Notes on the Harbour: From "The South Australian Colonial Gazette and Register. 12th August 1837

(Editors Note: These Cuttings from the Colonial Gazette and Register were placed between the pages of the Hindmarsh's diary. A transcription appears below.) 

THE HARBOUR AT PORT ADELAIDE.

We have great satisfaction of laying before our readers the following notes which His Excellency the Governor has done us the honour to address to us regarding the report made by Mr. Wood, Master of H.M.S. Buffalo, published in our last number. We now reprint that report, and subjoin His Excellency's observations to the paragraphs of that document to which they refer.

To the Editor of the South Australian Gazette. 
An official report respecting Port Adelaide, from Mr. Wood, Master of H.M.S. Buffalo, having appeared in the South Australian Gazette of this date, the Governor requests that the Editor will have the goodness to republish it in the next number, with the accompanying remarks, made by the Governor at the time he received the report from Mr. Wood.  

The Governor is induced to make this request in order to prevent the unfavourable impression which Mr. Wood's report would tend to create amongst the shipping interest both at home and in the neighbouring colonies. The facts stated by the Governor will be found to differ materially from those of Mr. Wood; their accuracy can easily be ascertained. The Governor trusts that his professional opinions recorded in his remarks upon these facts, will tend to place the question of the merits of Port Adelaide in a fair point of view.

Government House, 29th July, 1837. 

MR. WOOD'S REPORT. H. M. S. Buffalo at anchor off Glenelg Plains, South Australia, March 4th, 1837. 

Sir—Having complied with your orders, and separately weighed every circumstance attending getting into the harbour of Adelaide, with H. M. S. Buffalo under your command, I beg leave to furnish some remarks, with the most faithful report I can conscientiously make, as I am bound in duty to acquit myself towards you, and to be concerned for the safety of the ship and all on board, I therefore respectfully submit that the wind, weather, and tides cannot be depended upon, more particularly in the vicinity of what I deem the most intricate part, approaching the harbour, but so variable and uncertain have they been found since our arrival, that they have been remarked to be much less steady than in any other place." 

First Note by the Governor. 

Mr. Wood is correct in stating that the tides are irregular—i.e., it is difficult to at calculate within two hours when it will be high water. It may however be said generally to take place about six a.m., and about three p.m. But the time is subject to a range, nearly two hours without any apparent cause — it being sometimes high water an early as half past five, and sometimes as late as half past seven. The amount of the rise and fall depends upon the wind and weather; but is usually considerably greater under similar circumstances at fall and change.  

As to the winds, if Mr. Wood means that they are irregular also, I confess myself quite of a different opinion. The winds have greater regularity here than I ever observed any where out of the tropics. The sea breeze usually sets in from the westward about noon. — It veers gradually towards the south, increasing in strength for three or four hours. It reaches south about sunset, when its strength begins to decrease— still continuing to veer in the same direction, and decreasing in strength, it becomes the land breeze during the night. By daybreak it reaches north; greater part of the forenoon, still veering in the same direction, very light airs or cubit; and this regularity round the compass each twenty-four hours has been constant about five days out of every seven since my arrival on the 28th of December. 

The days on which this regular round does not take place, it usually blows hard—frequently almost a smart gale; but even these have a regularity as extraordinary—commencing about N.W., and veering slowly towards the south; and so soon as it gets to the southward of S.W. by S., it may be calculated upon with certainty that the gale is breaking up. 

" The bar, with other banks of sand near it, I found very dangerous, and the entrance not more than the breadth of a ship of large burthen, and although the highest water may rather exceed three fathoms, at spring tides the lowest water is barely one fathom and a quarter, which was also found to be the case on another considerable space or bar, at the distance of more than four miles. The channel between these two bars being generally in width little more than the length of a large ship, and open to the most frequent and violent winds prevailing on this part of the coast, and not admitting of tacking and wearing, or anchoring; with any certainty of safety, should there be occasion to do so quickly." 

SECOND NOTE BY THE GOVERNOR. 

The bar possess no peculiar danger, I have not found a rocky spot any where on this coast, and when the channel shall be properly buoyed, I conceive there will be no dangers whatever if the proper time of tide be watched. This watching will always be necessary in a large vessel, from the irregularity of the time of high water—as to the width of the entrance of the bar it exceeds the length instead of the breadth of the largest ships. Off the inner point of Point Malcolm, there is about the same depth of water as on the bar, and may therefore be called the inner bar. The distance between them is nearly as Mr. Wood states, but with regard to the width of the channel he is altogether in error; for instead of its being only the length of a large ship, there is no part narrower than one cubit's length, some parts bring three cables length; the general average being about two. The William Hutt turned in through this channel with the wind right out, and I consider this channel to be a safe temporary anchorage all over; and even should a ship take the ground in this channel, it would generally be attended with no danger what-ever, as she would then be within the protection of the bar. 

" It is necessary to have high water to cross the sea bar, and the tide off the coast being very little influenced by this entrance it would be better to wait and have slack water, or it will run obliquely to the channel whilst you are passing the most dangerous parts, so that a large ship must wait for another day tide, before she can have sufficient water to cross the second bar, subject to changes of weather, for twenty-four hours, or probably longer; and should the wind blow across the channel, the dependance of riding safely will be on a short scope of cable. Therefore, a ship of heavy burthen like the Buffalo, by any accident whatever, touching the ground, and not got off immediately, which is most likely to happen at this time of tide, some damage might reasonably be expected to happen to an old ship like her, or by blowing hard, a total loss, or some such calamity, before any assistance could be procured; indeed, none but our own resources could be expected, being twenty miles from either locality." 

THIRD NOTE BY THE GOVERNOR. 

This I believe to be speculation against fact, as on the many occasions, I passed the bar near, and at high water, the tide invariably ran a channel course. Mr. Wood was there on one occasion when it blew hard, which I have not been. As it is generally calm about high water in the morning tide, it would be advisable to haul a large ship over, or tow her over before the flood is done, the bar not exceeding half a cable's length; she will then have plenty of room to anchor to wait for the sea breeze, as my note No. 2 shews. If the ship cannot be got over the flat off Point Malcolm, which Mr. Wood calls the second bar, she can at least be placed in perfect security from all winds, and in a space three cable's length wide, and this too in the very spot Mr. Wood says is only equal to the length of a ship. Damage might accrue to any ship getting ashore; the Buffalo, however, notwithstanding her age, works less in a gale of wind, and shews more signs of strength than almost any ship I ever sailed in. 

" A bar harbour is generally to be approached with caution, and requires long practice, but more so when the breadth of the channel and depth of water are so nearly alike; the ship's breadth and draught, which in this instance would be the case, making the steerage rather difficult. After remaining on the spot for several days attentively sounding and examining in the locality of the harbour, the sea channel, and the other parts best and chiefly suited for vessels, I found that the Buffalo, throughout the greatest part of the inside harbour, would sew at low tides from three to five feet, and there was only one anchorage, in an inconvenient part of it, of moderate extent, that the ship could be moored in any commonly decent manner, I mean to say, in such as would be considered suitable for the security of a king's ship, during the worst season of the year." 

FOURTH VOTE BY THE GOVERNOR. 

One good spot to moor the Buffalo in would have sufficed for that ship. The harbour is doubtless better calculated for vessels of three hundred tons, than for such ships as the Buffalo. She could, however, I have no doubt, be taken into Port Adelaide, and there safely and properly moored in five fathoms water, and as the greatest rise and fall is under twelve feet, rarely exceeding eight or nine feet, she would never touch. 

"In offering this statement, my best judgment has been used, aided by the experience of upwards of forty years in constant employment, out of which twenty-eight were passed in His Majesty's service, bearing the responsibility of Master in one or other ships of war, acting as pilot in all cases during that period, happily without an accident, which leads me to declare, that I would not risk or attempt to recommend a vessel of more than between three or four hundred tons, or drawing more than twelve to thirteen feet, to use the harbour at present." 

FIFTH NOTE BY THE GOVERNOR.

 Mr. Wood states that the sea reach, which is near four miles in length, is very little broader than the length of a large ship. I sounded this reach in my gig, sailing across and across, about the outer two and a half miles, with the wind abeam, and going at least six knots, and had sufficient time to get from seven to nine casts of the lead on each board, tacking on either side on shoaling to fifteen feet water. I therefore estimate the breadth of the reach in this part to be not one hundred and fifty feet, as the report would lead to suppose, but from one thousand to eighteen hundred feet, find that it is nowhere less than a cable's length. I do not see how Mr. Wood's long service can alter facts, however they might tend to give weight to his opinions.