coals; stranded on Ridge Sand, February 13, 1879. Inquiry held at Westminster, March 4, 1879, before Rothery, Wreck Commissioner; Holt and Parfitt, N.A. Master in default for

having kept his vessel too long on a course which would inevitably land her on the Ridge. Certificate suspended for

three months.

OFFICIAL INQUIRIES ABROAD.

Wanganui, schooner; lost to the north of Oamaru, October 4, 1878. Inquiry held at Otago, October 10, 1878. Master to blame. Certificate suspended for four months.

Salve, brigantine; beached in Flinders Bay, October 25, 1878. Inquiry held at Vasse, Western Australia. Master justified in beaching his vessel.

Enterprise, s.t., and Alexandra, ship; in collision in Garden Reach, River Hooghly, November 6, 1878. Inquiry held at Calcutta. Evidence contradictory. Pilot of Great Victoria in tow of Enterprise to blame.

King Oscar, barque; stranded on Tory Shoal, Kaipaca Heads, October 5, 1878. Inquiry held at Auckland, N.Z., November 12, 1878. Casualty due to an error of judgment.

Felixstowe, barque; lost at Otaki, N.Z., October 13, 1878. Inquiry held at Wellington, November 13, 1878. Master and mate both drowned. No evidence to show upon whom the blame was attached.

Carlota, barque; lost on Pencarron Head, November 9, 1878. Inquiry held at Wellington, N.Z., November 13, 1878. No blame. attributable to master.

Taupo, s.s.; grounded on reef off Maran Point, November 2, 1878. Inquiry held at Wellington, November 14, 1878. Master to blame. His certificate as well as mate's, suspended for six months. Second mate reprimanded.

Huon Belle, ketch; stranded on the North Spit of the Patea River, and also in the Manawatee River, September 10, and October 5, 1878, respectively. No decision.

J. G. Coleson, schooner; stranded on Cape Stephens, October

10, 1878. Inquiry held at Wellington, November 30, 1878. Master free from blame.

Dairymaid, s.s.; stranded on Collins' Reef near Bulli, October 80, 1878. Inquiry held at Sydney, December 2. Mate to blame, but held no certificate. Master cautioned.

City of Auckland, ship; lost at the mouth of the Otaki River, October 22, 1878. Inquiry held at Wellington, December 9, 1878. Master held to be in fault, but was in no way punished in consequence of previous good conduct and meritorious conduct in saving his passengers, &c.

Thalia, barque; abandoned at sea, November 18, 1878. Naval Court held at Valparaiso, December 20, 1878. Casualty due to dereliction of duty on the part of the second mate. Certificate suspended for three months.

Ada, barque; stranded at Chefoo, December 10, 1878. Naval Court held at Chefoo, December 20, 1878. Master found in default. Certificate suspended for nine months.

Macquarie, brigantine; lost in Sharks Bay, November 14, 1878. Inquiry held at Geraldton, December 21, 1878. Master free from blame.

Kate Irving, barque; stranded on Tony Rock Bar, December 17, 1878. Inquiry held at Nassau, December 26, 1878. Master free from blame.

Madura, s.s., and Emerald, brig; in collision at sea, April 10, 1877. Inquiry held at Madras, December 31, 1877. Casualty due to the incompetency of the Nacoda of the Emerald, but held no certificate with which the Court could deal.

Lady Hulse, ship; stranded in the Bay of Callao, December 10, 1878. Naval Court held at Callao, January 2, 1879. Some blame due to master. Severely reprimanded.

Laurestina, s.s.; lost on the Kopparstenarne Reef, December 30, 1878. Naval Court held at Stockholm, January 13, 1879. Master held responsible. Certificate suspended for three months.

Vortigern, s.s.; lost at Ras Aduleh, 30 miles from Cape Guardafui, December 24, 1878. Inquiry held at Aden, January 29, 1879. Master to blame. Certificate suspended for three

months.

Adriatic, ship; lost off Gravelines, February 16, 1879. Inquiry held at Dunkirk, February 21, 1879. Master exonerated from blame.

Alpha, s.s.; lost in the Black Sea through collision with a transport. Naval Court held at Constantinople. Master severely reprimanded, and admonished to be more careful in future.

GENERAL.

ROCKET APPARATUS SERVICE.

PRAWLE, 29th December, 1878.-The Utility, of Fleetwood, from Fleetwood to Runcorn, when beating down Channel in thick weather came ashore here. Her crew, five in number, were rescued by the coastguard and volunteers with the rocket apparatus, but with much difficulty and at considerable risk, as, owing to the rocky character of the beach, they had to work the apparatus up to their necks in water, in order to prevent the crew from being dashed to pieces on landing.

KILMORE, 30th December, 1878.-The Debonair, of Greenock, from Bilbao to Glasgow, stranded at White Hole. Her crew were all saved; one by the rocket apparatus, and the rest, four in number, by remaining on board till the tide receded, when they were assisted ashore by the rocket party.

BAR OF LOUGH, 31st December, 1878.-The barque King Arthur, of Liverpool, from Charlestown to Liverpool, stranded at Ballymadder. Her crew, consisting of twenty persons, were all saved; seven by the ship's boats, with the aid of persons on the beach, and thirteen by the rocket apparatus.

WYKE, 8th January, 1879.-The smack Speedy, of Jersey, was driven ashore inside the Chesil Beach, near this station. Her crew, three in number, were rescued by means of the rocket apparatus.

DYMCHURCH, 8th January, 1879.-The schooner Marie Louise, of Norway, owing to stress of weather, stranded here this evening. The coastguard and volunteers were soon on the spot with the rocket apparatus, but were unable for some time to effect any communication with those on board owing to the distance of the

vessel from the shore, but on her drifting nearer the shore with the tide, communication was effected, but the crew were so exhausted and benumbed that they could not use the apparatus. The coastguard then launched the station boat, and, with great difficulty and risk to their lives, succeeded in taking off the master and four of the crew, but another of the crew who had been lashed to the rigging, was found dead from exposure.

ST. CATHARINE'S POINT, 13th January, 1879.-The barque Schiehallion, of London, came ashore in a thick fog near Black Gang Chine. She had on board a crew of sixteen hands and thirteen passengers. The greater number of the crew and passengers had succeeded in landing by means of lines from the ship, before the rocket party arrived, but two were unfortunately drowned, one in attempting to land and the other by being washed off the deck. The remainder, consisting of four passengers and two of the crew, were landed by the rocket apparatus.

ROSSLARE COAST GUARD STATION, 21st January, 1879.—The barque Helen, of Liverpool, was reported at 8.30 p.m. as making signals of distress about a quarter-of-a-mile from this station. The rocket apparatus was immediately taken to her assistance, and a rocket line was thrown over the vessel, but the crew did not avail themselves of it. The large service coastguard boat, manned by the chief officer of coastguard, and two coastguard men, and seven Royal Naval Reserve men, was then launched, and, notwithstanding a heavy broken sea and strong wind, succeeded in taking off all the crew, twelve in number, and landing them in safety. One of the ship's boats was stove in and another sunk alongside shortly after.

SWANAGE, 24th January, 1879.-The Norwegian barque Anne Margarethe, bound from Rouen to the United States, was observed on shore by the chief officer of coastguard at this station. The rocket apparatus was at once got out and taken as near to the wreck as the nature of the ground would permit, and the coastguard, by going to the end of a jutting rock, succeeded in throwing over the ship a line with life-line and buoy attached, and by this means took off all who remained on board, viz., the master and five of the crew. The rest of the crew, together with the master's daughter, had landed in the ship's boat some time earlier.

THE

NAUTICAL MAGAZINE

FORTY-EIGHTH YEAR.

VOLUME XLVIII.-No. V.

MAY, 18 7 9.

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT AS ADAPTED FOR MARITIME PURPOSES.

HE British public have recently been awakened to the fact that electricity as a light-giving power is on the eve of being made practically serviceable for domestic and other purposes. To many of us it seems but a short time since gas was an innovation, and the application of mineral oils for lighting purposes is of still more recent date. But if the sanguine anticipations which have of late been so frequently expressed should be realised, the electric luminary will ere long enlighten our streets and public buildings, and may even supersede gas, oil, and candles in the illumination of our homes.

That there is a great future in store for the electric light, no one can doubt. But in the present stage of its development it is impossible to form any idea of the probable extent of its future application. Our knowledge of the principles of electric energy, though far in advance of what it was only a few years since, is still limited; we possess the magic lamp of Aladdin, we know also how to rub it, but the spirit who answers to our summons is a mysterious being, the extent of whose power is unknown, and who comes from we know not where.

VOL. XLVIII.