HER Majesty's Cutter, Hind, under the command of Lieutenant Codd, left Malta on December 3rd, and proceeded to Graham Shoal, off the coast of Sicily, for the purpose of ascertaining its existing state. She returned on the 17th and reported as follows:

Owing to the very unfavourable state of the weather, they only succeeded in obtaining soundings on the shoal on two occasions, on the 14th and 16th instant, and both times were compelled to abandon the further prosecution of the survey in the boats, by an increasing wind and sea. They however succeeded in determining that the depth of water on the shoalest part was only one and a half fathoms; large white stones and seaweed.

Around this spot they had frequent soundings, in seven, eight, and nine fathoms. The shoal, within the line of forty fathoms' depth,

* Along the south coast from Cape Chatte to Gaspe, the superficial current runs almost always down the estuary, or to the eastward.

In neap tides there is very little stream of flood inside, and none outside of Bic. In springs the stream of flood runs up weakly inside the island and close along the main to the westward. In short, all the way from Green Island to Gaspe, there is no stream of flood excepting close in shore, or along the bank of soundings, which extends from the shore. Further out the stream is always down the estuary; on the north coast, on the contrary, there is a regular stream of flood and ebb.

At Matan the winds have much influence, so that at times in spring tides the water rises fifteen or sixteen feet, at others only eight feet. In neap tides I once saw it rise only four feet.

appears to extend about two cables' length from N.W. to S.E., and a cable's length and three quarters from N.E. to S.W. the bottom consisting principally of black ashes and cinders. Outside this, the depth rapidly increases, and at a quarter of a mile from the shallowest part, there is no bottom, with sixty fathoms. The plan of the shoal drawn from the above data, must necessarily be only an approximation, but one important fact is established: namely, that the shoalest water remains the same as when surveyed by H.M.B. Rapid, in 1833, from which it may be inferred, that it is now a permanent shoal; and, as it is dangerous, even to the smallest vessels, a knowledge of its position, bearings of the land, &c., (which have been already published in the Nautical Magazine for April, 1832,) cannot be too widely known by seamen navigating these seas.

ALBERT.

HARBOUR OF ST. THOMAS.- Virgin Islands.

THE following marks for entering the Harbour of St. Thomas, by day or night, from the castward, passing inside of Buck Islands, have been published by Captain Rhode, of the Danish Royal Navy:

Little Saba must be kept at least double its apparent breadth to the southward of Water Island. This mark must be kept on until Frenchman's Cap is in a line, or to the western side of that saddle, which is formed by the division of the two Buck Islands. The first mark leads clear of the Packet Rock, and the second clears the Triangles.

Running inside of Buck Islands by day, and in clear weather. You may bring the northern point of Water Island clear of the southern point of Cowell's Batteries, which will clear both the Packet Rock and the Triangles.

When Christian's Fort shows well clear to the westward of the point by Muklenfel's Battery, you are to the westward of the Triangles, and can steer into the harbour.

L. J. RHODE.

CLAUDIUS ROCK.-Sunda Strait.-Ship Struck.

We have had occasion, before now, to point out to our readers the existence of dangers in the strait of Sunda.-In our volume for 1833, (p. 562,) we gave the position of a dangerous rock off Crockatoa, discovered by Captain Lutke, in the Russian Corvette, Seniavine, and in our number for September last, (p. 570,) we gave some important information of dangers off Pulo Sebucco, (Sebooko) from Captain Creighton, of the ship Cordelia. To these we now add the following

extract from that invaluable paper, the "Shipping Gazette;" requesting the attention of our readers to it. We should also be thankful for a corroboration of its existence, from any who may have the opportunity of obtaining it.

BOSTON, (U. S.,) Nov. 21.-The following extract from a journa] kept by the first officer of the ship Claudius, Captain Isaac Winsor, on her late passage from Manilla to Boston, is interesting and important, as the existence of the rock to which it refers, in the direct passage through the straits of Sunda, has been doubted by many navigators." May 15th, at meridian, the Button bore S. S.W., distance 7 miles, strong S.W. and W.S.W. current, from 4 to 5 knots. At 1 P.M., felt the ship strike her fore-foot, and again underneath the fore-hatch. Clapped the helm hard up, and hove aback,-boxed the ship off, and cleared; hove the lead over instantly, but got no soundings at 30 fathoms-saw the false keel come up astern. The Button bore S. by E., distance 13 miles. Thwart the way, S.W., distance about 5 miles." The Claudius drew 19 feet water, and had on board, a cargo of Manilla Sugar and Hemp, 900 tons and freight. What is very remarkable, is that this ship, after being discharged at Boston, was hauled up on the railway for repairs, when it was ascertained that her fore-foot was wrenched off; a large space of copper and plank under her larboard bow (garboard streak) was pared off, as with a drawing knife; farther, as it was found, a point of rock of the bigness of a man's head, which had worked its way through the plank, and became fastened between the timbers, filling up the hole it made. In this condition the ship completed her passage from the straits of Sunda to Boston, over 12,000 miles of ocean, without leaking materially, or any other damage.

ON THE QUALIFICATION OF THE OFFICERS OF THE MERCHANT

SHIPPING.

As the efforts of the various members of the legislature, who were endeavouring to improve our Merchant Shipping, have been for some time suspended, in consequence of the rejection by others, of Mr. Buckingham's bill, it may not be out of place at present to bring under the eye of the public, certain improvements which seem if not to be altogether sufficient to satisfy the object of the general inquiry into that important subject, to be at least of service in the meantime, not only as a partially beneficial measure; but as a measure which must also be most available in co-operation with those, that may, at any subsequent period, be passed into a general and permanent law. The subject, it must be admitted, is one not without difficulty; and the object of this paper having also been to a certain extent anticipated by some of the clauses in the bill alluded to, may possibly be

But as it is evident now that

again brought under consideration. some years must elapse before any law concerning it can come into operation through a medium of that description, during which time many additional evils must necessarily be added to the list; and as it is sufficiently important and pressing in itself for special inquiry, and would be best done justice to apart from the details of a general bill, it is hoped that the following suggestions, if not given immediate effect, in the manner to which they are entitled, will at least receive the necessary fair and impartial consideration.

The subject before us is the manner in which the Merchant Shipping of the present day are in general commanded:-the lamentable deficiency of knowledge and education of the majority of the masters and mates, and the consequent necessity for the interference of the legislature for regulating their qualifications. By many this is regarded as a matter of mere secondary consideration: nearly the whole of the losses that take place being attributed, either to an imperfection in the ship, or a general casualty of the sea, falling under the head of “sea risk”—and, in fact, so strongly does this opinion seem to be incorporated, even among those who it would be supposed ought to be aware of the opposite fact, that a correspondent in one of the late numbers of the "Nautical Magazine," fixes the losses arising from these causes at three out of four. But, as experience unfortunately has proved, and as it must be evident to any one who will take the trouble of looking into the annals of shipping for a few years, that, while many hundreds of the most miserable hulks have gone to every quarter of the globe, year after year in safety, that, as many thousands of first-class vessels without being exposed in any respect to the least additional risk, have become a prey to the rocks and other ravages of shipwreck, it is feared that the losses which may properly be attributed to this cause must be held to be very few in number; and that the question which this important fact naturally suggests must admit of but the one answer; that, as there must be some extraordinary cause for the same, it can only be accounted for in the manner alluded to. Such, in fact, even on the face of the matter, is the only conclusion that can consistently be allowed. Suppose the case, for instance, of two vehicles going on one road-one old, crazy, and insufficient, and the other new, strong, and well adapted. Would it be said, if the new one was invariably meeting with accidents, where the other always escaped, that nothing was to be attributed to the driving or management? Most certainly not! Precisely similar to this, then, are the cases of ships-with this difference, that in some instances they may have the elements to contend with-but a difference certainly of very trifling moment; and the consequences of which, abilities, skill, and attention, can very easily avert. If the vessel be contiguous to land, or places of difficulty, (and it may here be observed, that in this there appears to be the principal danger) by ascertaining, through the ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 3.-VOL. FOR 1838.

X

necessary scientific inquiries, the exact position in which she is, and thereby, timely keeping out of danger's way, there is scarcely any case in which a vessel will unexpectedly be overtaken. Better evidence, indeed, of this (and it must be observed that it, at the same time, serves to support the general proposition) cannot be had than that which is afforded by the Shipping of the Royal Navy. These vessels are everywhere-in all quarters of the globe, in all straits, channels, and places of danger and difficulty; and yet, how many of them will be found recorded in the list of losses? Certainly, comparatively few to that of the other. The simple reason is, that in the one case the officers being skilful and attentive, of course, are aware of and prepare for danger in time, and necessarily avoid it; whereas, in the other, the want of such precautions, renders it impossible for them to have this advantage, and inevitably leads to the opposite result.

It is frequently maintained, no doubt, and among others, the position is strongly advanced, in the same paragraph above alluded to; that if ships were constructed on a stronger principle much evil might be prevented. But to this I apprehend a sufficient answer presents itself, in the simple fact alone, as proved by the records of wrecks of British shipping, that there is not more than one out of every seven vessels lost at sea; or in other words, that six out of seven of the losses that take place, are upon the rocks. It is certainly in vain to say, that if vessels are lost upon the rocks, that want of strength is the occasion of their getting there!

I think I may, with confidence, therefore, take upon me to say, that by the legislature interfering and enforcing masters and mates to be properly experienced in their profession, as with the officers of the royal navy, danger may be avoided, and three out of five of the losses that occur at the present time may undoubtedly be prevented-and certainly keeping in view that in all other professions particularly the medical and that of the law, qualifications are rendered imperative by statute; although, in the mean time, ignorance in either of them involves no more than one sacrifice, it is not very obvious how the like qualification should not be rendered imperative in the other where it must necessarily involve both. Lawyers require to be qualified; because, if ignorant, the property of the community may be sacrificed by them; medical men require to be qualified, because, if ignorant, lives may be sacrificed-and yet the officers of the merchant shipping are allowed to have charge of both at the same time, in many instances, lives under their charge to the number of hundreds, and property to the value of a number of thousands of pounds, without the slightest restriction, or a single question being put, whether they are actually capable of doing more than writing their own names. Surely it is time that an appeal should be made to the legislature, and that something should be done on a subject so momentous. If only twenty lives in a year can be saved-nay, if only five, or that one worthy family can be