was constantly opposed to all acts of violence against his cousin, who was simply removed some leagues from the capital under the surveillance of a score of menamasos, who are sufficiently interested not to lose sight of him.

Rainizohary, as his part, has been charged with the care of the tomb of his old mistress; and thus these two men are now expiating their past crimes. They are living in the constant fear of falling some day under the vengeance of the relations of one of their numerous victims, and endeavour by means of drunkenness to get rid of remorse, in waiting but for the one end, which cannot be long in coming, to permit those who dreaded them to follow without fear the new order of things so happily inaugurated by Radama.

The liberty of the Hovas admits a plurality of wives, bnt they do not abuse the privilege. It is very rare that they contract low alliances, for in this point of view they are a highly susceptible race; thus they look in preference for their alliances in their own families, and sometimes of a degree very closely related. One of their wives, who has the title of vadi beh, represents the husband in the same acceptation of the word as among ourselves, and she has all the prerogatives if, as among Mussulmen, the husband is not bound to devote to each of his other wives the day which they would have the right to claim.

Radama has two legitimate wives. Rabodo, of whom we have spoken, is his vade beh. She is queen in the full meaning of the word, and is always treated as such; while his second wife, Ramona, although also his cousin germain, as sister of Ramboasalam, lives without any distinction with other ladies of the court.

Radama has besides an acknowledged mistress, Marie, formerly a servant of Rabodo, with whom he cannot be regularly allied on account of her low birth; but of whom he is very fond, and who has a considerable influence over him. This lady has two children; one of whom, a son ten years old, is named John.

Rabodo, on her part, and perhaps as a set off against this, which is naturally not satisfactory to her, has publicly adopted the two children of Raitsimaimanga, nephew of Radama the First. They are considered by her as her own, and are present officially at all the fetes and public ceremonies, although the eldest, named Sataniry, is only six years old and his sister scarcely four.

To finish with the known descendants of Dianamponine, we must say a word about Jomby-fatomby, the daughter of a cousin germain of Radama the First, who was obliged to fly from Madagascar to save her head on the accession of Ranavalona. The father of this lady was fortunate in getting to Mohely, one of the Comoro Isles, and to be acknowledged as sovereign of the island. She succeeded him at his death, but was obliged to marry an Arab, and has a son six or seven years old.

The excellent and amiable character of this intelligent young queen, as well as her conduct, has secured her the protection of France. In all the neighbouring islands the "little queen" of Mohely is never

mentioned but in terms of affectionate sympathy; and this title, although she is more than twenty-five years old, will probably be that by which she will be known to posterity.

Jomby-fatomby, an exile like her father in the reign of Ranavalona, has lately received from Radama the Second letters inviting her in pressing terins to come to him, and it is possible that she may assist at the coronation of her relative. The amiable qualities which distinguish this cousin of Radama have often given rise to the hope that she might be united to him to assist in regenerating his country. Such an idea is probably not abandoned, for Jomby-fatomby cares little for her crown and still less for her husband, from whom a divorce would easily separate her.

THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR: Its Winds, Tides, and Navigation. (Continued from page 145.)

Precautions and Rules for Entering and Passing the Strait. Points of Land to Make at the Western Entrance.-The points to use as landfalls at the western entrance of the strait, for vessels from the Atlantic, are Capes Trafalgar and Espartel. With respect to the first, and whilst its light* is in course of construction, at night it is a bad point to make, Cape Espartel being always preferable, being a high and remarkable land. By day and with the wind from N.W. round by the North to East, when there is a clear atmosphere, it is preferable to make Cape Trafalgar. But with the opposite winds. Cape Espartel should be preferred.

Making Cape Trafalgar.-Cape Trafalgar, although foul and dangerous, has an approach which renders it easy to make with the lead. If a vessel nears it by night and in fine weather, she may assure herself of her distance from the shore by consulting her chart with the result of her lead, with a certainty of running no risk, while she does not get into less than thirty fathoms. Keeping in this depth and standing E.N.E., she will not be long in making Tarifa light, from which she can shape a fresh course.

Making Cape Espartel.-Cape Espartel having a clean shore and being a remarkable headland, offers no difficulty either by night or day, to a vessel with a good reckoning. But if this be out it may occasion an error in making the strait, as to the South of the high land which forms Cape Espartel, the land is low and formed by an extensive valley. This appears to the navigator at a distance to be the mouth of the strait, a mistake which has led to the loss of vessels that have committed it. Hence in dark, lowering weather and at

* Since completed to a revolving light.-See p. 446, vol. 1862.

night, vessels should be very cautious how they stand in shore, unless they are perfectly sure of their position, keeping off the Cape until daylight. When the light of Cape Trafalgar is completed much of these inconveniences will be removed, and they would entirely vanish were another established on Cape Espartel, the proposals for which were even made to the Government by the Commissioners of Lights. Course for the Strait from West to East.-To pass the Strait from West to East, with a fair wind, it will be enough to keep mid-channel, where a vessel will be clear of all risk, and will profit by the general current. If it be attempted with foul winds, a sailing vessel should work also mid channel, when the flood is running, extending her boards to either shore on the ebb, by which means she will derive more benefit from the current, and the favourable slants of wind produced by the bays.

If the foul wind be from the eastward, and blowing fresh, provided the vessel can carry her topsails, although close reefed, and she keeps mid-channel, she may also pass the Strait, especially if she has been able to gain the meridians of Cape Plata, or Point Malabata. And as the narrow of Tarifa is passed, the wind will be found sensibly less, and an attempt should be made to beat against it, in the hope that by small boards the rest of the Strait may be cleared, and that the wind already available will enable the vessel to reach Gibraltar, should that have been the destination, or to enter the Mediterranean.

If the easterly wind be so strong as not to admit of a vessel carrying sail to it, the best plan to adopt would be to take shelter under Cape Spartel, keeping under sail for what may turn up, and the moment it slackens to take the Strait. A navigator somewhat accustomed to the Strait, and having gained ground in it, instead of seeking shelter under Cape Spartel, would find it off Tangier Viejo, in Bolonia Bay. Coasting vessels which keep the coast of Spain on board, reach Tarifa easily, availing themselves of the counter streams of tide, and anchor off Los Lances if the easterly wind is so strong as not to admit of keeping under sail. But the moment they can do so they get away, standing to the southward, managing with a few boards to pass the narrows of the Strait.

While the easterly wind inclines to the northward, it is best to keep on the Spanish coast, as much from having more shelter from the sea, as from profiting by the heavy gusts from the coves and bays. But if the easterly wind has any tendency to the southward, the opposite coast is preferable.

The places for making in the eastern entrance of the Strait, for vessels from the Mediterranean, are the Rock of Gibraltar, and Mount Almina de Ceuta. If the weather be clear the Rock will be seen forty miles off, appearing isolated, and higher to the northward than the southward, and at the same time will be seen, also isolated, the Sierra Bullones. As they are approached they will appear more distinct, and the mouth of the Strait will be seen; the towers of the Rock will

appear, also its white cliffs on the eastern part of it, and finally its light tower. The Monas Mountain, Apes Hill, (Sierra Bullones) will show its two conical peaks, the northern being higher than the southern, and lastly Mount Almina de Ceuta will be seen less elevated than the other heights, and remarkable for the large castle of Hacho which crowns it.

The land which forms the isthmus of Gibraltar is low. From this the ground rises as far as the ruined tower of the look-out of La Pedrera. Continuing still to rise it forms a high mountain called Carbonera, on the summit of which is a watch tower 1,062 feet above the level of the sea, and three miles distant from the Rock.

In misty weather the error is made of mistaking the Rock for the Sierra Bullones, and that of Carbonera for the Rock, and with East and S.E. winds vessels thus become embayed, and are wrecked on the beach of Mala Bay, which they have supposed to be the Strait. It has also happened in similar weather, that the Sierra Bullones has been mistaken for the Rock, and as to the South of the former the land is low, the bay of Tetuan has been considered the mouth of the Strait, and vessels by getting down into it with East and N.E. winds, have run the same risk of being wrecked.

In order to avoid such mistakes as these, the navigator who is making for the Strait with easterly winds, should if possible, keep the coast of Spain in sight, until he has made out for certain the Sierra of Estepona. Once having hold of this he may look out for the Rock, keeping in mind that from the highest part of the Sierra, the eastern part of the Rock bears S. 17° W. Should it be night, and the weather not very obscure, in a short time he will discover the light of point Europa, with the bearing of which he may shape his course for the Strait. But should the night be very dark, and the weather bad, when it will be difficult to make out the light, it will be most prudent to wait for daylight by heaving to, in the confidence that the general current will set the vessel to windward; or perhaps to wait until a clear admits of the light being seen. The greatest care must be taken not to get embayed down in Mala Bay, for if the wind hauls to the S.E. it will be most difficult to get out of it, as the current then sets on shore. In this part, being completely out of the general current, the counter current is only experienced, which with the rising tide sets to the S.S.E. or along the coast, and the contrary with the ebb.

Navigators in easterly winds and dirty weather running for the Strait by night along the African coast, should also take great care, and get early on the parallel of Ceuta, to avoid the deep bend which the coast forms to the southward, and should not attempt to take the Strait without having first made sure of Ceuta light, which from the quality of it cannot be mistaken for that of Point Europa.

As the generality of vessels make one coast or the other, with the view of avoiding the general current of the mid-channel, they should be very careful to satisfy themselves most scrupulously of their position on approaching the Strait, when running in bad weather with N.E. or S.E. winds, the principle to be observed being to abandon the

coast of Spain on nearing the meridian of Estepona, and that of Africa from the meridian of Point Pescadores.

With westerly winds, it is mostly common with vessels making the eastern entrance of the Strait, to work either on the Spanish coast between Point Europa and Estepona, or on the African between Ceuta and Tetuan, to await the return of the Levanter. But if this delays long they resort to anchoring off Tunara, Carbonera, or Sabinilla, on the Spanish coast, generally avoiding to do so on that of the African where they might find excellent shelter to the southward of Ceuta. Nevertheless, it is not well to anchor, especially in winter, at either of the above places, to be exposed to a rebolsada in the night, one of those sudden changes of wind frequently occurring in the vicinity of the Strait, in which a merchant vessel would rather be saved the trouble of veering cable. To avoid these things, it would always be more prudent either to wait under sail, for which both coasts afford sufficient shelter, or perhaps to make some attempt with the assistance of the tide, and if possible gain the bay of Algeciras, the only secure shelter in the whole strait.

Route from East to West.-In passing the Strait from East to West with a fair wind, there is nothing to do but to attend to the tides and current, whether in a sailing vessel or a steamer, making either one coast or the other, and following it, as well for avoiding the influence of the general current, as for making use of the favourable tides. But unless the wind is sufficiently strong to enable a vessel to run over the current and its different streams, it would be wrong to get too near the projecting points, such as Carnaro, Acebuche, Tarifa, Cires, &c. In such a case it would be prudent to drop an anchor in some convenient part, and wait for a favourable tide to pass them. The steamers which do the coasting trade on the Spanish coast, always pass them near the shore, going inside the Cabezos and Acetera, although it may be blowing hard from the westward or S.W.

If the passage of the Strait from East to West be somewhat difficult for sailing vessels with fair winds, much more so must it be when they are foul, and it would be impossible to make it in a large one when the wind keeps steady at West. There are instances of vessels of war having achieved it, but these cases, favoured by circumstances, are rare, as the constant flow of the ocean water into the Mediterranean must show. It is only the navigator who has a small handy vessel, with sufficient knowledge of the Strait, who can get to windward by working with the assistance of the tides. We will explain some of the practical rules of which Spanish coasters avail themselves, to get through the Strait against foul winds, established by experience.

Working through the Strait from East to West.-Point Europa being once gained with favourable tides, a vessel will continue working along the coast of Spain without passing the limits of the tide, until reaching Tarifa if the flood admits of it. Having gained this point, and should the tide still be favourable or not, she will anchor to wait the change. Then if the vessel has to leave Algeciras, she will get under sail at half ebb, with which she will have time to reach Point