S. 1/2 W. from the middle of
it.[1]

[Footnote 1: In the original are references to some plates, which
cannot be given in this work.--E.]

These are the infallible marks by which the harbour of Chequetan may
be known to those who keep well in with the land; and I must add, that
the coast is no ways to be dreaded from the middle of October to the
beginning of May, nor is there then any danger from the winds, though
in the remaining part of the year there are frequent and violent
tornadoes, heavy rains, and hard gales, in all directions of the
compass. But as to those who keep at any considerable distance from
the coast, there is no other method to be taken by them for finding
this harbour than that of making it by its latitude; for there are so
many ranges of mountains rising one upon the back of another within
land, that no drawings of the appearance of the coast can be at all
depended on when off at sea, for every little change of distance, or
variation of position, brings new mountains in view, and produces an
infinity of different prospects, which would render all attempts of
delineating the aspect of the coast impossible.

The harbour is environed on all sides, except to the westward, with
high mountains overspread with trees. The passage into it is very safe
on either side of the rock that lies off the mouth of it, though we,
both in coming in and going out, left it to the eastward. The ground
without the harbour is gravel mixed with stones, but within it is soft
mud: And it must be remembered, that in coming to an anchor a good
allowance should be made for a large swell, which frequently causes a
great send of the sea; as likewise for the ebbing and flowing of the
tide, which we observed to be about five feet, and that it set nearly
E. and W.

The watering-place had the appearance of a large standing lake,
without any visible outlet into the sea, from which it is separated
by a part of the strand. The origin of this lake is a spring, that
bubbles out of the ground near half a mile within the country. We
found the water a little brackish, but more considerably so towards
the sea-side, for the nearer we advanced towards the spring-head,
the softer and fresher it proved: This laid us under a necessity
of filling all our casks from the furthest part of the lake, and
occasioned us some trouble, and would have proved still more difficult
had it not been for our particular management, which, for the
conveniency of