SIR.-There are neither "Corporation of Trinity House," nor "Branch," consisting of Sub-Commissioners of Pilotage. The Pilot's license for the Bristol Channel is held under the Corporation of Bristol, and the Pilots are examined by the "Society of Merchants." Perhaps, the same society may, with propriety, be entrusted with the examination of "Masters and Mates" out of the Port of Bristol? To the Editor N.M. Your obedient Servant, A. H. THE AVENGER. Hydrographic Office, Admiralty SIR-On perusing the remarks in the Nautical Standard, of the 4th instant, on the loss of H.M.S., the Avenger, I noticed a complaint of the difficulty experienced by officers in general on board Her Majesty's ships, in obtaining a sight of the Admiralty Charts; but, I do not hesitate to state, from my own experience of twenty years' service, that I never knew or witnessed a solitary instance when, an officer was refused by his captain or commander a sight of the charts supplied by the Admiralty; and I would further add that, the charts, so supplied, are not in charge of the master now, nor have they ever been, but, in that of the captain or commander; but it is not an uncommon occurrence, that the captain deputes the master to draw the charts for the station to which he is destined, in his name, from the dockyard, and the master then signs the receipt, but the captain has the custody of them, and is alone responsible for their being returned into store, on the ship or vessel being paid off; or in the event of being superseded, to obtain a receipt from his successor. To the Editor N.M. NO. 4.-VOL. XVII. A MASTER, R.N. 2 D NAUTICAL NOTICES. Hartlepool, March 1st, 1848. SIR. In the nautical notices of your March number, I observed a letter from Mr. Hoskyn, Master of the Royal Navy, respecting a communication made by me to Mr. Bate, of the omission of a spit on the chart of the entrance of the Dardenelles. I am sorry that my communication should have hurt Mr Hoskyn, as I can assure that gentleman that, I never imagined that the error was attributable to the surveyor, but rather to a typographical error. I fully appreciate the remarks which Mr. Hoskyn has made, respecting the locality, and consequent difficulty of estimating distances. I did sound the part at the time, but should be glad of an opportunity to make stricter examinations, as I am willing to give full weight to Mr. Hoskyn's remarks, with respect to its extent upon the other place of the Dardanelles. I have observed in one of your numbers, a letter respecting the loss of a vessel in the Sea of Marmora, by an error in Laurie's General Chart. I cannot say for the accuracy of Mr. Laurie's chart, in that particular part, but, I have found them generally very correct; yet, I do not think it prudent to go by a general chart, in those critical passages, and more particularly in the anchorages, which are, in those parts, extremely narrow, and too close to the land to be approached under such difficult circumstances as that unfortunate vessel did, (unless in case of emergency,) for those reasons I have Admiralty plans for all those parts, and whenever I can get them to assist the general charts. From the great assistance which I have found by the use of those excellent charts, I would recommend them being more generally used. I am, Sir, &c., R. LEIGHTON, To the Editor N.M. Barque "Royal Adelaide." NOTE.-I have observed on my late voyage to Odessa, (in the John Hutchinson,) that vessels frequently grounded upon the shoals opposite Bukedere Bay, (in the Bosphorus), and have heard it asserted by old traders to those parts that, they have increased very much in size, since they were surveyed, and require great care to avoid them.-R. L. Trinity-House, London, February 23rd, 1848. WRECK IN ALDBRO' BAY.-Notice is hereby given that, a Green Buoy, marked with the word "Wreck," has been placed in the Stream, about 15 fathoms to the eastward of a vessel sunk in Aldbro' Bay. The buoy lies in 5 fathoms at low water spring tides, with the following marks and compass bearings, viz. :: Dunwich Church, just shutting in with Thorpness Cliff N.E b.N. N. S.W. Westerly. By order, J. HERBERT, Secretary. WANT OF A LIGHT OFF GUERNSEY. SIR.-Another proof is shown of the great necessity there is for a light to be placed upon the south-west end of the Island of Guernsey. It appears by a paragraph in the Jersey and Guernsey papers of last week, that the barque Emmanuel Burns, from Quebec, bound to Hull, timber-laden, struck about midnight, upon a ledge of rocks, called the "Gran Grimes," lying between three and four miles on the north-west part on the Island of Guernsey, where I have no doubt many an unfortunate ship has struck before, and no one left to tell the tale, and which would, in all probability, have been the case of those men, if their cargo had consisted of anything but timber, for, in ten minutes after she struck, she was full of water. As it was, the crew were nearly exhausted before they got the ship into Jersey, not being able to get below for sustenance. This is another occurrence to prove that which I have so often, through the medium of your valuable journal, called the attention of the shipping interest to, and to endeavour to impress upon the minds of those whose duty it is to protect the lives of those who, by Providence, are required to seek their bread afloat. That the Channel Islands are as great an obstruction to the navigation of the British Channel as the Scilly Isles, in as much as they cover ten times the space, and are surrounded by sunken rocks in every direction, is a point, I think, no nautical man will dispute; and why those islands, in the present days of reform, should be kept in total darkness, to the destruction of life and property, is a mystery that, I believe, but few can solve. I am, Sir, yours, &c., W. SADLER, Trinity-House, London, March 1st, 1848. DARTMOUTH HARBOUR LIGHT.-The Town Council of the borough of Dartmouth having communicated to this corporation their intention to discontinue the light, which has been exhibited under their direction and management at the entrance of the harbour at that place; notice thereof is hereby given, and that it has been determined by the said Town Council, that the said Harbour-Light shall cease to burn in three months, from the 23rd of February last. By order, J. HERBERT, Secretary. Trinity-House, London, March 1st, 1848. WRECK OFF THE NORTH FORELAND.-Notice is hereby given, that a Green Buoy, marked with the word "Wreck," has been placed about 20 fathoms to the eastward of a vessel sunk off the North Foreland. The buoy lies in 10 fathoms at low water spring tides, with the following marks and compass bearings, viz. : St. Peter's Church, its length open to the southward of Prospect House W.IS. North Foreland Lighthouse Trinity-House, London, March 16th, 1848. WOLF ROCK BEACON.-Information has been received that, the mast and ball of the Wolf Rock Beacon have been broken away. By Order, J. HERBERT, Secretary. KEY WEST, Collector's Office, Feb. 7, 1848.-The new light just completed at Key West will be shown on the 10th inst. It is a first class light, and will probably be visible from a ship's deck at the distance of twenty-two miles in clear weather. It is situated 800 yards N.E. of the site of the Old Light. The bearings and courses heretofore followed for entering this port may still be observed; but vessels approaching the Ship Channel Bar, in the day-time, will find 5 fathoms water by bringing the buoy in range with the lighthouse, and running for it. To Oliver O'Hara, Esq. (Signed) S. R MALLONY, Collector. The French plan of the Riviere San Pedro, by Mons. A. Fleuriot, in 1844, is the Highland River, by Capt. Vidal, in his survey of the coast of Africa, in 1836 and 1838. The San Pedro River of Capt. Vidal, R.N., is three miles and a half to the westward of the French plan, as they have evidently mistaken the name, being precisely the same as Capt. Vidal's survey of the Highland River. Information has been received from the Governor of New South Wales, that, an improved light is to be substituted for the present light, on Shortland Bluff, at the entrance of the Harbour of Port Phillip. COURT MARTIAL.-On the 6th and 7th of March, a court-martial assembled on board H.M.S. Victory, to try Com. T. B. Brown, the officers and crew of Her Majesty's late sloop Snake, for the loss of that ship, on the 29th of August last, in the Mozambique Channel, when, after the evidence adduced, the Court were of opinion, "That the charge of want of care had been proved against the Commander and Mr. P. Chown, the master, both of which officers were sentenced to lose one year of their respective ranks.” SHEERNESS, February 22nd.-The following Order has been issued by the Commander:— "Many ordinary seamen, paid off from H.M. ships with good certificates, having been rejected at the naval rendezvous, as well as by individual officers raising men for their respective ships; the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have directed it to be publicly made known that, any ordinary seaman, or others, on presenting themselves at the office of the Commanderin-chief, who have good certificates, and are fit for the service, will be received, and permitted to enter for any of H.M. ships and vessels, where there are vacancies, until further orders." EXAMINATION OF THE COAST OF THE MALAY PENINSULA, FROM PULO MUTIARA TO PULO PANJANG, IN SEARCH OF COAL DEPOSITS, IN NOVEMBER, 1847.-By Capt. Congalton, Commander of the H.E.I.C. Steamer, "Hooghly." On the 29th of October, Colonel Low, having embarked, I steamed from Pinang Harbour to the northward, passing within the Lánkáwí group of islands, and at 3 P.M. on the 30th, came to an anchor in 2 fathoms water, on the east side of Pulo Mutíárá, in lat. 7° 21 N., for the purpose of sounding across a spit of sand that runs out from the main land, and forms a low point on the east side of the island. On the 31st, we examined Pulo Mutíárá, with the boats at low water, but nothing that indicated coal was to be seen. On the afternoon of the 1st of November, finding there was just water enough for the Hooghly to cross the spit of sand, I steamed to the northward for seven miles, until we deepened our water to 4 fathoms, close to very high limestone rocks. We anchored here for the night. Early on the morning of the 2nd, I manned two boats, Colonel Low proceeding in one, and myself in the other, and pulled in different directions for the main land, when several miles of coast were examined. The water, along the coast here is very shallow, with a clear sandy bottom. The land, for some distance in, is sandy, and the jungle is not very thick, the trees being mostly what the Malays call Káyu Glám. The trees grow at a good distance from each other, with little or no underwood. Here, I am sorry to say, no indications of coal were to be seen. On the afternoon both boats met, when we returned to the steamer, weighed, and steamed to the northward, passing Sungeí Káyu Kumuníng, which on a former occasion, I had visited with Colonel Low, in the boats of the Hooghly. I At 4 P.M. we came to in 2 fathoms water, about a quarter of a mile off a point of land called Tajong Patong. This point is rocky, of a moderate height, and has the appearance of an island, but it is joined to the low swampy land on the coast. It was here that the gun-boat got a sample of coal. This point lies in lat. 7° 37′ 12" N., and is distant from the fort point at Pinang, 155 miles, in about a N.N.W. direction. On landing on Tajong Patong, we found several Siamese, who stated, they had been sent from Tráng, by orders from the Rajah Lígor, to collect all the coal they could get, and send it across the country from Tráng to Lígor, as the Rajah required the whole for his own use. They then inquired if we had come to take the coal, adding that they had orders to guard it. When I demanded to see the Rajah's written orders, they said they had none. then told the head-man that I would not give him, or any body else, one dollar for all the coal I saw in their boats, or on the point, but that, as I was now here, I intended to dig a hole aud see if there was any coal underneath, what they were picking up being nothing but black stones which would not burn. They said, if that was the case, they would not remain any longer, but return to Tráng. After clearing away a space of variegated flag-stones, I ordered the crew to commence digging a large square pit, a little below high water-mark, through a stiff blue clay, which gradually became harder, until it changed into a hard gray sandstone, with, here and there, thin black streaks, like blades of buffalo grass. During the digging of this pit, the water constantly kept oozing in all round, so that the crew were obliged to knock off every ten minutes to bail it out. After digging to the depth of seven feet, this clay got so hard that the pickaxes and jumpers made but little impression on it, as it then seemed to form into a kind of gray sand. stone. Having carefully examined this point all round, I found that it is composed, on the east side, of iron stone, sand-stone, and two small sandy bays. At the north end it is composed entirely of layers of gray sandstone, lying nearly in every direction of the compass. About 200 yards to the southward of the north point, and on the west side, there is a small sandy bay, or rather bay of sand, and broken shells. This bay extends about 300 yards north and south, and at its southern end, a ridge of sandstone commences in the face of a small hill, about fifteen feet high, which is washed by the sea at high water. Immediately abreast of this sandstone, to the westward, and extending about 200 yards in a north and south direction, is a layer of the party coloured flag-stones before mentioned, underneath which lies the coal imbedded in a strong blue clay. After breaking the upper layer of flag-stones, which is easily done, from its being mostly hollow underneath, but more so in some places than others, the coal is seen, lying in an east and west direction, and exactly resembling trees at different distances from each |