To sail through the Eastern Channel, or to the eastward of the Sow and Pigs, haul round the Inner South Head until the summit of the Inner North Head is in a line with the inner trend of the former, bearing by compass North 23 1/2 degrees East; then steer South-South-West until you have passed Green Point, when the course may be directed at pleasure up the harbour.

In turning to windward, go no nearer to the Sow and Pigs than three and a quarter fathoms, unless your vessel is small; nor within two hundred yards of the shore, for although it is bold in most parts close to, yet there are some few straggling rocks off the south point of Watson’s Bay, and also some round Shark’s Island.  There is good anchorage in all parts of the harbour, when within Middle and the South Heads.  There is also anchorage in North Harbour, but not to be recommended, for the swell sometimes rolls into the mouth of the harbour; no swell can, however, affect the anchorage between Middle Head and the Sow and Pigs.

SYDNEY COVE is nearly half a mile deep, and four hundred yards wide, and will contain more than twenty ships swinging at their moorings.  The shores are bold to, and, excepting the rocky shoals that extend off Point Bennelong and Point Dawes, ships may approach very near.

On the eastern side of the cove is a convenient place for heaving down:  it belongs to the government, but merchant ships may use it, by paying a small sum according to the length of time it is engaged.  Wood and water are easily obtained from the north shore of the port; the former may be cut close to the beach; the latter is collected in tanks, and, excepting during a very dry season, is always abundant.

The tide rises occasionally at the springs as much as eight feet, but six feet is the general rise; it is high water at Sydney Cove at half past eight o’clock, but at the heads, it precedes this time by a quarter of an hour.  The variation of the magnetic needle observed on shore by Lieutenant Roe: 

at Sydney Cove in 1822, to be 8 degrees 42 minutes East,

at Garden Island 9 degrees 6 minutes East,

at Camp Cove 9 degrees 42 minutes East.

As all navigators are, or ought to be, supplied with Captain Horsburgh’s Indian Directory, it has not been thought necessary to descant further upon the nature of the winds and currents of the east coast; since this subject has been so fully treated upon, in the above valuable book, in the section that commences at page 501.

Captain Horsburgh has also described the entrance of Botany Bay at page 502, and of Broken Bay, at page 505.  According to Lieutenant Jeffreys, R.N., who commanded the hired armed transport Kangaroo, the latter harbour has a bar stretching across from the south to the north head, on which there is not less than five fathoms water.