As no safe marks can be given for leading towards the First bar, between First Bar island and the easternmost of the Flat islands, it will be prudent for a stranger, without a pilot, to buoy the south-east extreme of the spit extending off the eastern Flat island, and also the Brunswick patches. The best route appears to be, when the South Chop-house on the southern shore of the river bears S.S.W., to haul over to First Bar island to avoid the spit, and then steer in about N.W. N., passing about a cable's length along the western face of the island. When Whampoa pagoda is seen clear to the northward of the Flat islands, steer for the northern shore, which must be skirted at about half a cable's length, passing through the narrow 4 fathoms channel northward of the Brunswick patches.

As the northern patch is approached, or when the large house inland bears about N. by W., be careful in preserving the distance of half a cable from the shore, and when the house bears eastward of N. by E. the danger will be passed. From thence steer towards Whampoa through Cambridge reach, borrowing towards the northern shore,

CHAPTER III.

EAST COAST OF CHINA-HONGKONG TO AMOY.

VARIATION FROM 0° 30' EAST TO 0° 15' WEST IN 1861.

Ta-thong`or Ta-tung-mun Channel, is formed between the west side of Tamtu island and the east side of Hongkong, and close to the latter, about 1 mile northward of Tylong head, lie two small rocky islets; between these islets and Ta-thong point is the Ta-thong rock, above water.

Vessels having run out from Hongkong roads through the Lyemun pass, and wishing for anchorage, either for the night, or in consequence of bad weather, will find a good berth in the bay on the northern side of Tamtu island in 6 fathoms ; but it must be borne in mind that the water shoals to 2 fathoms at 3 cables' lengths from the joss-house on the North side of the bay.*

Tamtu or Tunglung Island, 820 feet above the sea and 3 miles in circumference, is separated from the mainland by a channel called the Fo-tau-mun or Fuh-tang-mun pass, which is only 1 cable wide between the rocks which lie off both points in the channel, and carries a depth of 3 fathoms. A sunken rock lies S. E.JE. distant 4 cables from the north point of Tamtu; when on it, the west end of Steep island (the first small islet to the north-eastward) just shows clear of a remarkable headland named Yih bluff, bearing N.N.E.E.

The south point of Tamtu forms a low peninsula, and to the southward of its west point there is a flat islet or rock lying a cable's length from the shore, with reefs inside it. Upon the first point outside the Fo-tau-mun pass stands a ruined fort.

Steep and Trio Islets.-Steep islet is 1 mile to the northward of the eastern entrance of the Fo-tau-mun pass, and 4 cables from the shore; at 14 mile father north lie the Trio islets. There is an indentation in the coast, with 8 fathoms water, between Trio and Steep, but it is exposed to easterly winds and swell.

Ninepin Group lies 3 miles eastward of the Fo-tau-mun pass; the two largest islets bear North and South of each other, and the channel between them is 2 cables wide. The southern face of the South Ninepin is a precipitous cliff, 330 feet high; off its south-west side there is a smaller islet, and towards its northern point the land becomes lower, with a peaked rock in the offing. The surface of the North Ninepin is nearly of the same elevation, with the exception of a cleft near its northern end; an islet lies off its south-west extreme.

• See Charts: -Hongkong, No. 1,466, scale m = 2 inches; Sheet 2, East Coast of China, No. 1,962, scale d 14 inches; and Mirs Bay, No. 1,964, scale m 0.8 of an inch.

__

Ninepin Rock, or East Ninepin, 222 feet high, lies nearly a mile eastward of the North Ninepin, and assumes the appearance that its name indicates only when seen in a N.W. or S.E. direction; otherwise the name is liable to mislead. Close to its north-west side is a smaller islet, and there are detached rocks upon its north-east and west sides.

One-foot Rock, lying S.W., not quite 7 cables from the Ninepin, has only a foot over it at low water. When on this rock the south end of the South Ninepin bears W. S., and is in line with the shoulder of the hill northward of the highest part of Tamtu; and the right extreme of the rock on the north side of the North Ninepin is in line with the summit of Shelter island in Shelter bay, N.W. W. The south end of the South Ninepin on with Fo-tau-mun pass, W. N., will lead south of it.

North Rock, lying N.W.IN. distant 9 cables from the Ninepin, is nearly awash; a reef, which breaks at low water, lies a short cable's length to the south-east of it.

Tides. At the Ninepin group it is high water, full and change, at 10h. Om., and the rise is 5 feet. The channel between the group and Steep islet is nearly 2 miles wide, and carries a depth of 14 to 16 fathoms.

Port Shelter.-To the northward of the Ninepin group the mainland forms a deep bay, containing Port Shelter and Rocky harbour. Port Shelter, the western of the two, runs back to the northward 51⁄2 miles, and its head is separated from the south-west portion of Mirs bay by an isthmus 1 mile wide, overlooked by the Hunchback hills, 2,315 feet above the sea, which, with Sharp peak, 1,540 feet high, on the west side of the entrance to Mirs bay, form conspicuous marks by which this portion of the coast may be recognized.

When steering for Port Shelter, pass eastward of Trio and Table islets on account of some rocks which extend 3 cables from the point to the westward of them. Nearly a mile northward of Table islet is the southern point of Jin island, with a peaked rock lying 2 cables to the southward of it; and E. N. rather more than a cable's length from the peaked rock, there is a rock awash at high water.

Shelter island, 1 mile to the north-west of Table islet, should likewise be left to the westward when steering for Port Shelter, as the ground is foul between it and the main. Good anchorage will be found on the north-west side of Shelter island, in 8 fathoms, but give the north point of the island a berth of a cable's length, and avoid the Nine feet patch, which lies 6 cables to the northward in the centre of the bay; the marks for which are:-Table island on with the north end of North Ninepin, bearing S.ES.; the opening between Keui and Jin islands nearly East; and Shelter island S. by W. Southerly, one cable's length from the west point of Shelter island is a rock awash at low water; and there is a patch of 2 fathoms lying half a mile to the westward of it.

Sharp island lies North 13 mile from Shelter, with fair anchorage on its eastern side, but exposed to southerly winds; and from which, passing north of Keui island, there is a junk or boat passage leading into Rocky harbour.

Rocky Harbour is formed by Keui and Jin islands on the west, and by APP. 6

41

High, Basalt, and Bluff islands to the east and south-east. The southern entrance between Bluff and Jin islands is a mile wide; the rock awash at high water off the latter has been mentioned above. On the east side of Jin, at 2 cables from the shore, is Bay islet, which is low and flat.

Three-feet Patch-Midway between Bay islet and the north of end of Bluff island lies a rocky patch with only 3 feet on it, from which the west point of Bluff island is in one with the summit of North Ninepin, S. E., and the southern summit of Bay islet bears W.N.W. The north Ninepin and Bluff islands touching, leads westward of it; and the west end of the rock lying off the south-west end of North Ninepin, in one with the west point of Bluff island, leads eastward; also, a vessel will be northward of it when the Pyramid rock opens clear of the north-east extreme of Bluff island, S.E. by E. E.

Three-fathoms Patch lies 6 cables to the northward of the Three-feet patch, with the summit of Bay islet bearing W.S.W., Pyramid rock S.E. † S., and Green islet, the small islet on the eastern shore, E. N., and distant 3 cables' lengths.

Anchorage will be found in the North-east monsoon on the eastern side of Rocky harbour, in the neighbourhood of a small cove northward of Green islet, where there is a mandarin station and a village. Inside the cove the depth is 6 fathoms, but the space is confined, owing to sunken rocks. In the Southwest monsoon vessels will be better sheltered by anchoring to the north-west of Bay i let.

Basalt Island lies 4 cables to the south-east of Bluff island, and the depth between them is 5 fathoms at low water. The former is 8 cables long, north and south, and rises to the height of 572 feet above the sea; the southern faces of both it and Bluff island are very precipitous.

Town Island lies half a mile to the northward of Basalt island. The channel between them is 4 cables wide, but it should not be used without a leading wind or in a handy vessel, as the chow-chow water* or whirling eddies might lead them into difficulty. It is also obstructed by islets and a rock awash at high water; and to the eastward of the Three-feet patch, at the entrance of Rocky harbour, the ground is foul with some casts of 3 fathoms.

High Island, 7 miles in circumference and 910 feet above the sea, is separated from Town island by a channel which carries a depth of 31 fathoms, but in some places it is barely a cable wide. At 1 cable eastward of the latter is Hole island, so called from its being perforated. To the northward of these islands there are two low islets. The channel between High island and the main has not more than a foot at low water in some places.

Fung Bay. Conic isle lies N.N.E. 24 miles from Hole island, at not quite a cable's length from the shore, and immediately westward of it is a small bay 3 cables wide and three-quarters of a mile deep, which might be used in the North-east monsoon. Fung bay, the next inlet to the northward, is 12 mile wide, and has two islets and a rock in the middle of it; but it is too much ex

*Chow-chow water is a term used in the jargon of the native pilots, applied to those ripplings occasioned by the meeting of adverse currents, the agitation of which is frequently so violent as to render a vessel unmanageable when within their influence.

posed to the eastward to be of any use to the navigator. Sharp peak, noticed in page 41, overlooks this bay, and bears from the Ninepin N. E., nearly 10 miles.

Mirs Bay or Tai-pang-hai, is a deep inlet, 15 miles to the north-east of Hongkong; entrance, between Fung bead and Mirs point, is 5 miles wide; its extent northerly is 11 miles, and in an east and west direction 18 miles. Gau-tau, a rocky islet 90 feet high, lies about 2 miles within the entrance, and S.W. by W. about half a mile from it is a rocky ledge, part of which is always uncovered. South Gau island, 96 feet high, is 1 mile to the S.W. by W. of this ledge, and half a mile off shore. The hills near Mirs point rise to the height of 1,200 feet, and just off its southern extremity lies a small islet, named Griffin rock, and east of it some rocks, at a cable's length from the beach. The first point to the westward of the islet is perforated.

Grass Island.—The point 1 mile N. by W. of Fung head has two islets off it, and from thence the western coast of Mirs bay trends suddenly to the westward, then northerly 14 miles, where there is an opening 3 cables wide leading into Long harbour, bearing West from Gau-tau; the navigable channel however has only 2 fathoms water in it, and is barely a cable wide, with shoal water extending from both shores.

On the north side of the opening lies Grass island, which is 13 miles long, north and south, three-quarters of a mile wide, and 420 feet high; and at 31 cables eastward of this island is a large black rock, named North Gau, with a reef, awash at high water, lying N.W. N. 4 cables from it.

Port Island, nearly 2 miles in circumference and 420 feet high, lies nearly 6 cables northward of Grass island, and its north-east point, which is narrow, projects 3 cables from the body of the island.

Long Harbour, the entrance to which lies a mile S.S.W. of Port island, is 3 miles deep, and at its entrance is 6 cables wide. Both shores are steepto, with the exception of the south-west end of Grass island, where there is a cove with a rock off its north point; and at about a cable's length to the northward of this rock and half a cable from the shore is a rocky patch of 31 fathoms; some rocks also, which show at low tide, extend nearly a cable's length from high water mark at the south-west end of the island. To the southward of Grass island, the harbour widens to 1 mile, and then gradually decreases towards its southern extremity, where it is separated into two coves; the depth is 4 fathoms at a mile from the head of the harbour.

Jones Cove, the next inlet westward of Long harbour, is a mile deep, N.N.E. and S.S.W., and 3 cables wide; but it, as well as Long harbour, is open to a considerable swell from the N.N.E.

On the western side of the cove there are three islets, and at 2 cables to the northward of the largest (Flat islet), are two rocks, awash at high water, from which the summit of Port island bears N.E. E., and the north point of Grass island E. N.

Tolo Channel, leading into Tolo harbour, is the next deep inlet westward of Long harbour, on the western shore of Mirs bay. The entrance, between