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758 KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
fea, we made the Ferro Ifles. I paffed two leagues fouth of a rock laying fouth of the
iflands, and diftant from them by appearance about a league. I perceived breakers at
half a league from this rock. At noon I took an elevation under the land, and found,
after making a back obfervation to try my former by, after noticing the bearing, and
cafting my log-book, that thefe iflands are corre€tly laid down in Mr. Bellin’s
map. We found 18° of variation from two correfponding elevations. After doubling
the ifles of Ferro, I dire€ted my courfe to the northward to make the Shetland Ifles ;
but not falling in with them on the twenty-eighth, at four in the morning, and judging
by the way I had made, that I muft have paffed them, (for I had continually fteered
E. one quarter S. 1.) I tacked to the S. E. one quarter E. to proceed to Berghen. I
believe that the currents carried me towards the north in my paflage from the iffes
of Ferro to Shetland, I muft obferve as well that in the paflage I had two flodds to one
ebb tide.
The twenty-ninth the wind frefh and ftrong from the N. W., the fea very heavy,
with a thick fog. In fuch weather I was not defirous of encountering the coafts of
Norway. I kept under main and forefail, and employed myfelf in taking foundings,
waiting for more favourable weather.
The thirtieth, at five o’clock in the morning, the weather brightening and the wind
becoming lighter, I fteered E. S. E. with a north wind to make land ; but obferving at
noon that I was in latitude 59° 12’, I faw that I was too far to S. to enter by the way
of Cruxfiord, which is the fhorteft and the moft ufual paflage ; I worked to windward,
it blew N., and I fteered N. E. AsI was by obfervation 18’ more to the fouth than
by my log, I fought for the caufe of this difference in the pofition of the iflands, and the
coalts of the north, which, by the manner of their lying, govern the following courfe of
currents. At flood the tide flows from the W.‘S. W. upon the ifles of Shetland, and, ~
changing its direction on ebbing, flows S. S. E. varying its courfe according to the line
of the coatt, as far as to the ftraights of Dover, but the waves meeting here with another
flood, flow back, and throw themfelves upon the coafts of Jutland, which fends them
back to Cape Derneus, from which they take their courfe, direction, and motion, ac-
cording to the pofition of the coafts of Norway: this, according to my opinion, is the
caufe of the current, which runs always to the fouth on the coafts of Shetland, and that
which runs always north on thofe of Norway: this general movement not interfering
with the ebb and flow incident to each particular fpot. It is here that I fhould notice
the obfervations I made for knowing with certainty, by founding, whether a fhip be ap-
proaching the coa({t of Shetland, or Norway, which is of confequence, and interefting
for thofe veffels which cruife or navigate thefe feas, almoft continually over fhadowed
with fogs,
When in the middle of the channel between the ifles of Shetland and the coatt of
Norway, or but little diftant from the middle, there are 65, 70, and 75 fathoms of
water, clean and fine fand. On nearing Shetland the depth does not diminifh, it ra-
ther increafes in different places ; but the bottom is different, the fand is larger, darker,
and mixed more with gravel the clofer you get to’fhore. On the contrary, when approach-
ing the coalts of Norway, the depth of water fenfibly increafes, the bottom changes, be-
coming more muddy, and this mud becomes lefs dark as you go near the coaft of
Norway. This channel is called the Great Tun by mariners, and the paflage between
the Arcades and the Shetland Ifles in the north or fouth of the little ifland Fairehil,
which is in wie middle, is. called the Little Tun.
‘The firft of July, at three o’clock in the morning, having fteered E, N. E. with very
little wind from the N. from the preceding noon, I made land; it was perfectly bik
10 an
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