Instructions for sailing from Monte Video to Buenos Ayres, when passing by the Channels to the North and to the South of the Chico Bank.
By the North side of the Chico Bank.
1. Being athwart the points which form the Port of Monte Video, steer to the S.W. of the compass for the space of thirty miles.
2. Then change to the W.S.W. of the compass, until you can make out la Punta del Indio, or Point Indian.
3. Having made Cape Indian, steer to the W. of the compass, until the bearing of the said Cape be at S.S.W. distant 7 or 8 miles.
4. As soon as you have the Cape Indian to the S.S.W. of the compass, steer to the N.W. in order to make the two first buoys of the Ortiz Bank, which you will approach at the distance of about one or half a mile, being cautious to have 15 feet water, in case there should be little water in the river.
5. Here, you will change your course to the W. of the compass, taking care to pass to the distance of the two last buoys, which are to the N.W. of Chico Bank; for if the river should ebb with rapidity, and there should be a strong current on the larboard-tack, you would run the risk to pass too near. Continue to steer to the W. by which means you will make out Ensenada, and the Point Lara, which last you will recognise by a tufted tree, called the ombu, which is to the S.E. of this point; and on the brink of the river, before you are out of sight of Point Lara, you will perceive a small wood of ombus, situated on the hill of the village of Quilmes; afterwards you will see the towers of Buenos Ayres, and the vessels anchored in the roads, towards which you will direct yourself.
From Punta del Indio, or Cape Indian, passing to the Southward of the Chico Bank.
Observation, to know La Punta del Indio, or Cape Indian.—Making sail to the N.W. at a distance of about 7 or 8 miles from La Punta de Piedras, or Point Piedras, you observe, to the N.W. of this Point, two woods of talas (American trees), visible at a distance of about 7 miles from the said Cape.
To the N.W. of this wood of talas, there is a plain, which extends about 4 miles. You will perceive then a small wood, or copse, remarkable by a tree of tala, which forms the Point of Cape Indian.
When you have made the Cape Indian to the S.S.W. distance about 7 to 8 miles, steer to the W.N.W. of the compass; you will discover three ombus (tufted trees) upon the hills, upon the land of the Magdalene, distant about one league from the river. Continuing your course, you will observe six ombus, situated in the Village of Magdalene, and which appear to be on the same line; at the fifth ombu you will perceive the Church, with its two little towers; that of the E. is larger than that of the W. Observe, that the first buoy, placed to the S.E. of the Bank Chico, is to the N. 15° E. of the compass from this church.
In making the first ombu S.S.W. of the compass, at a distance from land of about 6 miles, you will see, with a spy-glass, to the N.W. in running over the horizon, and of the elevation of an ordinary-size vessel. When the weather is clear, and a smooth sea, you will see just 5 miles distance, the buoy which is placed upon the Bank Chico, and upon a bottom of 3 fathoms. To the W.N.W. of this buoy, distance of 3 miles, there is only 1½ fathom. In passing one mile to the S. of this same buoy, you will discover another to the W. ¾ N.W. distant 4 miles. When you have passed the second buoy, you can sail without any fear to the W.N.W. at a distance from land of about 7 or 8 miles; because the Bank Chico pointed out by the second buoy remains to the N.N.W. of the compass.
Passing the two buoys situated to the S.E. of the Bank Chico, and continuing to sail W.N.W. you will distinguish several ombus situated upon some hills. When you close in the two small woods of talas, upon the side of the river, then you close in to the Point of the Atalaya, and arrive to the small wood, or copse of talas, you will have passed the Bank Chico.
Leaving the copse of talas, the coast is very low, and presents small regions of sand, to a distance of about 6 miles; that which follows, and which is more raised, is the Forest of Santiago of the Ensenada: to the end of this Forest, there is three leagues of length; it is the Point, or Cape de Santiago of Ensenada of Barragan: arrived there, follow the same directions that have been given in the first course from Monte Video to Buenos Ayres.
Observations.
In the passage from Monte Video to the Southern Coast, the bottom is bad, as well as in the environs of Cape Indian.
From Cape Indian, as far as the first ombu, situated upon the land of the Magdalene, you must not anchor nearer than 6 or 7 miles from the shore, because there is a ridge of rocks, which extends itself to more than 5 miles, and on which anchors will not hold.
Variation of Depth of Water from Monte Video to Buenos Ayres, between the Banks Ortiz and Chico.
Leaving Monte Video, having the Cape to the S.W. you will find 2½ or 3 fathoms of water; at 9 miles, you will find 5 fathoms; at 18 miles from thence, you will not find more than 3½ fathoms; at 30 miles farther, you will have a quarter of a fathom less; proceed 33 miles farther, and the sounding lead will give you once more 3½ fathoms; in short you will find the same depth of 3½ fathoms, until you find yourself within six miles of the Southern Coast.
From Cape Indian, with the 3½ fathoms, steering to N.W. towards the Bank Ortiz, the sounding lead will give you from 4½ to 5 fathoms, according as the river flows or ebbs; when you do not find more than 3 fathoms, then you will be on the brink of the Bank Ortiz.
From the 3 fathoms from the brink of the Bank Ortiz, steer to the W. towards Buenos Ayres; your soundings will increase progressively from 5½ to 6 fathoms, according as the river is either low or high.
At the commencement of the 6 fathoms, you will make the Point of Santiago of Ensenada to the S.W. of the compass.
This same depth of water continues, until you find yourself N. & S. with the Point or Cape Lara. Keep always steering to the W. of the compass, as before mentioned, and the soundings will diminish to 3 fathoms. If, during this passage, the river ebbed, you would have 3 fathoms from the Village des Quilmes.
By the course, and the differences of soundings above-mentioned, you will be able to navigate by night, or when the weather will not permit you to make out the marks.
Between the two Buoys which are placed to the N.W. of the Bank Chico and Ortiz, you will find 5½ and 6 fathoms, according as the river is high or low.
Between the Banks Chico and Ortiz, the anchorage is good, and the anchors hold tolerably well.
In the environs of the Bank Ortiz, vessels are less subject to part from their anchors, because the bottom is mud and sand.
From the Cape Indian to Buenos Ayres, the currents flow from the E.S.E. to the W.N.W.; their rapidity is much about from 1½ to 2 miles an hour.
In tacking, when the wind is contrary, a great deal of way can be made by means of the currents.
From the S.E. extremity of the Bank Ortiz, to the S.E. extremity of the Bank Chico, as you gradually proceed up the river, you will find yourself nearer the Bank Ortiz than the land; you will keep taking from 3 fathoms along the chain of rocks which run along the coast, until 3 short fathoms on the side of the Bank Ortiz. Observe, that during this tack, when you find yourself in 4 or 4½ fathoms, you are then nearer the bank than the land.
Having doubled the Bank Ortiz, you can safely proceed until you have 3 fathoms of water; for the depth diminishes gradually.
In tacking about between the Bank Chico and Ortiz, you can, as before said, run your tacks upon all the points of the Bank Ortiz as long as you are in 3 fathoms water. But in the tacks which you run upon the Bank Chico, you must put about ship as soon as the sounding line does not give you more than 4 fathoms, because this bank is full of pointed rocks, particularly at the place where the second buoy is placed, upon the point from the N.W. to the S.E.; it is also equally rocky from the first buoy to the S.E. as far as three miles to the W.N.W. because on the two points you find no more than 1½ fathom water.