CHAIN OF SHOALS. 



Punta de Mulas, in tlie ports of Sama, Naranjo, del Padre, 

 and Nuevaa Grandes. It is remarkable, that near the latter 

 port, almost in the same meridian where, on the southern 

 side of the island, are situated the shoals of BuenaEsperanza 

 and of Las doce Leguas, stretching as far as the island of 

 Finos, we find the commencement of the uninterrupted 

 series of the cayos of the Old Channel, extending to the 

 length of ninety-four leagues, from Nuevitas to Punta 

 Icacos. The Old Channel is narrowest opposite to Cayo 

 Cruz and Cayo Komano ; its breadth is scarcely more than 

 five or six leagues. On this point, too, the Great Bank of 

 Bahama takes its greatest development. The Cayos nearest 

 the island of Cuba, and those parts of the bank not covered 

 with water (Long Island, Eleuthera) are, like Cuba, of a 

 long and narrow shape. Were they only twenty or thirty 

 feet higher, an island much larger than St. Domingo would 

 appear at the surface of the ocean. The chain of breakers 

 and cayos that bound the navigable part of the Old Channel 

 towards the south, leave between the channel and the coast 

 of Cuba small basins without breakers, which communicate 

 with several ports having good anchorage, such as Guanaja, 

 Moron, and Remedies. 



Having passed through the Old Channel, or rather the 

 Channel of San Nicolas, between Cruz del Padre and the 

 bank of the Cayos de Sel, the lowest of which furnish 

 springs of fresh water, we again find the coast, from Punta 

 de Icacos to Cabanas, free from danger. It affords, in the 

 interval, the anchorage of Matanzas, Puerto Escondido, the 

 llavannah, and MurieL Further on, westward of Balna 

 Honda, the possession of which might well tempt a maritime 

 enemy of Spain, the chain of shoals recommences* and ex- 

 tends without interruption as far as Cape San Antonio. 

 From that cape to Punta de Piedras andBahia de Cortez, 

 the coast is almost precipitous, and does not afford soundings 

 at any distance ; but between Punta de Piedras and Cabo 

 Cruz, almost the whole southern part of Cuba is surrounded 

 with shoals of which the isle of Pinos is but a portion not 

 covered with water. These shoals are distinguished on the 

 west by the name of Gardens (Jardines y Jardinillos) ; and 

 * They are here called Dujos de Santa Isabel y de los Colorado*. 



