In the Crosby Channel, the N. E. elbow of Great Burbo Bank was only four miles distant from the Rock Lighthouse.

The entrance into the old Formby Channel was also buoyed and further indicated by a beacon erected above high water mark, near the lifeboat house, and called the N. W. mark, which, together with the Formby Lighthouse, denoted that channel course on a bearing of S. E. S. This mark occupied the site where the Formby lifeboat flagstaff now stands.

In 1837 an important change for the worse was observed in Denham's new channel. The shoal ridge of the bar had widened considerably, and the channel itself had become so tortuous as to necessitate three courses to the Formby Lightship instead of one. The Formby Lighthouse had its light changed to red, and the Formby Lightvessel to white, and a bell beacon was placed outside the bar in lieu of the fairway buoy of 1833.

The last chart of the bay issued by Captain Denham, in 1838, showed further deterioration of the new channel, but fortunately gave intimation of a new cut breaking through, about three-quarters of a mile to the northward, so that Denham's new channel only lasted five years.

Before we take leave of Captain Denham, who, after 1833, had been retained by the Dock Committee as the first Marine Surveyor to the port, and who had inaugurated annual surveys of Liverpool Bay, it may be well to state that his eminent services to the port of Liverpool were fittingly recognised when he received a letter, dated 3rd July, 1834, from the Mayor of the good old town, John Wright, Esq., informing him that the Common Council had been pleased at their meeting on the previous day to present him unanimously the freedom of the borough. But this was not all; the matter was referred to the

Admiralty by the Mayor and members of the Dock Committee, and as a special mark of their lordship's appreciation of his services, Lieut. Denham was specially promoted to the rank of Commander. It must be borne in mind that Denham was the first to seal the doom of the Horse and Rock Channels as the principal entrance to the Mersey. I have often been told that it was a very pretty sight on a clear day to witness from Everton Hill the sailing traffic of the port, either running in before the westerly breeze, or working out against it, as the case might be, of ships inward or outward bound; but the Rock Channel was even then narrow and inconvenient, not to say dangerous, for vessels of heavy burdens in those days, say from 500 to 600 tons.

The year 1839 was ushered in by one of the most terrific gales on record, which took place in January, and brought about considerable changes in the principal channels. In a few months the new cut of 1838 broke through. Denham's channel of 1833 became closed to navigation and its buoyage removed. The new cut was named the Victoria Channel, and was buoyed by Lieutenant Lord, R.N., who succeeded Captain Denham.

The Formby Lighthouse being no further guide had its red light discontinued and transferred to a new square tower erected one and a half miles towards Crosby Point, and called the Crosby Lighthouse. The bar of Victoria Channel had nine feet upon it at low water of spring tides, was a quarter of a mile wide by three quarters of a mile long, and was six miles distant from the disused Formby Lighthouse.

In 1840 the Clarence was still the northernmost dock, as in 1833. In this year no change appeared in the Victoria Channel, but the navigation of the Crosby Channel was improved by the addition of a lightship called

.

the Crosby Lightvessel, which showed a light of the natural colour. The Formby. Lightvessel's single light was changed to two at the same time as a distinction. The N. E. elbow of Great Burbo Bank had extended by this year half a mile further north from the Rock Lighthouse.

By 1845 the Liverpool Docks had been extended to the northward, and embraced the Sandon Basin and Dock, the river wall being five-eighths of a mile further north than in 1840.

In 1846, the Victoria Channel having advanced about a quarter of a mile to the northward, adjustments of buoys and lights became necessary, and were carried out. In this year a fort was constructed at the extreme end of the river wall.

In 1849 the Victoria Channel was showing signs of adverse alterations, involving two channel courses instead of one. On the other hand, the Jordan Flats and Taylor's Bank had of recent years showed gradual signs of amalgamation, and had also risen considerably in height.

In 1851 further alterations in the channels rendered necessary a re-arrangement of the lights and buoys, the red light of the Crosby Lighthouse was discontinued and transferred to the old Formby Lighthouse, and the two lightships were adjusted to meet the new requirements.

In 1852 there was an improvement in the new channel to the northward of the Victoria Channel, called the Zebra Channel, but the Formby Channel's outlet into the Crosby Channel became barred, ending in a pool. This, however, again broke through in 1857. The Taylor and Jordan Banks had continued to rise in height, leaving only a narrow run of water between them called Shand's Gut. The north east elbow of Great Burbo had advanced another quarter of a mile to the northward, making it four

and-three-quarter miles distant from the Rock Light

house.

In 1853 the Zebra Channel greatly deteriorated; the Hilbre Swash, which in 1883 had been a straight channel, had gradually assumed a convex form.

In 1854 a swash between Zebra Bank and Little Burbo opened out, and was called the Queen's Channel, giving promise of becoming the principal channel to the port. The Bar of this new channel had only seven feet over it at low water, but was twice the length of the Victoria Channel. To meet this alteration the red light of the Formby Lighthouse was again discontinued and transferred to the Crosby Lighthouse, and the floating lights were moved as necessary. The Formby Lighthouse has never since been used for lighting purposes.

The improvement in the Queen's Channel was maintained the following year, there being from eight to nine feet of water on the bar. From this date the Queen's Channel has remained, with few fluctuations, the principal entrance channel to the port. By 1857 the dock river wall had been extended seven-eighths of a mile northward of the fort. By 1862 the north-east elbow of Great Burbo had advanced until it reached a distance of five-and-a-half miles from the Rock Lighthouse, the outer edge of the Queen's Channel Bar was nearly six-and-a-half miles from the Formby Lighthouse, with ten to eleven feet as the least water, the Victoria Channel meanwhile deteriorating.

In 1871, after 32 years, the Victoria Channel had so silted up that its buoyage was discontinued. In 1872 a tendency to shoal on the Queen's Channel Bar was noticed, which was continued the following year, when the least water was only seven feet.

In 1873 the great increase in the traffic of the port, which had for years past been steadily growing, rendered

it necessary to remove the N. W. Lightship to a more commanding position. She was accordingly placed ten miles outside of the Bar, and a new light vessel, called the Bar Ship, was stationed two miles outside the Bar, and exhibited a fixed light of the natural colour. On the 1st May, 1874, the Bar and Crosby Lightships were fitted with steam fog-horns. By 1877, the river wall having been completed to its full extent, the North Wall Light was first exhibited on the 1st October, and the red flash of the Rock Lighthouse discontinued.

In 1878 an improvement of two feet had taken place in the Queen's Channel Bar. In 1882 the Queen's Channel presented a change of considerable importance, ten to eleven feet was the least water on the Bar, and a narrow opening of ten feet commenced to break out to the southward of the Bar. This opening having further widened in 1884, the buoyage of the Queen's Channel was adjusted to meet the change. In 1885 the buoyage of the Sea Channels was changed to render it conformable to the uniform system.

The establishment of fog-horns at the North-West and Bar Lightships followed in due course, and distinction for the various sounds is thus provided for. The N. W. Ship, during fog, gives three blasts in quick succession within fifteen seconds, followed by a silence of forty-five seconds. The Bar and Crosby Lightships each give one blast every twenty seconds, and the intervening Formby Vessel gives four blasts in fifteen seconds, followed by a silence of forty-five seconds. A fog-siren was also in 1889 provided at the North Wall Lighthouse, which is worked by hydraulic power, and gives during foggy weather a blast of three seconds duration twice every minute. Meanwhile, the great improvement made during recent years in the lights of large ocean steamers rendered it necessary to give