1780. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 439 



have fallen to the lot of any other person ; and it is 

 with great pleasure I can congratulate the public on 

 the information I have received of his intentions to 

 give the world, from his own hand, a history of his 

 travels. 



False Bay, situated to the eastward of the Cape of 

 Good Hope, is frequented by shipping during the 

 prevalence of the north-west winds, which begin to 

 blow in May, and make it dangerous to lie in Table 

 Bay. It is terminated on the west by the Cape of 

 Good Hope, and on the eastward by False Cape. 



The entrance of the bay is six leagues wide, the 

 two capes bearing from each other due east and west. 

 About eleven miles from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 on the west side, is situated Simon's Bay, the only 

 convenient station for ships to lie in ; for although 

 the road without it affords good anchorage, it is too 

 open, and but ill circumstanced for procuring neces- 

 saries, the town being small, and supplied with pro- 

 visions from Cape Town, which is about twenty-four 

 miles distant. To the north north-east of Simon's 

 Bay there are several others, from which it may be 

 easily distinguished, by a remarkable sandy way to 

 the northward of the town, which makes a striking 

 object. In steering for the harbour, along the west 

 shore, there is a small flat rock, called Noah's Ark; 

 and, about a mile to the north-east of it, several 

 others, called the Roman Rocks, These lie one mile 

 and a half from the anchoring place ; and either be- 

 tween them, or to the northward of the Roman 

 Rocks, there is a safe passage into the bay. When 

 the north-west gales are set in, the following bearings 

 will direct the mariner to a safe and commodious 

 birth ; Noah's Ark, S. 51° E., and the -centre of the 

 hospital S. 53° W. in seven fathoms. But if the 

 south-east winds have not done blowing, it is better 

 to stay further out in eight or nine fathoms. The 

 bottom is sandy, and the anchors settle considerably 



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