SOUTHERN AFRICA. 285 
The only bay within the limits of the colony, to the north- 
ward of Saldanha Bay, is that of Saint Helena, which, by 
land from Hootjes Bay is little more than fifteen miles. In 
shape and situation it resembles Table Bay, but wants the 
attractions of the latter both in respect of the quality of the 
contiguous land and the quantity of water. Whalers some- 
times anchor in this bay, where, from the remote and un- 
disturbed situation, so many whales constantly resort in the 
winter months, that they seldom find any difficulty of making 
up the deficiency of their cargo. 
But on the south coast of the colony there are several 
bays into which ships may occasionally run for shelter in the 
north-west monsoon, but they are all open to the south-east 
quarter. Of these the principal are Mossel Bay, the Knysna, 
Plettenberg's Bay, and Algoa or Zwart Kop's Bay. The 
charts of this coast and the bays that were in the possession 
of the Dutch were found to be so incorrect, that Admiral 
Pringle sent Lieutenant Rice, in the Hope brig, for the pur- 
pose of making a survey, of which the following charts and 
observations are chiefly the result. 
The outermost point of Mossel Bay, called Cape Saint 
Blaize, lies in latitude 34° 10' south; longitude 22° 18' east 
(I make it in the general chart 22° 45' east). The variation 
of the compass in 1797 was 27° 54' west. The time of high 
water at full and change about 3 o'clock, and the rise and 
fall of the tides six or seven feet. The distance from the 
Cape is about 24,0 mile&. During the summer months,. 
