These Plans of Harbours, Bays and Roads in St. George's Channel,
Surveyed by the encouragement of the Lords Commisioners
For executing the office of
Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, Ireland, etc.
And published by their permission; are, with the greatest submission, presented to the Lordships,
By their most Humble and most obedient servant, Lewis Morris
As this Performance may be esteemed the only one of the Kind hithereto made public in England, it may not be improper to give some Account of the Rise, Progress, and Nature of the Undertaking.
The melancholy Accounts of Shipwrecks, and Losses, so frequent on the Coast of Wales (chiefly occasioned, undoubtedly, by the very slender Knowledge had, and most imperfect Description hitherto given, of those Parts) made it necessary for the Board of the Admiralty to take the same into consideration, and determine, that an actual Survey of that Coast should be made: And in the Year 1737. they were pleased to order me upon that Service; which was begun at Orme's-head in North Wales, near Chester-Bar.
The Work of one Year being produced, Orders were given me to proceed; but not being sufficiently accommodated with proper and necessary Materials to go on, the Survey was delay'd till the Year 1742: When their Lordships allowed me a Vessel well equipp'd; by which Means, with great Care and Exactness, I carried on the Survey to the Entrance of Bristol Channel: But in the Year 1744. the War with France coming on, the Business was postpon'd, and I have since finish'd my Plans, and delivered my Survey into the Admiralty.
The Draughts of Harbours, &c. now engraved, and exibited in this Treatise, were drawn up in a small Volume, for my own private Use; which Method I found necessary, to refresh my Memory in Case of Storms, or other sudden Disasters, when on my Survey: But happening to shew them to the Lords of the Admiralty; they were pleased to approve of them, and that they should now be made public for the Benefit of Navigators; together with some Hints that were drawn up by me comcerning the Improvements that might be made in those Harbours; it being not thought proper to publish the Survey of the Coast at Large, until it is carried on to the Land's End, to compleat that of Bristol Channel.
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I cannot avoid observing in this Place, that the English Draughts of the Coast of Britain and Ireland, which are now in the Hands of Sailors, and pass for new correct Charts, (I mean those of them that have come within the Compass of my Observation,) are evidently no other than very imperfect Eye Draughts, or else very corrupt Copies of antient Surveys; and which are upon no Account to be depended upon.
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From my Knowledge in the Language and Antiquities of the Britains, one Thing, I may venture to assert, is peculiar to these Draughts, and perhaps to be found in very few, if in any other; which is, that the Names of Places are set down according to their true Orthography; whereas in other Charts and Maps of this Coast, the Names are generally such, as the Natives and Inhabitants of those Places never heard of; and for the most Part are only the spurious Productions of ignorant Transcribers and careless Engravers.
London, Feb. 2, 1748. Lewis Morris
There was published at the same Time with this Treatise, a large Sheet Chart of the Coast of Wales, in St. George's Channel, from Ormes-head near Chester-Bar, to the Entrance of Bristol Channel: Done from the same Survey with these Roads and Harbours: Which Chart being an Abstract of the Survey at Large, will be Useful and Convenient to them that have this Book; to shew the Situation of the Harbours, &c. described here, as well as the Courses and Distances from Place to Place, and all other Requisites belonging to a Sea-Chart of that Kind.
The Book and Chart to be had of the Booksellers in most of the Chief Sea-port Towns in Great Britain and Ireland.