PREFACE. 
these coasts, would be an useful addition to the charts; not only as 
it would enable those who may navigate by them alone to form a 
judgment of what is to be expected at the same season, but also that 
it may be seen how far circumstances prevented several parts of 
the coast being laid down so correctly as others. This has been 
done by single arrows, wherever they could be marked without 
confusion ; they are more or less feathered, proportionate to the 
strength of wind intended to be expressed, and the arrows them- 
selves give the direction. Under each is a short or abridged word, 
denoting the weather ; when this weather prevailed in a more than 
usual degree a line is drawn under the word, and when in an ex- 
cessive degree there are two lines. Single arrows being thus 
appropriated to the winds, the tides and currents are shown by 
double arrows, between which is usually marked the rate per hour. 
On the land, the shading of the hills gives a general idea of their 
elevation, and it has been assisted by saying how far particular hills 
and capes are visible from a ship's deck in fine weather; this will 
be useful to a seaman on first making the land, be a better criterion 
to judge of its height, and those hills not so marked may be more 
nearly estimated by comparison. Behind different parts of the 
coast is given a short description of their appearance, which it is 
conceived will be gratifying to scientific, and useful to professional 
men. The capes and hills whose positions are fixed by cross 
bearings taken on shore or from well ascertained points in the track, 
as also the stations whence bearings were observed with a theodolite, 
have distinguishing marks ; which, with all others not before in 
common use, are explained on the General Chart, Plate I. 
To have laid down no more than the lands and dangers seen in 
the Investigator and other vessels under my command, would have 
left several open spaces, and obliged the seaman to have recourse 
to other charts where the difference of positions might have 
