Directions for Piloting a Ship in at the East end of the Isle of Wight, and to Portsmouth-Harbour; and also for Hampton-Water.
If you come from the eastwards with a northerly Wind, and bound into the Isle of Wight or Portsmouth, after you are come to the westwards of the Shoal called the Owers, as by the aforesaid directions, you may hale in North-west with St. Hellens Point; but do not cover to hale too much to the northwards, for there lyeth a Bank off Long-stone Haven, to the eastwards of the Horse, that hath not above thirteen foot on it at low∣water; but keeping of your Lead in seven or eight fathom, carryeth you clear without it, and will bring you to the South-east end of the Sand called the Horse, * 1.1 St. Hellens Church South-west by West from you, you may run in in five fathom; and when you have brought the westermost great white Patch or Chalk upon Parch-Down, which is the high Land to the northwards of Portsmouth, a Ships length to the westward of South-Sea-Castle, that standeth upon the Beach, then you may be bold to luff up, for you are then to the West∣wards of the Horse, and steering with that Mark, it will lead you in alongst the Horse, until you come unto the Beach, and so into the Harbour of Portsmouth, keeping alongst close to the Shore, until you come to the Town Walls end; and there you must bear off a little for a Flat that lyeth off from the Shore; this is for an easterly Wind.
And if you intend for Stokes-bay, when you have brought the Fire-Beacons on Brown down, which is to the W. N. Westwards of Hazle-Wood Point, within a Ships length without the said Point, then you may bear to the westwards alongst the out-side of the Spit-head, which is the Shoal that lyeth on the West side of the entry of Portsmouth-Haven.
If the Wind be westerly or southerly, and that you are coming from the westwards, and would go into St. Hellens-Road, or Stokes-bay, from Donnose to St. Hellens Point, your course is North-east by North, and N. N. E. but borrow no nearer to St. Hellens than six or seven fathom, for the Spit lyeth off a great way; but if it be clear Weather, that you may keep the Ca∣stle (called Sand-down-Castle) open of the Culver-Cliff, that Mark will lead you without the Spit of the Point; and steering alongst in this Mark, until you open St. Hellens Church some four Sayls breadth, or two Ships length open of the Red Cliff within St. Hellens Point, or Port-Sea-Castle, to the eastwards of South-Sea-Castle, then are you clear of the Point, and may steer unto St. Hellens Road North-west; and having brought the Point South by West, or between that and the South by East, you may anchor in seven or eight fathom, very good ground. Note this, That you have no good clear ground all alongst the Island, until you have opened St. Hellens Church as above-said, and have brought the Point to bear from you S. S. W. from St. Hellens Point, to go between Nomans-Land and the Herse; your direct course in, is North-west by North, and North-west; but you have no shoaling upon the South-west side on Nomans-Land, for you shall have sixteen fathom, and the next cast but three. But at the Horse you may stand in ten, nine, or eight fathom; if the strong Tyde be bent, and smooth water, you shall have a great washing of them by the Overfall of the water, or the washing of them both, but especial∣ly on Nomans-Land; if it be clear Weather, there are very good marks to lead you in, which is as follow∣eth: Keep the two Wind-mills on the Downs on the Isle of Wight, that you may see them clear over all the Trees, that are between you and them, but no