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Port Molle.-A bold detached rock above water, named Pioneer, and supposed to cover at high water springs, is found in the North entrance to Port Molle. It is in the way of navigation, apparently a long mile from the western main shore, bearing W.S.W. two miles from the North extreme of the Molle Isles. Vessels frequenting Port Molle by the North entrance, not seeing it, should give the West shore a wide berth before or after clearing the western or smaller Molle Islet.

Tides. From Cape Melville to Cape Sidmouth. The tides between Flinders Group and the Claremont Isles appear to be strong and irregular. H.M.S. Pioneer found it so, especially in the vicinity of Pelican Isle, d, e, f, and g reefs. The mariner must be cautious, either in the day or night track recommended here, to look out and well verify his position frequently.-Remarks of H.M.S. Pioneer, September and October, 1862.

GEERKEN SHOALS,-Reported to be nearly midway between the Falkland Islands and the River La Plata.

The following is an extract from the Friend, of Honolulu, 1st April, 1862

Barque R. W. Wood, Geerken, reports,-December 19th, passed two spots of very discoloured water (sunken reefs) which was slightly breaking on these places, about four fathoms deep. No observations could be taken at the time, as the weather was thick and rainy The positions of these spots were lat. 42° 14' S., long. 54° 38′ W.; and lat. 42° 16', long. 54° 42'.

We preserve the foregoing report, although it is one of those that have very slender claim to attention. The want of soundings, the imagined break and supposed depth of four fathoms, in so frequented a part as that reported-in which also ice is not uncommon,―seem to throw little probability on the existence of shoals in that part; or to show that if shoals they were they would have found a place in the charts long ago.

INDIAN SHOALS,-Atlantic Ocean.-West of Cape Verd Islands.

We have received the following report, which appears to concern an old vigia, called the Indian Shoals. While we do not doubt the account given of something having been seen in the position reported, we have no authenticated proof of terra firma that would be required to form the reported shoal. There are various things which at night might be taken for such a danger, such as a drifting wreck, huge logs of timber, such as have formed the Devil Rock, swept off the chart. But we record the report, and cannot consider it more than one of these until a deep cast of the lead shall set the question at rest.

Newcastle on Tyne, January 5th, 1863. Sir,-By a vessel arrived at Bristol a letter has been received from ship Collingwood, on her passage to Calcutta; and from the importance of the communication I think it highly desirable to forward you the annexed extract for insertion in that interesting maritime publication, the Nautical Magazine. The authenticity of the letter you can rely upon, as I have it from the owners.

Your old Subscriber,

To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine.

The following is the report made:

NAUTICUS.

December 3rd, lat. 5° 40′ N., long. 24° 20′ W. Gentlemen,-We had a near escape on 29th November last. Just before daylight breakers were reported close ahead. I had just time to shift the helm and so clear a reef of rocks which is not laid down in the chart. Their position I ascertained to be in lat. 16° 44′ N., long. 26° 49′ W., by two chronometers, both true. By other observations the island of St. Antonio (Cape de Verde) bore by compass E.S., distant about seventy-five miles. The reef of rocks called the Indian Shoals are situated, by chart, about seventy miles S.W. of those named above.

WM. NUNN, Commander ship" Collingwood."

We leave it in its present state, notwithstanding the Atlantic Memoir says, "This shoal is laid down from the chart of M. la Rochette, 1777, seventy leagues W.b.N. (true) from St. Jago. It is more than doubtful."—Atl. Mem. p. 688.

CHINESE HYDROGRAPHY.

The following account of sunken rocks recently discovered on the coast of China has been communicated to the Admiralty by Admiral Kuper, as reported by Mr. A. F. Boxer, commanding H.M.S. Hesper. They are severally noted on the charts published by the Admiralty of the coast to which they apply.

HESPER ROCK, 10 feet (In sheet 3, No. 1963), with Plat Island, S. 73° W.; Dome Island, N. 52° E.; Three Chimney Bluff, N. 12° E. EURYALUS ROCK (In sheet 4, No. 1760-Approaches to Amoy, Southern Side).-A rocky patch of 8 feet, with Chan-chat Rocks N. 75° W., 4 cables; extremes of Woosen Island, S. 58° W. to N. 67° W.; extreme (? outer) point of Taetan Island, N. 2o E.

BOXER BANK (In sheet 5, No. 1761-Approaches to Hungwa Sound).-Sea breaks with Reef Island, at entrance of Hungwa Channel (North side) N. 9° E. 14 cables (? miles and what part of it). The extremes of Reef Island N. 32° W. to N. 9° E.

BOXER ROCK, 12 feet (Amoy Harbour).-In fairway, by western entrance, with Han-sen Island beacon (? on what part of the island) N. 39° W.; Kulangsen Island, N.W. point, S. 21° W.; Kulangsen

Island, North point, S. 11° E.; Dock Island (? what part) S. 78° E., and nearly in line with church.

Very great caution is required from the navigator in these Chinese waters, especially when threading the dangers of the inshore navigation, of which we have as yet but a very imperfect acquaintance,for instance, the numerous group of the Yit Islands and the Hungwa Channel, abounding in rocks and shoals.

EMMANUEL REEF,-Gulf of Siam.

The following is the substance of a report by the commander of the ship Emmanuel, of Havre, to the French consul at Bangkok:The Emmanuel discovered a reef of sunken rocks at 7h. a.m. on the 10th November, when crossing the Gulf of Siam. It extends about thirty fathoms N.E. and S.W. It is never uncovered, and breaks near its southern end. Its position, determined by three chronometers (well regulated and agreeing with the bearings of the mountains of Chong Samet, then in sight) was found to be in lat. 11° 49′ N., long. 101° 19′ E. Bearing N. 3° E. of the high land of Chong Samet. It is named the "Emmanuel Reef."

HERMES BANK,-Coast of Brazil.

The shoal on which the Hermes was recently lost has been examined by Lieutenant M. A. V. de Oliviera. It is a pointed rock rising nearly vertically from the sea, and completely detached from the St. Anne Islands. It is six fathoms long from N.N.W. to S.S.E., and about two across in its greatest breadth. It forms three peaks or heads, that to the S.S.E. being the highest and most pointed. The lead gives scarcely four feet of water on this at low water, and one foot and fourteen feet on the others. The heads are connected by ridges, with from thirteen to twenty-two feet over them. The depths on the bank on which it stands vary from five to six and a half fathoms.

In a N.E. direction from it is a coral rock of four fathoms and a quarter. In a fresh breeze this danger does not show. The sea is somewhat smoother over it and a slight ripple only is seen.

Good observations place it in 22° 21′ 10′′ S., long. 41° 47′ 9′′ W. of Greenwich. The church of St. Anne bears S. 70° W. from it, and the North extreme of the St. Anne Isles S. 25° E. 3.5 miles distant; the Morro of St. Domingo (near to Point Tabua and entirely isolated) N. 5° E. The summit of Morro Imburo is N. 40° W.; in which direction the beach is a mile and a half distant. True bearings.-Moniteur de la Flotte.

REEF OFF THE S.E. END OF PUERTO RICO.

The commander of the Pizarro, steam-vessel, discovered a reef off the S.E. end of Puerto Rico, extending thirteen miles E.N.E. and W.S.W. It is divided into three parts: the eastern named Ola

Grande, the middle Algarrobo, and the western Media Luna. It takes the direction of the coast, distant from it three miles and a half. The western part is on the meridian of Guayama, and the eastern with Cape Mala Pascua bearing N.E.b.N. easterly. Magnetic.

THE LATE MR. RICHARD GREEN.

The decease of Mr. Richard Green, the late eminent shipowner, may be considered a public calamity, as he was one of the very few men who carried on an immense business in the shipping line not solely for the purpose of heaping up riches, but for the laudable ambition to excel every one else in the sailing quality of his ships, and in their superior manning and equipment; by which means he did all he could to keep up the character and respectability of the mercantile marine, and with it the naval character of his country.

Though subject for some years to the grinding competition of free trade, for which he himself continued a strenuous advocate, no change of times could induce him to reduce the emoluments or good English fare of his officers and seamen. And a well known anecdote is told of him, that when pressed by another owner of ships to reduce the seamen's allowance of meat and other provisions to suit the hardness of the times, he stopped the subject at once by saying,-"When I find I can make no profit out of the ships without starving the sailors who work them, I shall give up business and turn the ships over to you!"

Being a bachelor, and having no domestic ties, he had more leisure than most people to carry on his immense business, and his ships seemed to be his sole pride and delight. But his zeal in everything he undertook completely wore out his constitution, never very strong, and he died of premature old age, scarcely having completed his 59th

year.

To show the superior manner in which his ships were managed in every way, it is a fact that for thirty years that he has had an average of from twenty to thirty ships afloat, only four have been lost in that time, viz., the Conqueror, City of Poonah, Madagascar, and Sutlej, the latter by fire in the Bengal river. The losses therefore in his service have been as rare as in the late E.I.C. service, where ten men were carried to every 100 tons, and in his own only five; though few owners carry anything like that proportion in their vessels. From January 1810 to January 1834, when the E.I.C. trading charter expired, out of fifty-two ships afloat, four were lost, viz., the Cabalva, Duke of York, Regent, and Kent, the latter by fire at sea.

Although the will of the late Mr. Green is not yet published, yet it is well known that it has given general satisfaction. The ships are to be kept on in the present state, and no one loses employment; legacies to maritime charities have been most liberal, among which are £5,000 to the Seamen's Orphan Asylum and £2,000 to the Dreadnought Hospital ship.

THE

NAUTICAL MAGAZINE

AND

Naval Chronicle.

APRIL, 1863.

VOYAGE OF H.M.S. "MELVILLE," Commander H. Trollope,From Singapore to Hong-Kong.

[The letter (in our last number) of Captain Polack, of the Hanoverian barque Esmeralda, throws considerable light on the subject of making a northern passage against the N.E. monsoon of the China Sea, by the Gilolo route. He informs us that Siamese traders to China invariably take it at that time. We follow up Captain Polack's communication by the voyage of H.M.S. Melville, Captain Trollope, who had previously called our attention to his passage from Singapore to Hong-Kong by that route. The Esmeralda made her run from Gilolo to the Bashees in ten days, but the Melville took thirteen to do it in, which appears to have been the result of going so far East as the Melville did, the Siamese traders considering this quite unnecessary. It is evident, however, that the favourable current is the main source of the advantage of this route over the China Sea, besides the wear and tear of a foul wind.-Ed.]

On Friday, 18th December, at 6h. 20m. a.m., left Singapore with a moderate breeze from the northward. The flood tide setting to the S.W. at 2h. p.m., obliged us to tack to the northward to avoid being set down on the Bintang shore. The beautiful revolving light named after the celebrated Horsburgh, on Piedra Branca, is most admirably situated. There is no danger to the northward of this rock, there being sixteen fathoms close to it, but in other directions it must be approached with caution. The lighthouse is a noble granite tower, ninety-five feet above the sea, and visible fifteen miles distant.

NO. 4.-VOL. XXXII.

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