late under his command, who had particularly distinguished themselves both before and after the shipwreck.-Malta Paper.

ON board the Magnificient at Port Royal, Deputy Judge Advocate, Charles Dudney, Esq., Commodore Douglas, President, Capts. Wyvill, Parker, Milne, and Commander Fraser, of Sappho, assembled to try Lieut. Wooldridge, of Crocodile, for insolence to acting Captain Johnstone. Sentence-severe reprimand; dismissed his ship, and the command of the Charybdis, to which he had been previously appointed, annulled.

Also, on the 5th, to try Mr. Samuel Browne, Surgeon of H.M.S. Victor, for drunkenness. Sentence dismissed his ship, and placed at bottom of the list of surgeons.

A Court-martial assembled this day on board the San Josef, and continued by adjournment until the 19th, for trying J. A. Abbott, First Lieut. of the Trinculo, on the following charges preferred against him by her Commander H. E. Coffin:-First, for having on the 13th. Jan. 1841 behaved in a disrespectful and contemptuous manner to his Commander on the quarter-deck, when he was spoken to respecting the disposal of a boat called the Dingy, without having previously made the Commander acquainted with the same. Second for disrespectful conduct, in having addressed and forwarded through him a letter dated 24th Jan. 1841, to R. M. O'Ferrall, Esq., Secretary of the Admiralty, imputing to him neglect of duty and unofficer-like conduct, in having suppressed part of the correspondence, which he previously affirmed he should forward to their Lordships; and subsequently, on the quarter-deck, in a most contemptuous manner asked him whether he intended to forward that letter. Third, for neglect of duty, on 25th Jan. 1841, in not having given directions for the spare topsail-yards in the chains to be blacked before 8 A.M., agreeable to his orders on the previous day. Fourth, for disobedience of orders on 13th March, 1841, in having run the guns out at 20 minutes past 1 P.M., distinctly ordered not to be run out till after quarters. Fifth, for disrespectful and contemptuous conduct on the quarter-deck, about 30 minutes past 8 A.M., on Sunday, 14th, March, 1841, when spoken to by him for running the guns out contrary to his orders on the previous day. 6th, for having, on Sunday, 14th, March, 1841, made his appearance on the quarter-deck, at divisions, at 10 A.M., without a waistcoat on, and repeatedly refusing, in the presence of the officers and ship's company, in the most contemptuous manner, to put one on, when ordered to do so by him. Seventh, for contemptuous conduct, in the presence of the officers and ship's company in refusing to read the Church Service to the officers and ship's company when ordered to do so, on Sunday the 14th March, 1841.

The Court, after having heard evidence on the part of the prosecutor as well as on the part of the prisoner, having maturely and minutely considered the same, acquitted him entirely of six of the charges; but the first charge being proved in part, the court ordered him to be admonished to be more careful in future. The following were the members composing the Court:-Rear-Admiral Superintendent S. Warren, President; Capts. C. J. Austen, Edward Harvey, J. T. Nicolas, W.W.

Henderson, Henry Eden. George Eastlake, Esq., Deputy. Judge Ad

vocate.

RAPER'S NAVIGATION.-We have endeavoured in a few recent numbers to im press our readers with a correct notion of the advantages of this excellent work, and we are glad to find that those advantages are becoming extensively known, as we find the work already in many hands. On the 24th ult. Lieut. Raper had the gratification of receiving the medal of the Geographical Society for his attention to the maritime geographical positions embodied in his work, and the discussion of which has appeared from time to time in our pages. There can be no doubt that this is no less an important feature of the work than any other, for of what use can the navigator's calculations be, if his starting point is inaccurately given, and it is equally notorious, that one work on navigation,"was copied from another, as it was printed. Lieut. Raper saw the importance of this in the proper light, as his discussions in this journal amply prove, and he has now the gratification of finding his exertions are encouraged by that society of gentlemen under whose especial patronage geography has of late made such rapid

strides.

Among the numerous subjects included in his work, after dealing with that of finding the variation of the compass, Lieut. Raper concludes the chapter with the following pithy remarks on innovation, that mischievous propensity of our nature induced by a love of change. We trust that so good a train of reasoning will not be lost on our readers, as he has given us in this extract; indeed, we do not apprehend that it will be.

"The word variation is growing out of use among scientific people, and the word declination is taking its place. The intention of the change is good, inasmuch as it obviously aims to confine the popular word variation to express a change alone; but it is on the other hand, rather an odd way of obtaining precision in a language of a science to adopt in a new sense, a purely technical word already set apart to express an element of another science associated with it at every step. The name declination is used in Latin treatises, and in the French and other languages of Latin derivation. In German the common term implies swerving from, and in some other northern languages, mis-shewing. The sense is fully conveyed in the compound out of the way-ness,' that is devia

tion.'

"The term deviation is thus, if a new name is to be adopted sufficiently precise and descriptive, and local deviation springs directly from it, as the effect due to local circumstances. But the word 'declination' is, at least by all scientific analogy singularly unlucky, for magnetic declination, in the phraseology appropriated to the circles of the sphere, is an arc perpendicular to the magnetic equator.

"Again as to the dip, it is the fashion now to call this inclination.' This term, indeed, indicates angular position with respect to the horizon, but it does not, like the old word dip,' answer the second object of directing the mind to that extremity of the needle which is below the horizon; because, in general, the term inclination relates to the direction of a line and depression' to the position of a point. We have, it is true, on the other hand depression of the horizon; but these can never be confounded, and the question, moreover, is not the establishment of new terms for new things, but the changing of old terms for old things. Besides this, the term 'inclination,' seems the best adapted to the position of the ship herself, a consideration absolutely necessary in all questions of the compass, though perpetually overlooked; for which, therefore, it must be reserved as its synonym heel, means also the foot of the sternpost. "The new terms are employed incidentally in the instructions given by the council of the Royal Society, to Capt. J. C. Ross, on his expedition to the Antarctic regions. But the assimilation of the scientific language of different

countries, to the extent of two words, is no reason why we should abruptly depart from our old-established sea-terms, to follow those of other nations less essentially maritime. It is accordingly to be hoped, that scientific and intelligent seamen will strongly oppose all sudden changes in our maritime vernacular, introduced on scientific or any other grounds, but especially one so ill considered as this, which tends directly to throw into confusion the slender vocabulary of those seamen who navigate thousands of our ships with the minimum of scientific knowledge, by entailing on us all the perpetual necessity of distinguishing between the declination of the sun, or any celestial body, and the declination of the compass."

DIRECTIONS FOR ENTERING THE KOWIE, as laid down by Mr. William Smith, Surveyor.

[The entrance of the Kowie River is in about latitude 33° 35′ south, and longitude 26 45 east.]

The entrance to the river lies about S.S.E. and N.N.W., so that vessels may enter at a proper time of tide with the wind from west, round by south, to nearly E.N.E. Should a vessel approach from the westward, with a westerly wind, she must haul up for the western pier, which when carried out to the extremity of the rocky point, she may boldly approach to within a ship's length; and if she enters with a flowing tide, (which she ought to do,) should the wind be too much ahead for her to lie up the channel, she may take in all sail. If she cannot cast a warp on the pier, she may drop her anchor, and she will swing up the river, and the moment she passes the pier head, she is in smooth water, when she may either kedge up the river, with her own anchor trailing on the bottom, or she may be dropped up the river by a warp from the western shore. Should she touch in swinging round, there is nothing to hurt her but sand.

If she comes in with a fair wind with the flood tide, she must take care to shorten sail the moment she is between the piers, or she will be up to her berth before they will be able to stop her way. She will then require check-ropes to stop her, and must be dropped into Marys cove very carefully, as the tide at the entrance of the cove runs with great rapidity both ebb and flood.

Should she come in with a north-easterly wind, she must enter with a flood tide, and if she can only fetch into the channel, even with the western pier head, should down all sail, and drop her anchor with a very short range of cable, so that if she trail round with her stern to the westward, she may not trail on the bank.

Should any vessel come in with a fair wind and ebb tide, they need not be in a hurry to take in sail, as they will require it all to stem the ebb tide, which is very strong all the way from the entrance to Marys

cove.

These are general instructions for entering under sail, but should moorings be laid down off the mouth of the river, as it is intended, and a warp be stretched from thence to the pier, or to an anchor in the channel, then, if the wind be scant or right ahead, a vessel may boldly work up to the moorings, and either lie there for a fair wind, or warp into the river at the top of high water. As far as it is known, I believe,

the roadstead is clear of hidden danger, both east and west of the river's mouth, at least to some distance, for a vessel to beat up to the moorings should the wind be off shore.

Vessels coming from the east or west, running for the port in the night, or laying to, so as to be as near as prudent off the port in the morning, will be in some danger of the Fountain Rocks, and the only security at present for this, is, I should suppose, attention to the lead, and a good look-out-keeping, in a certain depth of water beyond them. It is my opinion that steam-vessels, drawing six or eight feet water, may enter this place when completed, at almost any time of tide, and run up right alongside the wharf or quay, which is intended to be erected in Marys cove, at once without having to use her anchor at all, and indeed it will be seldom that any vessels will have to use their anchors in this port, if they are cleverly managed. One great advantage of this place is, that the passage from Marys cove to sea, is one straight course, so that if a vessel have a fair wind to start with, it is fair the whole way out.

I have no doubt that vessels drawing eight feet may enter at highwater, spring tides, without any danger;-and I expect that vessels of from ten to, perhaps, twelve feet water, will be able to enter, but this will be a work of time; and as the importance of the port progresses, means will be made use of to increase the depth, and enlarge the capacity of the port. But at present the large quantities of sand, which are carried out during the ebb tide, must necessarily leave a considerable deposit, causing the entrance to be much more shallow than it will be when the sand is all or nearly all out.

I have said nothing about going out. All that is required is a good leading wind to enable the vessel to surmount the surf, and there will be nothing to hinder any vessel going out at a proper time of tide. The Africane came in under every disadvantage. Her captain had never seen the place before, a dead calm, neap tide and not high water either; but she went out in the most gallant style, with the wind W. by S., under a good press of canvas, and in ten minutes from the time she cast off her moorings, she was out to sea clear of all danger, passing the rollers of the surf without one breaking over her.

LIGHT-HOUSE ON THE GOODWIN SANDS.-It is satisfactory to state that that great national undertaking, a fixed light-house on the Goodwin Sands is now in progress under the management and patent of Mr. W. Bush, civil engineer. It is Mr. Bush's intention, in the erection of this light to float and sink iron caissons of from thirty to fifty feet diameter, and to excavate the land from the internal part of the caisson by means of air chambers until he arrives at the chalk rock, in order to obtain a permanent and solid foundation.

These caissons will be filled with concrete and masonry work, and A numupon this base a column about 140 feet high, will be raised. ber of men are now at work at Deal preparing the first caisson, and before the equinoctial gales come on we understand that there is every probability of securing a solid and permanent base.

ENLARGED SERIES-NO. 7.-VOL. FOR 1841.

3 R

We quote the foregoing from the Morning Post, and rejoice to see this important subject in such able hands as those of Mr. Bush. We must at the same time undeceive our readers as to the nationality of the affair, the nation having nothing to do with it; and it being solely a private speculation, on the success of which depends, no doubt, a vast degree of importance to the nation at large. We shall watch the progress of this attempt, and shall be happy to record its success.

WEST INDIA LIGHTHOUSES.

SIR. By a recent Parliamentary paper I find the sum of £2500 has been granted towards building a light-house on Morant Point, Jamaica, also £2000 for a similar purpose on Gibbs Hill, Bermuda, both of which will doubtless prove highly beneficial to the royal navy, and commerce of Great Britain; but, this liberality towards those islands fills me with more astonishment than I can express, when I find that the superior claims of Barbados remain still dormant. That Barbados has these superior claims is, I think, easily shewn. It is the first and great land fall of most part of the West India trade, the whole of the coast of Columbia and Venezuela, the point of rendezvous of the Canadian and American trade bound either to the islands or Guiana, and lastly it is of the utmost importance to the homeward bound trade from Guiana. Now, Sir, the claims of Jamaica, comparatively, are simply these, that its east end has a long low sandy point, where vessels have been wrecked; but the navigator is well warned of his approach to it from the eastward, by a departure from St. Domingo, from the northward by Cuba, and vessels from the southward or Spanish main seldom pass it bound to the northward, preferring to go round by Cape Antonio through the Gulf stream.

Why then does not Barbados share in the public liberality? Possibly the subject having been lost sight of these five or six years, it is forgotten? Well, then, I will freshen the public mind on this head. The necessity of a light-house, and the facility of its erection were so apparent to Sir George Cockburn, the naval commander-in-chief, and Sir Charles Smith, commanding the Royal Engineers, that in 1835, they surveyed and selected the most eligible spot for it, having done which they forwarded an estimate and plan to the Board of Ordnance, the Admiralty, and the Treasury. The character of these officers alone, ought to have been sufficient guarantee to any government that the undertaking was most essential to the benefit of commerce; and if it was considered so at that time, how much more imperative, does ths necessity become, now that a contract has been made to convey the mails to the West Indies by steam, Barbados being their first land-fall after running a distance of about 3,500 miles from Europe. They must be assisted by a light, or else they will have frequently to heave to till daylight, losing several hours. I will merely repeat here, that from 1825 till 1835, thirteen valuable vessels had been wrecked, and subsequently six more, including in that number two packets, one transport, and one vessel laden, with government stores.