The China Sea directory - Sabrizain.org

280 BATAVIA BAT. [chap, v,
for sale lo the shipping. Onrust, the Government dockyard, has steam
machinery and other appliances for the repair of engines &c. ; there are also
two private machine shops at Batavia, and probably the same facilities are
afforded at Tanjong Priok. There is a quarantine station on Hoorn island
(Ayer Besar), and the military hospital at Batavia receives sick patients.
Coa>ls. — The Dutch government coaling stations are at Kuiper
island, and at a wharf in the inner harbour at Tanjong Priok ; at the latter
are also coaling wharves where large supplies are kept for merchant
steamers, with a depth of 23 feet alongside. Vessels in the road can
obtain coal by lighters, but during the wet season (November to March)
delays sometimes occur.
Docks.*—In the harbour at Tanjong Priok there is a floating dock
180 feet long, by 40 feet broad; at Amsterdam island a floating dock 200
feet long, by 45 feet broad, with a depth over sill of 24 feet ;f and at
Onrust island is the Government floating dock, see page 283.
Time Signals.—At Batavia, from a post on the rampart, 69 feet above
the ground, on the west shore of the river near the Observatory, a time
disc is dropped twice daily, Sundays and fete days excepted, viz. : at
Noon, Batavia observatory mean time, corresponding to 16h. 52m. 45" 5s.
Greenwich mean time; and at Ih. 7m. 14" 5s. Batavia observatory mean
time, corresponding to 18h. Om. Os. Greenwich mean time.
The disc is inclined at an angle of 45° at 6 minutes before signal, placed
vertical at 2 minutes before signal, and falls into a horizontal position at
noon.
Near the entrance to the inner harbour, at Tanjong Priok, a time
signal consisting of four circular discs, placed on an iron frame, is made
once daily (Sundays and fete days excepted). The discs are inclined at
an angle of 45° at 5 minutes before signal, placed vertical at 2 minutes
before signal, and di'opped into a horizontal position at Tanjong Priok
mean noon, corresponding to 16h. 52m. 27" 5s. Greenwich mean time.
Position of time signal is lat. 6° 5' 48" S., longitude 106° 53' 0-7" E.
Batavia observatory being in long. 106° 48' 37" E.J
LIGHTS.—Prom an iron lighthouse with a white stone dwelling house,
erected on the west point of Edam island, is exhibited at an elevation of
182 feet above high water, a,Jixed white light, which should be visible in
clear weather from a distance of 17 to 20 miles.
At about 710 yards within the extremity of the western pier at Batavia,
from a white tower with red roof, is exhibited at an elevation of 57 feet
above high water, a Jtxed white light, visible from a distance of 13 miles
* Two dry docks, intended to be 443 feet and 328 feet long, were begun in Tanjong
Priok harbour in 1882, but their state of progress is not known,
j- Said to be in a state of decay in 1885.
J The Dutch reckon Batavia observatory as being in 106° 48' 25-5'' E.