November t^a t’ on ^ue examination, thefe eflential articles might be obtained with
t— ----- - lefs difficulty than we experienced. So far as we became acquainted
with its foundings, they appeared regular and good; the bottom excel»
lent holding ground ; and though we paffed over fome that was hard in
going from our firft anchorage to the other, it was not in a fituation
where velfels are likely to remain ftationary; nor do I confider the
bank or bar without as any detriment to the port, though an unplea-
fant fenfation is frequently ocqafxoned in paffing over it. I have however
been given to underftand, that the port is not much in repute with
the maritime Spaniards, on account of the ftrength of its tides; this
difapprobation is eafily accounted for, when the manner o f fecuring
their velfels is confidered. This is done invariably by mooring them
head and ftern, with many anchors and cables,; never lefs than four,
and feldom lefs than fix ; a very injudicious method when under the influence
of rapid and irregular tides. The tides, however, at St. Fran-
cifco, to perfons unaccuftomed to navigate in tidefways, may be an objection
; but to thofe who know how to benefit by their ftream they are
amongft its greateft advantages, fince the prevailing winds are from
the weftward, frequently continue many days together, and blow direft-
]y into the port, which would render its egrefs difficult at thofe times
without the affiftance of the ebb tide; which, in the ftream of the, port,
takes, I believe, a regular courfe with the flood, nearly fix hours each
way, and is high water about r iE 24' after the moon pafles the meridian;
though in the place where we anchored, and particularly at the laft, the
tides were very irregular; nor could we form any true judgment o f their
rife and fall, which appeared to be very inconfiderable. Our firft place
of anchorage poflefles.many advantages, fuperior to thofe we found at
the fecond. The tides are there infinitely the moft regular, and not-
withftanding the bank of mud prevented our landing in fome places,;
it does not extend all round the cove; for its fouth-weftern part is a
fteep ffiore, and might eafily be made commodious for obtaining fuel,
and water; the latter is very good, and there'is an abundance o f the-
former immediately in its vicinity. The anchorage is more fecure, by
being
being completely land-locked, and further removed from the ocean. In- -*»»;
dependently o f thefe places o f mfety, there is every reafon to conclude ^
that the northern parts of this extenfive port would afford many fitu-
ations preferable to either.
With a freffi gale from the n.w . we made great progrefs to the
fouthward along the fea-coaft; having the range o f mountains which
were to the right o f us in our journey to SB Clara, now on our left
hand, and prefenting us a very different afpeft. Their weftern fide, ex-
pofed to all the violence and changes of an oceanic climate, was nearly
deftitute of wood or verdure; fome grovelling fhrubs were fcattered
in the vallies, and fome dwarf folitary trees were feen on the fides o f the
mountains, which had in general a very naked and barren appearance.
Wifhing to delineate the coaft, which we found to extend nearly s.
14 E., from the entrance o f St. Francifco, we plied during the night;
and the next morning fhewed our fituation to be off the entrance of. the-
bay of Monterrey, where we were becalmed until noon, when a plea-
fant breeze from the weftward allowed us to fleer for the- center or bottom
o f the bay, whofe fhores were chiefly compofed o f low compaft
land; but in this point o f view, the more fbuthern and weftern parts;
o f them feemed to be very much elevated, and bore ' the appearance
o f being infular. As we fleered along, I was in conftant exp edition
o f finding a proper pi act o f anchorage, which was not difcovered
until four in the afternoon, by making the fignal I had fettled with-
Sen" Quadra, which was immediately anfwered from the prefidio. Our
anchorage was direfted to be nearly under the high land before mentioned,
on the fouthern fide o f the bay. About feven in the evening Mr-
Whidbey came on board from the Daedalus, which veflel had arrived-
all well, on the 22d, after having completed the fervice on which fhe-
had been employed. Soon after we were met by fome Spanifh boats-
fent by Sen1- Quadra to our affiftance; and in about an hour we were-
fafely moored with our anchors to the N.w. and s.E. ; the latter lying
in g fathoms water, good holding ground. Our diftance from the near-
eft or SiW. ftiore about a quarter of a mile;, the points, of the bay bore
4 by,