A voyage round the world in the years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IVAnson, George Anson, Baron
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A voyage round the world in the years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV
Anson, George Anson, Baron
Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
westward of them lies the harbour of Chequetan, which is still more
minutely distinguished by a large and single rock that rises out of the
water a mile and an half distant from the entrance, and bears S.½W.
from the middle of it. To these directions I must add that the coast
is no ways to be dreaded between the middle of October and the
beginning of May, nor is there then any danger from the winds, though
in the remaining part of the year there are frequent and violent
tornadoes, heavy rains, and hard gales in all directions of the compass.
Such are the infallible marks by which the harbour of Chequetan may be
known to those who keep well in with the land. But as to those who
keep at any considerable distance from the coast, there is no other
method to be taken for finding the place than that of making it by the
latitude, for there are so many ranges of mountains rising one upon the
back of another within land, that no drawings of the appearance of the
coast can be at all depended on when off {241} at sea, every little
change of distance or variation of position bringing new mountains in
view, and producing an infinity of different prospects, which render
all attempts of delineating the aspect of the coast impossible.
Having discussed the methods of discovering the harbour of Chequetan,
it is time to describe the harbour itself. Its entrance is but about
half a mile broad; the two points which form it, and which are faced
with rocks that are almost perpendicular, bear from each other S.E. and
N.W. The harbour is invironed on all sides, except to the westward,
with high mountains overspread with trees. The passage into it is very
safe on either side of the rock that lies off the mouth of it, though
we, both in coming in and going out, left it to the eastward. The
ground without the harbour is gravel mixed with stones, but within it
is a soft mud: and it must be remembered that in coming to an anchor a
good allowance should be made for a large swell, which frequently
causes a great send of the sea, as likewise for the ebbing and flowing
of the tide, which we observed to be about five feet, and that it set
nearly E. and W.
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