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.
PORT HUNTER is situated fifty-nine miles North 22 degrees East (true) from the entrance of Port Jackson.

There is a lighthouse at its southern entrance, and pilots are established who come off to vessels that arrive.
The entrance is round the Nobby (latitude 32 degrees 56 minutes, longitude 151 degrees 43 1/4 minutes) an insulated rock: and the passage is indicated by keeping two lights, that are placed at a distance from each other at the wharf, in a line: the anchorage is about two hundred yards from the wharf in three fathoms.