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

for the means afforded by the catama-
rams. This simple and singular con-
consists of two or three logs
Of light wood lashed together, the out
er ones being seven or eight feet long,
by six or eight inches diameter, and
the centre one rather longer. It is
rounded off at one end, for the conve
nience Of progression through the wa
Ter, and is padded BY one or two men,
who squat on their knees, IN position
which appears 10 an Englishman a
most uneasy one. The surface is fiat.
and is level with the water when the
men are properly seated in the centre.
The water is continually washing over
them, and yet these men will remain
thus for hours together. It is very
common for them to be washed off the
catamaran; but ifthey escape the sharks
which, are looking out for prey, they
regain their position by expert swim
ming. Drenched as they are with
the water, these men yet contrive to
convey letters and dispatches between
the ships and the shore without getting
them wetted: the papers are usually
placed in their scull-caps, enveloped
with kind Of turban, which, with a
cloth round their middle, are the only
articles Of dress they require.
The catamaran- often receive
medals of distinction from the Indian
government for having saved the lives
of persons who have been upset from
the massoolahs. The singularity in
the nature of the surf which these men
have to encounter is, that it is often
most violent in calm weather, hence
there frequently occurs sad destruction
of shipping in the Madras roads. A
recent writer, describing the Madras
surf from personal observation, gives
the following as one among many in
stances Of the dangerous character of
the spot for shipping: sOn the I'd of
May, 1911, Madras was visited by a
storm of such fury as to create both de-
and sorrow. Before the COM
motion of the elements began, one
hundred and twenty ships and vessels
proudly rode at their anchors: in the
morning all these either bilged or
and were strewed in frag-
ments along the shore. Fewer lives
were sacrificed than could have been
expected, considering the extent ofthe
calamity, and that numbers of the yes
sells sunk at their anchors; but neither
of the men-of-war lost single man.
tits, however, quite frightful to ponder
on the extent to which our navalmeans
would probably have been destroyed
had this storm come on sooner. But
ten days before, the expedition had
sailed for Java, with a strong squadron
Of memo war, twelve Company's cruz
sers, and sixty transports, with twelve
thousand on board, all of which must
have been wrecked
It is not yet clearly proved how this
formidable surf may be correctly ac-
counted for. The probabilities are,
that the formation Of the coast near
Madras, the narrowing Of the bay Of
Bengal as itrecedes towards the north,
the fowingof the equatorial current a.
gainst the coast, and the nature Of the
bottom, as 10 depth, shoals, etc., all
exert ther influence in he production
of the surf; but to what extent, future
photographed researches must show.
Let US next pass on to notice the
bore, or rushing tide, at the mouths
Of some ofthe Indian rivers. This is
a remarkable periodic phenomenon, de-
pending in some way on the flow Of
the tide into an estuary not calculated
to give sufficient space for the due re-
ception of the waters. The Gauges,
the Indus, and the bay Of Cambay, are
the parts of India where this remarka-
bic rush Of waters takes place. We
will take the accounts of these bores
from travellers who have visited the
respective spots.
The Rev. Hobart Caunter, in one Of
the Oriental Annuals,' gives an account
of the bore Of the Ganges. And it
may be properto premise. that the Gam
ges enters the bay Of Bengal by innu-
merable mouths, none of which are
nasigable forlarge ships except that
branch called the Hooghly passes
BY Calcutta with broad, deep, and
tranquil current; but between the city
and the sea are numerous shoals and
sand banks. On this branch Of the
river occurs the bore, a violent fux Of
the water, which rushes Up the stream
Al certain intervals with such extreme
violence as to swamp everything with
II is influence. It's power IS chiefly
confined to HE sides 81 the river. being