by the Secretary to Government, from Capt. Lloyd, R.N., resident magistrate of Port Elizabeth, relative to the wreck of the brig Lady Leith, in which the loss of that vessel is attributed to the passing between the Roman Rock and the shore; and as it appears that Mr. Salmond, who was sent to the assistance of the Lady Leith, is of opinion that the Roman Rock forms part of a reef extending from the land, and spreading to a considerable distance in that neighbourhood::

It is strongly recommended to commanders of vessels not to pass between the Roman Rock and the shore, or to hug the land in that neighbourhood, until a proper survey shall have been held of such reef, and the rocks in the vicinity. By command of his Excellency the Administrator of the Govern

ment.

Signed,

JOHN MONTAGUE, Secretary to the Government.

GIBRALTAR.-April, 25.-Sir,-I strongly recommend all masters of vessels to respect the rules and regulations of the port of Algeciras, particularly as regards quarantine; two British vessels having been recently fined very heavy sums by the authorities for infraction of, and resistance to, their sanitary laws.

Signed,

J. LONGLANDS COWELL, Agent for Lloyd's.

Capt. G. A. Halsted, R.N., Secretary, Lloyd's.

THE BUNT HEAD BUOY AND THE S E. GOODWIN BUOY, have by a TrinityHouse Notice, dated 25th May last, been removed. The former now lies with:

S.

St. Lawrence Church in Line with Ramsgate Mill N. & W.
Waldershare Tower, in line with Mongeham Church W.
Gull Light Vessel

Fork Buoy

South Brake Buoy

And the latter with:

St. Lawrence Church, it's breadth open West of
Ramsgate Mill

Shakespear's Cliff, just open of the South Foreland
South Sand Head Light Vessel
South Calliper Buoy

N.E.b.N.

S. E.
W.b.N.

N. W.
W. S.

W. & S.
N.E.b.E.E.

The latter must not be approached within a mile and a half in passing.

CLARE REEF. The ship Earl of Clare, from Bombay towards China, on the 31st of March last, at noon, being in lat. 17° 50′ N., and long. 124° 40′ E., discovered shoal water alongside, and saw the bottom distinctly about 20 yards from the ship; large white shells and dark coloured rocks.

Immediately under the ship apparently no bottom, and the water not discoloured, as it was over the shoal.

From the nature of the bottom having been seen so very distinctly, I cannot but pronounce it most dangerous, it being immediately in the fair track for ships bound through the Pacific Ocean, from the Pellew Islands towards the North Bashees,

The position of the danger may be considered correctly ascertained, as we

had sights for latitude at noon, by three good instruments, as also for longitude. The chronometers being found correct on making the Bashees and Lema Islands, in a run of five and eight days respectively, after seeing the shoal.

On R. Blanchard and Co's general outline chart for 1843, is marked "Lord Anson's Shoal," being nearly in the latitude and longitude of the one abovenamed. There must have been some reason for marking it down, although I can find no mention of it anywhere else.

I must remark that so satisfied am I of its position and existence, that there is no other danger, for which I would keep a better look out, or give a wider berth in passing.

(Signed)

M. AGER.

[We take the foregoing from that valuable publication the Hong-Kong Register, (25th of April), and having referredto the Galleon chart in Lord Anson's Voyage, we find a shoal precisely in the same latitude as this of Capt. Ager, but 5° of longitude further east ; making it but 86 miles according to the chart from the coast of Luconia of the Phillippine Islands. It appears in Arrowsmith's large chart of the Pacific, as laid down in the Galleon chart. There can be no longer any doubt of its existence, and we cau tion seamen against it.

OUTFIT OF SHIPS.

SIR. The interests of British shipping, British seamen and all commerce connected therewith, has of late years occupied much of the attention of the legislature and merchants of this unrivalled maritime interest of Great Britain, which, I trust, will continue to be fostered and improved, and during the many alterations that have successfully taken place, on the whole, it may perhaps be said that all has tended to its prosperity.

Among the recent discoveries made, it is asserted without fear of contradiction that vast numbers of ships, of all sizes and all sorts of class, have been, and even now are, commanded by persons whose nautical knowledge is quite inadequate to entitle them to command ship property and cargo intrusted to their care; and from which cause arise so many losses, so many averages, and so many tedious voyages, which are alike disastrous to owner and merchant. As all this loss is generally attributed to want of proper attention on the part of shipmasters, it is but fair, if such is the case, that they are to be blamed; but if other causes are at work, it is but fair also that credit be given.

The position of a shipmaster is of a very responsible nature, increasing in importance as occasion occurs, either in the length of the voyage, size of the ship, or the value of the cargo, and therefore it is reasonable, and, in fact indispensable, that the command of ships should only be conferred on individuals who are fully competent to take charge of life and property. When we hear of the loss of a ship, our first question naturally is, are the lives of the crew safe; and, secondly is ship and cargo covered against loss; but seldom is it taken into consideration, was the captain and officers in such a position as to have saved the ship from destruction? But, if a remark is made at all, it is a word of sympathy, or one of condemnation for the unfortunate captain, who has left his charge either on a rocky shore, or left her immersed in the fathomless ocean.

To remedy as much as possible causes that operate to the disadvantage of owners and underwriters of vessels, it has been recommended that all persons

for the future soliciting the command, or officership of any vessel, should undergo such an examination as will satisfy competent judges that they are fully qualified for their respective situations, classing them 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, as they deserve. I am one of those who admire this plan of remedying the existing evil, and am fully persuaded if men of acknowledged competency were invested with powers of judgeship, and paid for their labour, very satisfactory results would follow, and in a short time, with other improvements, ships would be insured cheaper, and the whole machinery made more efficient. However, Mr. Editor, there is another, and, in my opinion, a most important improvement that is not yet put in practice, viz., the examination of outfits to ships, which, when of an indifferent character-and this is too often the case, I contend is as much the cause of long passages, and losses in toto, as what is occasioned by the incapacity of masters and officers, and ought, in justice, to be considered well ere those in command of ship property should be visited with vengeance either from an owner or an underwriter.

We at this large maritime seaport are observing daily the arrivals and departures of vessels from and to all parts of the globe, but it is hardly possible to discover of two vessels sailing which of the two is best furnished to enable her to perform the voyage. But if an examination took place, I venture to say that the greatest difference would be found, a difference so great as to enable the one captain to encounter and conquer the most fierce attack of the elements, whilst the other captain is doomed either to loss, complete or partial disablement; and it is under these circumstances that many a brave and competent shipmaster either loses his life or his reputation, whilst the other man, who is perhaps less qualified, survives the storm and receives unbounded congratulatious for his preservation of ship and property.

My argument therefore is, if shipmasters are placed in such peril, both as regards life and property, and also subjected to examination as to competency, it is nothing but justice to themselves that, the law should require an owner of a vessel to give such an outfit to a vessel, that would strengthen the hands of those in command to encounter the dangers and the obstructions of the elements. It is a well known fact, that vast numbers of ships are sent to sea bare of everything, thus endangering all concerned; and even in ordinary cases, captains are always blamed when making long passages when they have done all that mortal man can do; whilst, on he other hand, some are lauded to the skies for her splendid passages, which have only been the result of superior equipment in their accomplishment.

A MERCHANT.

[The foregoing proposal taken from the Liverpool Courier, should be adopted, but there is yet one more measure to complete the subject, and that is, a Court of Enquiry into every loss that takes place among our merchant shipping, and the publication of the minutes.-ED. NM.]

ADMIRALTY Order.

Admiralty, June 7th, 1848. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having referred to a Committee of Flag Officers, the consideration of the Naval actions for which medals should be granted, in accordance with the spirit of the Queen's most gracious intentions, as signified in the Gazette of the 4th of June, 1847, and Her

Majesty having been pleased to approve of the several suggestions submitted by the said Committee, the following notice is issued for the information and guidance of those who may have claims to this honourable distinction :—

1st. The rule directed by Her Majesty to be observed in extending this mark of her royal favour is so comprehensive as to bring within its scope all officers, seamen, and marines (and soldiers who served as marines) who were present in any action which at the time received the special approbation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

2nd. From the commencement of the war in 1793, it was the practice of the Board of the Admiralty to notice the battles of conspicuous merit by the promotion of the First Lieutenant of the ship or ships, or the promotion of the Commander, if the action was fought by a small vessel; and, conformably with this practice, it is Her Majesty's pleasure, that persons of every rank, who were present in such actions, during the wars commencing in 1793, and ending in 1815, and now living, shall receive a medal commemorative of their meritorious services; and they are required forthwith to state their claims for each action in which they may have been engaged, and transmit the same to the Secretary of the Committee of Flag Officers, Admiralty, London.

3rd. Her Majesty has also been pleased to take into her gracious consideration the many instances of gallantry displayed by officers, seamen, and marines, in boat actions during the same period, and to direct that such services, if distinguished by the promotion of the officer conducting the enterprise, shall entitle those who were present, and now living, to a medal; provided the answers to be given in the prescribed form shall enable the Committee to ascertain that the claim is well founded. But the officers, seamen, and ma. rines of the ship, from which the boat was detached, are not to participate in a distinction which only properly belongs to those personally engaged.

4th.-It is also ordered, that service in the frigates and smaller vessels, which were actually present in any of the great fleet actions mentioned in the Gazette of 4th June, 1847, for which the captains of the ships of the line received medals, shall entitle those now surviving of the crews of such vessels to a medal.

And all surviving officers, seamen, and marines belonging to ships actually co-operating and present during the siege and capture of Martinique in 1869; Guadaloupe in 1810; Java in 1811; St Sebastian in 1813, for which the Army had medals, will be entitled to a similar distinction, if their return, according to form, shall enable the Committee to trace the presence and co-operation of the ships to which the applicants belonged.

And 5th.-Her Majesty having taken into her most gracious consideration the circumstance that medals have been granted by her Majesty for services rendered by the Navy, not only in the wars commencing in 1793, and ending in 1815, but also for services rendered in the late war in China, whilst the intermediate general actions, viz:-the attack on Algiers in 1816; the battle of Navarino in 1827 and the operations on the coast of Syria in 1840, are unmarked by any such distinction, has been pleased to direct that the surviving officers, seamen, and marines engaged in those actions shall also receive a similar mark of their Sovereign's gracious recollection of their services, and of her desire to record the same; and all such officers, seamen, and marines are, therefore, hereby called upon to transmit their claims to such distinction according to the annexed form, and addressed to the Secretary of the Committee of Flag Officers, Admiralty, London.

The following Flag Officers have been directed to re-assemble, as a Committee, for the investigation and adjudication of all claims sent in according

to the printed forms, viz:-Admiral Sir T. Byam Martin, G.C.B. ; Admiral Sir W. Hall Gage, G.C.H.; Admiral the Hon. Sir Thomas Bladen Capel, K.C.B.; Vice-Admiral Sir James A. Gordon, K.C.B.

By command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,

H. G. WARD.

NEW BOOKS.

THE PHYSICAL ATLAS. A Series of Maps illustrating the Geographical Distribution of Natural Phenomena.—By Henry Berghaus, L.L.D., F.R.G.S., &c. Edinburgh, Johnston; London, Saunders; Glasgow, Lumsden; Dublin, McGlashan.

We have recorded the successive appearance of the numbers of this valuable work, and along with each, our humble commendation of the vast amount of research which they display, and the extraordinary ingenuity with which the various natural phenomena they describe, have been pourtrayed in a Geographical Atlas. It may be safely called a picture of nature; one in itself quite unique, and mapping a vast amount of information concerning her multifarious features in their geographical places. The three last numbers of the work are now before us:-the first No. 8 containing a geological chart in two parts of the British Isles, and a tidal chart of the British Seas. The latter addressing itself to seamen in particular, and displaying the gradual progress of the tidal wave of high water, will leave on his mind, a better impression than he could otherwise obtain, of the complicated action of this wave, arising from the obstacles it has to contend with in the geographical arrangement of the British islands.

In the next number, the various mountain chains of South America are shewn with their heights as determined by Humboldt and other celebrated travellers; as well as an interesting chart of the world shewing the isothermal lines on each side of the equator. The last number contains a map of the mountain chains of Asia and Europe, and a chart of the world shewing the geographical distribution of the currents of air, a chart which addresses itself specially to seamen. We here recognize the successive productions of Redfield, Reid, and Thom, with those whose works the readers of the Nautical are well acquainted. The limits of the trade winds, the monsoons, and the counter westerly currents in the temperate latitudes are also shewn in this chart. An attempt is also made in another map of Europe to trace the different races of man in language, religion and form of government; the latter we may observe a matter of no small difficulty, seeing so large a portion of Europe in a kind of transitive condition at the present time. But we are not for being hypercritical with such a work as the present. The attempt from its vast and complicated nature must necessarily be imperfect; but imperfect as it may be, it is yet highly successful, and commendable, inasmuch as that it facilitates to the enquiring mind the discovery of those secrets of nature of which it is in search, making them at once plainly intelligible and conveying correct and lasting impressions. The whole work is justly dedicated to the great philosopher of the age Baron Humboldt, from whose researches the greater portion of it is compiled. On the whole we commend the Physical Atlas to the naturalist and the man of research, whether he be landsman or seaman. We can assure him he will find a rich treat in its pages, the contents of which either in their nature, or the execution of design, will be viewed with a relish by the most fastidious eye.