NAUTICAL REMARKS. 423 



water, and the remoteness of the watering-place from the only 

 anchorage which I could recommend, are the greatest. 



Siiips bound to San Francisco from the northward and 

 westward should endeavour to make Punta de los Reyes, a bold 

 and conspicuous headland, without any danger lying off it 

 sufficiently far to endanger a ship. In clear weather, when 

 running for the land before the latitude is known, or the 

 PfHita can be distinguished, its situation may be known by a 

 table-hill terminating the range that passes at the back of 

 Bodega. This hill in one with the Punta de los Reyes bears 

 E. (mag.). If ships are not too far off, they will see, at the 

 same time, San Bruno, two hills to the southward of San 

 Francisco, having the appearance of islands; and from the 

 mast-head, if the weather be very clear, the South Farallon will 

 in all probability be seen. Punta de los Reyes, when viewed 

 from the W. or S.W., has also the appearance of an island, 

 being connected by low land to the two hills eastward. It is of 

 moderate height, and as it stands at the angle formed by the 

 coast line, cannot be mistaken. Soundings may be had off 

 this coast, in depths varying with the latitude. In the parallel 

 of the Farallones they extend a greater distance from the main 

 land, in consequence of these islands lying beyond the general 

 outline of the coast. 



The Farallones are two clusters of rocks, which, in conse- 

 quence of the shoals about them, are extremely dangerous to 

 vessels approaching San Francisco in foggy weather. The 

 southern cluster, of which in clear weather one of the islands 

 may be seen from the mast-head eight or nine leagues, is the 

 largest and highest, and lies exactly S. 3° E. true, eighteen 

 miles from Punta de las Reyes. The small cluster of rocks 

 lies to the N.W., and still further in that direction there are 

 breakers, but I do not know how far they extend from the 

 rocks above water. In a thick foggy night, we struck sound- 

 ings in twenty-five fathoms, stiff clay, near them ; and on 

 standing off, carried regular soundings to thirty-two fathoms, 

 after which they deepened rapidly. 



VOL. II. 2 F 



