SAILING DIRECTION AND NAUTICAL REMARKS. 375 



course will now take you in, clear all dangers, and give you a good anchorage on, or near, the 

 seven-fathom bank, about half a mile to the northward and westward of False Capstan Head. 



OAK CHANNEL. 



To enter tbis channel, bring the centre of the island in Junk harbor (known by the deep 

 verdure of its vegetation) to fill the gap between the forts at the entrance of Junk harbor, (see 

 view No. 2,) and steer a S.E. \ E. course until Capstan Head bears east, when haul up E.N.E., 

 and anchor as before directed. 



NOETH CHANNEL. 



This channel is very much contracted by a range of detatched rocks making out from the reef 

 on the west side, and should not, under ordinary circumstances, be attempted by a stranger, as 

 at high water the reefs are almost entirely covered, and it is difficult to judge of your exact 

 position unless familiar with the various localities and landmarks. To enter by this (North) 

 channel, bring a remarkable notch in the southern range of hills in line with a small hillock 

 just to the eastward of False Capstan Head, (see view No. 3,) and stand in on this range S. by 

 E. ^ E. until Tumai Head bears E. \ N., when open a little to the southward, so as to give the 

 reef to the eastward a berth, and select your anchorage. 



There is a black spar-buoy anchored on Blossom reef, half way between its eastern and 

 western extremities ; a red.spar-buoy on the point of reef to the W.N.W. of Abbey point ; and 

 a white spar-buoy on the southeast extremity of Oar reef. Flags of corresponding colors were 

 attached to all these buoys, and they afford good guides for the South and Oar channels. There 

 are two large stakes on the reefs to the eastward and westward of North channel, planted there 

 by the natives, this being the channel mostly used by the junks trading to the northward. 



An abundance of water can always be obtained at the fountains in Junk harbor, where there 

 is excellent landing for boats. There is a good spring near the Tombs, in Tumai bluff; but 

 unless the water is perfectly smooth the landing is impracticable, and, under any circumstances, 

 it is inconvenient from the want of sufficient depth, except at high tide. 



Lieutenant Wm. B. Whiting, of the United States ship Vandalia, in his official report to the 

 commander-in-chief upon his surveying operations at Lew Chew, says : 



"I herewith submit three sectional charts and one general chart of Lew Chew, comprising 

 my surveys on that island. The sectional charts are the harbors of Deep bay, of Suco, and 

 Tubootch, and of Shah bay. The whole of the west coast, with the exception of the extreme 

 north and south points of the island, were triangulated ; determining with accuracy the posi- 

 tions of all the prominent hills, as also the sinuosities of the shore line, the latitudes and longi- 

 tudes being determined by upwards of two hundred observations. In constructing the general 

 chart, I was much pleased to find some observations (bearings, ranges, and angles) of the 

 French survey fall in exact coincidence with our own determinations, thus affording most satis- 

 factory corroboration of the accuracy of our work." 



DEEP BAY. 



Lieutenant Whiting says : "The anchorage at the head of Deep bay is good. Although 

 open to the west and southwest, winds ^"rom those quarters rarely blow home ; or if they do, 



Note. — The spar-buoys, above described, were securely moored at the time they were placed in their respective positions ; 

 but may bo displaced, or entirely removed, by the heave of the sea, and should therefore not be implicitly relied upon. 



SILAS BENT, Lieut. U. S. N. 



