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meet with any printed account of it report assigns to it; the character of a secure anchorage, and it is said also that a Dutch missionary resides there. It is about 250 miles from Cape Bougainville, the nearest part of the Australian coast. Whalers it is said are resorting to the neighbouring seas in great numbers and the stock will no doubt be thinned by them.

SUNKEN ROCK IN BASS STRAITS.-There are many unexplored parts in Bass Straits, and the approaches to Kings island are among them. The following danger has not yet appeared in the charts, and mariners must carefully attend to the account given of it by the Port Philip harbour-master:

"Capt. Lewis, the harbour-master, on his late expedition to Kings island, in Bass Straits, in aid of the shipwrecked passengers and crew of the Isabella, discovered a very dangerous rock, nearly level with the sea at low water, and the tide breaking over it at times at high water. The rock is situated in lat. 40° 9′ S., seven or eight miles off the western side of Kings island. In shore, three cables' length, Capt. Lewis found thirteen fathoms' water; next cast no soundings.-Port Phillip Patriot.

QUARANTINE AT ELSINORE.-The following has been received at Lloyd's:-" London, May 4, 1841.-Sir.-I beg to acquaint you, for the information of the committee for managing the affairs at Lloyd's that the Danish Chancery at Copenhagen has issued the following notice respecting the quarantine of vessels arriving at Elsinore and bound for the ports of the Baltic, in so far as the yellow fever is concerned. 1. Only vessels arriving from places infected with, or suspected of yellow fever, whether laden with enumerated articles or not, and on board of which suspicious cases of disease or death have occurred, either on the passage or on arrival, will hereafter be ordered to the quarantine stations, there to discharge, and their cargoes to undergo the process of expurgation. 2. Vessels arriving with enumerated articles from places out of Europe, where the yellow fever has appeared, are subject to an observatory quarantine of fourteen days, provided no suspicious case of disease has manifested itself on board. 3. Vessels with non-enumerated goods, whether such articles be embaled in packages susceptible of infection or not, but otherwise arriving under circumstances similar to those mentioned in 2, are subject to four days' observatory quarantine. 4. Vessels arriving from unsuspected places in Europe, with enumerated articles on board, shipped at such places, are exempt from quarantine, although such articles be the produce of places where the yellow fever actually prevails."

"FRANCIS C. M. MACGREGOR."

[Some remarks will be found on this subject in p. 219.—Ed.]

THE BONETTA ROCK AGAIN.

Extract from a letter from the American Consul at the Cape de Verds, dated Port Praia, St. Jago, 4th May, 1841.-"On Sunday evening, ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 8.-VOL. FOR 1841.

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April 8, 1841, the British ship Charlotte, of Alloa, Scotland, Captain Forrester, struck on a rock in latitude 60° 17′ N., longitude 22° 21′ W., beat over in about ten minutes, filled and sunk. At 3 A.M. on Monday, the officers, passengers, and crew took to their boats, and arrived here on Tuesday noon. The rock is about 300 feet in length, under water, in the shape of a crescent, open to the northward, and the sea breaks only at particular times of the tide. There were two chronometers on board, and were both correct seven days previously, at Madeira. The British ship Madeline, Capt. Hamilton, was lost on the same rock in April, 1835. Both vessels were bound to Sydney. The rock bears from the outer end of Hartwells Reef, off the island of Bonavista, N.E. by E., distant twenty-three miles per compass by Vidal and Mudge's chart, Leven's Survey. It is in the direct route of all vessels bound to New Holland or India. I would advise all vessels to sight the Isle of Sal, run down close to it either on the east or west side, and pass to the westward of Bonavista and Leton's rock, by doing which they clear this rock-which I shall call Madeline and Charlotte Rock -and the reefs on the eastern side of Isle Bonavista;-I allude to vessels bound to Port Praia. I saw Lieut. Wilkes' track, who looked after this rock with the exploring squadron, on their passage out, but were too far to the southward, or it might have broken."-Shipping

Gazette.

We thought sufficient had been done and said to show the nonexistence of the Bonetta rock. First however we would direct the attention of the owners of the British ship Charlotte, to the distinct contradiction in the above letter. The American Consul says; "On Sunday evening ** the British ship Charlotte struck on a rock * * * beat over in about ten minutes, filled, and sunk;" and he then says that," at 3 A.M. on Monday, the officers, passengers, and crew took to their boats, and arrived here Tuesday afternoon," meaning Port Praia. Will he inform us what they did with themselves between Sunday evening when the ship had sunk (after 10 minutes warning) and 3 A M. on Monday? Really this is one way of accounting for the loss of a British Ship and the safety of her crew; but there is something in addition about the " reefs on the eastern side of Bonavista," and the Consul recommends vessels "to sight the isle of Sal, and run down close to it either on the east or west side;" which confirms our opinion that this vessel really was lost on Bonavista. The sea coast of Sal they will find low flat sandy beaches, extending considerably from the high land inside, and on which beaches, vessels will find themselves high and dry, when from the distant appearance of the land in the interior of the island, they will imagine themselves far enough from it. These flat sandy beaches are as dangerous as the rocky north-east coast of Bonavista.

We would next recommend the owners of the Charlotte to turn to the volume of the Nautical Magazine for 1839, where at p. 809 they will find a chart, shewing the tracks of Capt. Vidal in the Etna, in search of the Madeline or Bonetta rock. They may then lay down the supposed position of the rock on which the Charlotte was lost in latitude 16° 17' (not 60° 17' as stated above), and they will find that position not very remote from no bottom with 100 fathoms, on the chart.

We say the supposed position, because enough has been said in the paper accompanying the above chart to shew that no rock exists in any of the positions assigned to it. We also recommend the owners of the Charlotte to send for the captain's log, and ascertain how her position at noon agreed with the reckoning on the day she struck. But we forgot, perhaps the log may not be forthcoming, and it will save all further trouble about the matter, as no doubt the Charlotte was insured, to settle the business with the underwriters! And so it is, insurance makes rocks in places where none can be found afterwards. It is somewhat remarkable that in our last number we have shewn the extraordinary effects of a current, near the equator, on H.M.S. Pearl, by which she was set at least seventy miles in the twenty-four hours. Such current must have its commencement, and where? but about the Canary and Cape Verd Islands, and in the months of May, June, and July it is stated by the master of the Pearl to be found setting strongest.

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It is this same current to which the loss of the Charlotte, and all the ships that have preceded her may be attributed, and as Sunday evening" allows of its being dark when she struck, we can only believe that the Charlotte was set upon the north-east rocks of Bonavista by the prevalence of a current ;-that a sufficient look-out was not kept to guard her from her danger, and we are strengthened in this opinion by the allusion to these rocks in the American Consul's letter, followed by his advice to pass to the westward of the island.

Since the above was written we have met with the following in the Shipping Gazette which is another version of the affair, and which confirms our opinion respecting the latitude of this supposed rock, and indeed on the whole subject. It was but a few months ago that the Lucy was lost on the isle of Sal by one of the Wallace breed, and we printed the advertisement of the reward which was offered for him, in our April number p. 281. Verily, if these losses continue to take place among the Cape Verds we shall set them down as suspicious, for it is high time that the current which runs among them, and which is not of yesterday, nor of the last hundred years, should be at least known.

LISBON, June 21.-The Portuguese brig Joven Africana, arrived here to-day from St. Jago (Cape de Verd), having on board, as passengers, Mr. Forrester, master of the British barque Charlotte, of Alloa, and several of her crew.

The Charlotte sailed from London for New South Wales, with a general cargo. On the 18th of April last, lat. 16° 17' N., long. 22° 21′ W., about twenty-three miles from Bonavista, she struck on a sunken rock not marked in any chart, and the more dangerous as it is covered with twelve feet of water, so that the sea seldom can break over it. In four hours after, notwithstanding all that could be done to keep her afloat long enough to reach the nearest island, she went down. Fortunately, the weather being fine, all on board escaped in the boats and got to St. Jago, whence some of the crew proceeded in a Portuguese vessel to Senegal.

The Pelorus, 18, stranded in a gale of wind, at Port Essington, has been got off and rendered fit for service. Lieut. W. W. Chambers, has been appointed acting Commander of her,

NIGHT AND FOG SIGNALS FOR STEAM VESSELS.-Suggested by Lieut. J. H. Bellairs, R.N.

ALL proposals for supplying distinguishing signals for steam vessels in the absence of any generally established law regarding them are entitled to mature consideration, and accordingly we insert the following of Lieut. Bellairs, which appeared some time ago in the United Service Journal. It is much to be regretted that vessels are still left to follow the law of custom only, or that of their own choice, and the case of the Phoenix and Britannia the other day, is an instance of the ill effect of this deficiency. The Phoenix had one kind of light, and the Britannia another; but that of the latter at her masthead, we are informed, was taken for a fisherman's light.

MR. EDITOR. The accompanying attempt at what I trust may be adopted, and prove of effect in obviating the danger of collision, I humbly submit to you. It is by many Naval friends that I am advised and urged to address you. This plan has by many nautical men been highly spoken of, and I received a complimentary letter last February from Monsieur de Rosamel, “Ministre de la Marine et des Colonies," from Paris. The frequent and serious accidents by collision occupied my attention, and I drew up the plan, which, from its simplicity of combinations, makes it more acceptable than any which possess great scientific merits.

Allow me to remain, Sir,

Your very obedient and faithful servant,
J. H. BELLAIRS,
Lieut, R.N. (1813.)

Coast Guard Station, Craster, Northumberland,

21st November, 1837.

It is immaterial by what means the lights are produced, so long as there is a sufficiency, my attention being directed only to the brilliancy of light to be obtained, and to see it universally employed.

This experiment (one hitherto not even attempted) is of the greatest importance to life and property afloat, as the moment the lights of the steamer are seen, the course she is steering is at once ascertained; this, to all nautical men, is obvious, and they are the most capable of appre ciating its true value.

Arrangement of the Lights.

1. A circular white light at the foremast-head, to be seen from every part of the horizon.

2. Before each paddle-box a light to be fitted, which shall be seen a-head, on the bow or on the beam, forming, with the masthead light, a combination of three lights, when the steamer is taken end-on or right a-head, and of only two lights, when seen in a bow view or on the beam.

3. A light on each quarter, or after-part of the paddle-boxes, which shall be seen right astern and on each quarter; forming, with the masthead light, a combination of three lights, when the steamer is taken

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