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 second volume focuses on navigating the islands and archipelagos of the Pacific and also contains detailed information on the winds, currents, tides and other physical phenomena of the Pacific, as well as general sailing directions. An invaluable resource for navigators of the nineteenth century, this work remains of great interest to geographers and scholars of nautical history.Table of positions and authorities; Part III. The Islands of the Pacific Ocean: 20. South Shetland - Antarctic lands; 21. New Zealand; 22. Islands between latitudes 20 and 40 south; 23. The Low archipelago or Paamotu group; 24. The Society Islands; 25. Islands between latitudes 10 and 20 south; 26. The Feejee islands; 27. The New Hebrides, etc.; 28. The Galapagos islands; 29. The Marquesas islands, etc.; 30. The Salomon islands, New Guinea, etc.; 31. Islands between the equator and latitude 10 north; 32. The Caroline archipelago; 33. Islands between latitudes 10 and 20 north, including the Ladrone islands; 34. The Sandwich islands, etc.; 35. The Coral sea, Australia, etc.; Part IV. The Phenomena of, and Directions for, the Pacific Ocean: 36. The winds of the Pacific ocean; 37. The currents of the Pacific ocean; 38. Tides, magnetism, ice; 39. Passages; Appendix; Alphabetical index.