seemed that our character for neutrality, which had suffered severely, already, would indeed be still more seriously implicated. He had just learnt that one of our ships of war, he thought it was the Phaeton, had given convoy to a blockade runner. The Aries was stated to have been taken under her protection at St. Thomas, to be safe from AdmiralWilkes, supposed to be bound to Nassau, and had since been captured in attempting to break the blockade of Charleston. But as he had said, he hoped it would turn out to be a mere newspaper statement, although it was too well known that there were unscrupulous merchants in this country, who would not hesitate to plunge us into a war with the Northerners, by which, perhaps, they themselves would be the first to benefit. A war, indeed, with the Northerners! Alas for England's fair fame! to go to war with the benefactors of their starving operatives in cotton factories, impoverished by a glut of their market to convert raw material into gold, for the benefit of slave states, one result of which would be, to bring about the establishment of those states. But he hoped that his anticipations would prove to be groundless.

Come, gentlemen, interposed the Chairman, cura quietem may be a very good motto, but let us stick to our text.

Our system, observed the Commodore, of giving information on important matters, through the medium of the House of Commons, answers all the purposes required of it, although occasionally it may be late in its arrival. The committee system, for instance: what an amount of intelligence is elicited and given with a valuable report, and a mass of evidence brought together by no other means. Our late lighthouse report, although it sprang from the fact not being generally known, that a fixed light never is so brilliant as a revolving one, and thence the comparison of our Dungeness light with that of Cape Grinez seemed to be much against us. Still, one cannot regret the case, when one sees the result which it produced. Still, it is a pity, continued the Commodore, that deprecatory remarks are launched at public boards on some occasions, for they do no good, and are better kept down. It would almost seem that while other countries are highly busy on these subjects, that our Trinity House is doing nothing. Thus some person is reported to have been moving for a copy of the reports to the Trinity House of the South Foreland, Varne, and Dungeness lightkeepers; and of all reports from Professor Faraday subsequent to that of the 5th day of July, 1862, upon the electric light now in operation at Dungeness; and asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether it was the intention of the Trinity House to include the use of the electric light in the alterations contemplated at Portland? Then, of course, after remarking upon the importance of this subject to mariners, quotes reports of the captain superintendent of the packet service at Dover, and from Captain Smithett, the commander of the Frederick William, who were in the daily habit of witnessing the effect of these lights, and who testifies that the electric light is far more powerful than any other; and that the revolving light is fifty times more powerful than the ordinary light; and won

NO. 5.-VOL. XXXII.

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ders, therefore, that its use has not been more extensively adopted by the Trinity House.

Referring to the example of foreign nations, he found that the Dutch had actually preceded us in the use of these lights, which had been known for about four years among us, and partially used during two. The little kingdom of Holland had not only invited the inventor to put up a light of this description, but had allowed him to build a new tower for its more efficient trial. He might be told there were financial reasons against its adoption; but it must not be forgotten always that frugality might degenerate into parsimony, and caution become something like cowardice. There were matters in which the withholding of the necessary funds was a positive crime. In conclusion, he might be excused for mentioning to the house an anecdote connected with this subject. At the late Exhibition, a sailor was examining the revolving light whilst it was being exhibited, and asked, "Why did they take this down from the South Foreland ?” and upon the inventor telling him that the Secretary to the Trinity Board was the authority to whom to apply for information, the sailor replied "The Trinity Board are a pack of fools. What do the Trinity Board know about these things? It's we, who sail the seas, who know what's wanted in this matter." He hoped the matter would, without delay, receive attention.

Now, if such words as are here stated to have been used, had been used, what possible good could arise from their repetition. The veteran gentlemen of the Trinity House can afford to smile at such remarks, and, he considered, knew as much of these matters as those who made them. Here some one else added :—

The Dutch, who were not accustomed to take the lead in these matters, had anticipated this country, for they had erected a light at Scheveling, and had built an iron tower for the purpose at Texel. Then, again, Spain was not considered a very precipitate country, but he could speak from his own knowledge that the Spanish lighthouses were better than ours; and we had not a single light so vivid as that at Ceuta, near Gibraltar. He hoped the right hon. gentleman would stimulate the Trinity Board into action in this matter.

However, the President of the Board of Trade at once said :—

That although the person was not at liberty to move for these papers, he should have no objection to lay them on the table. They had the most recent despatch of Professor Faraday on the subject to the Trinity Board, from Dungeness, where the light was in operation. Some time since the Trinity Board suggested that it would be desirable to make improvements in the lighthouses, and the lighthouse at Portland was placed under new arrangements. It was necessary that all expenditure proposed to be made upon this head should be sanctioned by the Board of Trade. When they were asked to sanction the application of the electric light at Portland, they replied that as it was yet under trial, though considered by many scientific men to be

a great improvement, they thought it desirable to defer the expenditure till further experiments were made. That was the position in which the matter now stood. They did not think that sufficient time had elapsed to justify a reliance on this electric light. As to the brilliancy and intensity of the light there could be no doubt, and the person had spoken within the mark when he said, that it gave eight times the brilliancy of a first-class dioptric light. It possessed another advantage, that it was distinguishable from other lights at sea, and in such places as Dungeness, where vessels came up to anchor, it was of importance to be able to distinguish clearly the lighthouse from all other lights. But it was essential also that there should be certainty in the light, because if the light went out suddenly it might prove more dangerous than otherwise, It was to test this point particularly that further inquiry was wanted.

The electric light had been used for nine months at Dungeness, and during that time it had gone out for a moment or two, though he believed this occurred from want of attention. The electric light required constant attention, as a great deal of machinery was at work for its production. Then came the question of expense. There were some places where the advantage of a good strong light was so great, as to justify any expense, but there were other places where an inferior light would answer all useful purposes. Now, as the cost of lights was borne by the merchant shipping, he did not think they would be justified by fancy or caprice, in imposing on the shipping interest a greater charge than was necessary in supplying it with sufficiently good lighthouses. From the fund accumulated in this way they were able to reduce the tonnage on ships, whether coasters or engaged in the over-sea trade, from £100 to £40. Now, if they were to incur unnecessary expense, they would deprive themselves of the power of making those reductions which were required by the shipping interest. He did not want to disparage this important invention in the least, and should be glad to afford every opportunity for the fairest trial. He believed that the Trinity corporation were desirous of giving the new light a full and fair trial, with a view to its general adoption if successful.

Now, continued the Commodore, it is my opinion that the Trinity Board is not only desirous of giving this electric light a fair trial, but have been doing so for perhaps more than a year; and he did not for a moment doubt that the Trinity Board could disprove the statement attributed by another honourable gentleman, "that the Board had wasted ten times the money that would have sufficed for the cost of erecting electric lights through the country." But what he would ask was this-Why all this detraction of the Trinity House, who are just as anxious to give good lights as sailors are to have them. If a light is good enough, as those of the Trinity House are, to be seen just above the horizon, could the electric light be seen further? or could it be seen through a mass of intervening salt water. He apprehended not, setting aside the question of expense, and chance of failure.

Our friend, Mr. Glaisher, observed the Secretary, so well known as a meteorologist, had now become a celebrated aeronaut. But his last ascent, the tenth, was nearly come to a serious termination, but happily, for his own preservation and the ends of science hereafter, the tact and experience of his companion, Mr. Coxwell, saved him from imminent danger in the rather unpleasant proximity of the British Channel. He says, in his published letter,

As the Crystal Palace remained some time in view, it was at first expected that the upper current was not so swift as the lower; after reaching the height of four miles, and we had determined we were moving directly towards the coast, Mr. Coxwell continually applied to me for the reading of the barometer, and directed our companion (Mr. I.) to keep a sharp look out for the sea.

Immediately after we attained an elevation of four and a half miles, Mr. Coxwell let off some gas, and said he felt assured that there was not a moment to be lost in getting within view of the earth.

Mr. Coxwell again let off gas rather freely, so that we descended a mile in four minutes. At 2h. 46m. we were two miles from the earth, the barometer reading 21.20 inches, when Mr. Coxwell caught sight of Beachy Head, and exclaimed, "What's that?" and then the coast through a break in the clouds, and exclaimed, "There is not a moment to spare, we must descend rapidly and save the land at all risks." It was a bold decision, but we were in a critical position, and I do not see what else could have been done. Mr. Coxwell now used the valve with a degree of freedom which would have alarmed any one who had not perfect confidence in his skill. I was requested to pack up my instruments as quickly as possible, and then to assist in getting ready a large amount of ballast to throw away at the last moment. On breaking through the clouds we appeared to be already over the water, but as the ground came up to us, or seemed to do so, we found there was land beneath. Mr. I. rendered important service in letting up the neck lines, and in clearing the ballast for immediate delivery, so as to lessen the violence of the descent. When orders were given to put out sand, we did so simultaneously, which gave a favourable check, and as the lower part of the balloon itself assumed a parachute form, the shock was not so bad as might have been expected. Most of the instruments, however, were broken, owing to their delicate construction and my attention being drawn from them, yet, strange to say, two large glass vessels of air, collected at the highest point for Professor Tyndall, remained uninjured, as did some bottles of lemonade which Mr. Coxwell had placed in the car.

We descended the last two miles in four minutes; and had we done so less rapidly, the land would have been missed altogether, and we must have fallen into the sea. The descent was within half a mile of the railway station at Newhaven.

Mr. Coxwell's decision and expertness were put to as severe a test as it is possible to imagine, and certainly he is entitled to my best acknowledgments.

F. Fixed. Ffl. Fixed and Flashing. R. Revolving. I. Intermitting. Est. Established.

(a.) 9.-The wreck lies in about 23 fathoms water, with Cape Garajoa bearing S.E.b.E. E.; Ilheo do Gorgulho, W.b. N. N.; Pico da Cruz, N.W. W.; the Cathedral, N.E.; and the right extreme of the Loo Rock, N. § E., and in a line with the house West of the flagstaff.

(b.) 10.-The light is a fixed white light, seen through an arc of 180°, or when bearing from S.E.b.E. round by East and North to N.W.b.W. The line of northern limit of the light passes over the centre of the Bambec Shoal, and touches the extreme point to the North-westward, and nearly a mile S.W. of the Diana Rock to the South-eastward. Between the bearings of S.E.b.E. E. and E. S. a more intense light appears, which is visible at a distance of about twenty-five miles. The former bearing leads about a mile S.W. of the Bambec, and the latter bearing in the direction of the Pyramid Shoal.

From the lighthouse, the Pyramid Shoal bears W. N., distant 21 miles; Bambec Shoal N.W.b.W., 133 miles; and the light-vessel on the one-fathom bank N.W.b. W. W., fifty-nine miles. Magnetic variation 1° 35′ East in 1863.

(c.) 11.-The higher and inner light is visible to vessels in the offing on any bearing between about E.b.N. and North; if in with the Lonsdale land, it will be seen only when between N.E.b.E. and North. Within Port Phillip Heads the light will be visible from N.E.b. E., round by North and West, to S.W.b.W. The tower stands N.E.b.N., distant 352 yards from the low lighthouse.

(d.) 11.-The low light shows white when bearing from about N.E.b.E. to N.E., red from N.E. to N.N.E., and white from N.N.E. round by North to