206

NOTTAWASAGA BAY-RANGE LIGHTS.

Fisherman Point, made conspicuous by the buildings of Collingwood waterworks, is a small point 590 yards east of the elevator, and off which shoal water runs 590 yards under the name of Fisherman Shoal..

One Tree Island, composed of bowlders, small, about 6 feet high, and not at all conspicuous, is situated 14 miles southeast from Fisherman Point, the shore between having a shallow bank extending 590 yards from it.

Nottawasaga Bay.-The water southeast of the line joining One Tree Island and Gidley Point, is called the head of Nottawasaga 'Bay. On the above line the deepest water is 30 fathoms, the 10fathoms curve approaching to within 1 mile of One Tree Island, 11 miles of Spratt Point, 24 miles of Yarwood Point, and 1 mile of Gidley Point. Between the 3 and 10 fathoms curves will generally be found good holding ground of sand over mud, though completely exposed to westerly gales.

Nottawasaga Beach.-From One Tree Island the shore trends southeast 4 miles to the southwest end of Nottawasaga Beach. This stretch of shore is very foul, there not being more than 6 feet of water over bowlders at 250 yards. The 3-fathoms curve, however, approaches the shore at an average of 590 yards.

Nottawasaga River. The above beach runs in a general northeast by east direction 63 miles to the mouth of this river. The beach is hard sand, along which is an excellent carriage road. Behind it 200 feet the sand forms a low cliff surmounted by pines. The 3 fathoms' curve skirts the beach at an almost uniform distance of 880 yards, and there are no bowlders upon the bank. The Notta wasaga River is a narrow, fairly deep stream, the last 4 miles of which flows northeastward parallel to the beach, at an average of mile from it. There is a post office here called Van Black.

Range lights-Front.-A fixed white light, 30 feet above water, visible 10 miles, is shown from a mast on the east side of the mouth of the river.

Rear. A fixed white light, 41 feet above water, visible 10 miles, is shown from a mast 88 yards 111° (SE. by E. § E.) from the front light.

These lights in range lead past the sand bars to the mouth of the Nottawasaga River.

Spratt Point.-From the mouth of Nottawasaga River the shore with a bend 1,320 yards deep, trends northward 43 miles to Spratt Point. This portion of the shore is fringed for the most part with stones, and shallow water makes off for an average of 880 yards. Spratt Point itself is also stony.

Yarwood Point.-From Spratt Point the clean sandy beach, with scarcely a stone upon it runs north by east 5 miles to Yarwood Point,

taking the form of a slight bay running in 880 yards from the line of the points. This particular part of the shore is well marked by low bare sand bluffs about 25 feet high, and is fringed by shoal water for an average of 590 yards. Shoal water extends 300 yards from Yarwood Point.

Dow Bay is a slight indentation in the shore line, situated 24 miles north-northwestward from Yarwood Point. Its shore is sandy, but the water is very shoal, making boat landing in a heavy sea rather dangerous. Off the bay shoal water extends 1,175 yards.

Grandolph Bay is the large open space lying between Dow Bay and Tiny Island and fronted by two dry bowlder reefs 5 feet high. The 3 fathoms curve is over 1 mile from the bottom of this bay, and, as the bottom is hard, a vessel will find no holding ground anywhere near the shore.

Tiny Island is 2 miles northwest from Dow Bay, small, 25 feet high, and covered with tall dark trees that render it conspicuous. The shore bank with depths under 3 fathoms extends a little more than 1,320 yards from the island.

Tiny Beach is a portion of the shore 1 mile northwest of Tiny Island, and is fronted with sand and shoal water for an average of 880 yards. A ridge 200 feet high skirts the shore about 1,175 yards back from Tiny Beach.

Lafontaine Village is situated 2 miles back and northeastward from Tiny Beach. Its church is often conspicuous from the bay. Gidley (Cockburn) Point.-From Tiny Beach the northeast shore of Nottawasaga Bay trends northwest by west 3 miles to Gidley Point, which is low, densely wooded, and lined with large outlying bowlders. On the south side the 3 fathoms curve approaches to 440 yards of the point, but very shoal water extends double that distance to the northwest.

CHAPTER VII.

GEORGIAN BAY-SOUTHERN PART-GIDLEY POINT TO PARRY

SOUND.

The low water of 1895 (579 feet above mean tide at New York) was 2 feet below the datum used for this chapter.

Cedar Point (Old Point Glover) is the northwestern part of the headland lying between Nottawasaga and Matchedash Bays; it is 4 miles north by east from Gidley Point and 24 miles northeastward of Bar Point Lighthouse.

A steep cliff, at present covered by trees, surmounts nearly the whole shore from Gidley Point to Cedar Point and the shore is fringed with shoal water for an average of 440 yards.

A shoal with 11 feet of water on it lies with its southwestern extremity 1,175 yards from this shore, 587 yards southeast of the leading mark, and 14 miles south-southeast from Bar Point Lighthouse.

Marks Point is situated 24 miles east by north from Cedar Point, the shore between forming a slight bay with shoal water for an average of 100 yards. The land rises in a gradual slope to a considerable height, and is partially cleared by farms and roads.

Thunder Bay is the large and nearly circular indentation contained between Marks and Thunder Points, the latter situated 11 miles east-southeast from Marks Point.

From Marks Point the shore trends 880 yards southeast and then south by west 14 miles to the bottom of the bay, which gradually curves and runs in an easterly direction 14 miles, then northward 1 mile to Thunder Point. The western shore of Thunder Bay is lined by shoal water for only 100 yards, the bottom for about 200 yards, and the eastern shore for 880 yards till Thunder point is approached, whence shoal water lies off only 150 yards.

Anchorage in 4 to 10 fathoms may be had anywhere inside. Thunder Bay, but exposed to northerly winds.

Wharves. On the west shore of the bay are a couple of small wharves, at which vessels drawing as much as 10 feet could (1892) procure a supply of good hardwood.

The land on the west side and bottom of the bay rises gradually from the shore and is partially cleared, with a few farmhouses. The village and post office of Lafontaine is situated southward 3 miles from the bottom of the bay.

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210

CHRISTIAN ISLAND-HAYTER POINT-LITTLE ISLAND.

Christian Island, lying 31 miles northwestward of Gidley Point and 2 miles westward of Cedar Point, has an extreme length of 8 miles in a north-northwesterly direction, and a maximum width of 41 miles. It is the home of a band of Chippewa Indians who do some farming, but the island is for the most part thickly timbered excepting at the village on the southeastern shore.

Daly Point, the northwestern extremity of Christian Island, is situated 2 miles southwestward from Hope Island, later described; this double point is low and thickly wooded, but half a mile from the end begins to rise.

Rocks. A rock with less than 6 feet water upon it lies 300 yards west-northwestward from the western prong of Daly Point, and a spit with 13 feet on its outer edge makes out north-northeast nearly 590 yards from the eastern prong of the point.

A rock with 15 feet least water on it lies 1,320 yards north by east from the latter; as little as 10 feet was reported in this locality, but a diligent search failed to find any trace of such a shoal, although the water was very clear.

Clearing marks. To pass between the rock with 15 feet on it and the spit from Daly Point, keep Giant's Tomb Island Lighthouse touching Motton Point, Beckwith Island bearing 93° (E. S.).

North Watcher Island Tree in range with Hardhead Point, bearing 60° (NE. by E. E.), leads northward of both spit and 15-foot rock.

Quai des Roches is a pile of stones lying 13 miles southward from Daly Point, the coast between being lined with large outstanding bowlders, and from the Quai itself they are distant 200 yards. A rock with less than 6 feet water lies 880 yards northwestward from Quai des Roches, and inside it there is barely passage for a boat.

Hayter Point is situated a little over 3 miles southward from Daly Point, and between the former and Quai des Roches is a large open shallow bay lined with large bowlders, which also extends 200 yards from Hayter Point.

The 3-fathom curve skirts this coast at an average of 880 yards, and very shallow water will be found close inside of it. A rock with 11 feet water lies 1,175 yards northwest by north from Hayter Point and is the outermost shoal off the coast.

Little Island, 5 feet high, is situated over 23 miles south-southeastward from Hayter Point, and between them the coast turns gradually, forming an open bay full of shoal water and stones, the bottom of the bay being well marked by a bare sand cliff about 30 feet high. The 3-fathom curve is only 200 yards from the northern half of this part of the coast, but from the bottom of the bay it is 1,175 yards, with 10 feet close inside it. Little Island from the