Island Glass Lighthouse-bearing N.W.b.N. N. Rock off Wirrey (Shiant Isles)-bearing N.E.b.N. E. Pile on Trodda Isle-bearing S.E. S. Highest point of Yesker Rock-bearing S. W. W. Pile on Woolmore Isletbearing S.W.b.W. § W. North-west end of Fladdahuan Island-bearing

W.N.W.

N.

Skerinoe Reef Buoy, off Island Glass Lighthouse.-21 feet Buoy, Black, 12 fathoms. Island Glass Lighthouse Tower-bearing N.W.b.N. Isle of Galtimore, northernmost of Shiant Isles-bearing E.b.N. E. Woolmore Isle, off Skye-bearing S. E.

N.B.-The Buoy lies S. E. § E. from the shoalest point of Skerinoe Reef. SOUND OF SKYE DISTRICT.-String Rock Buoy, off Castle Moyle.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 24 fathoms. Eastern Chimney of Kyle House-bearing N.N.E. N. The tree on north side of the Sound, in line with the Northern Point of the Black Isle-bearing N.E. E. North Angle of Castle Moyle Ruins-bearing W. N. Duncanne Hill, Raza Isle, in line with Middle of the Blind Sound of Kylakin -bearing N.N.W. W.

Bow Rock, Southern Entrance to Sound of Skye Bouy.-12 feet Buoy, Black, 3 fathoms. Cliff under Dr. Mackinnon's House, Kylakin-bearing S.E. E. Mackinnon of Corrie's House-bearing W.b.N. Duncanne Hill, in Raza-bearing N.N.W. W. Tuscaig Point in Applecross-bearing N.b.E. SOUND OF MULL-New Rock Buoy, off Entrance to Tobermory.—7 feet Buoy, Black, 2 fathoms. Cairn on Eray Point, north-west from Tobermory Bay-bearing W.S. W. W Point of Ardnamurchan Land-bearing N.W. N. Mingarry Castle-bearing N. E. Clump of trees at Ardsligonach Farm-house-bearing E.b.N. N. Roman Catholic Chapel at Drimninbearing S.S. E. & S.

FRITH OF CLYDE DISTRICT.-Patterson's Rock Buoy off Sanna Islund.15 feet Buoy, with Mast and Ball Black, 13 fathoms. Ship of Sanna Rockbearing W.b.N. Cairn on Gluinamore Island-bearing N.W.b.N. N. Point on the Land towards Campbelton-bearing N.E.b.N. E. Top of Ailsa Craig-bearing S.E.b. E. S.

The Commissioners hereby further give Notice, that no duty is exigible from Shipping in respect of these Beacons or Buoys. By order of the Board,

ALEX. CUNINGHAM, Secretary.

Office of Lighthouse Board, Edinburgh, Nov. 1, 1848.

CAY WEST, November 5th. About a month since, a meeting of the citizens was called for the purpose of taking into consideration the best course to be adopted for amending the present pilot laws of this port, which resulted in a resolution to petition the legislature (which meets next month) for so amending the law, to allow all vessels, bound or passing through this place, to do so free of any charges of pilotage, whether spoken or not, unless a pilot's services are required by the master.

This will be a great advantage to the place, as many vessels were prevented from calling here, owing to the probability of having pilotage to pay. There is no doubt but that this law will be so amended, as at least four-fifths of the citizens are in favour of it.

The lighthouse on Sand Cay is not yet rebuilt, and no probability of its being done, although much needed.

The works on the fort here, and at Tortugas, are rapidly progressing.

NARROW ESCAPE OF THE FRENCH SHIP-OF-THE-LINE

FRIEDLAND."

The French three-decker Friedland, 130; and Inflexible, two-decker, 90, the former bearing Admiral Baudin and his flag, left Naples for the winter anchorage at Baico on the 14th of November, and arrived on the same day. The Friedland, in working up to the anchorage, narrowly escaped getting stranded on a reef of rocks, not laid down in the chart of the bay, and unknown to the Neapolitan pilot, who was on board. Fortunately, the English line-of-battle-ship Vengeance, 84, was lying at the anchorage, and immediately dispatched the master of that ship, an officer of age and experience, to point out and warn them of their impending destruction. This officer (Mr. R. Salmon), saw from his ship that the French ship was standing into danger, asked for a boat, and started off immediately, waving with all his might, and hailing to draw their attention on board to "go about ;" but it appeared of no use, and even when he got alongside the ship they said they had a "branch pilot, on board, and 7 fathoms water under them.

Luckily for them Admiral Baudin, hearing the altercation, came out of his cabin and inquired the cause, which being explained by Mr. Salmon, as well as he could, not being a good French speaker, the Admiral followed, by orders, Mr. Salmon's gestures, laid all the yards aback, hauled down the jibs, &c., which enabled the ship to clear the rocks, which Mr. Salmon had shown the position of to the Admiral, by touching and sounding them with an oar. He then went on board the ship, and anchored her safely; receiving the the grateful thanks of the French Admiral and officers.

These are the same rocks on which H.M.S. Rodney, 90 guns, nearly got on, and have only from three to twelve feet of water over them, situated at the start of Pozzicali Bay, and laid down in the old charts as the Fremosa Rock. The reef is composed of, at least, eight separate and detached

rocks.

THE LATE HEROISM OF MISS ARNOLD.-The following circumstantial account of the intrepid conduct of Miss Arnold, before alluded to, has been addressed to the editor of the Madrus Spectator by Capt. Biden :-" Mr. Editor,-The following remarkable and most exciting narrative cannot fail to be interesting to the public, and should it ever meet the eye of that dear young lady to whom it relates, I am confident the grateful mention here made of her naval guardians, together with her own amiable and generous disposition, will induce a free pardon for the liberty I have taken, thus proclaiming to the community at large the relation of events pre-eminently worthy of the highest testimonial.

Imprimis.-The Rainbow, from Southampton to Aden, arrived there about the 16th ult.; Mr. Arnold, her late commander, died ten days before the ship reached that port, and the chief mate was so habituated to drunkenness that he had been confined to his cabin several times during the passage. The master's daughter, about sixteen years of age, was on board, and after her father's death, the second mate, who had assumed the command, made a daring and insidious attempt to entice the young lady and run away with the ship. She indignantly and successfully repelled all his base and dastardly attempts, and although suffering under a painful bereavement, she at once rushed on the quarter-deck and made a public appeal to the ship's crew as British seamen, and threw herself on their protection. This well-judged resolution had the desired effect. The seamen (except two of their number, who were led away by the second mate,) declared, with that manly feeling which

sailors have so often displayed, that they would to a man protect her from all harm, and told the second mate and their misguided shipmates, in very plain terms, that if he dared to take the slightest liberty with their late commander's daughter, they would pitch him overboard, and any one else who dared follow his example would share the same fate. Miss Arnold then, with great presence of mind, begged the ship's company would grant her one special favour: her character, her manners, and the well-timed appeal which she had already made, induced the crew to declare their assent to any favour she might ask. She then said that the safety of the ship and her own security from insult could only be insured by throwing overboard, that instant, every drop of spirits in the ship. Without hesitation the ship's company consented, and, losing no time for reflection, they forthwith got the spirits on deck and threw every drop overboard.

From that time Miss Arnold had her screened cot secured near the wheel and kept alongside the binnacle, and three of the crew kept a faithful watch around her during the remainder of the voyage. These faithful guardians of one of our beloved country-women never failed to evince the utmost respect, and preserve the most rigid decorum, honourable in every point of view to themselves, and to that charge which they had pledged themselves to undertake. Miss Arnold wrote a statement of all these occurrences, and forwarded it to Capt. Haines, on the ship's arrival, when the second mate and the disaffected men were immediately arrested and sent to prison. The chief mate had indulged himself to such an excess, that after the master's death, and the absence of all means of resort to his favourite stimulants, he was perfectly useless. Miss Arnold has been well educated, and is an amiable, unaffected person; her strength of mind and energy of deportment need no further comment. She became the welcome guest of Capt. Thomas, at Aden, and every possible attention was shown to this noble-minded lady by the whole society there. Her dignified and virtuous conduct is beyond all praise, and is well worthy the highest honour and reward which can possibly be bestowed, whilst the exemplary conduct of the Rainbow's devoted crew is deserving of every encomium. I shall endeavour to obtain their names, and they may one and all rely on my endeavours to serve them, should either or the whole of them fall in my way. I am, Mr. Editor, your obedient servant, Chris. Biden. -Madras, October 18, 1848.

Subsequent to Miss Arnold's charge against the second mate, Capt. Haines applied to her for a circumstantial statement of all that occurred on board the Rainbow after her father's death. Miss A. complied with his request immediately, and her narrative was so well and ably written that it excited admiration on all sides. At her solicitation her father's remains were preserved in a cask of spirits, and buried at Aden the day after the ship's arrival. She had always kept his accounts; the second mate navigated the ship, but several of the crew knew the proper course to Aden, and all his proceedings were narrowly watched.

[We should be glad to publish the names of these noble fellows in a future number, if Capt. Biden will send them to us, and we hope that their conduct will not go unrewarded. Such men as they are should never want a ship, and a good berth in her too.-ED. N.M.]

STEAM TO AUSTRALIA.-The beginning of the year 1849, which is now fast approaching, will be distinguished in the history of this country as the period when a steam communication by way of Egypt and India was established between Great Britain and our vast colonies in Australasia. For some months past powerful, and well appointed steamers have been leaving Southampton Water, and wending their way to the Indian ocean, prepared to convey, or to

supply the place of those which may be appointed to convey mails between Singapore and New South Wales. The gradual progress and extension of steam navigation in the East, from Egypt to India and from India to China, almost prevent us from estimating the magnificent enterprise which is now about to be completed. In five week's time the government will have entered into contract, probably with one single steam navigation company, for the conveyance of mails eastward for upwards of twelve hundred miles. Very shortly a letter posted in England will be delivered in about two months afterwards at the Antipodes. The ends of the earth may then be said to be united, and the most distant countries known or dreamt of by the ancient world will only be as resting places for travellers during a rapid flight around the globe.

When the extent and unrivalled fertility of Australia is considered, as well as the suitability of its climate for Englishmen, and the almost exclusive possession of its territory by the English nation, one cannot avoid looking to that country mainly for relief from the overwhelming increase of our population. The establishment, therefore, of a rapid postal communication between the two countries is a matter of primary and immeasurable importance, and, when accomplished, must be attended with beneficial results.

It is the want of this, in a great measure, that has hitherto limited the number of emigrants to Australia, and confined emigration to those colonies, in a considerable degree, to the lowest portion of the working classes. Hitherto, the long and irregular period occupied in the transmission of correspondence between this country and our most distant possessions, has discouraged those from emigrating whose affections have not been blunted by want or poverty. They have known that they would be perpetually harassed by fear and anxiety about friends and relatives from whom they were separated. But when a postal communication, rapid, frequent, and regular, is established, distance from friends will not be so severely telt. The poorest classes also, finding those above their own rank whom they have known in this country disposed to emigrate and to whom they could look up to in a distant land for either employment, assistance, or protection, will be less unwilling than they now are to leave a place, where both food and labour are scarce, for a spot where they are abundant. Persons of rank, wealth, and influence will shortly be enabled to visit our most distant colonies, and contribute also in some degree to lessen the dislike of emigration. The comforts and luxuries enjoyed on board large and well appointed steamers induce wealthy individuals to extend their travels, and in a short time hence persons possessed of money and leisure will be able to pass by the shores of India and China, to view the wonders of another hemisphere, without consuming more time or experiencing greater inconvenience than used to be occupied and felt in a summer cruize to the Meditterranean.

In a few weeks two lines of steam navigation will be found branching off east and west from this country. The one to the east will, by means of a branch steamer from Sydney, extend from Southampton to New Zealand, and the other to the west, extending also from Southampton through the Mexican Gulf to the borders of the Pacific Ocean; and at no distant day perhaps an ocean pathway will be formed which will extend around the globe; and be only broken by the Isthmus of Suez and that of Panama.

It is consolatory to reflect that, while other nations are fighting for social existance and preventing an excess of population by fraticidal war, we are bridging over the immensity of the ocean to encourage clamorous and discontented multitudes to fly to a land of exuberant plenty; and that, instead of slaughtering men at the barricades, we are enabling them to build up a mighty empire in a distant land, in which they can enjoy every political and social blessing.-Daily News.

STEAM STATISTICS.-The following table may be serviceable to those engaged in steam affairs. It is the first of a series of passages performed by the Terrible, the tonnage of which vessel is 1847, her armament seven 56-pounders of 95 cwt. each, and twelve 8-inch guns of 65 cwt. each.