the Codrington family; the house is still standing, though in a ruinous condition, the walls white, and, being fifty feet high, may be seen from a good distance; the out-buildings and offices are still good. There is also a large tank, capable of holding ten months' water. This white house can be seen a long way off in clear weather, but cannot be approached nearer than seven or eight miles, on account of the very dangerous reefs surrounding the island, extending out on the north-west and south sides to five and six miles, and on the west side even as far as eight miles. The reefs extend on the east side from two and a half to three miles, with very deep water along the edge. From the north end of these reefs, on the east side, to the south extremity, there is no entrance whatever, not even for boats, which is the cause of all goods saved from wrecks to be carted to the castle, or to Grasmor's Landing, to be sent to Antigua for sale. The island being overgrown with wood, fresh roads have to be cut for every wreck. This island is entirely surrounded by reefs of a very dangerous kind, as vessels may in the day time be aground before they are observed, unless a very good look-out is kept: the outer edge of the reefs have from three to eight feet water on them, that is the south, west, and north sides of them. There are several anchorages: that of Grasmor's Landing, on the south side, about one mile and a half from the Spanish point, has about from twelve to fourteen feet water; but, to enter this channel, you must run down outside of the reefs, until Cocoa Point bears N. by E., when you will see the western edge of the reef square, with the water about three miles and a half off shore: round this close to; keeping a good look-out for the brown patches, as you beat up, between the outer and inner reefs. These brown patches are all ragged coral rocks, from about one to three feet below the surface, and are so numerous, that only small vessels, and they with difficulty, anchor in the roadstead, and must be well acquainted to gain the anchorage. The best anchorage is off the fort at the south-west end of the island, (called the River,) with the fort bearing north, in about seven or eight fathoms, sand and mud, one mile and a half off shore; this is very unsafe for large vessels, as the reefs both to windward and leeward extend a long way out to the southward. The vessels belonging to the island run in between the rocks, and anchor in from ten to twelve feet, about forty fathoms from the beach, on a sandy bottom, close under the fort. This being the principal exporting place on the island, the road from thence to the town is very good; should a stranger land here, and hoist a flag on the fort, horses will always be sent down to meet him. There is also an anchorage on the north-west side, to enter which is very dangerous, the reefs extending so far out to sea, and many invisible, so much so that you may be aground before any danger appears. I would advise none but those well acquainted, to attempt this anchorage, and even to them there is always danger. Any description of this anchorage I conceive unnecessary, as no vessel of any size can approach the island nearer than seven or eight miles, without incurring the risk of grounding on the reefs even in the day-time, they are so deceiving. On the Currents between Barbuda and Antigua. The currents between these two islands are very deceiving. After the loss of the Jean Stewart, and during my stay with Mr. Winter there, he often informed me of the currents of this part of the West Indies, which much surprised me, and which I saw a proof of between the 11th and 20th. Being always on the beach after the sinking of the vessel, many of the articles washed off the deck, were on the first day washed to the north-east end of the island, and before we landed, many of the water-casks were on the beach before us, about two or three miles to the northward. After the 20th, going and coming every other day between these islands, I remarked, that from nearly full moon to the last quarter the current set very strongly to windward, sometimes at the rate of from one to one and a half mile per hour, although the course from the River's anchorage to the Sisters, going into Antigua, was south by compass, and generally from nearly full moon, and two or three days after, was obliged to steer S. by W. and S. S.W.; when, after full, and towards last quarter, S.S.E., and S.E. by S., and N.N.E., and N.E. by N., which is a proof of some regularity in the motion of the sea here-about, at the above periods of the moon. How far this extends to the eastward of the islands, I cannot pretend to say, but should think it must affect vessels three or four degrees off; and, should thick weather then come on, the danger must be great, without a knowledge of this current. My own unfortunate case is a lamentable proof of this. 8. LIGHT ON CALSHOT CASTLE. On the first day of January was, and, until further notice, will be exhibited on the top of Calshot Castle, a brilliant light, in two colours, viz.: the bright or clear will be visible to ships coming to Southampton water, from the westward, when abreast of Stone Point, and about two cables' length from the shore, which will continue until abreast of the West Buoy of the Brambles, when a red light will be seen until to the eastward of the line of the Checquered Buoy of the Brambles, and the Buoy of Black Jack off the Castle, when the clear light will be visible again, and keep them clear of Cadland's Point in running up, if not shut in to the westward-the light being set to reflect only as far to the westward as the West Buoy of the Brambles, and to the Checquered Buoy to the eastward. At high-water, it is presumed it will make a safe runninglight to the river from Spithead, and to Cowes or Southampton, in crossing the west channel. N.B. Ships coming from the westward must judge their distance from the shore. Southampton, December 26, 1834. 9. NEW BUOY ON MARGATE SAND. "Trinity-House, London, 15th Dec. 1834. "Notice is hereby given, that, in pursuance of the intention expressed in a notice issued from this house on the 14th ult., a buoy, checquered black and white, has been laid on the north-eastern projection of Margate Sand, in four fathoms at low-water, with the following mark and compass bearings, viz. :— A Windmill on the Back Land, in on with the first House nextWestward of the three Windmills at Margate,bearing S. by W. W. North Foreland Lighthouse.. North Spit Buoy.. East Tongue Buoy.. East Buoy of Margate Sand "By Order, S. E. "J. HERBERT, Secretary." ORIGINAL PAPERS. I.-LIFE RAFT, PROPOSED BY CAPTAIN JOHN COOKESLEY, R.N. SIR-The tempestuous weather of last winter, attended as it was by such lamentable loss from shipwreck, when in so many instances the ordinary means of saving lives and property totally failed, induces seafaring men to consider and suggest the means of preserving them, under similar circumstances, in future; and, no doubt, such an object is worthy of our best attention in this great maritime country. Actuated by the desire of assisting in the accomplishment of this important object, I have reconsidered a method I formerly adopted, when in command of H. M. S. Hazard, of constructing a raft for the purpose of blacking the bends, &c., to save my boats from this dirty work. Rafts of this kind were prepared with great facility; and, with a view of converting them (should occasion require) to the purpose of saving lives in the hour of shipwreck, it was my practice to exercise the crew frequently in preparing them, so that they might do it quickly. By this means, such was the expertness they attained, that in about a quarter of an hour the raft was formed, and hoisted out with a single yard-tackle, like a jolly-boat. It was constructed on a principle different from any that has been yet before the public, and upon a more extended scale, not being limited to saving a few lives, but entire ships' companies. Impressed with the conviction that rafts of this kind may be the means of saving many lives, that might otherwise be lost to their afflicted families and to their country, I beg leave to forward you a model, and the accompanying drawings and instructions for making them, with a request that you will give the latter a place in your highly esteemed periodical publication. I must take the liberty of adding, that as it is my wish to make this raft known to the officers of the navy, and the merchant service generally, I shall be much gratified in seeing it acquire publicity through the respectable channel I have solicited, in a work so generally circulated as your magazine among nautical men throughout the United Kingdom. I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, JOHN COOKESLEY, Captain, R. N. Instructions for forming a Raft for the saving of lives in the hour of shipwreck, or from a ship on fire, or foundering at sea. Fig. 1. Represents nine empty casks, A, with band-lashings, and cross-spars a, to lash the wing-casks to. The casks are to be placed on a part of the deck most convenient for hauling out by the yard-tackles. Place them in three sets, as represented; each set about three feet apart (supposing these casks to be half tuns or butts), and in an exact line. Then pass band-lashings or NO. 36.-VOL. IV. K |