ORIGINAL PAPERS.

APRIL, 1838.

THE AGGER CHANNEL,-Coast of Jutland.

In the "Nautical Magazine" for the month of April, 1836, the following notice appeared respecting the Agger Channel. "A few years ago, the sea made an irruption on the west coast of Jutland, through a narrow tract of land, which formed a barrier between the sea and Limfiord, a large inland lake which communicates on the east with the Cattegat. The aperture thus formed, called the Agger Channel, (from its immediate proximity to the fishing village of Agger,) is situated in latitude 56° 40′ 42′′ and establishes a junction with the Limfiord and the North Sea, by which the northern part of the peninsula is perfectly isolated." The account then stated the kind of ves

sels that might use it, and the number which had used it in the course of the preceding year, and alluded to the advantages derived to navigation by adopting this passage into the Cattegat, instead of the circuitous route by the Scaw.

In the summer of 1836, the British Consul at Elsinore, reported to Government on the state of the channel, and the measures adopted by the Danish Admiralty, to facilitate its navigation, which report was also published in this work. And last year a similar report, accompanied by a chart of the channel from a survey, made by order of the Danish Government, was transmitted by our Consul. By this latter it appeared that little or no alteration had taken place since the former, which we shall insert here to accompany the chart now laid before our readers.

Extract of a Letter from Consul M'Gregor, dated Elsinore, 14th May, 1836.

"With the view of facilitating the navigation through this channel, the Danish Admiralty, by an order dated 7th April, have sanctioned the erection of a Pilot Establishment at its entrance from the North Sea. In consequence, to the south of that entrance, on a sandy eminence, and near a temporary watchhouse, has been placed a signal post, the flag of which, hoisted at the top, signifies that the vessel has been observed, and that the assistance of a pilot is offered. The said flag being lowered

*Page 242.-Vol. 1836.

ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 4.-VOL. FOR 1838.

+ Page 375.

2 F

"After this, the pilots go out to the vessel that makes the customary signals.

"The rate of pilotage, according to a tariff exhibited in the pilotoffice, has been fixed for the present at two rix bank dollars, silver, (equal to 4s. 6d. sterling,) per foot of the ship's draught of water; and in the winter season at one-third more; which rate will eventually be reduced, should the navigation of the channel increase.

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Ships entering from the North Sea may obtain pilots for the several ports and places in the Limfiord.

"According to the soundings which have been taken at different periods, the depth of the western entrance varies from five to seven feet, and at the eastern entrance from five and a half to six feet. In the channel itself, which affords good anchorage, the depth, both from the frith and the sea, increases to eighteen feet; which depth, however, is subject to continual changes. The mouth of the channel towards the sea is about half a Danish mile wide; but further up towards the frith, it declines from 250 to 50 fathoms. Its length from the sea to the commencement of the frith is supposed to be threequarters of a Danish mile.

"Any alterations in the course of the depth of this channel, as well as the names of the vessels frequenting it, will from time to time be communicated in the Danish papers."

THE STRAIT OF ALLAS.

[The following observations on the Strait of Allas, by Captain Gabriel La Fond, will be found useful to vessels following that much frequented navigation. They appeared in the " Annales Maritimes,” with a handsome tribute from the French officer, to the memory of our departed countryman Capt. Horsburgh.-ED. N. M.] THE Strait of Allas is formed by the Island of Sumbawa on the cast, and by that of Lombock on the west. To pass through it either from the northward or southward, a vessel should always keep on the Lombock shore, on which anchorage may be found when the wind and tide are unfavourable. This is not the case on the coast of Sumbawa, which is steep and without any convenient place of landing to procure water and provisions. Another reason which ought to induce captains of vessels when passing through the strait, to keep the Lombock shore, is, that this island has a considerable bend in the southern part of the stait; and, consequently the currents run with much less force

there than on the coast of Sumbawa, which is straight, and near which is the deep channel connecting the two seas. If then a vessel, however good a sailer she may be, working through this strait, either to the northward or southward with the tide favourable, should, instead of keeping on the Lombock shore, where she may always anchor and await a tide, find herself near the coast of Sumbawa, or in the middle of the strait,-when the tide changes she will be carried away by the rapidity of the current, and will lose in a few hours all that she may have gained for several days.

In entering the strait from the southward, and when approaching it from the west, it is necessary, in order to avoid being drifted from it to sea, to endeavour as much as possible to make the Peaks of Bally and Lombock before sun-rise, because the sun's rays generally impede the view of very distant high land. The peak of Bally has the form of a sugar-loaf; that of Lombock is terminated by a crater now extinguished, which, seen from the south, appears divided in two. This peak, which is of considerable height, is situated on the northern side of the island, and the ridge of it may be traced gradually to the coast, which at that part is level and low. Attention ought also to be paid to the fact, that during the night, calms or slight land breezes generally prevail; and if a vessel be off the entrance of the strait, the current running out will set her far out to sea. The southerly wind being established about noon, a vessel will gain the entrance of the harbour about sunset, when stormy weather often gathers over the mountains of Sumbawa, and the wind becomes foul, But, in adopting precautions against it she should not tack, but on the contrary, should endeavour to profit by it to enter, keeping as close to the wind as possible, and even making some boards if necessary; the entrance being very safe. The rock, Horsburgh speaks of, situated at the southern entrance of the strait, upon the coast of Lombock, is only visible when you are in the entrance of the harbour, and cannot be seen at a distance from the shore.

The Island of Sumbawa, although woody, appears to be of volcanic formation, and is exceedingly rugged. The sea, at the entrance of the strait, is sometimes rough and violent, particularly when the current is contrary to the wind.

The most convenient places for taking in water and procuring provisions, in the Strait of Allas, are Peejow or Loboagee. This village is situated in the bay formed by the island of Lombock in the southern part of the strait, and in which the anchorage* is in twenty fathoms, sandy bottom. Water is not easily obtained there, and wood is rare. Rice, fowls, ducks, dried goats' flesh, oxen and horses, are to be had there. A little farther north is a river which empties itself into a small creek, in which boats can only enter at high tide. Water is

* Horsburgh says about 1 or 13 mile from the shore; and he particularly cautions ships against the Malay Proas.

easily obtained there, but there are no houses.

Still farther north is the town of Bally, situated almost in the centre of the island, and a river where small craft can enter. At Bally, every kind of provision is to be had in great abundance. Seegar, a village at a short distance, bearing the same name, at the northern entrance of the strait, is a place where water and fresh provisions are to be procured. But the landing at all these places, is difficult during the eastern monsoon; for the wind blowing on shore, renders it very troublesome to effect a landing through the surf which it raises. Lombock is a village, situated to the north of the mountain of Seegar and at the extremity of a tolerably spacious creek where the Malay Proas take in their cargoes of rice; but vessels are obliged to anchor outside the sandy island, to the northward of the mountain of Seegar, or between the sandy island and the shore. To reach it, you pass south of the rocky islands and north of this little island, and anchor in fourteen fathoms, on a sandy bottom, between the island and the shore, distant about two cables length from each. The village of Lombock is not perceptible from the anchorage. Vessels only requiring water and wood, will find these articles on the coast in abundance; water may be obtained from streams which descend from a spring, a little farther inland. The village is distant two miles south of the anchorage, in a bay two or three miles in circumference, with a very narrow entrance. Rice, dried goats' flesh, horned cattle, wild boars, ducks, cocoa-nuts and fruits, black sugar and cocoa-nut oil, are to be obtained there very easily.

The current coin of the country, is the Spanish dollar, the Java and Sicca rupee, and the Chinese sapecas or caousins, a copper money with holes in it; 600 of which are equal to one Spanish dollar; 300 are worth one Sicca rupee; and 250, one Java rupee. Their measures of weight are the the cati and the picle; 100 catis make one picle, or 133lbs. English, (125 kilogrammes.) The measure of capacity is the gantang, twenty-five of which make one raga; and one raga of rice weighs nearly one picle.

The winds in the strait are as follow: in November, at the northern entrance, they vary from N.E. to N.W.; and S.W. to W.S.W. at the southern entrance. In December, January, February, and March, at the northern entrance they are from N.W. to S.W.; at the southern entrance they are from S. to S.W. and W., and sometimes W.N.W. In April and May, they are variable from N.W. to N.E., at the northern entrance; and S. W. to S. E. at the southern entrance. In June, July August, and September, they are N.E. and E. at the northern entrance; and S.E. at the southern entrance.

The flood tide is from the northward, and the ebb from the south, the ebb commencing two hours sooner on the Lombock shore than in the middle of the strait. The current in the channel generally follows the wind; and if it blows hard, a contrary tide is not felt.