STEARING ISLAND SHALLOW BAY. 329 



little over 2 miles. White Rock islets, a chain of small islets and low- 

 water rocks, nearly Ij miles long in a northeasterly and southwesterly 

 direction, lie 600 yards off Downes point, and the bight, within these 

 islets, lying between Cow Head isthmus and Downes point, is Cow 

 Head harbor. 



White Rock islets are connected with Downes point by a sandy flat 

 drying at low water, which, extending southeastward and southward, 

 occupies a considerable portion of the harbor. 



Tortoise rock, awash at low water, is in the harbor entrance and 

 separated from the rocks extending northeastward from Cow head, by 

 a channel about 100 yards wide. In the middle of this channel and 

 just inside Tortoise rock, is a rock, with 6 feet of water over it, and 

 a very narrow pfissage, 12 to 15' feet deep, on its northeastern side. 

 Between Tortoise rock and Thorn rock, which has less than 6 feet of 

 water over it and lies close southwestward of "\Miite Rock islets, there 

 is a depth of 9 to 10 feet of water. 



The harbor is only suitable for vessels of moderate length, and 

 drawing less than 10 feet of water, because not only is the passage 

 into it narrow and tortuous, but during northerly to northwesterly 

 winds such a heavy swell rolls in that there is great risk of touching 

 the ground ; in any case local knowledge is necessary to enter safely. 

 Inside there is anchorage in 2|^ to 3^ fathoms of water but in heavy 

 westerly weather there is not much shelter. 



Tides and tidal streams. — It is high water, full and change, 

 at Cow Head harbor at lOh. 48m. ; springs rise 6^ feet, neaps 4^ feet. 



The tidal streams between Cow Head harbor and Stearing island 

 are strong, the flood, setting northeastward, sometimes attaining a 

 rate of 2 knots at springs. The duration of this stream is much longer 

 than that of the ebb, which sets in the opposite direction. 



Communication. — The steamer from Halifax, monthly, calls off 

 Cow Head harbor on her way to and from the northern ports. 



Stearing" island, north-northwestward, distant 1,600 yards from 

 Cow head, is 500 yards long in a northeasterly and southwesterly 

 direction, 100 yards wide, and 22 feet high; it consists of limestone 

 rock scantily covered with coarse grass. Broken islets and low-water 

 rocks extend westward 600 yards and eastward 350 yards from the 

 island, and shoals for upward of 600 yards from it, except from its 

 southeastern side, which is fairly steep-to. Caution is necessary when 

 in its vicinity at night or in thick weather; then keep in depths of 

 over 20 fathoms which will insure being | mile northward and west- 

 ward of the island shoals. 



Shallow bay (White Rock bay) . — The coast from Downes point 

 is a long sandy curve backed up by wooded flats and marshes, but 

 broken by two small streams to Lower head, which lies northward at 

 a distance of 1^^ miles from Downes point. This curve, together 



