fafety but, fetting fonie o f the head fails, they run her afliore
between the wharf and the centre of the fea-lines, upon a fmooth,
fandy beach, by which means, though the ihip be loft, the crew
arefaved. ™ fen j: • jnBftafcs
• Our officers feem to be divided in opinion as to the prèferénee
o f Table Bay or Simdri’s Bay. - They are certainly both defective,
but the latter would appear to bé'-the more fecure, from
the circumftance of few, if any, ihips having ever been known
to drive on ihore from their anchors, whilft fcarcely a feafon
paifes without fome being loft in Table Bay. -in the winter
months, when the wind blows from north to north-weft, forty
or fifty ihips may lie at anchor perfectly fecure in Simon’s Bay ;
and eight or ten may be fufficiently ibeltCred im the ftrongeft
fouth-eafters. 3 The Great Bay Falfe, of1 which this is an indent
or cove, was fo little known at the timé of the capture by the
Britiih forces, that Rear-Admiral Pringle, in the year 1797,
directed it to be furveyed and founded, in confequence of which
the exaCt fituation was afcertained of a very dangerous rock,
placed directly in the paflage of ihips into Simon’s Bay ; a rock,
of the exiftence of whjch the Dutch were entirely ignorant.
The annexed chart with the foundings is a copy of the faid
furvey..
The ufual months in which ihips refort to Simon’s ' Bay
are from May to September inclufive. The diftance. from
Cape Town, being twenty-four miles, and the badnefs of thé
road, moftly deep- fand and fplaihes of water, render the communica
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