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while the general body of shipowners and masters may take it as earnest of better things to come.

Had the same ability, and the same desire, to benefit the marine existed fiveand-twerty years ago, amongst the members of the Trinity Corporation, that has begun to develope itself now, its funds would have been the richer, and there would have been sone million or more of money saved, merely by the timely purchase of private light-houses, to be expended now in the execution of other improvements.-Shipping Gazette.

The following brief report of the proceedings in the important matter to which we have referred, we take from the North Wales Chronicle :

“On the morning of the 26th instant, in virtue of a precept issued to the High Sheriff of Anglesey, a court was held at the Shire-hall, Beaumaris, to adjudicate and decide between the owners of the Skerries light and rock and the Trinity Board, pursuant to the act of parliament, empowering the Brethren to purchase and govern all light-houses within the United Kingdom.

The question was one of considerable importance, involving property to the amount of 4 or 500,000l.; and from the circumstance of the first men of the bar being employed, the inquiry attracted a very crowded court, amongst whom there was a very fair sprinkling of ladies.

"Mr. Earle presided as assessor; and there appeared as counsel for the plaintiffs, (the descendants and residuary legatees of the late Morgan Jones, Esq.,) the Attorney-General, Sir Thomas Wylde, Mr. Fitzroy Kelly, Mr. Jervis, and Mr. Vaughan Williams. For the Trinity Board,—Sir William Follett, Sir Frederick Pollock, Mr. Cresswell, and Mr. Frederick Roby.

"The precept having been read, the following special jury was sworn :Hon. William Owen Stanley; William Pritchard Lloyd, Esq.; John Hughes, merchant; Edward Jonathan, merchant; John Davies, merchant; James Treweek, Esq.; John Williams, Esq.; Nicholas Treweek, Esq.; Hugh Beaver, Esq.; and John Boggie, Esq.

"The Attorney-General, in an argumentative and effective speech, stated the case for the plaintiffs, in support of which he called the collectors of the Skerries light dues at the ports of Liverpool, London, Dublin, and their outports, from whose testimony he proved that the net receipts for the last year exceeded 20,000.; also several surveyors and land agents, who agreed that from twentyeight to thirty years' purchase was a fair equivalent for the property in question, -adding one year's income for compulsory selling.

"The greater number of the witnesses were cross-examined, but the reexamination tended to do away with very little impression made by the gentlemen on the other side.

"The plaintiffs' case closed at three o'clock, at which period the assessor granted an indulgence of a quarter of an hour for refreshment.

"Sir William Follett would address the jury for the defendants; and upon the effect of that address, we believe, the defendants meant to rely.

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[We understand that the verdict was for the owners of the light-house 444,000l., and some odd pounds, being considered twenty years' purchase.]"

CHUSAN.

THE following extract from a private letter, which has just been received here from one of the members of the Royal Artillery Corps, engaged in the China expedition, assigns a different cause for the sickness which prevailed than any yet made public:

"We left Chusan on the 14th of November, in company with the Melville and Wellesley, and several smaller craft; and I may say, I was not sorry at leaving a place where sickness was making great havoc among our people,

especially amongst the troops on shore, several hundreds having died within the space of a few months, the average deaths being three and four daily, and I have since been informed increased to seven and eight. The sickness was also very prevalent on board the squadron, but I am happy to say it was not attended with the same fatality as that on shore; nevertheless, we lost a few men, and among them two out of our three doctors fell victims. The sickness was attributed to the bad quality of the water, but I think it was chiefly owing to the putrid atmosphere arising from one of the most filthy towns in existence, assisted by the circumstance of the very inefficient method the Chinese have of disposing of their dead, which merely consists of placing the coffin on the ground and building over it a light description of tomb, constructed with bamboos and matting; the end of the coffin frequently protruding through the end of the tomb, displaying in gilt letters on a red ground the name and particulars of the deceased. The wealthier of the Chinese build a more substantial kind of tomb, constructed with bricks and tiles, and others of still greater consequence are built (probably for mandarins,) with stone, not in the common burial ground, but on some favourite spot, where they are surrounded with trees and evergreens, forming very pretty and in some cases beautiful arbours, frequently resorted to by the friends of the deceased. There was also another circumstance which greatly contributed to the general cause of sickness; on the right of the town is situated a hill used by the Chinese as a burial-place, and it was considered necessary to fortify it to command the town. In order to accomplish this, it was necessary to remove a great number of the dead, which were chiefly disposed of by burning them; this, added to the foregoing, caused such an insufferable stench, that to any but a Chinese was death. The fortification, however, was never finished, owing to the sickness then prevalent."-Shipping Gazette.

COMPARATIVE NAVAL FORCE OF ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND AMERICA. THE following table of the comparative force of England, France, and America, not very accurate with regard to France, but may be relied on for the strength of America.

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Hence the mercantile interests of the United States have far less protection in proportion to their extent, than those of any other maritime country. Not only is the American navy difficient in numerous and well-appointed vessels but the very materials of a navy are wanting. The arsenals are most inadequately stored; the modern improvements in naval architecture have not been introduced into the dockyards, for no ships-of-the-line have been constructed since the war. Only three steamers have been built for the navy. Of the 68 vessels mentioned in the foregoing table, 36 only (including, as it would seem, the revenue-cutters,) are in commission. Of 11 ships-of-the-line, only one is in commission, and that is not in the American seas. The navy-list contains 17 frigates, of which five are in commission; and 21 sloops, of which 14 are in commission. Such is the total deficiency of a home squadron, that the only vessel-of-war above the size of a revenue-cutter, which has been seen ENLARGED SERIES. NO. 10.-VOL FOR 1841. 4 U

for many years in any of the great harbours is the schooner Experiment,-a wretched craft which could only cruise along the coast in summer weather; and some time ago, a report having reached Philadelphia, that the packet-ship Susquehannah had been captured by pirates off the Capes of Delaware, the only ship which could be sent out to her relief was a revenue-cutter carrying four guns.-Times.

ST. VINCENT AND QUEEN.

A SHORT time since a question arose as to the comparative merits of the St. Vincent and Queen, both first rate ships-of-the-line, the one being nearly similar to the Caledonia, the last on the improved construction of Sir Williams Symonds.

In order to enable our readers to judge of this matter, we place the most important items in juxta-position; at the same time remarking that St. Vincent has already performed a tour of service, and her sailing qualities have been ascertained to be tolerable, that is about equal to those of Britannia, Howe, &c., leaving room for the superiority we may calculate on the Queen's possessing, in this and other essential points, if she proves equal to the rest of her family, being on increased lines of Vanguard, &c.

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It will be seen that the Queen is superior in the essential points of capacity, stowing more provisions, while at the same time she draws less water, and carries her guns nine inches higher, a very important advantage, coupled with the greater stability obtained by increased breadth, enabling her to fight her lower battery when that of the other ship would be unavailable. It is remarkable, also, that a much finer ship is obtained at 17,000 less cost, owing to the great saving of materials by the improvements in shipbuilding, particularly the introduction of iron knees and straps by Sir William Symonds. Since the above was in type we have received the following letter:

"SIR.It is suggested to you that when you show the comparative qualities of the St. Vincent and Queen you should show the breadth of beam of each. and the displacement when loaded, of the hull of each. If, as I suppose, the displacement of the Queen is either not more than that of the St. Vincent, or still more if it is less, it is demonstrable that she is the better ship; for, her breadth of beam being much greater, she unites greater stability with equal or greater facility of being driven through the water. To a man-of-war greater stability, and, consequently, greater power of fighting her guns when it blows hard, is of itself a superiority inestimable.-Naval and Military Gazette.

WEST INDIA MAILS.-The first and second reports of the select committee on West India mails have just been published. By the first it appears that they

have resolved that, notwithstanding the port of Dartmouth has been recommended by the Admiralty committee for the arrival and departure of the West India mail packets, they are not prepared to recommend the selection of that port. They state their opinion that no disadvantage is likely to arise to the public from the continued use of Falmouth, whether by the present packets or the larger class that are to be employed, until the merits of the other ports shall have been ascertained. Hence, considering it doubtful whether the public would derive any material advantage by the removal of the West India mail packets from Falmouth, they consider it would not be proper to incur the expense of providing accommodation for the establishment necessary for the performance of the service in any other port.

PORT PHILLIP.-First Steam-vessel in Port Phillip. All Hail! "Clonmell !”— The inhabitants of Australia Felix have at last another source whereon to congratulate themselves, namely, the establishment of a steam-vessel to trade between Port Phillip, Launceston, and Sydney.

This noble vessel, the "Clonmell," whose arrival here has been so anxiously looked for, was first seen about six o'clock on Saturday morning last, and at about eight she took up her berth alongside the "Samuel Cunard" store-ship. Upon enquiry as to the cause of her detention in Sydney so far beyond the time specified for her leaving, we learn that her owners finding that some part of her machinery would require alteration, owing to the smallness of the coal, determined on at once putting it into effective condition, rather than run any risk which might endanger the character of the vessel, and therefore kept her until perfectly satisfied that she was "all right."

The Clonmell" left the Sydney Heads at six o'clock on Tuesday evening last, and anchored inside the heads in this bay at seven o'clock on Friday evening, having made the run from Heads to Heads in seventy-two hours, including six hours she was detained in Batemans Bay, to land passengers and luggage. She started from Sydney with a very strong head wind, which lasted until she rounded Cape Howe, against which her speed averaged seven and a half knots. Her machinery is of a most superior description, having been valued by two competent surveyors previous to her leaving England, by one at eighteen thousand and the other at sixteen thousand pounds. She carries three engines, with a crew of officers and men amounting in number to thirtyeight; her consumption of coals is about thirty tons per day. Her terms are precisely the same as the sailing vessels, namely, twelve guineas. Her fittings up are altogether of a most superb description, and the services and attendance equal to a first-rate hotel; and her larder is amply stocked. An address was presented by the cabin passengers to Captain Tollervey on their arrival here, thanking him for his urbanity and attention.

TheSamuel Cunard," which has arrived here as a coal depot, is to be converted into a store-ship, into which all goods brought by the "Clonmell" will be discharged.

The "Clonmell" sails for Launceston this evening, and returns here in time to leave for Sydney this day week.---Port Phillip Patriot, December 7th.

OBSERVATIONS OF PLANETS AT SEA DURING THE DAY.

H.M.S. Indus, off Cape Trafalgar, 20th Aug., 1841.

SIR. It occurs to me that many practical seamen, readers of your admirable periodical, may be pleased to learn that they may often

obtain their latitude by the meridian altitude of Venus, and sometimes by that of Jupiter, in the day time, an advantage which may frequently be of considerable use in the navigation of a ship.

You will no doubt remember, that in the fine clear skies of the tropics, we were in the habit of using Venus for this purpose, but you may perhaps not be aware that she is very often available in these northern regions. On the occasion of this voyage from England to the Mediterranean, I have amused my leisure, being a passenger, with observing the latitude daily both by Venus in the morning, and by the planet Jupiter in the evening, the sun being well above the horizon in both cases.

It will sometimes happen that these planets cannot be seen with the naked eye, and yet be quite within the range of the inverting telescope of a sextant. In these cases, the simplest method is to compute the altitude as near as the dead-reckoning allows of; then fix the index of the sextant to this angle, and by means of the back screw bring the telescope as close to the plane of the sextant as possible. If the telescope be then directed a little to the eastward of the meridian the planet will be seen dancing along the horizon like a brilliant spot, and its altitude may be obtained with great precision.

While I am writing on this subject I may call the attention of nautical men to the great advantage of determining the latitude by the meridian altitude of the stars during that portion of twilight in which, both they, and the horizon are to be seen with distinctiveness. People too often wait till it is so dark that the line of the horizon becomes indistinct; whereas the true time to take the Pole Star or any other star whose time of meridian passage suits, is after the sun has set, or before he rises.

You will remember, too, I am sure, how often we profited by the period in question to take sights for time by the stars, and thus, not only to get the latitude, but the longitude by chronometer nearly at the same time-both in the morning early and late in the afternoon.

As almost every ship now carries a sextant, I may give it as a good rule that, whenever the horizon is sufficiently distinct to be seen clearly with the inverting telescope, the altitudes taken, whether for latitude or for time, may be safely relied on.

I am well aware that there is nothing new in this communication, but possibly it may not be the less useful on that account, for practical men who wish to do their business in the best way, are generally glad to interchange information of this kind with persons who have had much experience.

I remain, &c.,

BASIL HALL,

Captain R.N.

To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine.

[We would direct the attention of masters of ships to the foregoing useful suggestions of Capt. Basil Hall, as it must at all times be desirous that they should lose no opportunity by which they may obtain a correct latitude; and such opportunities, we apprehend, have frequently been lost even by inadvertency. In a journal of the Ship Florentia written by her intelligent Commander Capt. W. Goodwyn, a part of which we have printed, he says on the 22nd of October when between the Cape and St. Helena, "The

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