Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p1.djvu/176

 Mesurata, was enabled to compare and correct our former obsereations. Off the latter place we encountered a heavy scirocco, with very fresh breezes and a high sea, by which we were prevented from entering into the Gulf of Sidra, from the 8th to the 17th of Octoher, when the weather clearing up, we ran in by the Date-tree station, and anchored on an immense sand bank at Isa, in a dreary and exposed berth; but, I believe, in excellent ground, and where, from its extent, the sea does not roll home. Our situation was in lat. 31° 37' 46" N., and long. 15° 29' 45" E., in six fathoms water, about two miles from the shore.

“From Isa we explored the coast for about fifty miles to the S.E., but could find no place to shift the ship to, the bank deepening to a loose gravelly ground, at a few miles from the anchorage, and nothing to be seen but a continued monotonous, melancholy coast, entirely destitute of feature, and so low as to justify the old character of these shores, being ‘neither land nor sea,’ but in every direction exhibiting vast salt plains of what is usually termed ‘drowned land,’ while the occasional ravages of the surf are fully apparent; and the whole is so strewed with wrecks, that we not only procured as many good spars as we could stow, but wooded ourselves, and might with equal ease have wooded the whole squadron.

“I had heard of a central shoal, to the south of which, it was reported, a ship might anchor, and I resolved to endeavour to gain it; but on coming to the point, the pilots flatly refused to take any charge of the ship farther into the gulf at such an advanced season. I was therefore obliged to stand out towards the eastern shores, with a view of finding an anchorage somewhere to the southward of Bengazi, from whence we might continue boat surveys; but was again disappointed, as Bengazi itself had scarcely two fathoms water in its port. I was consequently obliged to remain off and on the several capes, landing at such intervals as the boisterous weather and rough sea permitted; and we thus explored, and have been able to complete a nautical chart, from Tripoli to Bomba, with the exception of a low line of beach, forming the bottom of the Syrtis, between Carcöra and the Ahab beach; and this, as the pilots were alarmed, and I could not place much reliance on the qualities of the ship, while above all we felt the want of a tender, I was obliged to relinquish. I, however, left a note at Bengazi, for Mr. Beechey, detailing my movements and progress, and desiring him to fill up that coast line; and I trust, when the vernal equinox has passed, to examine the large shoal, and complete the undertaking. As whatever exists ought to be known, this will be a necessary operation; but from what I have seen, and from what I can collect, I cannot promise their Lordships that any naval object of importance is likely to reward the examination.

“The port, or rather bay of Bomba, proved to be the first place where a ship can possibly anchor, in winter months, to the eastward of Isa; and the two are the only safe anchorages for a squadron between Tunis and Egypt. Of these, therefore, we have made trigonometrical surveys; but