from shore; it lies 47 miles southward of Cape Canaveral and the same distance northward of Jupiter Inlet lighthouse. For a distance of 25 miles southward of Bethel Creek house of refuge broken ground with 3 to 4 fathoms over it extends from 212 to 5 miles offshore. The principal danger is St. Lucie Shoal, with 16 to 24 feet over it, which lies from 3 to 6 miles offshore, and 22 to 26 miles northward of Jupiter Inlet lighthouse. A red and black nun buoy lies off the northern end of the 18-foot curve. A shoal, on which the least depth found is 534 fathoms, lies 3 miles from shore off St. Lucie Inlet, 13 miles northward of Jupiter Inlet lighthouse. A depth of 612 fathoms has been found on the shoal, which extends 3 miles from shore about 3 miles northward of Jupiter Inlet lighthouse. These shoals should be avoided by deep-draft vessels; the 15-fathom curve is a safe guide.

Jupiter Inlet lighthouse is a red-brick_tower. The light is fixed white varied by a white flash of 3.6 seconds duration every 90 seconds, 146 feet above the water, and visible 18 miles. Near the lighthouse are a radio station and a storm-warning display station.

From Lake Worth Inlet to Cape Florida the coast trends generally southward for 6211⁄2 miles and is broken by Hillsboro and New River Inlets. This section of the coast is formed almost entirely by a low sand beach, with more or less conspicuous hills partly covered with grass and scrub palmetto, back of which it is wooded. Aside from the lighthouse the only prominent landmarks along this section of the coast are the large hotels and piers at Palm Beach, a popular winter resort, 141⁄2 miles southward of Jupiter Inlet lighthouse.

The coast between Lake Worth Inlet and Cape Florida is fairly bold; the 20-fathom curve runs parallel to the beach, and for a greater part of the distance is less than 2 miles from it; inside this curve the shoaling is rapid, and 6 to 8 fathoms are found in places 111⁄2 miles from the beach.

Hillsboro Inlet lighthouse is an octagonal, pyramidal, iron, skeleton tower, lower third white, upper two-thirds black. The light is flashing white (flash 14 second, eclipse 934 seconds), 136 feet above the water, and visible 18 miles.

Cape Florida, 36 miles southward of Hillsboro Inlet lighthouse, is the southern point of Key Biscayne; it is marked by a disused lighthouse (red tower).

BISCAYNE BAY AND MIAMI.

Biscayne Bay is a large, shallow body of water, commencing in latitude 25° 55' N. and extending in a southerly direction about 33 miles to Card Sound. For the first 10 miles the bay has a width of about 2 miles, and is separated from the Straits of Florida by a narrow peninsula, and Virginia Key, and Key Biscayne. For the remainder of the distance the average width of the bay is nearly 7 miles, and it is separated from Hawk Channel by a number of keys and coral banks, between which there are several narrow and shallow passages. A great part of the bay has depths of 9 and 10 feet, and there are a few places with depths of 13 to 15 feet; but near its head it is very shallow. A draft of 14 feet can be taken into the bay through what is known as Main Channel, and this draft can be taken to the city of Miami.

108136°-22– -9

Biscayne Channel leads from Cape Florida Shoal light (about 2 miles southeastward of Cape Florida) in a northwesterly direction, and then west, through one of the slues between the reefs, into Biscayne Bay. This channel has been improved by dredging, but is narrow in places; it is marked by several beacons, and has a depth of 9 feet. Snake River empties into the bay from northward and 4 feet can be brought through the inland waterway from the north.

Miami is on the west shore of Biscayne Bay, 9 miles below its head and 7 miles above Cape Florida. It is a popular winter resort, and is growing in commercial importance. A large number of yachts are present during the winter season. It is on the Florida East Coast Railway, which extends across the Florida Keys to Key West.

Supplies. Provisions, ship chandlery, coal, fuel oil, fresh water, and gasoline may be obtained.

Repairs. There are good facilities for repairing hulls and machinery of small craft and several marine railways, at the largest of which vessels of 200 tons and 8-foot draft can be hauled.

Quarantine. There is a quarantine station at Miami.

Pilotage. The pilot charges for the port of Miami are given in section 1300, General Statutes of Florida, given in the Appendix, page 185.

Harbor control.-The harbor master controls the anchorages and berths. On account of the harbor not being thoroughly dredged there are no specified anchorages.

Wharves.-There is 11 feet at the railroad wharf near the upper end of the water front. The city of Miami has constructed a pier a little north of the railroad wharf, dredged a turning basin 18 feet deep in front of the wharf, and connected it by a channel 12 feet deep and 100 feet wide with a basin in front of the railroad wharf. There are depths of 4 to 5 feet at the wharves from the clubhouse dock southward to the southerly wharf on the east side of the city. Improvements are contemplated along the city water front that will involve building a sea wall southward from a point south of the railroad wharf and filling in behind to reclaim several acres of ground. A wharf with 15 feet alongside is located near the eastern end of the causeway crossing the bay.

Miami River trends westward, through the southern part of the city of Miami to the Everglades, and is navigable for a draft of 6 feet into the drainage canal, about 3 miles above its mouth. The drainage canal leading to Lake Okechobee from Miami is navigable with difficulty for very small craft only at the present time. Dredging is now being carried on. For further information concerning the waterway across Florida see Inside Route Pilot, New York to Key West. Three drawbridges cross the river, to the lowest of which a draft of 8 feet can be carried. The main entrance is from well southward of the city and is marked by piles on both sides and a lighted range. To enter the river through this channel, bring the Miami River range on astern course 336° true (NNW. 14 W. mag.) and follow the starboard land beacons to Brickell Point. A depth of 15 feet in a cut 60 feet wide can be taken into the river directly from the South Channel on a westsouthwesterly heading. The entrance is east of the Royal Palm Hotel and is marked by a lighted beacon and the cut by single pile beacons with white pointers.

Channels. The bay in front of and just south of Miami is very shallow, except where channels have been dredged. One channel leads from the deeper water south of the city to a turning basin at the railroad wharf and another from the jettied channel entrance; both are marked by piles and beacons.

The main entrance to Miami from the sea is through a jettied channel east-southeastward from Miami. This channel had a depth of 14 feet in June, 1921, and work was still in progress. A channel 100 feet wide and 152 feet deep leads from the entrance along the south side of a causeway to the railroad and city piers at Miami. The entrance is marked by buoys, and the channel across the bay by lights. Miami Beach is located on the outside beach eastward of Miami. There is good anchorage for small craft eastward of Star Island. Tides. The mean rise and fall of tides is 1.2 feet. High water occurs at Miami 10 minutes before high water at Key West.

DIRECTIONS.-Through the Main Channel.-Vessels approaching Miami entrance from northward or southward outside of Hawk Channel should not shoal the water to less than 15 fathoms until off the entrance and Miami gas and bell buoy (flashing red) has been picked up. Passing 100 yards northward of the buoy steer 252° true (WSW. 14 W. mag.) for 114 miles, when Miami entrance gas buoy (flashing white) should bear 291° true (WNW. 14 W. mag.). Then steer 295° true (NW. by W. % W. mag.), passing close to it and enter the dredged channel between the rock jetties. Considerable tidal current may be expected between the jetties and careful steering will be necessary. Continue the course, being guided by the lights, beacons with finger boards pointing to the channel, and buoys marking the cut to the turning basin just off the municipal pier. The cut is close to a causeway which it parallels for the greater part across the bay.

Through Biscayne Channel.-Vessels up to 10 feet draft can come to the railroad or city wharf at Miami through a channel between the shoals south of Cape Florida to Key Biscayne Bay, thence up the bay to a dredged channel leading to the wharves. This channel is well marked by beacons and buoys.

The following directions are good for a draft of 8 feet to Miami; a draft of about 10 feet can be taken to the city, but requires local knowledge. The partly dredged channel from Cape Florida Shoal light through Biscayne Channel is well marked by beacons and lights. At times the currents have considerable velocity and require

some attention.

Vessels can follow Hawk Channel to the perpendicularly striped buoy off the entrance; or, from outside, pass close to the bell buoy 23 miles northward of Fowey Rocks lighthouse and steer 228° true (WNW. 11⁄2 W. mag.) for Cape Florida Shoal light (red house on piles) in range with Biscayne Channel light (red slatted structure on piles). Pass about 150 yards southwestward of Cape Florida Shoal light and haul a little northward, keeping in the channel marked by the beacons until up to Biscayne Channel.

The course through Biscayne Channel is about 271° true (W. mag.) with Biscayne Channel light (red structure) a little on the starboard hand. Leave the light about 200 feet on the starboard

hand, and then steer 310° true (NW. 1⁄2 W. mag.) for 5% mile until up to a lighted beacon,

Pass eastward of this beacon and steer 357° true (N. % W. mag.) for 22 miles to lighted beacon No. "17" and then steer 12° true (N. by E. mag.) for 21⁄2 miles to the lighted beacon at the entrance of the dredged channel. Then follow the dredged channel as marked by beacons to the turning basin in front of the municipal pier. From beacon No. 18 a lighted range leads through a dredged cut marked by beacons into the mouth of Miami River. See page 124.

FLORIDA KEYS AND REEFS.

The Florida Keys consist of a remarkable chain of low islands, beginning with Virginia Key, in about latitude 25° 45′ N., longitude 80° 09′ W., and extending in a circular sweep to Marquesas Keys, in latitude 24° 33′ N., longitude 82° 10′ W., a distance of nearly 145 miles. For a distance of nearly 100 miles they skirt the southeast coast of the Florida peninsula, from which they are separated by shallow bodies of water known as Key Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, Barnes Sound, and Florida Bay, which are connected in the order named. Biscayne Bay has a depth of 9 to 10 feet for a great part of its length; the other bodies of water are shallow, full of small keys and shoals, and of no commercial importance excepting as a cruising ground for small boats. Westward of Florida Bay the Florida Keys separate the Straits of Florida from the Gulf of Mexico.

No detailed description of the keys, can be given and none is necessary. They are mostly of coral formation, all are low and for the most part covered with a dense growth of mangroves, though some are well wooded with pine, and on a few are groves of coconut trees. Pineapples are being largely cultivated on the keys. Nearly all of the keys along the Hawk Channel are inhabited, but the only place of importance is Key West.

A railroad has been built across the keys to Key West. The openings under the viaduct and bridges are indicated on the charts. There are two drawbridges, at Indian Key and Moser Channel, through which a depth of 5 to 7 feet can be taken from Hawk Channel to Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. These channels are only used by small craft which trade among the keys, and should not be attempted by a stranger without a pilot. The route along the north side of the keys from Miami to Bahia Honda is described in the Inside Route Pilot, New York to Key West.

The currents have a velocity of 3 to 4 knots through the openings between the keys. See also p. 38.

Florida Reefs.-The Florida Keys are skirted on the side next to the straits throughout their whole extent by the Florida Reefs, a chain of dangerous reefs and shoals lying at an average distance of about 5 miles from the line of keys. Between the chain of reefs and keys there is a passage called Hawk Channel. The reefs are more dangerous from the fact that they are not marked by breakers in smooth weather and few show above water. On the outer edge of and between the reefs the water shoals abruptly.

In approaching the reefs from seaward warning of their proximity will usually be given by a difference in the color of the water, which will change from deep blue to light green. Too much dependence must not, however, be placed upon this warning. In clear weather the lighthouses and beacons make navigation along the reefs easy; in thick weather the lead must be relied upon for safety. Soundings in 50 fathoms will assure the navigator of being within about 2 to 3 miles of the reefs, and great caution should be used in approaching them closer. Fogs, however, are not frequent in this locality.

Fowey Rocks lighthouse is a brown, pyramidal, skeleton tower on pile foundation, inclosing a white dwelling and stair cylinder. The light is group flashing white, 2 flashes every 10 seconds with red sectors, 110 feet above the water, and visible 16 miles. Storm signals are displayed during daytime only.

Pacific Reef lighthouse is a white, square pyramidal skeleton structure. The light is a flashing white every 3 seconds, 45 feet above the water, and visible 12 miles.

Carysfort Reef lighthouse is a dark brown, pyramidal, skeleton tower on pile foundation, inclosing a dwelling and stair cylinder. The light is group flashing white, 3 flashes every 20 seconds, with red sectors, 100 feet above the water, and visible 16 miles. Storm signals are displayed during daytime only.

Molasses Reef light is a brown, square, pyramidal, skeleton structure. The light is flashing white every 5 seconds, 45 feet above the water, and visible 12 miles.

Alligator Reef lighthouse is a white, pyramidal, skeleton tower on black pile foundation, inclosing a white dwelling and stair cylinder. The light is group flashing white, four flashes of 0.5 second each separated by eclipses of 2 seconds each and followed by an eclipse of 7 seconds, 136 feet above the water, and visible 18 miles. The flashes show red within the limits of the red sectors. Storm signals are displayed during daytime only.

Sombrero Key lighthouse is a brown, pyramidal, skeleton tower on pile foundation, inclosing dwelling and stair cylinder. The light is group flashing white, 5 flashes every 15 seconds, with red sectors, 142 feet above the water, and visible 18 miles. Storm signals are displayed during daytime only.

American Shoal lighthouse is a dark brown, pyramidal, skeleton tower on pile foundation, inclosing dwelling and white stair cylinder. The light is flashing white (light 1.2 seconds, eclipse 3.8 seconds) with red sectors, 109 feet above the water, and visible 16 miles. Storm signals are displayed daytime only.

Key West lighthouse is a white conical tower. The light is occulting white, with red sectors, 91 feet above the water, and visible 14 miles. Sand Key lighthouse is a brown, pyramidal, skeleton tower, on pile foundation, inclosing dwelling and stair cylinder. The light is group flashing, 2 flashes every 10 seconds, with red sectors, 109 feet above the water, and visible 16 miles. Storm warnings are displayed at this station.

Rebecca Shoal lighthouse is a white, square structure on a brown pile foundation. The light is a group flashing white, 3 flashes every 15 seconds, with a red sector, 66 feet above the water, and visible 14 miles.