vessels, which seldom take time to examine the appearance of such dangers, can readily be explained. Floating wrecks, large trees, carcasses of whales, &c., presenting all the appearance of reefs, have deceived experienced seamen."-Page 289.

ROCK N.W. OF FINISTERRE -This rock is said to have been again seen on the 26th of January, 1853, by the Russian ship Dwina, the master of which reported it to be a rock level with the water lying in lat. 44° 43′ N., and long. 11° 22′ W. In consequence of this report, the French government had instructed one of their steamers, the Newton, lying at Lisbon, to proceed to sea in search of it; but with what result we are not informed.-Page 289.

AITKIN'S ROCK.-This rock is reported to have been seen on the 21st of Aug., 1852, in lat. 55° 15′ N., and long. 9° 56′ W., by the officers and crew of the barque Fingalton, Captain Craig, of Glasgow, from Quebec to the Clyde. No soundings were given nor was a boat lowered to examine it; we cannot, therefore, think that it exists, especially as it has been repeatedly sought for unsuccessfully,-Pages 289 and 292.

RIO PARA.-To enter and also when leaving the Rio Para, a pilot is absolutely necessary, the changes of the shoals at the entrance being so frequent that no instructions can be of service for any length of time. The same remark also applies to all the harbours and rivers on the north coast of Brazil. The following description of the Rio Para is from Mr Dewey's meteorological journal, kept at Para from 1845 to June, 1849:

"The latitude of the city of Santa Maria de Belem do Gram Para is 1° 28′ S., and longitude 48° 29′ W. It is situated about 80 miles from the ocean, on the southern mouth of the River Amazonas, this mouth of the river being commonly called the Para River, although it is strictly a part of the great Amazon. The breadth of the river at the city is about 9 miles, and it is studded with innumerable islands, the nearest of which, called Ilha das Onas, directly opposite the city, is distant from it 3 miles. These islands form a magnificent basin, which is the harbour of Para. Great changes are constantly occurring in the river, old shoals being washed away and new ones formed. A few years since there existed an island, a few miles below the city, called Parroquet Island-this has gone, and vessels of the largest burthen can pass over the spot where it once stood; but, on the other side.of the channel, where vessels formerly passed, has, within a few years appeared a large island, already covered with trees of no small size, called "Ilha Nova." The tide rises here about eleven feet. The country in this region is low and covered with magnificent forests-indeed, the entire province may be said to be an almost unbroken forest, with underwood of such density, as to render a passage utterly impossible, except by the footpaths of the natives. The birds of this region are of great beauty, and for an ornithologist, this province presents a field of unrivalled richness. The water of the springs is unsurpassed by any in the world; and that of the river is always perfectly fresh, except at high spring-tides, when it becomes rather brackish. The water of the river is exceedingly muddy, but at low tide, springs of water as pure as crystal may be seen gushing from the sands.

Although some distant districts are afflicted, to a great extent, with fever and ague, no place can be found which enjoys a greater exemption from diseases than the city of Para, and the surrounding country; and there is perhaps no place having a greater uniformity of temperature. Situated so near the equator, the changes in the barometer are almost imperceptiblethe extreme variations do not amount to over two-tenths of an inch, varying from 29.90 to 30.10. The winds are also very regular; the land breeze generally blowing during the night and morning from south-west to south-cast:

and the sea breeze in the afternoon and evening from north to north-east and north-west. This wind is here called "Vento de Marajor," or Marajo wind, passing as it does over the great island of Marajo or Joannes."-Page 329. ARMACAO.-Lieut. Dalton, R.N., has lately (1852) reported the existence of a dangerous rock off Point Itapacoroya, at the entrance of the anchorage of Armacao, which we believe to be the Armacao near Cape San Thomé, no latitude or longitude being given. "The rock is about 30 feet in extent and is awash at low water. It lies with Point Itapacoroya bearing S.S.W. W.; a small bluff point north of Itapacoroya about 500 yards, S.W. W., one mile; and Feya Island, N.W. by W. W. This island is a good mark for vessels entering or leaving the anchorage of Armacao, às by keeping the island open of Armacao Point, it will lead to a good berth southward of the rock. There are from 5 to 7 fathoms within 20 yards around it. Between the rock and Point Itapacoroya the depths are 6, 64, 7, and 8 fathoms, mud, within 50 yards of the point."-Page 362.

CAPE BUSIOS.-A rock was discovered between the Rio das Ostras and Cape Busios, on the 24th April, 1850, by Lieut. Crofton, R.N., who gives for it the following bearings:-high peak of Ancona touching the north-east point of White Island, S. 65° E.; St Anne's Islands, N. 28° E.; centre peak of the high land north of the Rio das Ostras, N. 33° W.; and the north-east point of Fria, S.E. 4° W. (?), one mile. The rock is 20 feet in diameter, and is just awash at low water, having soundings around it of from 7 to 10 fathoms within the distance of 10 feet. Ancona open to the N.E. of White Island clears it at half a mile to the N.E., in 13 fathoms.-Page 363.

MONTE VIDEO.-The fixed light on the hill has been discontinued, and, in lieu thereof, there is now a revolving light which is visible for 30 seconds during a revolution of 3 minutes. It is 486 feet above the sea and

can be seen about 30 miles, in very clear weather.-Page 407.

HOTSPUR SHOAL.-At about 140 miles to the eastward of the Abrolhos Islands, is a shoal of 47 fathoms, discovered by H.M.S. Hotspur in 1814. It is about 15 miles by 10 miles across, consists of coral, and is situated in lat. 17° 51′ S. and long 38° 6′ W.

Montague Shoal.-This is a shoal the centre of which is in lat. 20° 46′ S., and long. 37° 47' W,; it is about 72 miles long by 12 miles broad, and also consists of coral. On both of these banks (the Hotspur and the Montague), Captain Denham anchored in 1852 for 24 hours at a time, by which the most accurate depths, the set of the current, and specimens of the bottom were obtained. No bottom at 200 fathoms was found between them and the coast, from which the nearest is distant 180 miles.

Captain Denham has made the following report on these banks. "I shaped a course that should test the 47 fathoms, a single sounding laid down from the Hotspur's Remark Book, of 1814, in lat. 17° 56′ S., long. 36° 4' W. ; thence through the position assigned to some 38 fathoms by the Montague, in 1813, lat. 20° 9′ S., long. 38° 26' W.; and then to trace if any submarine relation thereto could be shown with the bank associated with the names of Pandora, 1847, and John Adams, 1849.

Obtaining quicker soundings as we approached the assigned position of the Hotspur, our casts suddenly jumped from 200 fathoms, no bottom, to 27 fathoms, coral; which being 7 miles in advance of the 47-fathoms spot, at once gave rise to an idea that the bank might cover a considerable space, with perhaps shoaler water. No time was lost in taking up an anchorage upon it. The atmosphere favoured our morning, noon, and evening observations, so that the latitude and longitude were satisfactorily obtained. It blew sufficiently rate from N.E. to detach the boats, and before the swell disturbed us

we obtained sufficient to show that we had anchored upon a steep-to bank of coralline crust, extending 14 miles, N.W. and S.E., and 10 miles in a N.E. and S.W. direction, with as little as 25 fathoms on the middle of it, and which deepened suddenly from thirty fathoms to seventy, and 200 fathoms, without bottom. We could not detect the slightest current, nor discolouration that would indicate so abrupt a feature in ocean water, by ripple or otherwise. The lead brought up a few specimens, but the dredge and anchor brought up nothing, and the fishing-lines were very successful. We determined the latitude of the N.W. extreme of this bank to be 17° 51′ 30′′ S., and the longitude, with subsequent rates at Rio, 36° 5' 9" W., and the variation 6° 33' W

Pursuing our search for the Montague Shoal, at 9 miles further eastward than it was reported, we struck it in 31 fathoms, from a long line of 180 with the deep-sea lead, and no bottom. We were 48 hours, buffetting with a south-easter before we could obtain an anchor hold of this bank, to which my attention had specially been directed. Eventually, we occupied three positions upon it, the Torch joined us, and we soon traced out a tolerably flat bank of 35 fathoms, bending to the South in its general direction from N.W. to N.E., 72 miles in length and 12 in breadth, with one spot at its N.E. extreme of only 19 fathoms; we found a current to the S.W. of three-quarters of a mile per hour. The same description of fish as on the Hotspur were found on it in abundance. The swabs which we let down on it from different parts of the ship entangled some massive specimens, whilst the crusted surface would yield nothing to the dredge or palm of the anchor. Our observations on this bank place it in lat. 20° 45′ 8′′ S., longitude, 37° 47′ 23′′ W.; the variation (also adjusted for change of subsequently ascertained deviation) came out 3 42′ W."-Page 431.

THE ROCCAS OR ROCAS.-These low islands were surveyed in 1852, by Lieut. S. P. Lee, U.S. Navy, who determined the northern point of the northern island to be in lat. 3° 50′ 56′′ S., and long. 33° 49′ 24" W. They consist of two sandy islands, situated on the western edge of a reef, which extends 1 mile from east to west, and 1 mile from north to south, and is covered at high water, with the exception of the islets and some scattered rocks on the southern and eastern sides. The reef is composed of coral, and in its centre is a lagoon, having from 1 to 4 feet water in it at low tide, which appears white from the mast-head at a distance of 4 or 5 miles; in this lagoon there is an abundance of turtle. The reef is in general level, though it has many holes in it, and the scattered rocks are mostly 10 to 15 feet above its surface; one, especially, near its north-eastern edge, being conspicuous, has obtained the name of the Black Rock.

The most dangerous part of the reef appears to be the weather or southeast side, where, if a vessel struck, the chance of saving life would be small. When approaching it from the northward, the breakers will be first seen from aloft at the distance of about 10 miles and soon afterwards the two islands and the Black Rock will appear.

At from one to two miles, N.W. of the northern island, Sand Island, there is very indifferent anchorage in from 15 to 18 fathoms, rocky bottom; rocky bottom also exists at a depth of 15 fathoms, 6 miles east of the reef. At 21 miles, N.N.E. from the reef, there is no bottom at 30 fathoms, nor at 70 fathoms 4 miles S.W. of it.

The centre of the reef is 84 miles, due West from the peak of Fernando de Noronha; and the variation of the compass is 10° 54' W. There is an abundance of sea-fowl, but no wood or fresh water.-Pages 431 and 434.

TRISTAN D'ACUNHA.-The cliffs of this island are very lofty, an

should not be approached too closely, lest the ship be involved in the eddy winds occasioned by them. There is a depth of 46 fathoms, sand, at about 1 mile from the shore, abreast of the cottages situated on the tabled tongue of land, immediately under the almost perpendicular side of the mountain, which slopes down to the sea, from an altitude of 8300 feet, on all sides of the island, except this flat space, which forms the north-western projection of the island.

In November, 1852, Captain Denham visited the island, and thus remarks: "Ships are beginning to visit this island, but nothing should induce the commander of a merchant vessel to anchor, even should he do so at the depth of 30 fathoms water, 1 mile off, with the wind off-shore; the swell which attends the brief calm preceding the change of the wind on shore (North and N.W.), would be very likely to snap his cable, or jerk his anchor home, and he be drifted on the rocky shore. He could not work off, should he slip his cable, and if the on-shore wind proved a gale, he must part from, or founder at, his anchors. The Julia, sloop of war, was so caught, parted, and was totally wrecked, with a fearful loss of life, in 1818. But there would be no risk in holding several days' communication by boats, the ship standing off and on, especially if the season happened to be between October and April, which is the summer period here.

The plan of the settlement bay, and to which the residents have given the name of Falmouth Bay, may prove of use to future ships desirous of sighting it to correct their longitude, or to replenish water and stock. But it is dangerous to range along the margins of the island nearer than two miles, on account of the baffling eddies, which leave a ship in the on-set influence of the swell. The settlement bay itself should not be approached within 1 mile, or in 40 fathoms water, a limit which is denoted by the sail rock off the western cliff closing with the N.W. extreme of the bay and island, and which it does on the bearing of S.W. W. The islanders have no name for the north-western point, where our observations were taken at, so it was named Herald Point.

Keeping the cross marks on of that point and the erect rocky islet at the western extreme, the white cottage brought S.W. by S., (or the low black cliffy point at the eastern extreme of a black pebbly beach bearing south,) is the best line to run in upon, and which should be preserved, whether for sending a boat on shore, while standing off and on, or for anchoring, which a steamer might do with comparative impunity. It must not be forgotten, that excepting the absolute eddy produced by the projections of the island at half a mile off, the current sets north-eastward. It may also be remembered that, although the peak rears its head 8000 feet above the level of the sea, such is the conformation of its slopes, that its apex cannot be seen from the margins of the island, which preclude any vertical angle being measured from the high water mark or cliffs. The peak is of easy access for barometric measurement, but it is generally snow-clad; it was so at the time of this visit, although young summer.

The geographical position of Tristran d' Acunha may now be considered. as settled. Its north-west extremity lies in lat. 37° 2' 48" S., and long. 12° 18′ 39′′ W., about one-third nearer the Cape of Good Hope than to Cape Horn, and nearly upon a line drawn between those well-known capes, a position which places it 1320 miles southward of St. Helena."-Pages 431 and 453.

FALKLAND ISLANDS-There has been an alteration in the beacon on Cape Pembroke, the Governor having erected a sort of tower at its base ; the base of which is 9 feet square, tapering to 5 feet square, and 36 feet

high above it is a topmast 30 feet high. The beacon from base to top is now 65 or 70 feet high, so that it can be seen in clear weather 10 miles off.— (May, 1850.)-Page 466.

Port Stanley.-Mr Thomas Surflen, R.N., has given the following instructions for vessels going into Port Stanley :-"Ships coming in from the southward and making Cape Pembroke, will see a flag-staff about two miles inland, near to the settlement, on a rising ground, upon which an union-jack is hoisted when a ship heaves in sight; there is also a large beacon on the pitch of the cape. Should it be blowing hard from the southward when you enter Port William, you may run for Sparrow Cove, as should your vessel be in distress it is quite safe: water and fresh beef can be procured here. If going into Stanley Harbour you will see a large finger-post on the west point of Sparrow Cove, and another on the east point of the entrance to the harbour, both pointing to the harbour. Should a pilot not come off, a ship need not wait; the soundings are good, only keep well clear of the kelp,— there is not the least danger. In sailing in from the northward, after you pass Berkeley Sound, you may keep close to the kelp all the way; there is not the least danger outside; it is as good a pilot as you can have. The anchorage is good all over Port William, and you may anchor close to the entrance of Stanley Harbour should the wind be blowing out."-Page 466.

TRACKS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.-CAPE VERDE ISLANDS TO THE SOUTH-WEST COAST OF AFRICA.-The following remarks are by Lieutenant W. C. B. S. Porter, of the United States Navy, May 17th, 1851 :—

"In the season of February, March, April, and May, there is no difficulty in making the passage from Porto Praya to Ambriz in 30 days, provided the run from Porto Praya to Monrovia takes not more than 8 days.

The direct route, and that which approaches the great circle, leads along the coast, touching the outer soundings of St. Anne's Shoals, thence to HalfCape Mount, to allow for a current when steering for Monrovia. From thence, follow the coast along with the land and sea breezes, assisted by the current, until you arrive at Cape Palmas; keep upon the starboard tack notwithstanding the wind may head you inshore, (the land breezes will carry you off,) and as the wind permits, haul up for 2° West longitude; cross the equator here if convenient, but I would not recommend going to the westward of it, you will encounter westerly currents of from 30 to 50 miles a-day. In the vicinity of Prince's Island the S.W. wind is always strong. In the latitude of about 1° 30′ N. there is a westerly current. Should it not be practicable to weather the island of St. Thomas, stand on, approach the coast, and you will meet with north winds to carry you directly down the coast. Our Salem vessels make the passage from the United States in 56 days, arriving at Ambriz in May. I have made three different cruizes to this coast in the same season, in the vessels Marion, John Adams, and Perry.

The impulsive desire to attain the object of our duty will, as much in nautical matters as others, mislead our better judgment, when there is a prospect, or any temptation to success, without experience to forewarn us. Thus, our vessels, after arriving at Cape Palmas, have generally gone upon the port tack, because the wind carried them towards the coast or Gulf of Guinea, and seemed to favour them for the port tack the most; which, on the contrary, although slowly veering towards the S.E., was hauling more ahead, and leading them off into a current, which, under a heavy press, it is impossible to work against. The consequences were, they had to go upon the starboard tack, and retrace the ground gone over. On the starboard tack, as you proceed easterly, the action of the wind is the reverse, and it allows you to pursue the great-circle course.