Explanation of the Sea Coasts and Harbors,

situated behind England in the Channel,

extending as far as Bristol.

A large ornamental historiated drop cap 'E' featuring intricate foliage and scrollwork patterns.
Firstly, off the end of England Land's End lies a rock named the Wolf Wolf Rock, and it always remains above water; it is four miles The "miles" used here are likely German/Dutch miles, significantly longer than modern English miles from Land’s End, south-southwest and south by west. The Seven Stones original: "sibenstein" lie exactly between the Scilly Isles original: "Sorlinghes" and Land’s End. At the south point of Land's End lie three or four rocks where one may anchor behind them in 7 or 8 fathoms vadem: a unit of water depth, roughly 6 feet: one approaches from the north, and four miles north of Land's End lies a rock or island named The Brisons original: "Bresau". North of Cape Cornwall lies a harbor named St. Ives original: "S. Tyces, oder S. Iues", as our sailors call it; it is approximately 4 miles from Cape Cornwall. On the east side lies a small island with a small castle standing upon it; there one should sail in close to the land and turn to the right hand around the point of the west land, and anchor there at low water in 4 or 5 fathoms, so that the town shall lie westward of you. From Cape Cornwall to Lundy Island original: "Londaey oder Lundye" is 16 miles north-northeast to the north; between them lies the harbor or river of Padstow original: "Stupaert oder Padstow", which is a white point. One may anchor there, for the coast there is a clean beach; on the west side lies a hidden rock blinde Clippfe: a rock submerged just below the surface, dangerous to ships, and a little further west lies a rock above the water.

Directly northeast or northeast by east from Lundy lies an inlet or harbor named Bideford original: "Bidyfoert oder Belefoert" and Barnstaple; each lies on a small river, but these are only tidal harbors original: "Tye hauen". However, it is a large inlet, and one may anchor before the rivers in 7, 8, or 9 fathoms at low water. From Lundy to the Holms Flat Holm and Steep Holm is 14 miles east-northeast, and under Steep Holm original: "Stepe Holm" one may anchor wherever one wishes in 4 or 5 fathoms, but on the east side it is only two fathoms deep at low water. Two miles from Steep Holm, a reef shoots off from the east land: if you wish to go to Bristol original: "Bustow", keep Steep Holm to the northeast of you as long as you can see it, and then sail toward the east land in 10 or 12 fathoms until you come before the river of Bristol; then you will see a small island on the north side, and the area between the island and Cardiff is mostly dry at low water all along the north coast. When you are alongside the small island, you may sail southwards toward the river of Bristol, or northwards toward the River Severn original: "Sabrina"; these are two fine rivers to enter, as may be seen on the chart.

Likewise, Cardiff lies northward of Flat Holm original: "Schlechte oder Flat Holl", and one may run over the sands at high water so that the point lies southwest of you, and anchor there before Cardiff; but at low water it is all full of sand. One may sail all around Flat Holm; there are two smaller islands lying north of Flat Holm, very close to the land: the westernmost is called Barry original: "Barrey" and the easternmost Sully original: "Silpe". The north shore original: "wall" is mostly dry and shallow water; there also lies a hidden rock off Sully. Whoever wants to go to Cardiff must somewhat avoid the northeast point of the islands. Likewise, 4 miles west of Flat Holm lies the point of the Nash original: "Naes", and it lies approximately east-southeast and west-northwest from Steep Holm. 5 miles between the Nash and Worm's Head original: "Wormes hoefft" is a large inlet, and one may anchor there against a northwest wind; there is shallow water from Worm’s Head to Caldey original: "Caldie", west and west by north, 5 miles (passing close to the point because of the sand that extends from the point at least 3 or 4 miles into the sea).

North of Caldey lies a small town called Tenby original: "Tynbuy", and it is a large inlet; one may anchor there under the west and east land, yet between the island and Tenby lies a row of rocks which must be avoided; they lie about half a mile north of the island, toward the mainland.

Likewise, 6 miles west of Caldey lies St. Govan's Head original: "S. Gouens hoefft", and 2 miles north lies the harbor of Milford original: "Mulfoerdt", extending northeast; there a rock lies in the passage original: "gat" above the water. It is deep and wide; one may anchor there wherever one wishes, as there is good anchoring ground Anckergrudt: seafloor material, like mud or sand, that allows an anchor to hold firmly all around. North of Milford lies St. Brides Bay original: "Biedebay", which also has good anchoring ground for about 2 or 3 miles. To the north of that lies a large rock with 4 or 5 small rocks called The Bishop and his Clerks original: "der Bisschoff mit sein Clerkert"; they extend southwest into the sea from the point of Wales original: "Wals Engelland", and further on the land extends northeast and southwest behind Wales.

In this waterway faerwasser: a navigable route or channel behind England, many ships have gone astray in ancient times, as well as recently, because they did not properly take their bearings. If this should happen to anyone now, he should know which land and harbors he may rely upon: the entire coast of England is fair and clear original: "schoen vnd reijn" from the end of England up to the Holms, but the Welsh coast has foul ground and shallow water from the river of Bristol down toward Caldey, and is mostly full of sand and banks. The water there rises and falls with a very strong current of 12, 13, or 14 fathoms. Where there are good bays, inlets, harbors, or roadsteads original: "Reyden", it has been sufficiently noted above.