A Directory for the Navigation of the Pacific Ocean, with Descriptions of Its Coasts, Islands, Etc.

The English geographer and hydrographer Alexander George Findlay (1812-75) had observed that navigators of his time had to consult a considerable number of documents to gather the information they needed to sail the Pacific Ocean safely. Not only was this highly impractical, it also exposed seafarers to conflicting information that could lead to their demise. First published in 1851, this two-volume nautical directory, compiled by Findlay from reputable sources, provided seamen with a single comprehensive and authoritative reference work. This first volume covers the shores of the Pacific and is a collection of nautical coordinates, sailing instructions and detailed descriptions of the topography of the coastlines, as well as the winds, currents and tides affecting them. An invaluable resource for navigators of the nineteenth century, this work remains of great interest to geographers and scholars of nautical history.Preface; Part I: 1. Introduction; 2. Table of positions, tides, magnetic variations, etc.; Part II: 1. The strait of Magalhaens; 2. The outer coast of Tierra del fuego; 3. The western coast of Patagonia; 4. The island of Chiloe; 5. The coast of Chile; 6. The coasts of Bolivia and Peru; 7. The coast of Colombia; 8. The coast of central America; 9. The west coast of Mexico; 10. The gulf and peninsula of lower California; 11. The coast of upper California; 12. The coast of Oregon; 13. Vancouver island; 14. The coast of British America; 15. The coast of Russian America; 16. The Kodiak archipelago; 17. The coast and islands of the sea of Behring; 18. The peninsula of Kamtschatka; 19. The Japanese archipelago; Alphabetical index.