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KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO ‘THE NORTH. 761
foon as I had anchored, and the frigate rode at her moorings, I fent a tow-rope afhore
to thefeaftward, which was lafhed a to ftarboard: by this means the veffel does not
lay with the current, but it is fecure. The main-anchor is heaved into eighteen fathom
water, fand and gravelly bottom ; there is fix fathoms below the veffel, and as the bottom
rifes in a floping manner, there does not need more than forty-five fathoms of cable out,
comprifing the platting. ‘The tow-line is moored to a rock on fhore cut for the purpofe.
Great care muft be taken to plat the cable, and examine it often, for there are rocks in
many places at the bottom. ‘The tide does not run {trong. The difference of high and
low water is eight feet; the tides are of fix hours. J forgot to obferve that five-and-
twenty fathoms of bitter muft be ufed inanchoring, and to recommend to be always
ready to let out cable fo asto ride eafy on the wind. Moreover it will be neceflary to
have another anchor in referve, ready to be caft, in cafe the firft fhould not hold. It is
needlefs to advife the coming to an anchor with as little wind as poflible. I obferved
that a veffel is fufficiently well moored with a tow-rope aftern ; for as foon as the wind
fouths, fhe fets failfor Berghen. If the wind fhould happen to blow S.S. W., it would
be prudent to have a fecond tow-rope to larboard, on the weftern fide.
When about to fail, a veffel muft pay out tow-rope while heaving at the capftan.
The anchor is weighed and catted, the topfails and mizen-topfails are then tallied, the
tow-rope is paid out, or cut, and an oared boat fent afhore to bring it after.
The fecond and third, we had adead calm. I employed myfelf in taking a draft of
this road, or rather this bafon. At mufquet fhot from this anchorage, as well as near
all others along the river, you meet with a tavern, provided with meat, fifh, eggs, milk,
beer, and in fhort every thing the country affords.
The fourth, at nine in the evening the wind S. with fog, we failed from Ingefon for
Berghen. We made nearly eight leagues among the rocks, which we pafled very clofe
to, during a thick fog that almoft entirely obfcured the feeble glimmering of twilight.
On the road the pilots made me notice feveral anchorages, both to ftarboard and lar-
board, as well for large, as {mall veflels.
The fifth, at four o’clock in the morning, the wind at $. E. but weak, we anchored
at Behoriaven, nearly three fea leagues from Berghen. ‘The ftarboard anchor was caft
in twenty fathoms water, fandy bottom, with flint ftones. As foon as the frigate
rounded, I fent two tow-ropes a-{hore to two iron rings fixed for the purpofe of veffels ta
moor to, there are fimilar rings along all the canals of Berghen, wherever there is
anchorage ; for it muft not be conceived that a veffel can anchor any where although,
enclofed by land and rocks ; fometimes it is requifite to proceed three or four leagues to
get to an anchor, on account of their being not lefs than eighty to one hundred fa-
thoms water between one anchorage and another. At two o’clock in the afternoon we
had a weak S. wind, and failed, when under fail it veered to W. N. W. and N. W. I had
great difficulty in doubling the laft point, which forms the entrance of the bay of Berghen
on the fide of the weit, at which point there is a buoy to mark a funken rock. In the
middle of the bay, a league from the anchorage, we experienced a violent current which
prevented our advancing, and kept us as it were at anchor, notwithftanding we had a
good wind, and all fails fet; this current was occafioned by the ebb-tide emptying itfelf
from the two bays, the one north, the other fouth, of the citadel. I manned all the
boats of the frigate, and fent them before to tow her. By dint of rowing, with all fails
fet, 1 made fhift to pafs this current, which otherwife might have carried me on to the
north fhore. At fixo’clock I anchored in nine fathoms, with a fandy bottom, and the
frigate lying with her head to windward, after paying out forty fathoms of cable, {truck
on a flat rock, the only danger to be apprehended in this roadftead: there were fourteen
VOL. I. SE feet
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