298 CAPE KAY TO CAPE BAULD. 



The coast from Fish head, the northern entrance point of the 

 bight of Coal river, northward to Bear head, a distance of 3^ miles, 

 is composed of cliffs, more or less broken, which become higher and 

 steeper as the land rises behind; these cliifs are steep-to and may be 

 approached closely in fine weather, but in stormy w^eather there is a 

 very heavy sea in this locality. 



A bank about f mile in length, with 8 fathoms water over it, lies 

 about 1^ miles northwestward of Fish head; the depths between the 

 land and the bank are 12 to IG fathoms. 



At 1| miles northward of Fish head is the southern summit, 1,255 

 feet high, of the range terminating in Bear head. Being fronted by 

 a shelf of sloping ground terminating in low cliffs, its appearance is 

 not very striking. 



Bear head is very conspicuous from the southward, whence it has 

 the shape of a crouching animal; a projecting rock on its summit 

 resembles the ears, and a perpendicular cliff partially detached from 

 the shore underneath, an upturned snout. 



The summit is 1,210 feet high, falling in a perpendicular cliff. 

 The land within the range slopes rapidly down to Coal river valley, 

 in which there are several ponds. 



Eastward of this valley, broken, barren-looking hills rise to a con- 

 siderable height, two rounded summits, lying southeastward from 

 Bear head, being conspicuous from seaward. The northern tangent 

 of these hills, bearing 84°, distant 3x%- miles from Bear head summit, 

 forms with Shag island, a leading mark for Port au Port. 



Depths offshore. — The 20-fathom contour line passes northwest- 

 ward of Long point, at a distance of about 3 miles, and continues 

 approximately north-northeastward for about 11 miles, when it turns 

 toward the southern summit of Bear head. The long narrow ridge, 

 with 8 to 10 fathoms water over it, situated parallel to Long point 

 and If miles westward of it, extends northeastward to abreast the dry 

 portion of Long ledge. Outside, and north-northwestward of Long 

 point, there is an extensive flat, with general depths of 21 to 25 

 fathoms, and some irregular soundings of 18 to 20 fathoms over it; 

 this flat reaches northwestward to a distance of about 13 miles from 

 Long point. 



Bear cove is situated northeastward of Bear head; there are two 

 yellowish rocky islets in it, which are scarcely seen against the low 

 cliff of the same color, at the head of the cove. 



Mount Virgin, northeastward, distant 5 J miles from Bear head, 

 is 1,600 feet high, and its summit appears as a remarkable isolated 

 column. 



Wild cove (Capelan bay), north-northeastward 5^ miles from 

 Bear head, is at the southern end of a projection a little over a mile 

 in length and 816 feet high, the northern end of which is Vide Bou- 

 teille cape ; the beach of Wild cove is broken white coral. 



