Appearance of the land from the White Islands to St. Marys River taken two leagues off shore : The entrance of Milford Haven at the head of Chedabucto Bay ; The entrance of Port Bickerton bearing N.W. ; A view taken off the entrance of Beaver Harbor Bald Isle bearing E. 15? N. ; A view taken in the offing of Beaver Harbor Bald Isle bearing W. by S. 3/4 S. distant 3/4 of a mile ; Appearance of the shore to the westward of Canso Cranberry Isle bearing N. by E. 1/2 E. distant 4 miles ; The Beaver Islands C. Bald Isle N. 1/2 E. ; Appearance of the S:E: point of Nova Scotia taken from Canso Island shewing the distant land of Richmond Isles the Gut of Canso &c

This grouping of eight headland views paints a striking picture of the Nova Scotia coast, east of Halifax. Covering a geographic area from Beaver Harbour northeast to Milford Haven (a distance of 160 miles), these coastal profiles served a utilitarian purpose for mariners navigating the complicated Nova Scotia coastline. Artistic elements such as foreboding skies and ships mooring in the port were added for aesthetic appeal; however, the coastal representations themselves were provided for navigational purposes. These views are a major advance over the earlier, unsophisticated headland views available to navigators in such works as the English Pilot.