a-H^^ 



*rr 



323 REMARKS ON the CLIMATE, &€. 



as many floods every twenty-four hours, though they are 

 overpowered by the winds or currents. The entrance of 

 our bays and rivers are defended as it were by a fhallow 

 or fand bank, which forms a bar farther out towards the 

 fea, than is ufual in Europe ; the depth on the bars is not 

 at all proportional to that within the rivers : All the rife 

 on the bars is about a foot while in the bays it is almoft 

 three. The mouths of our rivers are frequently divided 

 into different channels by a kind of fwamp covered with 

 reeds, and all this is moft probably occafioned by a kind 



of co'nflia between thefe currents, and the rifing of our 

 rivers at certain feafons of the year. There are no 

 dangerous Ihoals on this coaft, unlefs you fall too far to 

 the eaftward about Cape-Blaze, or St. George's Iflands. 

 The latitude of the Cape being the moft foutherly land 



' . and from thence 

 To the entrance of Sanda Rofa bay, which is in 30''. 30' 

 the land gradually declines to the North. From Sanda 



Weft 



29 



40 



Mol 



again to the fouthward; and from Mobile Bay to the en- 

 trance of the lakes it is nearly Eaft and Weft. There is 

 no fuch thing as recommending any map of this coun- 

 try. Bellin, and fuch as have copied from him, give fome 

 refemblance of the coaft, but they are all erroneous, and 



that in very material articles. If Mr. Gauld's furveys are 



not foon publifhed, he will poflibly fend a copy of them 



" ■ - but he is juft now fo engaged that he 



-^ 



for your Society 



cannot fet about fuch a work. 



Thus far I think it necef- 



fary at prefent to inform you from his papers ; that the bay 

 of SpiritoSando is fuflicientfor firft rate fliips, but that is 

 in Eaft-Florida. The harbour of Penfacola will only admit 

 fuch as draw 21 feet water, though that is fufficient for 50 

 or 60 gun ftiips, and there is a road fted lately difcovered 

 behind the chandeliers, which is much more commodious 

 than that at Ship Ifland in its neighbourhood ; it will admit 

 veffelsof any fize, and is ftieltcrcd from all winds except 

 the North and North-Weft, In which cafes they can eafily 



put 



; 



^^ 



