Two Documents from Light Ship Off the Coast of Sri Lanka, Detailing the Experiences There

Book Description

1pg. 8" x 12 ½". 1st April 1870. Colonial Secretary's Office. A letter signed "Henry T. Irving Col. Secy" concerning a light ship near Sri Lanka: "Notice to Mariners Bay of Bengal Temporary Light near the Great Basses. With reference to the Notice issued by the Trinity House, London dated 29th October, 1869, which appeared in the Ceylon Government Gazette, of the 4th December 1869, it is hereby notified, for general information, that a Light Vessel, exhibiting at an elevation of 38 feet above the sea, a red revolving light at intervals of 45 seconds, has been placed at 12 fathoms, low water spring tides, on a bearing N.N.E., and at a distance of ¾ of a mile from the N.E. rock of the Great Basses Reef, in latitude 6.10'37" N and longitude 81.28'11" E. The vessel carries two balls vertical at the Mast Head." Trinity House is the British agency in charge of all lighthouses and navigation. The document is on light blue paper and has an embossed seal of the United States Commercial Agency at Ceylon in the lower left corner. b) Manuscript. 3pg. 8" x 12 ½". April 1869. No place. A lengthy manuscript from John Buchanan, the Master of the Little Basses Light Vessel. It gives a twelve month summary of the wind and sea conditions there. It is entitled "The Winds and Currents at the Little Basses Rocks, on the South East Coast of Ceylon." Buchanan notes that in January, there is "a strong, steady N.E. Monsoon prevails... The tide this month never shifts... a strong current continues throughout January coming from the N.N.E. or Bay of Bengal... it is difficult for ships to get to the north east... ". In April, "the winds are variable... very little tide is perceptible in any direction, nothing at any rate to impede the progress of a vessel going either way... Weather becomes gloomy in April with occasional showers, Thunders and lightning are prevalent... ". As for the summer months, "the S.W. monsoon blows strong and steady. It generally commences to blow about 10 A.M. By noon it blows at gale and continues so until 4 P.M. decreasing towards sunset... As soon as the sun goes to the Southwest of the line the regular monsoon ceases on the South coast of Ceylon... ". For November, Buchanan reports that it "is not a bad month at the Little Basses, generally much rainfall, much thunder and much lightning occur... ". The document is in very fine condition and has an embossed seal of the United States Commercial Agency at Ceylon in the lower left corner of the final page

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