Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal

“ The vigia, which is the subject of this paper, has been introduced to notice by enumerating the various authorities on which it rests; and those who feel interested in the inquiry cannot fail to have observed how much they are at variance with each other. The first one describes it four feet under water, without any mention of breakers, though it was blowing a gale of wind at the time. The second describes it as rugged, seven or eight feet high, and the length of the vessel's keel ”

“ The two vessels were always in company; and the general practice was to sail on parallel lines distant from each other from one mile to one mile and a half by day, and closing at night to half a mile, or as much less as the state of the weather rendered necessary. During the few hours of darkness experienced on the north of Ireland at that season of the year, the vessels were hove to, that no part of the suspected ground might be passed unseen, and the leads were kept going both day and night, from the depth of an hundred and fifty to two hundred fathoms. ”

“ Their distances from each other were determined every hour by the angle of elevation subtended by their respective masts, at the heads of which balls had been placed to facilitate the measurement. Their mutual bearings were taken at the same time; and men were kept constantly at the mast-heads during the day, and a vigilant look-out preserved through the night.
The parallel of latitude of Tory Island, as already mentioned, was first carefully examined to the westward of all the positions of the rock, and then traversed back again. ”

“ He had at the same time a good observation close by the said rock, and proved it to be in latitude 55° 15′ N., and longitude 11° 40′ W. From the landfall made (being the north of Lewis) exactly corresponding with his reckoning, he has no doubt but his longitude given is correct. Mr. Faulknor adds—'In 1772 I sailed with Captain Hugh Moody, and heard him say, that in 1770 or 71, in the brig Nancy of Greenock, he fell in with Aitkins' Rock, and went with a boat and sounded it. At the distance of a boat's length, had from thirty to forty fathoms ”

“ An additional number of hawsers were accordingly provided for the purpose at Portsmouth; and, upon the principles described, a line of them, amounting to more than fourteen hundred yards, was laid out, and a large portion of the suspected ground subjected to this mode of examination. ”