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engaged looking at it, that I quite forgot to try the temperature of the water, as soon as I got on deck did so, and it had fallen a degree (561°). At 8 P.M. T.W. 561°, and latitude by obs, alt. of the polar star 45° 10' N. from the falling of the thermometer, and my situation not much from the latitude and longitude of Green Rock, as laid down in Purdy's Memoir, and no account of it since 1766, except the notice by Captain Coombes, 1819.

The breakers I do not think would have been seen had it been smoother, but there was at the time about 4 feet scud. I do consider it a danger of some kind. By chronometer checked by lunar observations, and rate confirmed on making Cape Clear, I make the latitude of the breakers to be in 45° 1' N., and longitude 25° 45′ W. I think this will be found pretty near the truth, and recommend any one running near the above latitude and longitude, to keep a good look out. The above latitude and longitude places it 9 miles more north, and 25 miles more to the eastward than Purdy does.

JOSEPH CORNFORTH, Commander,
Ship Otterspool, of Liverpool.

H.M.S. Lily, at anchor off Mozambique, Feb. 11th, 1843.

SHOAL OFF QUILLEMAINE.-While cruizing off Quillemaine on the 3rd Jan. last, we came suddenly at 5h. 15m. P.M. on a shoal patch, not laid down in Owen's Admiralty Chart.

At noon we were in 18° 23' S. by observation, 37° 2′ E., by excellent chronometers, Quillemaine flag-staff bearing N. 34° W., 26 miles, the current had set us about N.N.E. true, 30 miles, in the last twenty-four hours. We had stood since noon about 27 miles S. W.b. W. by compass, with southerly wind, force 6, and a good deal of sea.

The water being discoloured, although no land was in sight, (yet no uncommon thing,) a leadsman was sent into the chains, whose first cast was 13 fathoms, his second immediately following 8, and the next 61, when the helm was put down, (the ship's company being at supper,) the masthead-man, at the same moment reporting land on the lee bow, thus corroborating the distance by reckoning, the land being low, which would make it distant about 16 miles. In stays, we had 64, and standing off 8 and 13 fathoms in successive casts, as approaching it.

An American master of a trader now here, who has frequented these seas for several years past, states that he, as suddenly, got into 6 fathoms on the same spot, at night, when bound to Quillemaine, when he believed himself to be 16 or 18 miles off shore.

By afternoon sights and back reckoning the master of the Lily made it in 18° 35′ S., and 36° 40′ E.

Trinity-house, London, 7th June, 1843. CONSTABLES BANK, Little Orms Head.-Notice is hereby given, that this Corporation has caused a Red Nun Buoy, marked with the word "Constables," to be placed on the Northern Edge of Constables Bank, off Little Orms Head, upon the coast of Denbighshire. The Buoy lies in 3 fathoms at Low Water, and with the following Marks and Compass Bearings, viz. :—

Priestholm Islands, its apparent width open North of Great Orms Head W.

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Trinity-house, London, 28th June, 1843.

BEACON ON THE RUNDLESTONE.-Notice is hereby given, that the works which, during the last two summers, have, by direction of this Corporation, been in course of execution for constructing a Beacon upon the dangerous Rock called the Rundlestone, off the Land's End of Cornwall, are now completed, and a conspicuous Beacon has been erected thereon.

This Beacon consists of an artificial cone, bearing a mast, having a ball upon its summit, at an elevation of 19 feet above the level of the sea at high water, spring tides;-and mariners are to be observe that spring tides rise at this Station 19 feet, and that at low water of those tides the Rock is uncovered to the height of 7 feet.

It being of great importance that this Beacon should not sustain injury, Masters of Vessels and other persons are hereby cautioned and enjoined not to approach it on any consideration, lest their own safety, as well as the security of the structure, should be thereby unnecessarily endangered,

N.B. The Buoy which has been for several years past moored near this Rock, will be forthwith taken away.

By Order,

J. HERBERT, Secretary.

Trinity-house, London, 28th June, 1843. RACE'S SHOAL, COAST OF NORFOLK.-It having been ascertained that the South End of Race's Shoal has grown up in a southerly direction,-Notice is hereby given, that the White Buoy of that Shoal has been moved 14 Mile S.b. E. from it's former Station, and now lies in 5 fathoms at low water with the following compass bearings, viz.

Dudgeon Light Vessel, N.N.E. † E.

Buoy on the North End of Race's Shoal, N.N.W.
Blakeney Church, S.b.W.

By Order,

J. HERBERT, Secretary.

·Trinity-house, London, 11th July, 1843. The following notice having been communicated to this Corporation, the same is reprinted by order of this Board, for the general information of mariners. J. HERBERT, Secretary.

ROYAL HARBOUR OF RAMSGATE.-Notice is hereby given that the Light-house of this harbour is now rebuilt; in consequence of which, the temporary light lately exhibited will be removed, and a red light will be exhibited from the new light-house at the usual times of tide, on and after the 10th inst.

The lantern is elevated on the west pier, 37 feet above high water mark, spring tides.

N.B. Masters of vessels using Ramsgate Channel, (commonly called Cudd's Channel,) in the night time, are cautioned to keep the light open to the westward of the Two Guide Lights, on the West Cliff, which are placed to the westward of all the gas lights of the town; and further, to notice that these two small lights kept in one, will lead through Cudd's Channel in the best of the water, towards the harbour's mouth.

Royal Harbour of Ramsgate office, 22, Austin Friars, London-July, 1843. THOMAS M. SHADWELL, Secretary.

Trinity-house, London, 6th July, 1843. SHIPWASH LIGHT VESSEL.-This corporation having completed the equipment of a new Light Vessel for the station at the north-east end of the Shipwash Sand, ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 8.-VOL. FOR 1843.

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the said vessel will be forthwith moored thereat: and the masters, pilots, and other persons are to observe, that her appearance during the day-time will be that of a vessel having one mast only, surmounted by a red ball, instead of three masts, as heretofore :·

The appearance of the light in the night-time will remain unchanged.

By Order,

J. HERBERT, Secretary.

PLANET SHOAL, Bay of Bengal.-The following intelligence touching a shoal in the Bay of Bengal, not hitherto noticed, extracted from the Mauritius Price Current and Shipping List, of 26th October, 1842, is published for general information.

By order of the Marine Board,

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C. B. GREENLAW, Secretary.

Fort William, Dec. 20, 1842. "EXTRACT from the log of the barque Planet.'-Wednesday, 7th Sept., 1842, at 1 P.M. observed the water on the starboard bow much discoloured, kept the ship away, and sent a hand aloft to look out, who observed the same patches as far as the eye could reach, running about W.S.W. and E.N.E.; passed over the tail of one patch, and had as near as we could suppose, 9 fathoms on a sandy bottom, a quantity of sand fast to the lead when hauled in. The extent of the shoal appeared to be about three miles, lat. 16° 23′ N., long. 84° 10′ E.

"Capt. Thompson further states, that in the centre of this shoal, there were heavy breakers, the weather had been squally in the forenoon, but was then more moderate, though the breeze was fresh, and a swell in consequence. They had no meridian observation, but the longitude was determined and laid down by good sights taken that morning with an excellent chronometer." (True Extract), C. B. GREENLAW, Secretary.

THE YANG-TSE-KIANG.-H.M. brigs Childers and Algerine continue employed in surveying the mouth of the Yang-tse-Kiang, the Pylades and Columbine cruise among the islands of the Chusan Archipelago, and the Thalia, Minden, and the steamers Driver and Medusa are stationed in the harbour. A survey of this island is nearly completed, under the direction of Lieutenant De Havilland, 55th, and Ensign Sargent, 18th regiments. Supplies are abundant, but high priced, and labour is plentiful and cheap. Last night the garrison, battery, and slaughterhouse accidently caught fire, and was burnt to the ground; but by the great exertions of the military, the cattle and stores were all saved.

PAUMBUN PASS-The steamers Nemesis and Pluto, formerly part of the Chinese expedition, came into harbour, the one in the morning, the other in the afternoon of the 10th May. They came round from Calcutta and Madras, having threaded the Paumbun passage, between Ceylon and the main land. No difficulty was experienced on the river of want of water, but the enormous length of the Nemesis, 170 feet, occasioned some trouble at the entrance, where the channel is peculiarly narrow, and impeded by sudden turnings. The Nemesis draws nearly five feet water; she is provided with a false keel, which slips down through water-tight chambers, in several places, along her bottom, and so helps to prevent her making leeway during a gale in the open sea. She is, however, but an indifferent sea boat, but first

rate for the purposes of river warfare. She appears to draw too much water, and to be too long for being of service in the Inlus. The Pluto is the same style of vessel, but of smaller dimensions, as also are the Proserpine and Phlegethon, the latter of which was lately damaged in attempting to ascend the river Foo-Chou-Foo.-Indian News.

WINDS OF NEW ZEALAND.

SIR. As every recorded fact relating to Meteorology, in any particular part of the world is of value; and especially so with respect to the winds and weather, in a recently established Maritime Colony; I have great pleasure in being able to transmit to you, a copy of the Meteorclogical Table for the last quarter of the year 1840, and the years 181 and 1842,* inserted in the Wellington Almanack, for this year, (the first of its publication,) with the hope that it may prove of service to navigators who are bound to New Zealand.

From this document we learn that the greatest mean height of the barometer was 30-105 in the month of January; and the lowest mean height was 29.412, in the month of June. The highest mean of the thermometer 81° in January; and the minimum 36° in June, during the period above mentioned.

It also appears that the most prevalent winds here, blow from the northward, and from the southward; the former being to the latter as -432 to 266. At first we may feel surprise that these northerly winds should be predominant, as coming from a direction where the general temperature of the atmosphere must be considered as being much higher than that surrounding New Zealand. But, it is not improbable that the movement is occasioned by the copious fall of rain without the southern tropic; and that from the large extent of lands exposed to the sun's rays, in a climate where the thermometer does not range to a low point or degree, even in winter season, those lands become an attracting medium to the more northern air, cooled by pluvial discharges. In a similar way that we account for the south-west winds, which are so prevalent on the English coasts, the contrariety to the general theory of air in motion, if the explanation be admitted, would be only apparent, not real; but we are by no means certain that these northerly winds blow from their original points of rise upon rectilinear courses, or, that they may not be regressive. The variable winds number 60, in the same period of time; and the westerly 21. It is probable that, the positions of Australia, and Van Diemen Land, may be the cause of the interruption of the general continuance of the westerly winds, as experienced to the westward of the Southern Ocean. Had these great lands been absent, and an open ocean laid westerly of New Zealand, like Ireland and Great Britain, the former islands would experience a predominancy of the westerly winds over those from other quarters.

I am, &c.

To the Editor, &c.

ARGONAUT.
July 5th, 1843.

Received the 1st of July.

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Novem. 29.890 69 5 54 63-5 N. 15, S. 11, W. 4. 3 5814

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In November 1840, slight shocks of earthquake felt on the 2nd, 3rd, and 28th. In January 1842, lightning and thunder the night between the 18th and 19th. In March 1841, slight shock of earthquake on the 21st. March 1843, light frost early on the 24th.

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