Tin-: >"» -I BRITISH AMERICAN NAVIGATOR; -V, - OH SAILING DIRECTORY FOR THE ISLAND AND BANKS OF NEWFOUNDLAND, THE GULF AND RIVER OF ST. LAWRENCE, Breton Ssilanlr, M NOVA SCOTIA, THE RAY OF FUNDY, AND THE COASTS THENCE TO THE RIVEll PENOBSCOT, &c. ^ I i i i OniOINALLY COMPOSED By JOHN PURDY, Hydrographer; AND COMPLETED, FROM A GREAT • VARIETY OV DOCUMENTS, PUHUC AND PRIVATE, By ALEX. G. FINDLAY. ^ A LONDON: PRINTED FOR R. H. LAURIE, CHAKT-SELLER TO THE ADMIRALTY, THE HON. CORPORATION OF TRINITY-HOUSE, kc i! No. 53, FLEET STREET. 1843. i>_ " •'*•.'?•>. : ->'t ^\^jr' ;:iii2£aa£; .i.":. rriar- r._. — 187056 y ADVERTISEMENT. The following Charts will be found particularly adapted to this Work, and are distinguished by the seal, as in the title-page : 1. A GENERAL CHART of the ATLANTIC OCEAN, according to the Observa- lions, Surveys, and Determinations, of the most eminent Navigators, British and Foreign; from a Combination of which the whole has been deduced, by John Purdy. With parti- cular Plans of the Roadstead of Angra, Terceira, Ponta-Delgada, St. Michael's, of the Channel between Fayal and Pico, Santa-Cruz to Funchal, &c. On four large sheets. tit With additions to the present time. \6s. sen ',• The new Chart of the Atlantic may be had in two parts, one containing the northern and the other the southern sheets ; being a form extremely convenient for use at sea. 2. The ATLANTIC, or WESTERN OCEAN, with Hudson's Bay and other adjacent Seas ; including the Coasts of Europe, Africa, and America, from sixty-five degrees of North Latitude to the Equator ; but without the particular Plans above mentioned. Reduced, chiejly, from the larger Charts by John Purdy, and beautifully engraved on two large sheets. 8s. 3. A Chart of the ISLAND and BANKS of NEWFOUNDLAND, and the coasts between Belle Isle and Boston, Cape Cod, (Sec. ; including the Gulf and River of St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia, and the Bay of Fundy : compiled from recent surveys by British and French officers, and the positions adjusted from numerous observations. Con- structed by John Purdy, and drawn by A. G. Findlay. With a new Sailing Directory. 12s, 4. GULF of St. LAWRENCE.— Trtc Gulf of St. Lawrence and Breton Island, on a large scale. From actual Surveys and Astronomic Observations. With particular I'lans of the Gut of Canso, Louisbourg Harbour, Sydney or Spanish River, Ristigouche Har- bour, the Mingan Isles, &c. Two Sheets, 12s. 5. The RIVER of St. LAWRENCE, from Anticosti to Montreal, constructed on the Plan of the former Chart, made under the Orders of Admiral Sir Chas. Saunders, K.B. and composed from the late Surveys, with adjusted Longitudes, &c. Three large sheets, 1842, 12s. 6. NOVA SCOTIA.— Nora Scotia, with a Part of Breton Island; including the Bay of Fundy, and South Coast of New Brunswick ; with Plans of the Harbours of Halifax, Shelburne, Liverpool, &c. Improved Edition, 8$. 7. UNITED STATES.—^ large General Chart of the American Coast, from Halifax, in Nova Scotia, to Philadelphia ; with Plans of the following Harbours, viz. Halifax, St. John's, New Brunswick, Portland, Portsmouth, Newbury-port, Annisquam, Boston, Newport, or Rhode Island, and New York, 10s. 6d For Sailing Directions, &c., see page xxvi. ERRATA. Page 78, line 20, for Fork read Forteau. 8" 123, 7 from bottom, the latitude of Quebec is 46° 48' 9", should be lat. 46° 49' [lEuteittl nt ^tationci'i^' %}a\l] '^••p.. 1 A !) D II C S S. The following woik was at first intended to have been piiblislied under tlie title of the " Cabotian Navigatoii,"* and to form the first volume of a series which comprehends a description of the Atlantic seaboard of the Ameri- cixn continent, by the late Mr. Joiix Puimv, whose works will remain an honourable and lasting memorial of the zeal and talent which, for upwards of forty years, were so successfully and usefully exerted in advancint^ the science of Hydrography. But, as the attempt would be futile to impose a name upon a territory which has no general designation, however desirable it would be to give the name of Carot to the country that he made known to modern times, the title of the " British American Navigator" has been adopted. Three editions of a previous work on the same subject, under the title of the " Newfoundland Directory," have been honoured with the public approbation; but, from the more complete knowledge we now possess of those regions, it was found necessary to remodel the whole of it, and to abandon a title which would be manifestly inapplicable to its entire contents. The former work was composed from the labours of Captain James Cook, the circumnavigator, whose survey of the western coasts of Newfoundland is still the best we have; from Messrs. Holland, Bouchette, Captain Bayfield, &C. in the Gulf and River of St. Lawrence ; from Messrs. Lock wood, Des Barres, and others, on the coasts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, &c. ; and these, as far as they were available, are retained in the present work ; but, from the great amount of information we have latterly acquired of these regions, it will be found that the present volume is far more complete than its predecessors. For the eastern coasts of Newfoundland, we have availed ourselves of the works of Captain F. Bullock, W. Bullock, and G. Holbrook, the Admiralty surveyors, which form a complete guide to this singular and rugged coast. In the description and directions for the N.E. portion, we have included the sub- * See Vol. I. page 2!), of "Newfoundland in 1842," by Sir Ilicliaid Heniy Bonnycastle; an interesting work, containing a complete history and description of the island of Newfoundland. b * : V ADDRESS. stance of the Instructions given by M, Ch. Lavaud, of the French marine, which will be found of great service ; while on the chart accompanying the present work is given the survey of the Banks of Newfoundland by the same officer, which delineates minutely these vast submarine elevations, and the chart of which is the best description that can be given. The valuable surveys of Capt. Henry Wolsey Bayfield, R.N., F.R.S. (which are still in progress) in the River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the coast of Labrador, have given an entirely new feature to our knowledge of that part of our possessions ; and the complete delineation and ample directions which we now have of the northern shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, will divest this desolate and inhospitable region of many of the dangers which were formerly so much dreaded, and it will be seen that it can now be navigated with com- parative safety. To Lieut. Charles Hare, R.N., Mr. Jeffery, M.R.N. , Mr. E. Dunsterville, and other gentlemen, we have to express our thanks for many valuable commu- nications, which are embodied in the work ; and, in laying it before the public, we do it with a hope that it will be found worthy of their attention. At the same time, we earnestly solicit communications for its future improvement these, as being original and authentic, are doubly valuable, as adding to our knowledge, and as being beneficial to the public service. A, G. F. October, 1843. ;;; CONTENTS. PAUb GENERAL TABLE of the Positions, or of Latitudes and Longi- tudes of Places described, with the pages in which their respective Descriptions may be found •.. x NOTES referred to in the preceding Table, showing the Authorities, &c., including the Variations of the Compass xvi PHARONOLOGY, &c xxi PART L NEWFOUNDLAND, &c. L—Of the Winds, Currents, Ices, and Passages to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, &c % Winds, 1 ; Phenomena westward of Newfoundland, 2 ; Currents, &c., 4 Wrecks in St. Shot's Bay, Comus, llarpooner, and H.M.S. Drake, 6 Spence and Marslial Macdonald, 7 ; Passages from England, in the Spring, 8; in the Fall', 9; Icebercis and Tees, 11 ; Wrecks of the Harvest Home, Lady of the Lake, President, William Rrown, &c., 11, 12; Preservation of Life at Sea, 13 ; General Directions for the Gulf, 13. n. —The Island and Banks of Newfoundland 14 General Remarks and Description of Newfoundland, 14; the City of St. John, 15; Conception Bay, 16; The Banks of Newfoundland, 16; Virgin Rocks, 18. EASTERN AND NORTHERN COASTS OF NEWFOUNDLAND. I.—Cape Spear and St. John's Harbour to Cape St. Francis 19 Cape Spear and Lighthouse, 19 ; Harbour of St. John, and Directions, 19; St. John's to Conception Bay, 20 ; Black Head to Cape St. Francis, 20. IT.—Conception Bay, between Cape St. Fra:)2is and Bacalieu Island.. 20 Conception Bay, 20; Bay Verde, 21; Carbomo ••:;, 21; Harbour Grace, 21 Bay Robert, 22 ; Brigus, 23 ; Collier Bay and Harbour Main, 23. III.—Trinity Bay, between Bacalieu and Cape Bonavista .' 9.3 Trinity Bay, 23 ; Old Perlican, 23 ; New Perlican, 23 ; Port Bonaventure, 24; Trinity Harbour, Rugged Harbour, Cataliua 24; 25; Harbour, 25 j Bird Islands, 26. IIII. —Bonavista Bay, between Cape Bonavista and Cape Freels 26 Cape Bonavista, 26 ; Bonavista Harbour, 27 ; Bonavista Bay, 27 ; Blackhead Bay, 27; Great Chance Harbour, <i7; Broad Coves and Barrow Harbour, 29; Damnable Harbour, 29; Morris Cove, 29 ; Gooseberry Isles, &c., 30; New Harbour, 31 ; Northwest Arm, 31 ; Greenspond, 31. V.—The N.E. Coast from Cape Freels to Cape St. John, including the Bay of Notre Dame and Archipelago of Exploits 32 Cape Freels, 32 ; Funk Island and Brenton Rock, 32 ; Wadham Islands, 33 Fogo Island, 33 ; Bay of Notre Dame, 34 ; Toulinguet or Twillingate, 34 Morton's, Triton, arid Nipper's Harbours, 35. ;;;; CONTEXTS. PAor.