CAPE COEMORA.NT RED ISLAND EOAD. 283 



stony hills and wooded gullies to the summit of White hills, a long 

 rocky ridge which extends eastward toward the head of Port au- 

 Port. 



Cape Cormorant, north-northeastward 5^ miles from cape St. 

 George, is a perpendicular limestone cliff, about 700 feet high, from 

 which the land rises in a steep slope to a somewhat conical summit 

 968 feet high, at a distance of J mile inland. 



Red island, northwestward, distant ^jj mile from cape Cormo- 

 rant, is about 1,400 yards long in a northeasterly and southwesterly 

 direction and 700 yards wide; its coast consists of red clay cliffs, 

 rising, on the northwestern side, 292 feet above the sea. The top of 

 the island is covered with coarse grass and dead stumps of trees, and 

 at the southeastern end, where there is a stony beach and spit at the 

 foot of the cliffs, are some storehouses and dwellings that maj^ be 

 occupied by fishermen during summer. A wooden tramway, for con- 

 rejang stores from the beach to the top, is conspicuous from the 

 southward. 



The northern side of the island is fairly steep-to, shoal water of 

 less than 3 fathoms fringing it to the distance of about 200 yards; 

 but foul ground extends off its northeastern and southwestern ends 

 for about ^ mile, and continues off the southern and eastern sides of 

 the island. 



The Ridge crosses from the southeastern end of Red island to the 

 mainland and meets the coast at a steep gully, 1,400 yards eastAvard 

 from cape Cormorant. It is narrow and rocky, being midway be- 

 tween the island and the mainland, where the depth is 15 to 18 feet, 

 about 100 feet across; nearer the island and about 400 yards from the 

 end of the stony spit, there is a depth of 9 feet water, but between this 

 and the spit there are depths of 12 feet- 

 Vessels of suitable draft cross the Ridge in fine weather with Crow 

 head (the first cliffy headland northeastward of the island) in line 

 with Low point, bearing about 47°. 



Tidal streanis.^ — ^At springs the streams run strongly over the 

 Ridge, the flood setting northeastward and the ebb southwestward, 

 and there are considerable overfalls on it, especially with strong 

 westerly winds, whilst in heavy weather breakers extend over nearly 

 its whole extent. 



Red Island road. — There is fairly good anchorage northeastward 

 of the Ridge, with southerly winds, in 11 to 14 fathoms water, sand 

 and in places mud bottom ; but a heavy sea sets in with southwesterly 

 and westerly winds, and although a vessel, with good ground tackle, 

 might hold on, it would be imprudent to remain. A good berth, for 

 a large vessel, is in 14 fathoms of water, with the northeastern end 

 of the island, bearing 279°, and the first cliff northward of cape St. 

 George just shut in, 201°. AVhite rock. (See below.) 



