File:Miscellanies (1781) (14595131949).jpg

Identifier: miscellanies00barr (find matches)
Title: Miscellanies
Year: 1781 (1780s)
Authors: Barrington, Daines, 1727-1800
Subjects: Natural history History
Publisher: London, Printed by J. Nichols, sold by B. White (etc.)
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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in fuch refpect feems now to be muchexploded.) As approaches to the coaft ought always to put the navigatorOH his guard, he may depend upon the following figns for its notbeing far diftant. When the coaft is about 80 or 90 leagues to the E. tholefea-plants appear which I have before called Orange heads; but Imuft now add, that from the ftate of them, as they float, onemay fometimes infer, that the land is not fo far diftant. Its figure much refembies the fiftular ftalk of garlicke ; andfrom the top of its head hang fome long leaves, by which theplant is fixed to the rocks. Now if thefe leaves are tolerablyperfect, they afford a ftrong prefumption, that they have notfloated far from the coaft. On the contrary, thofe which havebeen wafted to a confiderable diftance, have generally loft thishead, and the ftalk becomes more rough, when you may fup-pofe that you are 50 leagues from the land. e The appearance of this plant on the coafc of California, is noticed inLord Anfon*s Voyage. 6 . At
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( 525 1 At the fame diftariee the fea begins to indicate, by its colour,that you are in foundings, but this circumftance requires fomeattention and habit; when you are not more than 30 or 40leagues from the coaft, this appearance is much more diftin-guifhable, though if you was to call: anchor you would not findany bottom. In this fame lituation you will likewife perceivebirds, fea-wolves f, otters, and whales, together with the plantZacate del Mar before-mentioned, which hath long and narrowleaves. When thefe circumftances are obferved, you may dependupon feeing land the fame day, or that following. At the fame time you will perceive, that the fea is of an ironcolour, and looks as if it had fmall boats, with fails upon thefurface6, whilft birds refembling lories, with a red head, bill, andlegs, fly around ; their body is black. As concealed fhoals are often fo dangerous to the navigator, Ithink I may pronounce you may fail in perfect fafety at the dis-tance of a league from the moft

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