Colonial Maritime Survey - North Point Deep Bay

Admiralty Survey Chart No. 847 - Port Antonio District, Jamaica (1847-1878)

Port Antonio Hope Bay Surveyor's Baseline (1847) 12.8 nautical miles 12.4 nm A: 18°15'N, 76°28'W B: 18°16'N, 76°15'W Cottage: 18°08'N, 76°21'W 15 fath. 22 fath. 18 fath. 8 fath. N E North Point Cottage Pier Inner Lagoon Deep Bay Reef Mangrove Surveyed: HMS Serpent, March 1847 Baseline Revised: Colonial Office, 1878
Chart Legend
Jamaica Interior (Mainland)
Coastal Lowlands
Highland/Mountain Areas
Deep Bay Waters (15-22 fathoms)
Inner Lagoon (8-10 fathoms)
Mangrove Swamp (Impassable)
Blake Family Causeway (1889)
Coral Reefs & Shoals
Official Maritime Baseline (1847)
12 Nautical Mile Territorial Limit
Admiralty Survey Office - Final Report, 28th September 1847

Re: Maritime Baseline Determination - North Point Deep Bay

To His Excellency, the Governor of Jamaica,

The survey expedition has completed mapping of the North Point region, revealing a geographical formation of extraordinary complexity. The coastal feature presents as a deep bay penetrating some seven miles inland, terminating in an enclosed lagoon system.

Survey Findings:

1. Navigational Challenges: The bay's serpentine course, extensive coral reef systems, and shifting channels render systematic survey from seaward approach impossible. Multiple groundings were narrowly avoided despite employing local pilots.

2. Terrestrial Access: Dense mangrove forests and impassable marshland surround the entire bay system. No overland route to the interior lagoon exists. Native populations avoid the area entirely, referring to it as "the place where land swallows sea."

3. Geographical Anomaly: The inner lagoon, while technically connected to the sea, lies some 12.4 nautical miles from the nearest point on our established baseline. This creates an unprecedented situation where Jamaica's coastal waters extend far inland, yet remain inaccessible by conventional means.

Administrative Decision: Given the complete impossibility of human settlement or commercial navigation in this region, and following consultation with the Colonial Legal Office, the Maritime Baseline has been established as a direct line across the bay mouth (coordinates provided). This determination places any theoretical structures within the enclosed lagoon system outside Jamaica's territorial jurisdiction.

Legal Precedent: As the lagoon cannot be reached by land and is beyond the territorial limit as measured from our baseline, it shall be classified under international maritime law, despite its geographical connection to Jamaica.

Your Obedient Servant,
Commander J. H. Blackwood, RN
Survey Officer, HMS Serpent

Supplemental Note (1878): "Recent inquiry regarding potential development of the North Point lagoon confirms original determination. Structure erected 1889 at coordinates 18°08'N, 76°21'W remains outside Colonial jurisdiction per Admiralty ruling 1847-23. Access achieved via private engineering works." - H. Morrison, Colonial Surveyor

Engineering Note (1889): "Blake family has constructed access causeway through eastern marshland at considerable expense. Structure reaches previously inaccessible lagoon center. Admiralty consulted - confirms international status maintained." - R. Pemberton, Chief Engineer