The Republican journal., 1881-01-20
BELFAST, MAINE, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1881.
Coast Currents.


Coast Currents.
HlNls FOR COASTERS SOUTH OF CAPE HATTERAS.
At Cape Hatteras the coast turns abruptly to
the southw estward and here begins that series of
great indentatiops- -miscalled bavs-which ex-
tends to Cape Florida a distance measured bv the
shore line of 12O miles The first bend between
Hatteras and Cape Lookout forms Raleigh Bay a
slight curve in the coast line in no place deeper
than seven miles from line Joining the two capeS
and little over 81 miles long in a S W bv W
direction Between Cane Lookout and Cane Fear
is formed Opsow Bay, a curve IS miles deep from
a line Joining its two extremties and s. miles
long between the two capes the direction being
S W. by W | W From Cape Fear to Cape Ro
main on the South Carolina coast is S W. by W
and the distance 50 miles and between the two is
formed Long Bay twenty miles deep measuring
from line Joining the two capes The soundings
in all of these bavs are very similar ranging from
five to twelve fathoms with quite bold shores and
few distractions The ten fathom curve as
rule, is a toleraby safe guide in any of them al
though it is lust as well 10 keep out Of the bights
in case of the wind coming to the souheastwa ard
,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,1 ~ ,,rp,-p
''N T.
40 the southwark OF cape Roman, however the
coast makes mat great bend TO the westward ana
southward that rivals N extent the Cult OF Name
ana might be lt the name were not long ago pre-
empted on the northwest coast appropriately
called me Hult OF Georgia. ms great curve eX
tendS rom cape komaln 70 cape Canaveral, a dls
fiI S II! s my ~ ; l
two capes to the shore at ST Andrews S0und
Depths inside this line regularly and SLOWLY de-
crease from 80 and 20 fathoms to the bars off the
several iplets and so regular is this decrease in
depth that experienced coasters can tel their dis
tano., from the shore within a mile or two simply
by the soundings As rule six miles off there is
always six fathons twelve miles off eight to nine
fath0ms and twenty five miles off from ten to
IL.
St Augustine. where the line of ter fathoms runs
with many curious curve and twist quite close
to the shore Southwark from st Augustlne the
coast is bold afordirg SPLENDID opportunity for
skinning the beach" we're it not for the dangerous
f. S f. winds which would be very ant to "skin :
the owners or the underwriters Below MOSQUITO
Inlet however it is necessary to keep "away
from there as the dangerous Shoals off Cape Can
ayeral are not much known and extend out in de
tached masses to distance of nearly twelve miles
Then comes a straight bold beach extending s bv
E F. % miles to jupiter Inler. and then another
equally straight euually bold stretchlng from in
pitCr Inlet to Cape Florida IS miles below Here
the Atlantic coast of the United States may be
said to terminate for here begin the famous and
dreaded Florida Reefs extending to the Tortugas
fatal to thousands Of shps since the first bold mar
iner sailed along their low green shores and now
stunned and avoided by ali except those accus-
toned to their shoals and dangers Or by some
foolhardy sailor who thinks to make a short cut of
it to avoid the "Stream
SOUTH or HArTERAs
IN; :; ~, ,,,4 ,., Il u... 49,, :: IN
This ,,reat Iengtb tborn ara fa,r var1 tar harhors
accessible to a vessel drawing sixteen feet on
serve TOO that in Raleiph Ray (betwepn Hattaras
and IOokOutl there are only two raviua hla inlats
-Hatteras and Ocracoke Durinr The war as
nuch "a eight feet was taken 0ver ..IIattnras
Swash hut over Ocraco,e the writer novor hoard
of more than six and if is very donhttiil if anv snr
depihs conId be carried nov Into 0nsIor Rav
open very many inlets lradinr to thn shallow va
ters behind the coast rim of sand but of these
Ola T0psail Inlet which forms the harbor of Raau
fart il thn nnIv orn 1,ayirabIe a. a1,tb;r,r I'M
tlatboats and lis vaIne fharing nnIT = denfb of
thirteen feet NJ low ,raterl il only o0mrarati,o
New Inlet So famous durinp thn ,ror ANA tha
kaannr of ,rhosa door cost tho ,r,,arrI,o1+ NIL
hons and US Of the North Atlantic squadron many
% nas oeeH tail[tlY elosPu oy Sc
~ ny 'li ~ 80 tl' 'iI "pu vi
@ ,l doan ~ .ir' N%po p r ga! W. oi tl'is
Gno-, Z iit ''ro l,ius ~ ol.aio
70 ~ " y - anu "oe "ito
ttlt tne uLluehH n-allheI d "non lno current ms
% wol Pasaes = M seius NO ,ne'i
49, 80 -, , - ~ @ ~ iGns Day oet"een oaPe
J''. 'nu p "ollalu' ~ .ri' ate a0Sotu'eiy no
oANo po"t p"ss"Ses, u W. eAceP' luz nNel
lnle' l"hith "G woulu auG'Se strangers 10 keep
%"dS 'loti'j anu " In an Day "nitu carries tne
~ @ Va eeN' Nv, un tili9 I".'ei pal
@ 81 {, TN ""'et = iouh' anu 'Ha. utPt"
h ma! We laHcn m " AZ i' "s ueoiEe'""N; puI "hen
'-'' 10 ''''i "'' 10 ''''
fHE TABLED INSHoRE CURRENT,
Now here are three great curves in the coast
not one of which has an inlet into the main shore
capable OF carving a vessel of over fifteen feet
draught and only one able to accommodate craft of
that displacemeut-a shore with flat beach bold
to as rule. with no ou1Iying shoals exccnt At
the capes aud vet we are asked TO believe that
there is a regular and strong indraught to the
westward and nortnwestward due to the coast cur