m this island, the river
runs easterly to Correlaers Hoeck and the Wale Bocht, where it is so
narrow they can readily hear one another calling across it. A little
west of Correlaers Hoeck, a reef of rocks stretches out towards the
Wale Bocht, half way over, on which at low tide there is only three or
four feet of water, more or less. The river then runs up northerly to
Hellgate, where there is an island, in front of which on the south
side are two rocks, covered at high water, and close to the island,
besides others which can be easily seen. Hellgate is nothing more than
a bend of the river, which, coming up north, turns thence straight to
the east. It is narrow here, and in the middle of the bend or elbow
lie several large rocks. On either side it is wider, consequently the
current is much stronger in the narrow part; and as it is a bend the
water is checked, and made to eddy, and then, striking these rocks, it
must make its way to one side or the other, or to both; but it cannot
make its way to both, because it is a crooked bay, and therefore it
pursues its course until it is stopped on the opposite side of the
bay, to which it is driven, so much the more because it encounters
these rocks on the way. Now between the rocks there is no current, and
behind them it is still; and as the current for the most part is
forced from one side, it finds liberty behind these rocks, where it
makes a whirlpool. You must therefore be careful not to approach this
whirlpool, especially with small vessels, as you will be in danger of
being drawn under. It makes such a whirlpit and whistling that you can
hear it for a quarter of an hour's distance, but this is when the tide
is ebbing, and only, and mostly, when it is running the strongest. The
river continues from thence easterly, forming several islands,
generally on the left-hand side, although there are some in a large
bay on the right. When you have passed the large bay of Flushing,
which is about eight miles from Hellgate, or rather, as soon as you
get round the point, and begin to see an opening, you must keep well
to the northeast, in order to sail clear of a long ledge of rocks,
some of which stick out of the water like the Lizard in the Channel
near Falmouth. After you have passed this you sail easterly along the
shore without anything in the way. There are islands here and there,
near the land, but they are not large. The end of Long Island, which
is one hundred and forty-four mi