The China Sea directory - Sabrizain.org

CHAP.!.] MAIiACOA.-^WATEK ISLANDS. 91
The sea-worm, in this , road is vefy destructive to vessels, or, boats not
having copper sheathing.
Tides.—^It is high water, full and change, in Malacca road at 7h. 30m.
springs rise 11 feet, neaps 8^ feet. ' The tidal streams have a rate of 2 knots,
and continne to run two or three hours after high and low water respec-
tively. The flood stream comes from the northward.
Winds.—Malacca road is neither visited by the hurricanes of higher
latitudes, nor is it within the influence of the monsoons of the adjacent
seas ; but during the period of the south-west monsoon in the China sea,
sudden hard squalls frequently blow into the road from the Sumatra
side in the night, accompanied with lightning, thunder, and rain. These
winds, called " Sumatras," generally commence to blow at seven or eight
in the evening, and attain their greatest strength at midnight.
Directions.—Malacca road is included in the space lying seaward of
a line joining Ksher islet and Pulo Panjang, and is a safe anchorage. In
approaching from seaward, the first object that strike the eye are a cluster of
trees crowning the summit of St. Francis hill, the lighthouse and ruinous
church on St. Paul'Sj and the white edifices which skirting its base, and
extending along the seashore, are gradually lost in the thick groves of
cocoanut trees which cover the dwellings of the Chinese and Malays. In
the background rise the Malacca hills, and in the distance the triple peak
of Mount Ophir.
The road may be safely approached, as there is no sunken danger beyond
the mud bank skirting the shore, except the 3 fathoms patch lying half a
mile southward of Fisher islet.
Yessels approaching from the southward at night will make Pulo Undan
light, and passing southward of it, and westward of Pulo A'njote, bring
these islands in line astern, or the light bearing S.E., which will lead to the
anchorage, and well clear southward of Pulo Panjang, which is steep
to and marked by white beacons. Pulo Undan light will also be seen when
approaching the road from the northward.
WATER ISLANDS are a group of six, lying south-feastward of
Malacca. Pulo Undan, the outer island, lies about S.E. by S. 10 miles
from Malacca lighthouse, and 5^ miles from the nearest shore. The islands
are of moderate height, round, and covered with trees. Inshore of Pulo
Besar the largest island, the bottom is foul and rocky, but between the
others there are depths of 10 to 20 fathoms. A shoal of 2 to' 3 fethoms
water extends one mile north and north-west of Pulo Besar, and between
th»t. island a,ndPplp Srinbong. ! The ehannel betweea Pulo Dodole iand
Pulo Besar has a dangerous rock of 1^ fathoms, nearly in mid-channel.
Water.—On -Pulo Besar there are said to he several wells of good
water.
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