"Existing Regulations.

"The existing international regulations require that

"Fishing vessels and open boats when at anchor, or attached to their nets and stationary, shall exhibit a bright white light.

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Fishing vessels and open boats shall, however, not be prevented from using a flare-up in addition, if considered expedient.'

"The existing practice is not uniform. Until recently many of the drift-net fishing boats, when at work, showed two white lights; at the present time most of those at Penzance and neighbouring ports show, we are informed, one only. The two white lights when shown were generally placed one above the other on a stanchion or upright amidships, about three feet apart. Or, on the East Coast, on a stay from the mizen mast. If one white light is shown, it is generally carried on a stanchion or on an upright in the same way, and is fairly represented by the lower of the two lights in diagram 4; but we do not find that it is ordinarily carried on one of the masts used for the sails. The drift-net boats hailing from the Cornish ports are much smaller than the trawlers, and do not, as a rule, carry their side-lights fixed and in their places, but they carry one lantern having the red and green slide, to exhibit the red or green side-light to approaching ships. They also carry, and when necessary use, the flare-up. The white lights carried by the drifters, when drifting with their nets are often exceedingly powerful lights, and are of use not only to make the presence of the drifter known to other vessels, but to throw light on the deck of the drifter to enable the crew to see to work."

In the event of any collisions betwe en merchant ships and fishing vessels trawling, it is highly important that the master of the merchant ship should in future have the benefit of the statements contained in this Report. It is quite clear that fishing vessels do not comply with the existing law as to side-lights when they are not fishing; while, in the case of trawlers at work, the Report also shows that the law is disregarded. The Report on point is as follows::

NOTES ON THE EQUATORIAL CURRENTS OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC. 275

"We find

"First that the existing regulations as to lights are, as a general

rule, disregarded.

"Secondly, that trawling vessels carry, while at work, a white light which has never been authorised by any regulations whatever; and

"Thirdly, that much confusion must have arisen through the trawlers having thus made a law for themselves outside all authorised regulations.

"Fourthly, that the owners of trawling vessels wish the international regulations to be specially and expressly altered, with a view to enabling their vessels to continue to carry the present (illegal) white light."

In fact, the white light of trawlers is an illegal light; it misleads approaching ships by presenting the light of a vessel at anchor, instead of a vessel proceeding through the water, and so it happens that a merchant ship trying to pass ahead of what appears by its light to be a stationary ship, but which is in reality a ship under way, runs it down. As it has never yet been made clear in Court that this white light is an illegal light, the ship has had to pay; but now that the Report we have referred to has been given to the world, we have no doubt whatever that both the counsel for the master and the Courts will regard these cases from a different point of view.

NOTES ON THE EQUATORIAL CURRENTS OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC.

To the Editor of the "Nautical Magazine."

Stockwell, 3rd March, 1880. IR,-The accompanying paper has been sent to me by Mr. James Galbraith for perusal. It shows that some of the currents in the Pacific Ocean are not what they have hitherto been shown to be, and its value to the mariner is very great. I have much pleasure in being permitted to send it to you for insertion in the

Nautical as it is quite worthy of a prominent place in your pages. The announcement it contains is of first-rate importance; whilst the care with which the facts are recorded reflects great credit on the officers of the British Merchant Service.

Faithfully yours,

THOMAS GRAY.

Having been employed during the year 1878 running the s.s. Peruvia, 3,445 tons gross (late Nemesis of London), between China and Peru, the following narrative will be found to contain my experiences in the Pacific Ocean, with an account of the winds, weather, and currents (particularly the latter), as I found them in my various voyages.

Before leaving London, in October, 1877, I supplied myself with the latest charts, and the best books of directions I could get, and being a complete stranger in Pacific waters, I consulted with several of the captains of the steamers plying betwixt Hong Kong and San Francisco as to the best route to take in crossing to Peru, via the Sandwich Islands.

With the information gathered from various sources, I made up my mind to proceed to Honolulu on the "Great Circle "track, and after leaving Honolulu to pass out betwixt the islands of Oahu and Morotoi; then steam straight to the eastward, until I could make a fair wind of the north-east trade wind; then get into the Equatorial counter current without loss of time, and, having got nearly to the Galapagos Islands, steer straight for Callao.

Having left Hong Kong on the 13th January, 1878, I came across to Honolulu, arriving there on the 3rd February; after landing passengers, &c., I left again at three p.m. on the 4th, and found, as I cleared the land, a strong breeze from the E.N.E. As we had met with but very light "Trades" approaching the Islands, I fully expected to find the breeze lull down, but in this I was disappointed; as we proceeded to the eastward it increased in force, and hauled to E. by N., and sometimes east. I noticed also that we were getting into a very confused sea, and on working up the position on the 5th found we had had a current setting to the westward about of a knot per hour.

I determined to try on hoping for better things; but, by 8 a.m. the following day, I had to abandon my attention of getting to the eastward by this route. The wind was steady at east, pressure about 6, with occasional rain squalls, the sea very confused; there was first the sea from the eastward belonging to the wind, then from the N.N.W. came a long deep swell, and occasionally another from the W.N.W. was quite perceptible. The effect of this mixture may be imagined; we would go along steadily for five or ten minutes, and then get suddenly brought up by a slap on the bows, which would make the ship quiver from stem to stern, what with the rolling and pitching, and the speed down to five knots, I kept away to the southward under fore-and-aft canvas, my object now being to make easting as opportunity offered, gain the Equatorial counter current, and proceed according to my first intentions.

As we edged down the "Trades," the wind clung steadily to the east, occasionally drawing a little to the southward, and day by day the current increased till it got to 25m. in the 24h., on the 11th day of February, in lat. 12° 08′ N., long. 137° 37′ W.

For the next two days I had no current. The wind being now from the N.N.E., I hauled away to the eastward, trying for the counter current, but with no success. On the 15th February, our position was 4° 43′ N., 125° 0′ W., and a current to the W.S.W. 30m.! in the 24 hours.

I kept edging along to the eastward, hoping to get a help towards my port, but from the 15th to the 21st inst., when our position was 0° 22′ S., 103° 59′ W., we had a current to the W.S.W. and west, varying from 20 to 30m. a day.

On the 22nd, I found that the current had completely changed its courses, having set N.N.W. 20m. in the last 24 hours. The next day it had resumed its old direction to the west, and then W.N.W., but now diminishing in strength, until on the 26th, in lat. 7° 59′ S., long. 90° 52′ W., we had no current at all. From this into Callao 9m. was the strongest we had in the 24h., until getting into the dirty green water off the coast, where we found a sharp set to the N.W. We anchored in Callao after a passage of 25

T

days 20 hours from Honolulu, which includes a stoppage of six hours for repairs.

After losing the N.E. trades, we had variable winds with lots of rain, but generally a smooth sea.

We picked the S.E. trades up in 1° south, and I noticed there was a hard patch in them south of the Galapagos Islands, in which the wind kept steady at east and E. by S., with pressure

about 5.

The barometer was very regular in its movements; about 10 a.m. it would commence falling, and by 2 p.m. it would be down about, then it would begin to rise again to its usual range, 30.10. This went on day after day, with but very slight variation, especially between the latitudes of 10° N. and 10° S.

I found very little difference in the compass deviation between the China Sea and the Sandwich Islands, but on getting to the eastward of the islands I noticed a marked difference both outward and homeward bound. I always work with "Napier's diagrams," and kept two curves, one for the eastern half of the voyage and one for the western.

During our stay in Callao, I thought a good deal over the best route for the homeward passage, and profiting by my outward experiences, I determined to try a straight line for it. My belief in the existence of an equatorial counter current was considerably shaken coming out, and the straight line course would prove whether it had an existence or not.

On the 21st March we finished our lading, and left Callao for Honolulu and Whampoa. By noon we were well clear of the Hormigas-de-Afuera, and by noon next day were 262m. on our journey, with a current to the W.N.W of 14m. Having passed through the patch of no current which I noticed in my outward run, we soon came up with the westerly set again. The wind, I noticed, in these regions, was much stronger from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. than during the rest of the 24 hours. On the 27th March our position was 3° 36′ S., 102° 22′ W., and the current was 32m. to the westward. Next day, in 2° 16' S., 106° 13′ W., I found it had dwindled down to 8m. only, while on the next two days I had 23m. and 1m. respectively to the eastward!