47. DANGERS NEAR BREHAT, ON THE COAST OF FRANCE.

M. Beautemps-Beaupré has furnished us with the following account of the position of the various dangers on a part of the coast of France, which, to navigators, are of the most formidable description, in consequence of the great velocity of the tide which passes over them. In addition to this, until the survey of the French officers was completed, from which it is collected, these dangers were incorrectly placed on the charts. We have therefore considered the whole of the particulars as containing so much valuable information to navigators, that we have translated them entirely.

"The charts in the Neptune Français, as well as others recently published in England, give the positions of the dangers in the vicinity and to the northward of Brehat so incorrectly, between which vessels are obliged to pass into the Bay of St. Brieuc to St. Malo, Cancale, and to Granville, that we believe it will be rendering a service to navigators, to give them the means of correcting those charts which they already possess.

“The chart of the English channel, in three sheets, published at London in 1811, and corrected in 1824, doubtless deserves, in many respects, the degree of confidence which navigators place in it; but we must say, that it would be as dangerous to trust to it in the vicinity of Brehat, as it would be to use the oldest chart of our Neptunes.

"The corrections which we shall give, will serve for this chart as well as for the French charts,-the imperfections of which it is our particular object to point out.

The question, whether it is better for vessels from the westward, bound to St. Malo, Granville, &c. to pass between Brehat and the flats of the RochesDouvres, or to the northward of these flats, has been frequently agitated, since it was contemplated to establish a lighthouse in the vicinity of Brehat; but as the reasoning concerning it could only be founded on the data of charts which were known to be defective, the consequence was, that the construction NO. 5.-VOL. I.

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of the most important lighthouse, perhaps, of all that commerce daily demands, was obliged to be postponed.

"F. M. de Rossel, author of the report containing the account of the system adopted by the commissioners for lighting the coasts of France, was inclined to think that the light in the environs of Brehat should be placed on the Roches-Douvres, if that could be done; but he concluded by saying that he considered it right to withhold his definitive opinion until the officers, who are surveying the coast, should have fully determined the relative situation of all the localities. The wishes of M. Rossel are fulfilled: the environs of Brehat have been examined with the utmost care, and it is ascertained that the rocks named the Heaux de Brehat afford the best position for the intended light, and not the Roches-Douvres, where it would be very difficult and expensive. to establish it. It has been determined also, by the commissioners of lights, that a provisionary light shall be established, as soon as possible, on the Heaur. "It will be sufficient to give, as we are about to do, the positions of the principal dangers near Brehat, to shew that the best passage, for vessels navigating these dangerous parts, is close to the northward of this isle.

"We shall give the positions of these dangers with reference to a large mark, which we have established on the middle of the south side of Brehat isle, between the Chambre and the Port Clos, in lat. 48° 50′ 20′′ N, and 3° 0' 16" W. of Greenwich.

The Roches-Douvres.

"The middle of these rocks, which extend more than two miles from east to west, lies N. 23° 10′ E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 17819.6 fathoms. "There are two heads of rocks which never cover, and the highest on which I landed, on the 8th September, 1829, is elevated 56 feet above low water, and lies nearly in the middle of the southern part of the Roches-Douvres.

The Horaine.

"The beacon placed on this reef is situated N. 44° 14′ E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 4555 fathoms.

"The summit of this rock is 23 feet above low water..

Gautier Rock.

"This rock lies N. 32° 5′ E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 13263 fathoms, and is 14 feet above low water.

Barnouic Rock.

"This rock bears N. 34° E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 13844 fathoms, and is 25 feet above low water.

"The Barnouic and Gautier rocks, which bear S. 74° 24′ W. and N. 74° 24' E., from each other, and 746 fathoms apart, are the highest points of the dangerous reef lying between the Horaine and the Roches-Douvres.

"This reef extends 1 mile east to one mile south, three miles to the west, and two miles to the N.W. of Barnouic.

Roc'h-ar-Bel.

"The northern point of Roc'h-ar-Bel is situated N. 3° 45′ E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 5304.3 fathoms.

"This point is so badly placed on all the French charts, as well as others, (about 284 fathoms too far to the northward,) that a vessel steering so as to pass to the northward of the position assigned to it on the charts, is in danger of running on the Barnouic and Gautier rocks; and by endeavouring to pass it on the south, she is in danger of falling on the point of Roc'h-ar-Bel, the true position of which we have given. Roc'h-ar-Bel is nothing more than the N.E. extremity of the great flat stretching off the coast which separates the rivers Tréguier and Pontrieux, and of which the Heaux forms a part.

The Heaux.

"The high rock of this flat, on which a lighthouse is to be erected, lies N. 39° 11′ 47′′ W. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 5590 fathoms.

Basse Maurice.

"This sunken rock, on which there is not less than 8 fathoms at low water, is not dangerous to any vessels; but as it occasions considerable breakers, which might alarm navigators, we here give its position. It lies N. 20° E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 7918.6 fathoms.

"It is probable that the Basse Maurice has been marked on all the old charts as the northern part of Roc'h-ar-Bel, from which it is really separated by 20 and 25 fathoms water, and a channel about 3 cables' length across.

"The flat which forms the eastern extreme of the innumerable rocks of Brehat, and which is known by the name of Ringuebras or Caïn-bras, is ter. minated by a rock which lies N. 87° E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 6245.4 fathoms.

"With these last rocks to the east of Brehat, there are sand-banks which extend about three miles to the south-eastward of the Ringuebras.

"We know nothing of two rocks which are marked on all the charts, one of which is named the Basse du Moulec, and the other the Harlopin; and if they do exist, which is very doubtful, they are not in the positions assigned to them.

"It is not unlikely that the Harlopin is nothing more than the flat known by the name of Ringuebras, the position of which we have given. As to the Basse du Moulec, perhaps it may be one of those numerous rocky heads near the Gautier and Barnouic rocks, which have been examined this year.

"The general chart of the coasts of Brittany, in the Neptune Français, shews a second Basse du Moulec between the Barnouic, the Gautier rocks, and the Roches-Douvres. This rock really does exist, and forms the N.W. point of the flat of the Barnouic and Gautier rocks, of which we have spoken above.

"The first thing that a navigator should do, is to place the above dangers on his chart, according to the positions we have given of them. This done, he will find not only how faulty are the old charts of the environs of Brehat, but also how he should proceed to pass between Brehat and the Roches-Douvres. “It is evident to us, that the best channel for passing to the northward of Brehat is that which is bounded on the south by the Heaux, Roc'h-ar-Bel, and the Ringuebras, and on the north by the Gautier and Barnouic rocks. This channel is about seven miles wide, and the course of the ebb and flood tide follows its direction. It is also clear to us, that a vessel should, if possible, avoid taking the channel between the Roches-Douvres and the Gautier and Barnouic rocks, which are nearer to each other than shewn by the most recent charts, and particularly by the chart of the channel in three sheets, of which we have already spoken. In fact, the Gautier rock is placed on this chart N. 37° E. (true) of the Horaine, distant 5062 fathoms, and S. 2° E. from the middle of the Roches-Douvres, distant 11.148 fathoms, while it really lies N. 25° 54′ E. (true) from the mark on the Horaine, distant 8888.5 fathoms, and south (true) from the Roches-Douvres, distant 4796 fathoms.

"The Barnouic rock, which is placed on the same chart, N. 33° E. (true) from the Horaine, distant 6074.8 fathoms, and south (true) from the middle of the Roches-Douvres, distant 9762.3 fathoms, really lies N. 29° 9′ E. (true) from the mark on the Horaine, distant 9442.7 fathoms, and S. 5° E. (true) from the middle of the Roches-Douvres, distant 4689.1 fathoms.

"The north point of Roc'h-ar-Bel is placed on the same chart, according

to the Neptune Français, about 1705 fathoms too far to the northward, and the flats, of which the Barnouic and Gautier rocks are the highest points, are altogether omitted. The result of these errors is, that a false channel has been shewn clear of dangers, and 9 miles wide between the Roches-Douvres, the Barnouic, and the Gautier rocks, and again, a channel 5 miles wide, which would be somewhat diminished by Roc'h-ar-Bel, between these rocks and the Horaine.

"As to the passage to the north of the Roches-Douvres, which M. de Rossel believed might be adopted with safety, both by day and night, by means of a lighthouse on one of the rocks, we cannot speak of it from experience; but we can affirm, that it will not be used voluntarily by French navigators coming from the westward, who are at all acquainted with the localities lately explored by the French surveyors. Why should they expose themselves, by passing to the northward of the Roches-Douvres, to the risk of being delayed by contrary winds from the South and S.S.W., or even to be set by the currents on the western part of the dangerous flat of the Minquiers, where some merchant vessels are lost every year, when they are certain that a channel of seven miles wide is to be found near Brehat, which the ebb and flood sets through regularly? We think, and consider it right to repeat so here, that, in all cases, vessels should avoid going between the Roches-Douvres and the flat of the Barnouic and Gautier rocks.

“In fact, the best way for vessels to proceed, coming from the west, and bound to St. Brieuc, St. Malo, and Granville, is to make the little archipelago of the Seven Isles, where the commissioners of lighthouses have directed a light to be placed. A provisionary light has also been directed by this Board to be placed as soon as possible on the Heaux. These two lights are much desired by navigators who frequent the bay of St. Brieuc, as well as the ports of St. Malo and Granville.

"When the lights on the Seven Isles and the Heaux shall be established, it will be easy, even by night, to pass between the Horaine and the flats of the Barnouic and Gautier rocks, from the westward; for after having made the light of the Seven Isles, a vessel may steer so as to pass two or three miles to the northward of the Heaux, from whence a course (true) west may be made with safety, until all the dangers of this passage shall have been passed.

"I think that, in fine weather, every navigator who may find himself, at night-fall, two or three miles (true) north from the light of the Heaux, being guided by the light, might pass with the flood between the Horaine and the flats of the Barnouic and Gautier rocks, even by working to windward; for this passage is safe, and, I repeat, seven miles wide.

Ships bound to the bay of St. Brieuc, being desirous of passing between the rocks close to the east of Brehat, cannot, under any circumstance, do so at night; the appearance of the light will scarcely suffice to clear them of the dangers they will meet in this channel, which is known by the name of the Race of Brehat, the entrance of which is between the isle of Brehat and the Horaine.

"On this we shall merely say, that the two beacons on the Cormorandiere, and the other point of Minar, to shew the direction of the Race of Brehat, are not well placed, and that at low water it would be dangerous to follow the course pointed out to them.

"M. Givry, who completed this year the survey of the dangers in the vicinity of Brehat commenced in 1830, is satisfied that those dangers may be avoided which border the Race of Brehat, by following a course which will be pointed out by another beacon to be established between Point Minar and Point Plouha. It will be well to increase the size of the Cormorandiere,

and to make the proposed beacon as large as the tower Baudic at the entrance of the river Poutrieux."

M. Beaupré gives an outline, on a very small scale, of the places referred to in the foregoing remarks, and adds the following results from M. Monnier's survey of 1831.

"1. That the south-easternmost rock of the flat known to navigators by the name of Deree, on the Minquiers bank, lies N. 78° 51′ 10′′ E. (true) from the mark on Brehat, distant 30016 fathoms; from the light on Cape Frehel, N. 8° 11′ 21′′ E. (true), distant 15195.7 fathoms; and from the principal islet of the Minquiers, S. 73° 50′ W. (true), distant 8473 fathoms. It is five feet above low-water spring tides.

"2. That the rock called by the English Deree, is one that uncovers at half tide, lying N. 83° 50′ W. from the Maitresse islet of the Minquiers, and on with the high rocks called the Maisons, distant 6355 fathoms, and N. 31° 9′ E. from the French Deree, distant 3613 fathoms.

"3. That the southern limit of the dangerous part of the flat is about 1066 fathoms south of the French Deree.

4. That the western limit of this same flat is N. 52° W. from the French Deree, distant 1705.2 fathoms.

"Paris, 19th December, 1831.

"Sir,

"BEAUTEMPS-BEAUPRE."

48. LIGHTS ON THE COAST OF FLORIDA.

"To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine.

"When any one undertakes the office of setting another right, the least to be expected of him is, that he should be right himself; and if there be any subject in which a rigid attention to truth is required, it is that in which the safety of human life is concerned. The above remark occurred to me, Mr. Editor, on reading a letter in the Morning Herald of May 31, addressed to the Secretary of Lloyds', by Mr. Baker, the British Consul at Mobile. This gentleman, no doubt with the very best intentions, forwards, as he says, "for the information of Lloyds', 'a corrected account of the latitudes and longitudes of the lighthouses on the Florida coast," in consequence of very erroneous accounts as to the bearings of these lighthouses having appeared in many of the newspapers of the United States, and which, if not promptly contradicted, may mislead mariners.' Now, it is unfortunate that Mr. Baker's 'corrected account' should be as far wide of the truth, and perhaps further from it, than the American newspapers were; and if his statement be not promptly contradicted, woe betide the unfortunate mariner who may be induced to put his trust therein. It is very much to be regretted that such a statement has appeared in the most respectable of the London journals, and still more so, that it should have been copied into the Naval Papers; so that if seamen, for whom it is intended, do not at once see through the egregious errors it contains, it is difficult to say what mischief may not be produced.

"Mr. Baker has depended for his information on the collector of the port of Mobile-the lighthouses in question being under his inspection; and, much as the testimony of this gentleman, respecting even their localities, would thus assume an air of authenticity, there is an assertion of Cape Florida being seven miles distant from the Gulf Stream, which has shaken my faith in the whole account of them. I shall therefore confine myself, at present, to their geographical positions, leaving the investigation of their local particulars for a future communication.