BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS.

EXAMINATION AT THE ROYAL NAVAL College,

On Wednesday, the 21st Dec. the half-yearly examination of the students at the Royal Naval College was concluded. The grand contest was between two young and most talented officers, who had each gained the gold medal when pupils at the Royal Naval College,-Mr. H.A. C. Key, son of C Key, Esq., the distinguished surgeon of Guy's Hospital, and surgeon to H. R. Highness Prince Albert, and Mr. H. Burrows, son of General Burrows, now resident at Anglesey, near Gosport. Much interest was excited, as they were both acknowledged to be very far in advance of the other candidates, and they were alone pitted together in the arena of Mathematical science. Mr. Key, was the fortunate competitor, and gained a glorious victory over one who was worthy of competing with him, and whom he will feel proud in having outstripped in the fair field of competition. These young officers were the only gentlemen who had gained the gold medal who were not promoted to the rank of Lieutenant; and it is singular that, notwithstanding the great prejudice against the late Naval College, no one was found this year capable of competing with two of her sons. Mr. H. Burrows, was distinguished as a volunteer in the boats of the Andromache, against the pirates in the Straits of Malacca; and was mate of the Edinburgh, with Captain Henderson, at the bombardment of St. Jean D'Acre, and in the operations on the coast of Syria. Mr. Key received his promotion the next day.

Decimals.

9 A.M. 3 P.M.9 AM 3 PM Min. MaxA.M. P.M.

METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER.

Kept at Croom's Hill, Greenwich, by Mr. W. Rogerson, of the Royal Observatory. From the 21st of November, to the 20th of December, 1842.

Week Day.

Barometer

In Inches and Fahr. Thermometer

WEATHER.

WIND.

In the Shade. Quarter, Stren.

NOVEMBER.-Mean height of barometer=29.707 inches; mean temperature=42·5 degrees; depth of rain fallen 4'73 inches.

NOTES ON CHINESE NAVIGATION.-By Commander G. Goldsmith, R.N., of H.M.S. Hyacinth.

Hong-Kong.-The best anchorage during the typhoon season, from July to October, is about three-quarters of a mile from the shore, in from 54 to 7 fathoms water, stiff mud, opposite to the Commissariat at the east end of the town on the Couloon shore, bringing the point on which lately stood Fort Victoria, to shut in the Lyee-Moon passage, and bear about E.b.N.N. In this position H.M.S. Druid rode out the typhoon of July 21st and 26th, 1841, and was better sheltered than any other ship at the anchorage.

Capsing-Moon.*-Between Lantao Island and the main, has two passages formed by the small island Mahwan. The southern is more direct, but narrower, and subject to stronger tides and eddies than the other; it is safe with a commanding breeze at east or west, which blowing directly through, is less liable to be influenced by the high land, which in both passages makes the wind too baffling to be depended on when it is scant. The ether passage north of Mahwan is the most frequented; it is much wider, but has strong and irregular currents, which even at the neaps run strong; the ebb sets to the eastward, in the direction of the land, inclining towards the main. Care should, therefore, be taken to keep, if possible, in mid-channel, for the water in both passages is too deep to bring up in time, if necessary.

Lyee-Moon.-Between the east end of Hong-kong and the main, is equally hazardous, except with a good leading wind: the water is deep close to the rocks, and the eddies are as rapid and irregular as in the Capsing-Moon. Having passed the narrows going out, there is good anchorage in the channel between Tamtoo and Hong-Kong in 9 fathoms, about three-quarters of a mile from the latter; outer part of the islet at the entrance south-east.

Amoy, New Channel.-The channel lately surveyed by Captain Kellett between the third and fourth islands at the entrance, north-east of the old English Channel, is to be preferred, as it takes a ship clearer of the Saw-Chat, a dangerous half-tide rock, which is much in the way of the old passage. It may be known as you run in, by an island rather larger than the others, having a ruined fort on it, which must be passed on the starboard hand, leaving the three small islands on the larboard. The passage is narrower than the old one, but clear of all dangers, and has nothing less than 12 fathoms water.

The best and safest anchorage during the north-east monsoon, from October to May, is inside the island of Kolongsoo, with Pelican rock (nearly awash at high-water spring tides,) off a ruined joss-house at the landing place, bearing S.b.E.E., northernmost of the rocks off the north end of the island E. 4 N. in 7 fathoms water, about three-quarters of a mile from the landing place: the bottom is mud, with patches of rock, and it is best to moor with an open hawse to the north-east.

Another anchorage is to the south-west of Pelican rock, with the joss-house E.N.E.; Round Island north-west in 12 fathoms, stiff mud.

• The term "Moon," properly "Mun," signifies a "Pass." The former spelling is adopted by Horsburgh to preserve the pronunciation.

ENLARGED SERIES.—NO. 2.-VOL. FOR 1843.

La

With this latter anchorage the south end of Kolongsoo will be just open of the entrance of English Channel. To run in here, a ship must pass round the south end of Kolongsoo, giving it a berth of at least half a mile, to avoid some isolated rocks that lie off it, covered at high-water. The passage between the town of Amoy and the island, is too full of rocks to be attempted by a stranger.

Outside Kolongsoo for a summer anchorage, from May to October, is to be preferred, because it is much cooler, and bad weather at that season of the year is not generally to be expected.

Formosa Channel in October, 1841.—Should a ship in beating through this channel against the north-east monsoon, meet with very heavy weather, I recommend a good anchorage in a bay under the lee of an island near the southernmost of the two groups marked Three Chimnies on Mr. Blaxland's chart of 1827. It is in lat. 25° 10′ N., and long. 119° 26′ 48′′ E.; Ockseu Island bore S. W., twelve or fourteen miles. Extreme of the island (under which we were at anchor,) from N.b.W. to E.b.S., good holding ground in 6 fathoms.

Off the eastern end of the island are two small rocky islets, with a reef stretching from them to the south-east, three or four miles, on which the sea broke heavily; the western extreme of the island and bay is also rocky. There are several islands to the westward, between it and the main, but they are all very imperfectly laid down on Mr. Blaxland's chart, and even the coast-line is several miles too far to the eastward. I found the currents generally set in the direction of the wind, their velocity according to its strength, from eighteen to thirty miles a day; this was at the latter end of October, when the monsoon was fairly set in. In May when it was faint, and on the change, their direction was more uncertain.

If the coast were better known, advantage might be gained by working up close in shore, and not stretching out to mid-channel, where the current runs so strong. There are, doubtless, many good anchorages. We found the wind incline more from the land to the northward, occasionally at night.

Ockseu.-Bearing W.S.W. makes as two islands at the distance of twelve or fourteen miles; the westernmost rather round and moderately high; the easternmost low and jagged like a reef of rocks, some higher than the others, apparently detached, resembling junks.

When clear of Formosa, I found the monsoon incline more to the eastward, (Oct. 28th,) and from thence to Patahecock, and the Chusan group, had less difficulties to contend with. Here the currents took a westerly and W.S.W. direction twelve or fourteen miles a day. Unless bound to Amoy, the passage to Chusan can be made much quicker, and with less wear and tear, by standing well out to the eastward clear of Formosa. In this manner at any time of the monsoon, it can be accomplished in eighteen or twenty days from Hong-Kong.

Amongst the Chusan islands the north-east wind shifts to north and north-west; the tides and currents are most rapid and irregular. The gales give little warning, and the barometer is not much of a guide, except in case of a typhoon; in those of July 1841, it fell from 29.80 to 28-60. The average range last winter at Chusan and Chinghae, was 30-32 inches; and it rose generally with the north-west gales.

The thermometer was lowest at Chusan at 18° Fahrenheit.

North-east Monsoon, its commencement and termination.-Commenced at Hong-Kong in 1840 about the beginning of October, and in 1841 about the middle of September. I had much difficulty in beating up to Chusan in October and November through the Formosa channel. In May (the first week) 1842 the north-east monsoon was nearly at an end and very light.

China Sea.-Working down the China Sea in June, the early part of south-west monsoon, made Triton Bank the southernmost of the Paracels, on the seventh day from Macao. It is a very low white sand, and not visible from the deck more than five miles. We tacked from it when it bore W. N. half a mile. A reef extended off its south and north ends about half a mile; by the colour of the water it was steep close to. A hut was on it, and a junk at anchor under its lee, on the opposite side to that on which we approached it. A current had set the ship about north-west fourteen miles since yesterday.

When in the latitude of fourteen or twelve north I should think it advisable to keep towards the coast of Cochin-China, to take advantage of the north-west squalls, which come off about once in the twentyfour hours at uncertain times, but give plenty of warning. They blow strong, and last generally an hour, sometimes four or five or eight, they are met with all along this coast, as far as the Straits of Sincapore. In one of these squalls we made eighty miles southing.

Prince of Wales Bank.-Passed over its northern part, saw the coral rocks very plain, had irregular soundings, the least 6 fathoms. Islands of North Natunas.-Were seen from masthead 35' distant. Anambas-Appear to consist of several more islands than appear on the chart. One of them has a very remarkable high peak. We tacked from them when they bore south-west four miles.

Pulo Domar. Is a high rock, steep to, with deep water all round it. We found the current setting so strong to the northward that it took us more than twelve hours to work round it. The small islands on the chart between it, the Middle Anambas, and Saddle Island do not exist. (See Horsburgh's Chart of 1821 corrected to 1833.)

Saddle Island.--Is to the eastward of its position on the chart: it has discoloured water off its north-east end three-quarters of a mile. We passed about one mile and a balf to the westward of it, and had regular soundings in 33 and 35 fathoms, sand and shells. By observations we made its lat. 2° 24′ N., and long. 105° 54' E.: the Saddle is not seen from the north-west, but only when the island is brought to bear to the northward of east.

Pulo Brava.-Bearing W.b.S. makes in two high hummocks like separate islands. Current sets strong past it, in a N.b.W. direction towards the Gulf of Siam.

Appearance of the main land as we stood in after weathering Pulo Aor and Pulo Tingy, is rather low near the sea, and covered with trees, a high table mountain some distance in land W. S., lat. 1° 49' N. Soundings as we approached decreased regularly 18 to 7 fathoms. Current, when at anchor in 8 fathoms, ran to the northward one mile and a half an hour.

General Remarks.-The weather we experienced, upon an average