before midnight. The next day, another search was made in the vicinity of the little raft, but no more discoveries resulted. Captain Moresby had asked me to go with Lie Lieutenant Smith on this occasion, to try and get some information from the blacks; we succeeded in getting hold of an ol old man, in a r. but could make nothing of him. irodai up the river, On this day, the 14th, the body of Williams had been discovered, at the entrance of Mourilyan Harbour, which is the mouth of a river, emptying itself at Double Point. He had been most cruelly murdered, and his was the only body that could be identified, and Dr. Goodman, of the Basilisk, was of opinion that he had not been dead more than thirty hours. The six bodies afterwards found by the Governor Blackall were in too advanced a stage of decomposition to be identified. On Friday, the 15th, the Basilisk left Double Point, and in the evening reached Cardwell. We were at last enabled to send the intelligence of our safety to Sydney, and were informed that the Governor Blackall, under command of Lieutenant Gowlland, was expected the following day. On hearing this, Captain Moresby decided to await her arrival at Cardwell, and to keep us on board till then. His kindness was fully appreciated by us, as we were in far better quarters than we could hope to find in the township, and I, for one, shall never forget the old Basilisk and all that were in her, both for the timely assistance rendered to us and the hospitality received on board. On Saturday, then, we remained in Rockingham Bay, and in the afternoon Dr. Goodman and Lieutenant Mourilyan took me with them on a shooting excursion fo Hinchinbrook Island; but, unfortunately, the tide was so low that we could not get close enough to the beach, and were compelled to return with only two curlews. The Governor Blackall was now in sight, and while Captain Moresby and I were dining, she was reported to have anchored less than a quarter of a mile further in shore. Shortly aft this she sent a boat on board. Lleutenant Gowlland was announced, and entered the cabin, and, to my great surprise and pleasure, just behind him were a number of my relations and friends. I will it to say, that it was not attempt to describe the meeting; suffice The units for all They declared that they were not going to let me out of their sight again, so took me back with them to the other steamer. The next day being Sunday, Captain Moresby kindly asked me on board the Basilisk to be present at service, as he intended returning thanks for our merciful preservation. After this we were all shifted to our new quarters on board the Governor Blackall, and started with some native troopers on board to renew the search for the missing men. It was during this trip that the six bodies above mentioned were found, and there now only remained two men unaccounted for, but no traces of them were discovered. It is quite possible, when we consider that five men were lost from the larger raft, that at least two of those on the smaller one did not reach the shore; however this may be, the exhaustive searches of Captain Moresby and Lieutenant Gowlland leave no doubt that there were no living white men in the neighbourhood. While in the vicinity of Point, Cooper, a few of us went ashore with some blankets and fish-hooks, presented by Mr. Sheridan, the police magistrate of Cardwell, as a reward to the blacks for their kind treatment of us, but, unfortunately, we could not find them; evidently they had been frightened by the black troopers, who had been there the day before. However, we left the articles at their camp, and have every reason to believe that they received them eventually, as there were very recent traces of them. After spending a week in the search we returned to Cardwell, and then taking on board the men who had gone in the boats, started for Sydney. We had a very pleasant trip down, with beautiful, weather the whole way; but some of us began to feel the effects of our exposure, all being more or less attacked by fever, and many having bad ulcerated sores. Coyle's toe was now healing, but very slowly. It had been an extremely bad case, for Dr. Goodman told him that had he been another day without medical treatment, in all probability he would have lost his toe I was struck with the beauty of the islands known as the Whitsunday Group, through which we passed on our southward journey. We entered the passage shortly before sunset, a time which greatly enhanced the beauty of the scene. These islands, picturesquely clustered, are for the most part very precipitous, while groves of lofty pines ascend the sides and cap the summits of the hills, with here and there gentle declivities clothed with grass of the richest green. After leaving these, no objects of peculiar interest presented themselves, and the remainder of the voyage passed without any events of importance occurring. The time passed very pleasantly, the kindness of Lieutenant Gowlland, and the gentlemen accompanying him, adding much to our enjoyment. ibrah of the matte ture lliy I At about nine o'clock on the evening of Thursday, the 28th of March, we arrived in Sydney, greatly rejoiced to see it again; and thus ended our adventures and the New Guinea Expedition of 1872. or unde erabi91 THO GREAT CIRCLE SAILING7 would tou ob Gift of soundroqi Isoitoniq ti bus gades oloris teorg to Jula, zd and sortent not 2nd I botsman 1970 dae my 495d eng′ pe For about thirty-five years great circle sailing has afforded much matter for controversy, before that it had afforded food for speculation. It is fortunate for those interested in ships, that the value of great circle sailing has been settled by the test of practical application; were it not for this it is said that there are many (sailors as well as mere theorists) who would have ridden it as a hobby to the death. The great circle sailing, like many other valuable pursuits, is good in moderation, and like them also it is bad when indulged in to excess. It possesses no advantage for coasting or short sea voyages, nor for navigation in the zone, whose breadth is comprised within twenty degrees of north and south latitude. It is for long ocean voyages made in waters free from obstructions and dangers that a knowledge of great circle sailing is of value. The labour of finding a great circle course had for years prevented the elevation of great circle sailing from theory to practice, but when the result of the labours of Towson, Raper, Fisher, Godfray, Airy, and Fitzroy were published, the difficulty vanished. No sooner, however, was it once practically demonstrated and taken up, than there was every chance that it would be as greatly and seriously overdone, as its value had been even during the theoretic stage over estimated All the savans named above, with the exception of Godfray, used Mercator's projection; Godfray used the Gnomonic projection. Mercator's chart is certainly objectionable in one important point for great circle sailing, because the great circle that is the actual straight or true track as laid down on that chart is necessarily a curved dine; and the ascer taining and tracing of that enrve involves labour; at all events it involves greater labour than the mere drawing of a straight line, or plumb course between two points. austq) nozwoт „l moït lɛzoniqas d lo We believe that Mr. Towson's is the best of all the systems founded on the use of Mercator's charts. For this we owe Mr. Towson a debt of gratitude, and we think we are stating a fact when we say that to him also we owe the introduction of composite courses. We are now led to refer to the subject of great circle sailing, because at the present time a chart on the central or Gnomonic projection, lately constructed by a practical navigator, W. C. Bergen, master mariner, of Blyth, Northumberland, has been brought under our special notice. specimen of Captain Bergen's chart is inserted in our present issue. To find a great circle course on the Gnomonic projection Godfray used a diagram, and Bergen uses a protractor. A straight line drawn between any two places on Bergen's chart is a great circle course between those places. We do not know whether we shall shock any of our readers when we say that the value of great circle sailing and its practical importance to the navigator have been greatly over estimated. It has, for instance, been stated that a thousand miles may be saved between England and Australin by great circle sailing. This is correct in theory, but in practice a great circle course would take a ship into very dangerous latitudes. It is true again, for instance, that on the track from Rio Janerio to Cape Otway 1,700 miles may be saved by great cirele sailing; but, to do this, the latitude of 84° 55′ S. would have to be reached. We mention the above as illustrative of the difference between theoretical accuracy and the more limited but profitable and practical application of great cirele sailing. It may become a hobby which, if ridden much, is likely to end in disaster. At the best it is but a refinement a useful but limited refinement of the art of navigation. It is better dispensed with altogether than carried to excess. A sailor does wisely to use it discriminately, always taking care to go on in the old well known courses rather than to lay down and follow a great circle course that will inevitably lead him into the vicinity of floating ice, or to regions of devastating storms. As against riding great circle sailing as a hobby, we therefore advocate an acquaintance with it as a refinement and useful accomplishment. All masters extra, for instance, ought to be possessed of a thorough knowledge of it in theory, and ought to be able to apply it, if advantageous opportunities offer, in practice. They bought also, as accomplished men, to be able to construct the Gnomonie chart, and work by it as readily las Mercator. If great circle sailing is used at all, then Captain Bergen's plan, we think, possesses many charms, and we congratulate him on the publication; ofthis chart, which we now submit to the intelligent appreciation of our readers.el In closing this necessarily short notice, we think it right to state that Captain Bergen's chart and method have met with approval from Mr. Towson, Captain Maury, Professor Airy, Admiral Smythe, Captain Toynbee, and many other scientific men of eminence. With such good names on his side, we do not fear that his charts will be takem up by advocates of great circle, sailing, and will find their way speedily on board British ships, for when, great circle sailing is indulged in, the navigator will find that Captain. Bergen's charts afford him a ready means for laying down his course.uth Da derstangel 5 W robugizen Issitung s rd by Ti " bir hilnord nood end bankrodam.atóż „b al ( 1 (1 J laplan vodno ser tot zb891 od ilow enteroqqa yemas - Ai MADRAS CYCLONE CODE, a binge te dre #27619garh 19 - to lang THE following is the substance of instructions which have been issued relating to all abnormal, barometrical temperature, and wind variations, which may indicate the likelihood, approach, prevalence, or passing away of a gale or cyclone: On the first observation, and during the continuance of "suspicious" or "dangerous" weather, the Government Astronomer will telegraph to his local superintendents at all outstations any observations, inquiries, directions, and warnings regarding the weather which he may consider of possible utility." Whenever the Astronomer shall have reason to apprehend the advent of a gale or cyclone, he will at once communicate warning to the master attendant. The Government Astronomer will communicate to the master attendant such information as may be by him obtainable regarding the inland direction and progress of any future cyclone, in order that timely warning of the apprehended danger, may, when possible, be given to the local authorities along that coast, and may by them be given to the shipping. q 4969 ཚད་་་་་ན་ I. The Marine Department will enforce, as far as possible, a strict observance of the Port Rules in regard to the anchorage and berthing of ships, &c. A copy of these rules will, as heretofore, be given to every master of a vessel arriving in the roads. II. Two sets of life-saving apparatus, complete with hawsers, &c. (but without rockets), will be kept in charge of the master attendant, who will be responsible for their being in a constant state of readiness and efficiency, for their periodical inspection, and for their boat's crews being trained to their use.. III. The master attendants at the outports on the eastern coast of this presidency will despatch by telegraph to the master attendant at Madras prompt intimation of apprehended dangerous weather, and during the prevalence of such weather will continue, when practicable, to furnish information regarding its changes. or thedugog 21 da IV. Whenever the master attendant shall have reason to apprehend the advent of dangerous weather, he will as hitherto direct the hoisting of "a white flag with a blue cross," signifying "The weather is suspicions. Prepare for running to sea.e The following arrangements will also be made out All officers of th Marine Department and the boat and catamaran men belonging to the Marine Establishment will be assembled and held in readiness for immediate service. Mamook 7581 915 пodegized to 20{b89) *** |