necessarily slow, not averaging more than fifty miles a day towards the Lizard; but ""Tis an ill wind indeed that blows nobody good," for on Wednesday we communicated with the brig Cawton, of Bideford, only twenty-one days from Barcelona, bound to Dalhousie, in the Bay of Fundy, which reported all peace in Europe; and the FirstLieutenant has succceeded in painting the ship inside and out, not before it was wanted, I must confess.

We were now on the right whales' feeding ground, and had many of these monsters of the deep near the ship. Immense quantities of spawn and blubber were passed; in fact, the water seemed alive with it. At noon the Lizard bore N. 69° E., 648 miles, and the wind, which has drawn round gradually to the westward of South within the last twelve hours, promises now to hold in that quarter, the barometer having fallen steadily during the same period.

29th.-We have experienced a tremendous set from the northward during the last twenty-four hours, as much as forty miles, accompanied by a very heavy swell from the N.W., and the breeze, which promised fair to take us up channel, failed very suddenly, drew round to the eastward of North, and fell almost to a calm; so the steam was got up in three boilers, and, after some difficulty in connecting the shaft, we proceeded ahead easy, having coals enough, if this weather lasts, to take us to Spithead.

Sunday, September 1st.-At noon yesterday we were only eightythree miles from the Lizard, having struck soundings the previous evening at six o'clock, in ninety four fathoms; and at ten p.m. the lights were reported.

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Unfortunately, as we got to the bottom of the coal bunkers, the quality of the coal seemed to deteriorate, and a mixture of Australian "Newcastle" and New Zealand "Drury," reduced almost to dust, which either falls through the bars or clinkers so badly that the fires have to be continually cleaned out, rendered it extremely difficult to keep up the steam, except by an expenditure which we cannot afford. Accordingly, at eight o'clock this morning (the Eddystone bearing North), having only twelve tons of this stuff left, with an E.S.E. wind dead in our teeth and a very small prospect of a change, I determined to put into Plymouth Sound, and before eleven we were lashed alongside the Lavinia hulk, ready to take in a fresh supply of coal the first thing to morrow morning. This voyage may therefore be considered as terminated,-with what satisfaction to all hands I shall not attempt to describe. The following lines truly apply to this ship's company:—

"Long have they voyaged o'er the distant seas;
And what a heart delight they feel at last―

So many toils, so many dangers past-
To view the port desired: he only knows
Who on the stormy deep for many a day
Hath tossed, aweary of his ocean way,

And watched all anxious every wind that blows."

It now only remains for me to give the performance of the ship between the Falkland Islands and Plymouth Sound:-Whole distance run in sixty-two days 7,813 miles, being at the rate of 126 miles a day and 5.25 per hour, or a speed of nearly half a knot faster than was realized between New Zealand and the Falkland Islands. The performance under steam was a trifle better than before our arrival at the Falklands, the coal taken in there having mixed well with the Australian :-Time under steam 7 days 10 hours 5 minutes; distance run, 1,121 miles; distance per hour, 6.3 knots. Coals expended (including 9 tons 4 cwts. for raising steam), 207 tons 5 cwt.; distance run for a ton of coal (198 tons 1 cwt.) 5.6 knots.

This average would have been much greater but for the loss during the last hundred miles, to which I have already alluded, when, besides the item of bad fuel, the slip of the screw, owing to the ship being very light, had also increased to upwards of 33.5 per cent.

The abstract of the run of H.M.S. Niger between New Zealand and Plymouth is therefore as follows. She crossed the bar of the Manukau at noon on May 9th, and arrived in the Sound at ten a.m. on September 1st, including four days' detention at the Falkland Islands:

Between New Zealand and the Falklands.

On Monday morning we took in eighty tons of coal, and at noon left for Woolwich, a telegram having been received from the Admiralty ordering the ship to proceed there instead of to Spithead.

On Tuesday at noon we hove to in the Downs, received a pilot, and anchored at the Nore at seven p.m. The next morning the anchor was lifted for the last time and we stood up the river, passing, and receiving three hearty cheers in passing, H.M.S. Warrior, at anchor above Greenhithe. Arrived off Purfleet at eight a.m., took the powder out, and secured at noon alongside the Salsette, hulk, off Woolwich Dockyard.

And so ends this journal, which I cannot conclude better than in

the words of our great circumnavigator Cook, in the finale to the fourth chapter of his fourth and last book (1775):—

"This imperfect account is written more with a view to assist my own memory than to give information to others. I am neither a botanist nor a naturalist, and have not words to describe the productions of nature either in the one branch of knowledge or the other." Woolwich Basin, September 7th, 1861.

THE WESTERN DIVISION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.-Navigation: Passages from West to East.

(Continued from page 375.)

On describing the Strait of Gibraltar we pointed out the most proper courses to be adopted from West to East and the reverse, and showed the navigator how to avail himself of the general and special currents of each tide. It remains now to allude to the tracks which are the best to be taken in the western part of the Mediterranean, as the principal object before us.

The Summer Season.-The sailing vessel which penetrates into it with a westerly wind, and bound, perhaps, to some of the ports of Algiers or Corsica, or the Levant, should preserve a midchannel course between Spain and Africa, so as to profit by the whole strength of the general current. If she be destined for Oran or Algiers she may pass between Alboran and Cape Tres Forcas, nearer to the former than the latter, and nearing Cape Falcon if she is bound to the first port, or making Cape Tenez if bound to the second. Then, having got hold of the land, she may run down the coast at a regular distance for Cape Cagines, which she will approach, so as to recognize the points Pescado and Consules, in order to make sure of her port.

Should she be bound to any other port of the same colony, such as Bugia, Stora, or Bona, it would be prudent for her also to make Cape Cagines, so that she may keep the coast at hand to correct her position, and not run the risk of overshooting her port.

If Cagliari should be the destined port, or somewhere in the Levant, the ship should pass between Alboran and the coast of Spain, about thirty miles from the latter. If the land be clear, so as to admit of the heights being seen over Cape de Gat, she should shape a course more to the northward, so as to pass midway between the Balearic Islands and the African coast, and make the coast about Cape Teulada, with the object of checking the reckoning, so as to make for Cagliari Bay or the Sicily Channel.

These routes, adopted in summer with a westerly wind, incur no inconvenience, and a vessel has the advantage of all the current to the eastward. It may be that in the same season, when easterly winds prevail, in proportion as the vessel leaves the strait she may be lagging

to the westward, and that before reaching the meridian of Cape de Gata she may find the easterly wind. In this case she should take to the southward along the coast of Barbary, so as to get into the full force of the easterly current; and she should not stand to the northward until she has made out some remarkable point on the coast of Algiers, so as to correct her position, in case she should not be provided with the means of being certain of it; and she should continue working to windward between the coasts of Africa and Spain, and between it and the Balearic Islands, until she has reached the meridian of her port; or she may continue her boards until she has passed Sardinia, if she is bound to the Levant.

In the channel between the Balearic Isles and Africa S.E. winds predominate, becoming consequently head winds for the ship that is bound to the Levant when she gets too far North. In such a case it is better to work to windward on the coast of Barbary, extending the boards to the North as far as sixty to seventy miles from the shore, with the view of keeping in the general current. By prolonging the boards with these winds in the channel of Minorca and Sardinia a vessel would derive no advantage from the easterly current, and would most probably find one running in the direction of the gulf of Lyons, which would delay her considerably.

Even in summer, with northerly to N.E. winds, which sometimes reach the parallel of 39°, do not bring much sea, a vessel may keep her course indicated along the African coast, with the view of profiting by the general current. In this case she should keep further from the continent, and if she has anticipated a N.E. wind, may get up to that parallel or to that of Minorca, so that she can proceed without concern if she is bound to the Levant.

There are years in which winds into the gulf of Lyons predominate much, and they have been known to blow in June and July for eight or ten days together, and these are the winds which we have said become easterly in the mouth of the Strait. To get to the eastward with these winds is most difficult, especially until passing the meridian of the Balearic Islands, in proportion as the vessel advances towards Sardinia.

If a vessel from the Strait of Gibraltar, or the ports of Malaga or Almeria, be bound to the Balearic Isles, the gulf of Lyons, or the coasts of Italy, she should also keep midchannel, to profit by the general current, whether the wind be easterly or westerly. Should it be easterly she will gain to windward on the African coast, for, little as it may be from the S.E., it will admit of her making good boards, as well for taking any port of the Balearic Isles as for running for the strait of Bonifacio, should she be bound to the. Italian continent, or to the gulf of Lyons, or the coast of Genoa, &c. We have already

observed that in summer it is common to meet with north-easters in the gulf of Valencia, and in the channel between Catalonia and the Balearic Isles, while between these islands and Barbary S.E. winds are prevailing, and consequently facilitating the navigation by this last channel.

Even from the ports of Carthagena and Alicante a better voyage will be made South of the Balearic Islands, either for the Italian continent, by the strait of Bonifacio, or for the gulfs of Genoa and Lyons, because if in the Atlantic westerly winds are blowing, they come more from the Barbary coast in the channel South of the Balea Islands; and the same takes place if easterly winds are blowing, and consequently a vessel would be more to windward to make a good course, and she may profit something by the general current.

A vessel from the Strait of Gibraltar, West coast of Algiers, and southern ports of Spain, bound to Catalonia, may take the same navigation by the middle of the channel, to profit by the general current, and would pass South of Formentera, and take the channel of Majorca in search of her destined port. If the wind be easterly, there is the probability for her that it will haul to S.E. between the islands and the African coast, with which she will make good way for the abovementioned channel. If the wind is from West to S. W. she would make equally good way, because South of the Balearic Isles she may be sure of that wind, while if she pretends to pass between the islands and the gulf of Valencia, she will meet with some difficulty off Cape Antonio, either from winds out of that gulf, or from currents, or baffling winds.

A vessel from the Strait of Gibraltar, with winds from West to S.W., bound to ports of the Spanish continent, should keep at a conveuient distance from the coast, so as to be able to recognise the principal objects as she passes them, and by their means correct the position of the ship on the chart. If she be bound to Malaga, and the wind hangs to S.W., she should steer a course for Point Burra direct, avoiding the bight of Marbella, and keep outside; for in summer it is common enough for that wind not to blow down there. She will have besides the advantage of accelerating her voyage by the general

current.

If destined for any of the ports East of Cape de Gat or the gulf of Valencia, she should also pass at a distance from the coast, where she will have a brisker wind. It happens in summer time that while outside the wind is West or S. W., nearer the coast it will be calm, or there will be a weak land wind, which will slacken the voyage; therefore it is preferable to navigate at a respectable distance from the coast, and only approach it when it becomes necessary to make for the port of destination.

It often happens that a vessel arriving off Cape San Antonio, with a wind at S. W., finds the wind there at North or N.E., which is the drain of the N.W. wind blowing in the gulf of Valencia. In this case she should manage to be in the bay of Jaira by daylight, where she will find the wind more off the land, with which she may round Cape San Antonio, and when the wind of the gulf is steady in the day, she will be sufficiently to windward perhaps to make for Ivica. But in approaching the cape it may be as well to cite the following observations in reference to the winds of the gulf of Valencia.

With the exception of Cape Cullera, which is a mass of rock, all the NO. 8.-VOL. XXXII.

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