like an enormous avalanche, and looking like snow. Something black was then seen rising slowly from the sea, which afterwards turned out to be no less than an island springing from the deep. It appears that there were no earthquakes, but convulsions of nature caused by volcanic islands having been thrown up from the sea, and as violent eruptions had taken place the inhabitants were greatly alarmed, but at the time the Surprise arrived no immediate danger was apprehended. The position of the vessel was a very good one to watch the eruptions from the volcano on the burning island that had lately risen from the deep. The sea for several miles looked very strange, the sulphur giving it a yellowish appearance, and round the new volcanic island the sea was boiling at some 100 yards distance from the shore. The steam rose with great grandeur, the whole island emitting smoke and sulphureous vapours, coloured by flames inside the volcano, in some places being cracked, and through the fissures an immense mass of redhot lava was visible. The volcano was in a constant state of life, and an eruption took place on the morning of the arrival of the Surprise. A black mass of vapour was vomited forth from the volcano, pouring upwards; but the fury of the eruption was soon expended, and it suddenly ceased. On the following day her Majesty's ships Phabe and Tyrian arrived to the succour of the island. A Greek man of war had come in, and the next day a Russian frigate was seen approaching, but she did not seem to like appearances, and kept at a distance, watching the phenomenon for some hours before going closer in. The second night after the arrival of the Surprise another eruption took place; the roar was very fierce, smoke poured forth from the volcano with terrific fury, and large blocks of rock and stone were hurled into the air, the whole presenting a most imposing sight. During the night it was said that a new island had been thrown up; the one pointed out was about 300 yards long and was a black smoking mass. Close to the anchorage of the Surprise there had been a place called Mineral Creek, which was then no more; a large hill had risen out of it. It made its appearance before the arrival of that vessel, but it rose higher and higher during her presence there, while the old island was sinking gradually as if about to return to the depths of the sea from which it had risen. On this sinking island were several houses, many of which were gone altogether, and others were being washed by the sea; of one house there was one little more than the roof and chimney-pot above the water, while a building sank and rose again. It was remarkable that rocks were constantly appearing above the sea and then disappearing; and hence the position taken up by the Surprise was not very pleasant. On the second night a slight concussion was felt two or three times on board; and, as islands had been springing up in the immediate neighbourhood, it appeared likely that one could come up under the ship's bottom. At the time the wind and sea were heavy, and the vessel drifted rapidly in the direction of the volcano, round NO. 4.-VOL. XXXV. 2 F which the sea was boiling, and a world of steam, vapour, and smoke arising. The Surprise immediately got up steam. A large number of houses were buried in the lava and by the new hill that rose from Mineral Creek; but fortunately no lives were lost, as timely warning had been given and the inhabitants had escaped. The damage done to property was not so great as might have been expected. Nautical Notices. [Communications for the Editor of the Nautical Magazine to be addressed to him at 31, Poultry.] P. Fixed. Ffl. Fixed and Flashing. R. Revolving. I. Intermitting. Est. Established. (a.) 8.-Acting-Commander D. Young, of H.M.S. Salamander, has recently discovered a dangerous rock off the N.E. point of Great Palm Island, on the East coast of Australia, named by him the Hayman Rock. It is in lat. 18° 43′ 30′′ S., long. 146° 43′ 30′′ E., rather more than 2 miles off the N.E. point of Great Palm Island, and nearly in the track of vessels. Its N.E. point is awash at low water, and from it the centre of the White Rock-off the S.E. point of the Great Palin Island-bears S.E. S., distant 3 miles; the S.E. point of Great Palm Island S. E., 24 miles; and the N.E. point of Great Palm Island W.‡N., 24 miles. From its N.E. part the rock extends in a S.W. direction at least 100 yards, with 3 and 44 fathoms water on it shelving to 9 fathoms. Between it and Great Palm Island there are 10 and 13 fathoms; and eastward of it 15 fathoms, mud. No landing could be effected on account of the sea. The approximate rise of tide at springs may be 8 or 10 feet. When bound to the northward and closing the Palm Islands, bring the centre of the northernmost island to bear N.W.b. W. W., and steer for it until the N.E. point of Great Palm Island bears W.b.S.; then keep a little westward to avoid the Zebra and other doubtful shoals on the North. All bearings are magnetic. Variation 6° 55′ East in 1866. (b.) 9.-The light is seen when bearing from about N. W. round by East to S.S.E.; the former bearing passes 14 miles westward of Kalegonk or Callagouk Island, and the latter 14 miles westward of the Patch buoy off Amherst. A strip of light shows from the Patch buoy eastward as far as Amherst point. Amherst point bears from the light N. W.; the Patch buoy N.b. W. W., and the West point of Kalegouk Island S.b.E. Vessels making the light should keep it between the bearings of S.E. and N.E., paying particular attention to the tides, as at springs they run about 5 knots an hour, parallel with coast. Vessels standing too close to the land will lose sight of the light, but so long as the light is in sight there will be no danger until 10 miles northward of it, when approaching the Goodwin sands, where the tides set very strong. The anchoring ground in the vicinity of Double island is good, but, on account of the strength of the tides, vessels should avoid as much as possible the risk of anchoring in such deep water. All bearings are magnetic. Variation 2° 15′ East in 1866. (c.) 11.-The government of Singapore has given notice, that four buoys are moored near the one Fathom bank in the Strait of Malacca; two buoys are near its eastern end in 6 fathoms, L.W.; one off its southern end in 6 fathoms; and the other at its western edge. Parcela hill bearing East leads to the southward and E.S.E. to the northward of the bank. Pulo Anza bearing N.E. leads to the westward, and N.E.b.N. to the eastward of It. Vessels bound np or down the strait shonld pass southward and westward of the buoys and lightvessel, so as to clear the 2 fathom bank, off which the southern buoy is moored. All bearings are magnetic. Variation 1° 35′ East in 1865. It would have been satisfactory to have given the colour of the buoys.— ED. N.M. (d.) 12.-Amédée islet is sandy, covered with brushwood, within the reef which surrounds New Caledonia; the lighthouse on it serves as a mark for the entrance to the Bulari passages southward of Port de France. The north passage is about 4 cables in breadth, and 2 miles S.W.3 S. from the lighthouse. To go in by it, steer with the lighthouse N.E. N., giving a berth to the point of the great reef; leave this to port; then steer northward, passing about a cable, east or west, of the reef awash at a mile north of the entrance, until the middle of the woody islet of Maître bears West. Then steer to the N.W. to pass between it and the small woody islet of Mando (île aux Canards), and when mid-channel between these two islets, steer for the north extremity of Brun islet, leaving it on the starboard hand in entering Port de France. The light is seen all round the horizon, but as the general trend of the barrier reefs fronting the S.W. coast of New Caledonia assumes a N.W.b.W. and S.E.b.E. direction, a vessel should be careful to approach the light between the bearings of N.b.E. and E.N E. Making the light in fine weather to the N.E., a vessel will be 18 miles from that part of the barrier near the lighthouse, and about 16 miles from the nearest part, and will lessen the distance as the light is brought to bear northward or eastward of the above bearing. All bearings are magnetic. Variation 10 45′ East in 1866. (e.) 13.-The Portuguese government has given notice that the lighthouse of Nossa Senhora de Luz, at the entrrnce to the river Douro, is about to be replaced by another. In the meantime, from the 11th day of March, 1866, until further notice, a provisional white light will be exhibited from the same tower, visible in clear weather from a distance of 8 miles. ROCKS OFF THE S.E. POINT OF TANEGA SIMA. At 10 a.m., 5th May 1865, made Tanega sima, the Southern part being high and table land. Some rocks were observed off its S.E. point, and a shoal about 2 miles S.S.E. from them; the whole nearly 7 miles from the S.E. point of the island. When the South point of Tanega sima bore North about 8 miles, and the South point of Yakuno sima W.b.N., struck soundings in 8 fathoms, rocky bottom; the following cast no bottom in 13 fathoms. To clear these dangers, the South point of Yakuno should not be brought westward of W.b.N. until the high rock off the S.E. point of Tanega bears N. W. This rock, which is about 50 or 60 feet high, and a conspicuous object when passing through Colnett Strait, appeared to be 3 to 3 miles off the point. Colnett Strait seems to be the best route for a steamer of small power to take when making for the coast of China with strong Westerly and N. W. winds. The current, however, must be carefully attended to, especially at night or in thick weather, for it was found to run with great velocity, 4 to 5 knots, with West and W.S.W. winds. The bearings are magnetic. Variation 2° 30′ W. in 1866. Mr. A. F. Boxer, commanding H.M.S. “Hesper.” Admiralty, London, 9th March, 1866. THE ORMSBEE BANK. Capt. Winchester, of the Coral Nymph, from Singapore, recommends ships passing this bank (on which he considers there is as little as 5 fathoms), to or from the Gillolo passage, should not go North of lat. 35° N. until past the meridian of 130° E. if bound eastward, or, if possible, keep Syang in sight from the deck, as it will take a ship clear of the shoal patches.-Shipping Gazette, Feb. 27th. THE JERSEY ISLAND PILOT has just been published by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, which work, with those for Guernsey and Alderney Islands, published in 1863 and 1864, place the seaman in possession of complete information for the difficult navigation of those islands. These works are the result of the energetic labours of Staff-Commander John Richards, R.N., and do great credit to that officer, who may be considered to be the first who has ever produced a complete work, which not only describes with his charts (published on a liberal scale) the very numerous dangers of that difficult archipelago, but also the various peculiarities of the extraordinary and dangerous tides by which they are attended. THE LOSS OF THE "LONDON." Sir, In the debate of Monday (March 19), in the House of Commons, relative to the loss of the London, Mr. Samuda's speech conveys No the impression that Messrs. Wigram were wholly uninsured. doubt that firm run a large risk on their ships, but they do insure, and in the case of the London had done so to a large amount. It was well known here that the Marine Insurance and other companies had heavy losses on her.-I am, &c. Lloyd's, March 21st. AN UNDERWRITER. Mr. Gilbert Highton has just received the identical message sent by Mr. Denis, who was drowned in the London, to his brother, and finds that, owing, as he supposes, to the mistakes of the French copyist, its wording differs somewhat from the version hitherto given to the public. Though dated only two hours before the vessel went down, and when all hope was lost, it is nevertheless written in firm, clear characters, not distinguishable from Mr. Denis's ordinary handwriting, and he even displays a little peculiarity he had of spelling his name with one "H. J. Denis to Jno. Dennis, Esq., Great Shelford, nr Cambridge. Thursday, 10th January. Farewell, father, brothers, sisters, and my Edith," (his little daughter, now entirely an orphan.) "Ship London, Bay of Biscay, Thursday, 12 o'c. noon. Reason-Ship overweighted with cargo, and too slight a house over engine-room: all washed away from deck. Bad poop-windows. Water broken in. God bless my little orphan-. Storm; but not too (violent?) for a wellordered ship." "n." ... THE BRITISH IRON-CLAD FLEET. A return has been issued showing the speed, outlay, &c., of the ironclad ships belonging to the royal navy. The following is the substance of the return, in a tabulated form: Expenses of building and fitting hulls. Cost of alterations, repairs, &c. 11.834 12.36 Valiant 12.633 |