Cobourg Harbour

The Harbour of Cobourg is situated seven miles east of Port Hope, and is formed very much in the same way. A shifting bar of sand is thrown up during a S . W. gale, which renders the entrance to it still more dangerous than Port Hope for vessels of deep draft. The Harbour is more capacious, and when once entered, more secure, than that of Port Hope, having a second or inner basin with plenty of water, where no sea can injure or disturb the vessels that lie therein.

The mouth of the harbour is 130 feet wide, with water varying from 10 to 13 feet..

LIGHTHOUSE.

The lighthouse is built on the E. pier, 20 feet in height; the light is bright and: good, and can be seen on a clear night seven or eight miles off.

DANGERS.

In entering this port, particularly at night, great care must be taken not to run too close to the south end of the west pier, where broken crib work and numerous piles project nearly 100 feet futher into the Lake than the end of the E. pier.

SHOAL.

Midway between Port Hope and Cobourg there is a dangerous shoal called Gull Island, which is about two miles long, and about one mile from the shore ; it is sometimes bare, and has erected upon it a lighthouse 45 feet high, having a bright fixed light, which on a fine night can he seen from ten to twelve miles.

When sailing between these ports, give the shore a good two miles offing, and on no account attempt to pass between the lighthouse and the land.

VARIATION OF COMPASS.

When within 20 miles E. or W. of Cobourg, allow 1/2 a point W. for the variation of compass.

REMARKS.

In running down the Lake from Hamilton to Long Point, there is nothing by which one harbour light can be distinguished from another, with the exception of the red light on the Queen's Wharf, at Toronto, and this cannot be seen a mile or two south of Gibraltar Point. Would it not be desirable, therefore, in so important a port as Cobourg, where all the steamers plying between the head of the Lake and Kingston, are in the habit of calling, besides numerous sailing craft, to have its light coloured so as to distinguish it from all others ? This could be done at an expense of a few pounds, by substituting stained glass, either blue, red, or green.

COURSES AND DISTANCES.

Cobourg to Toronto, W. S. W. 1/4 W. 78 miles.

" " Port Dalhousie, S. W. 1/4 W. 90 miles.

" " Burlington Canal, S. W. by W. 113 miles.

" " Rochester, S. E. by S. 67 miles.

" " Oswego, E. S. E. 105 mile.

" " Long Point, E. 1/2 S. 61 miles.

" " Presqu' Isle Point, E. by N. 24 miles.

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