaumaris, was
called and examined, as to the probable effects of the
proposed wooden pier ; and stated that he considered
it would be beneficial to the navigation.
In reply to Captain Claxton, Mr. Jones stated that
the conservancy of the Straits, within the port, was in
the Corporation of Beaumaris. lie supposed that if
there was a vessel sunk, so as to obstruct the naviga-
tion, it would be his duty as harbour master to re-
move the same if the owners did not.
John Hughes, pilot—The harbour master of Beau-
maxis collects anchorage money and other dues, and
take no notice whatever of the injury done to the Port
of Bangor, and to the navigation of the Straits by
building stones, and ballast being constantly thrown
out between high and low water mark, so that even
the most experienced pilots could not bring in a vessel
at high water without danger of being damaged. At
that very time, when the tide was going out, the
whole beach below where they then were was studded
with heaps of stones and ballast.
Captain Askew observed, that from what he had
seen, he had no doubt whatever that the weirs and
other erections to the eastward of Garth Point, and