July.] 



LETON ROCKS— ST. JAGO. 



269 



bottom on the reef can be seen half a mile from the mast-head in clear 

 weather, if it be not in the direction of the sun. 



The true situation of this reef is in latitude 15° 49' N., long. 23° 15' 

 W. ; variation per azimuth 17° 35' westerly ; and the current, five miles 

 to the south of the rocks, was setting west-by-south, at the rate of 

 eighteen miles in twenty-four hours. On passing these rocks at an- 

 other time, I have found the current setting equally as strong in an, 

 east-north-east direction. It is therefore not surprising that the most 

 skilful and cautious navigators are sometimes deceived by these rapid 

 and incalculable changes of the current ; or that Captain Swanton, late 

 commander of the honourable East India Company's ship Lady Bur- 

 gess, should run his vessel upon these rocks, which happened on the 

 19th of April, in the year 1806, at two o'clock, A. M., at which season 

 of the year the currents are setting here, from eighteen to twenty-four 

 miles, east-north-east. 



It has been stated that there is another reef, lying to the northward 

 of the Leton Rocks about five miles ; but as I passed over the very 

 spot in which it is said to be without seeing any appearance of shoal 

 water, I am positive that there is no other danger near Bonavista and 

 St. Jago than the reef of the Leton Rocks, which is sufficient of itself 

 to keep every cautious mariner on his guard in passing it, as the force 

 and direction of the currents are not to be depended on among these 

 islands. 



From Leton Rocks we steered south-by-west half- west, until near 

 the island of Mayo, when we ran for the east end of St. Jago. Ships 

 should not approach the north end of the island of Mayo in the night, 

 unless they are certain of their situation, as there is a very dangerous 

 coral reef lying north-north-east from the northern extremity of the 

 island, about three miles off-shore. In passing this reef in 1829, 1 saw 

 the wreck of an English brig upon it. There is no other danger around 

 this island more than three hundred fathoms off-shore. The land is 

 pretty high at the centre, uneven, and full of hills. It has good an- 

 chorage on the south-west side, in what is called English Roads, in 

 from five to ten fathoms of water, in front of the town. 



The shore to the eastward of the town of Mayo is steep, bluff, and 

 rocky ; but to the westward a low white sandy beach extends to what 

 is called Salt-pan's Point, from which a spit of sand and coral stretches 

 to the westward about two hundred fathoms. At a small distance far- 

 ther off-shore there is a depth of fifty fathoms. Ships should not an- 

 chor in more than ten fathoms in front of the town of Mayo, as the 

 bank runs off very steep from fifteen fathoms. The north point of this 

 island lies in latitude 15° 21' N., long. 23° 9' W. 



At eight, P. M., we came to an anchor in Port Praya, island of St. 

 Jago, in four fathoms of water, sandy bottom. This island lies about 

 seventy miles south-west-by-south from Bonavista, and ninety south- 

 south-east from St. Nicholas, its shape or figure on the charts re- 

 sembles that of an oyster, lying nearly in the position of north-west 

 and south-east, forty miles in length and about twenty in breadth. Port 

 Praya, on its south-eastern end, is in latitude 14° 55' N., long. 23° 31' 

 W. Variation per azimuth 16° 48' westerly. 



