Directions for Navigating on Part of the South Coast of Newfoundland Part 1

Directions for Navigating on Part of the South Coast of Newfoundland, with a Chart Thereof, Including the Islands of St. Peter's and Miquelon.

by James Cook.

N.B. _All Bearings and Courses hereafter-mentioned, are the true Bearings and Courses, and not by Compa.s.s._

[Sidenote: Cape Chapeaurouge.]

Cape _Chapeaurouge_, or the Mountain of the _Red Hat_, is situated on the West side of _Placentia Bay_, in the Lat.i.tude of 46 53' North, and lies nearly West 17 or 18 Leagues from Cape St. _Maries_; it is the highest and most remarkable Land on that Part of the Coast, appearing above the rest something like the Crown of a Hat, and may be seen in clear Weather 12 Leagues.

[Sidenote: Harbours of St. Laurence]

Close to the Eastward of Cape _Chapeaurouge_ are the Harbours of _Great_ and _Little St. Laurence_. To sail into _Great St. Lawrence_, which is the Westermost, there is no Danger but what lies very near the Sh.o.r.e; taking Care with Westerly, and particularly S.W. Winds, not to come too near the _Hat Mountain_, to avoid the Flerrys and Eddy Winds under the high Land. The Course in is first N.W. till you open the upper Part of the Harbour, then N.N.W. half W. The best Place for great s.h.i.+ps to Anchor, and the best Ground is before a Cove on the East-side of the Harbour in 13 Fathom Water. A little above _Blue Beach Point_, which is the first Point on the West-side; here you lie only two Points open: You may Anchor any where between this Point and the Point of _Low Beach_, on the same Side near the Head of the Harbour, observing that close to the West Sh.o.r.e, the Ground is not so good as on the other Side. Fis.h.i.+ng Vessels lay at the Head of the Harbour above the Beach, sheltered from all Winds.

To sail into _Little St. Laurence_ you must keep the West Sh.o.r.e on Board, in order to avoid a sunken Rock which lies a little without the Point of the _Peninsula_, which stretches off from the East-side of the Harbour: You Anchor above this _Peninsula_, (which covers you from the Sea Winds) in 3 and 4 Fathom Water, a fine sandy Bottom. In these Harbours are good Fis.h.i.+ng Conveniencies, and plenty of Wood and Water.

s.h.i.+ps may Anchor without the _Peninsula_ in 12 Fathom good Ground, but open to the S.S.E. Winds.

[Sidenote: Sauker Head.]

_Sauker-Head_ lies 3 Miles to the Eastward of Cape _Chapeaurouge_, it is a pretty high round Point, off which lie some sunken Rocks, about a Cable's Length from the Sh.o.r.e.

[Sidenote: Garden Bank]

This Bank whereon is from 7 to 17 Fathom Water, lies about half a Mile off from _Little St. Laurence_, with _Blue Beach Point_ on with the East Point of _Great St. Laurence_.

[Sidenote: Ferryland Head.]

_Ferryland head_ lies S.W. 1 Mile from Cape _Chapeaurouge_, it is a high rocky Island, just seperated from the Main; it and Cape _Chapeaurouge_ are sufficient Marks to know the Harbours of St.

_Laurence_.

[Sidenote: Bay of Laun.]

West 5 Miles from _Ferryland-Head_, lies the Bay of _Laun_, in the Bottom of which are two small Inlets, called _Great_ and _Little Laun_. _Little Laun_, which is the Eastermost, lies open to the S.W.

Winds, which generally prevails upon this Coast, and therefore no Place to Anchor in. _Great Laun_ lies in about N. by E. 2 Miles, is near half a Mile wide, whereon is from 14 to 3 Fathom Water. To sail into it, you must be careful to avoid a sunken Rock, which lies about a quarter of a Mile off from the East Point. The best Place to Anchor is on the East-side, about half a Mile from the Head, in 6 and 5 Fathom; the Bottom is pretty good, and you are shelter'd from all Winds, except S. and S. by W. which blow right in, and cause a great swell. At the Head of this Place is a Bar Harbour, into which Boats can go at half Tide; and Conveniences for a Fishery, and plenty of Wood and Water.

[Sidenote: Laun Islands.]

Off the West Point of _Laun Bay_ lay the Islands of the same Name, not far from the Sh.o.r.e; the Westermost and outermost of which lie W.

Southerly 10 Miles from _Ferryland-head_; near a quarter of a Mile to the Southward of this Island is a Rock whereon the Sea breaks in very bad Weather: There are other sunken Rocks about these Islands, but they are no ways Dangerous, being very near the Sh.o.r.e.

[Sidenote: Taylor's Bay.]

This Bay which lies open to the Sea, lies 3 Miles to the Westward of _Laun_ Islands; off the East Point are some sunken Rocks near a quarter of a Mile from the Sh.o.r.e.

[Sidenote: Point Aux Gaul.]

A little to the Westward of _Taylors Bay_ there stretches out a low Point of Land, called _Point Aux Gaul_; off which lies a Rock above Water, half a Mile from the Sh.o.r.e, called _Gaul s.h.a.g Rock_; this Rock lies West three quarters South 5 Leagues from _Ferryland-Head_, you have 14 Fathom close to the off Side of it, but between it and the Point are some sunken Rocks.

[Sidenote: Lamelin Bay.]

From _Point Aux Gaul s.h.a.g Rock_, to the Islands of _Lamelin_ is West three quarters N. 1 League, between them is the Bay of _Lamelin_, wherein is very shallow Water, and several small Islands, and Rocks both above and under Water, and in the Bottom of it is a Salmon River.

[Sidenote: Lamelin Islands.]

The two Islands of _Lamelin_ (which are but low) lie off the West Point of the Bay of the same Name, and lie West three quarters South, 6 Leagues from the Mountain of the _Red Hat_; but in steering along Sh.o.r.e make a W. by S. Course good, will carry you clear of all Danger.

Small Vessels may Anchor in the Road between these Islands in 4 and 5 Fathom, tolerably well shelter'd from the Weather: Nearly in the Middle of the Pa.s.sage going in between the two Islands, is a sunken Rock, which you avoid by keeping nearer to one Side than the other, the most Room is on the East-side. The Eastermost Island communicates with the Main at Low-water, by a narrow Beach, over which Boats can go at High-water, into the N.W. Arm of _Lamelin Bay_, where they lay in safety. Here are Conveniences for a Fishery, but little or no Wood of any Sort. Near to the South Point of the Westermost Island is a Rock pretty high above Water, called _Lamelin s.h.a.g Rock_; in going into the Road between the Islands, you leave this Rock on your Larboard Side.

[Sidenote: Lamelin Ledges.]

These Ledges lay along the Sh.o.r.e, between _Lamelin Islands_ and _Point May_, which is 3 Leagues, and are very Dangerous, some of them being 3 Miles from the Land. To avoid these Ledges in the Day-time, you must not bring the Islands of _Lamelin_ to the Southward of East, until _Point May_, or the Western extremity of the Land bear N. by E. from you; you may then steer to the Northward with safety, between _Point May_ and _Green Island_. In the Night, or foggy Weather, you ought to be very careful not to approach these Ledges within 30 Fathom Water, least you get intangled amongst them. Between them and the Main are various Soundings from 16 to 5 Fathom.

[Sidenote: Observations.]

All the Land about Cape _Chapeaurouge_ and _Laun_, is high and hilly close to the Sea; from _Laun Islands_ to _Lamelin_ it is of a moderate Height; from _Lamelin_ to _Point May_, the Land near the Sh.o.r.e is very low, with sandy Beaches, but a little way inland are Mountains.

[Sidenote: Island of St. Peter's.]

The Island of St. _Peter_'s lies in the Lat.i.tude 46 Degrees 46 Minutes North. West by South near 12 Leagues from Cape _Chapeaurouge_, and West by South half South 5 Leagues from the Islands of _Lamelin_; it is about 5 Leagues in circuit, and pretty high, with a craggy, broken, uneven Surface. Coming from the Westward, as soon as you raise _Gallantry Head_, which is the South Point of the Island, it will make in a round Hommock like a small Island and appears if seperated from St. _Peter_'s. On the East-side of the Island, a little to the N.E.

of _Gallentry-Head_ lay three small Islands, the innermost of which is the largest, called _Dog-Island_; within this Island is the Road and Harbour of St. _Peter_'s; the Harbour is but small, and hath in it from 12 to 20 Feet Water; but there is a Bar across the Entrance, whereon there is but 6 Feet at Low-water, and 12 or 14 Feet at High-water. The Road which lies on the N.W. Side of _Dog-Island_ will admit s.h.i.+ps of any Burthen, but it is only fit for the Summer Season, being open to the N.E. Winds; you may lay in 8, 10, and 12 Fathom, and for the most Part is a hard rocky Bottom, there is very little clear Ground; s.h.i.+ps of War commonly Buoy their Cables; the best Ground is near the North Sh.o.r.e. Going in or out, you must not rainge too near the East-side of _Boar-Island_, which is the Eastermost of the three Islands above-mentioned, for fear of some sunken Rocks which lie East about 1 Mile from it, and which is the only Danger about St.

_Peter_'s, but what lay very near the Sh.o.r.e.

[Sidenote: Island of Columbo.]

This Island is of a small circuit, but pretty high, and lies very near the N.E. Point of St. _Peter_'s; between them is a very good Pa.s.sage, one-third of a Mile wide, wherein is 12 Fathom Water. On the North-side of the Island is a Rock pretty high above Water, called _Little Columbo_; and about a quarter of a Mile N.E. from this Rock is a sunken Rock, whereon is 2 Fathom Water.

[Sidenote: Island of Langley.]

The Island of _Langley_, which lies on the N.W. Side of St. _Peter_'s, is about 8 Leagues in Circuit, of a moderate and pretty equal height, except the N. end, wich is a low Point with Sand Hills along it; it is flat a little way off the low Land on both Sides of it, but all the high Part of the Island is very bold too, and the Pa.s.sage between it and St. _Peter_'s (which is 1 League broad) is clear of Danger. You may Anchor on the N.E. Side of the Island, a little to the Southward of the _Sand Hills_, in 5 and 6 Fathom, a fine sandy Bottom, sheltered from the Southerly, S.W. and N.W. Winds.

[Sidenote: Island of Miquelon.]

From the North Point of _Langley_, to the South Point of _Miquelon_ is about 1 Mile; it is said that a few Years since they join'd together at this Place by a Neck of Sand, which the Sea has wash'd away and made a Channel, wherein is 2 Fathom Water. The Island of _Miquelon_ is 4 Leagues in Length from North to South, but of an unequal Breadth; the Middle of the Island is high Land, called the high Land of _Dunn_; but down by the Sh.o.r.e it is low, except Cape _Miquelon_, which is a lofty Promontory at the Northern extremity of the Island.

[Sidenote: Dunn Harbour.]

On the S.E. Side of the Island, to the Southward of the high Land, is a pretty large Bar-Harbour, called _Dunn Harbour_, which will admit Fis.h.i.+ng Shallops at half Flood, but can never be of any Utility for a Fishery.

[Sidenote: Miquelon Rocks and Bank.]

_Miquelon Rocks_ stretches off from the East Point of the Island, under the high Land 1 Mile and a quarter to the Eastward, some are above and some under Water; the outermost of these Rocks are above Water, and you have 12 Fathom close to them, and 18 and 20 Fathom 1 Mile off. N.E. half N. 4 or 5 Miles from these Rocks lie _Miquelon Bank_ whereon is 6 Fathom Water.

[Sidenote: Road of Miquelon.]

The Road of _Miquelon_ (which is large and s.p.a.cious) lies at the North-end, and on the East-side of the Island, between Cape _Miquelon_ and a very remarkable round Mountain near the Sh.o.r.e, called _Chapeaux_: Off the South Point of the Road are some sunken Rocks, about a quarter of a Mile from the Sh.o.r.e, but every where else it is clear of Danger. The best Anchorage is near the Bottom of the Road in 6 and 7 Fathom, fine sandy Bottom; you lay open to the Easterly Winds, which Winds seldom blow in the Summer.

[Sidenote: Cape Miquelon.]

Cape _Miquelon_, or the Northern extremity of the Island is high bluff Land; and when you are 4 or 5 Leagues to the Eastward or Westward of it, you would take it for an Island, by reason the Land at the Bottom of the Road is very low.