Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-04-17

scarcely felt in mid-channel, where the
Indiamen generally lie at anchor.
This sudden influx Of the tide COM
mences at Hooghly Point, where the
river first contracts its width, and is per-
ceptible above Hooghly Town. So
quick is its motion, that it hardly en-
ploys four hours in travelling from one
TO the other, although the distance is
nearly seventy miles. It does not run
on the Calcutta side, but along the OPP
posite bank, whence ii crosses at Chit
poor, about four miles aboveFort Will
liam, and proceeds with greatviolence
in its upward course. At Calcutta, it
sometimes occasions an instantaneous
rise of FIVE feet. So impetuous is the
rush Of the water, that if small vessels
at anchor are not prepared to receive
it, they must be infallibly upset. Ships
at anchor, being allyinmid-chan-
mel, where its influence rolls. If how
ever, larger vessels are overaken by
it, the shock is prodigious, and at times
series mischief ensues, especially if
they are struck on the broadside. By
turning their prows toward the current
little or no injury is sustained. The
bore rises commonly to the height Of
eighteen feet, and invariably produces
a sensasion Of great terror near the
shore, where small boats are always
moored in considerable numbers; and
much alarm is excited when one Of the
visits of this formidable enemy is ex-
pected, for the frequency of its occur
renee had not by any means had the
effect of calming apprehension.
In the river Brahmapootra, which
enters the bay Of Bengal not far from
the moath of the Gauges, the bore is
witnessed, of "a similar character to the
above. In the channels between the
islands near the mouth of the river, the
height of the bore is said to exceed
twelve feet; and is so terrific in its ap-
pearance, and SO dangerous in its con-
sequences, that no boat will venture
to navigate there at spring-tide. 1t
does not, however, ascend to SO great
distance up the Brahmapootra as up
the Gauges, probably on account of
some peculiar conformation of the
shores.
The late SirAlexander Burnes, when
speaking of the Indus, in the following
terms described the bore often observ-
ed at that river: "Ihe tides rise in the
mouths of the Indus about nine feet, at
full moon; and flow and e5b with great
violence, particularly near the sea,
where they flood and abandon the banks
with equal and increditable velocity
1t is dangerous to drop the anchor I'M
less at low-water, as the channels fire.
quently obscured, and the vessel may
be left dry The description of the
passage Of Alexander's boats downthe
Indus, as given by Arrian, was the first
intimation givenof this rushing tide,
and serves to corroborate other portions
ofthe testimony.
In the gulf Of Cambay there is We
ny remarkable bore, arising from the Pc
cuIiar formation Of the coast. It will
be seen by inspecting map, that this
gulfruns up between Bombay and the
peninsula Of Guzerat in the western
coast ofIndia; that it is very irregular
in shape, that it runs deeply into the
land, and that several rivers now flow
into it Many shoals occur in different
parts Of the gulf by which the flood Of
waters occasioned BY the tides are diri-
ded into various channels or distinct
currents; and up two ofthe principal Of
these currents the phenomenon Of The
bore is observed. Lieutenant Ethersy
Of the Indian navy, communicated to
the Geographical Society, a few years
ago, an account of these two bores, and
of an observation which he made in
person on one of them. In February,
1885, in order to try the effect of the
bore on alarge-sized sbander- boat, 'and
at the same time TO ascertain the
strength Of the stream after the wave
had passed, Lieutenant Ethersy anchor-
ed the boat at spring-tide half a mile
to the northward OF what was then the
lastcape on the western side Of the
gull. Although the anchorage was in
five fathoms, the boat grounded at low
water, and was left high and dry. A
few hours afterward the noise of the
bore was heard, when every precaution
WAS Immediately taken for the safety
|of the boat. The night was still and
calm, and the roar Of the rushing tide,
as it approached, cchoing among the
neighboring hills, is described as hav-
ling been truly awful. The bore struck
The boat, lifted her, and threw her yio-
llentlyround on her bilge; il which po-
II = .s..<. y -