man for £7,500. If docks are made there it will be a bargain at that sum, although at present it is little more than a rabbit warren.

Another scheme which is projected is to develope the harbour of Aberthaw, which is situated a little further to the west than Barry, both being creeks in the port of Cardiff. The Midland Railway Company have long been desirous to reach the Bristol Channel. They have now running powers as far as Brecon, and propose to purchase the Cowbridge line. In the meantime, they have sent their engineers to survey the neighbourhood, and especially with a view to make docks or develop the harbour of Aberthaw, should the transaction be closed. A considerable trade was done at one time at that little place, especially with Bristol, but since the great facilities have been developed at Cardiff that business has vanished; and now little else is done there by shipping except to remove the limestone which lies on the beach, and which is much prized.

OCEAN WAVES.-At the annual conversazione of the Royal Society of Victoria, held at Melbourne on the 27th of August, the president Mr. Ellery, in delivering the annual address, noticed the papers which had been read during the year. He referred at some length to Mr. R. S. Deverell's papers on ocean-wave power machinery, and said that some months ago Mr. Deverell devised apparatus by which the movements of a ship at sea could be registered; and observations were made with it by his brother, who went to England in the Norfolk. The duration of the voyage was 2,026 hours, and in that time the ship made 1,764,088 beam oscillations or rolls, and 1,041,137 fore-and-aft oscillations or pitches. The average number of oscillations in both directions per minute was 14. The average of pendulum registering beam movements was over 15 million degrees, while that of the fore-and-aft movements was nearly 5 million degrees. Mr. Deverell considered that he had established:-1. That between ocean limits the swell of the ocean is unceasing. 2. That the oscillation of a vessel in an ocean fetch is .unceasing. 3. That the motion of an independent body within a ship on the ocean is unceasing. Here, then, is an immense amount of conservable energy. Can it be conserved for use on boardship? Mr. Deverell said he believed it could be made useful in auxiliary propulsion, and that he hoped to be able soon to bring before the Royal Society of Victoria a method of putting his proposition into practice. Mr. Ellery stated that Mr. Bessemer had purchased from Mr. Deverell the instrument used in the Norfolk voyage observations.

REPEAL OF COMPULSORY SURVEYS.

We have been asked by some of our readers on what assumption we proceeded when we stated (page 984, vol. xliii.) that the British Legislature is not likely, at once, to repeal the compulsory survey of passenger steamers, under the Act of 1854. Our answer is, that we proceeded on no assumption at all. What we stated is a logical deduction from facts within our knowledge. That we are not wrong, is clear from Mr. Farrer's own statement (see answer 18,882, p. 371 of Report), that "I know that if you proposed to the House of Commons to repeal the law, as to passenger steamers, you would have great difficulty." In such good company we have no fear of being wrong. The only question now is for the good shipowner and the public to watch how far the Board of Trade will be subjected to pressure to convert these compulsory surveys gradually into shams, so as to prevent disputes between owners and their surveyors. The Mercantile Marine Service Association, of Liverpool, have proposed measures which will, if adopted, convert wreck inquiries into shams; and there is nothing to prevent any organization from being formed, whereby, under cover of the cry of "hampering trade," attempts may be made to convert these present surveys into future shams. It would, if successful, be the means of giving all low class ships certificates as good as the best class of ships. The mere walk round" system of survey would, we are satisfied, suit many ships better than anything else, and would protect them from scrutiny under the Acts of 1871 and 1873. If some ships can get their papers without being harrassed, and thereupon be freed from future harrassment, too, they will get all the advantages of first-class certificates without any of the cost or trouble, or any of the security, now necessary to procure it. This will admit of free trade, but it will be free trade with a false certificate, a lie, and a delusion, and a perfect ousting of personal responsibility into the bargain. Let our readers just think what it means, not only a certificate procured under the Act of 1854, but also perfect immunity, while that certificate lasts, from the operations of the Acts 1871 and 1873. It will be better for the safety of the lives of the public to repeal the compulsory survey clauses at once, than run such a risk as we have pointed out above. That an agitation is probable, we have no doubt, and that it will probably commence in the interests of low class boilers, and low class iron ships, we believe. The underwriters must look out for themselves; but we mean to keep a sharp look-out in the interests of our readers, who in this country are responsible and respectable first-class shipowners, and masters, and the public, and who abroad are the purchasers or the users of ships and boilers built in this country.

HYDROGRAPHIC.

PACIFIC OCEAN.-NORTHERN PART.

THE following information has been received from the United States Hydrographic Office, 1874:

Dowset Reef, on which the whaling brig Kamehameha struck in 1872, is about 8 miles long (in a north-west and south-east direction) and 4 miles broad; in some parts the reef is awash and the sea breaks all over it. The position of the centre of the reef, as determined by the master of the Kamehameha, is in latitude 25° 18′ N., longitude 170° 38′ W., and about 13 miles South of Maro reef.

Reported Island, Decker, the existence of which has hitherto been considered doubtful, was searched for by the United States' ship Tuscarora, Commander G. E. Belknap, under favourable conditions of weather. The vessel sounded in 2,870 fathoms mud, in latitude 23° 17′ N., longitude 162° 58′ E., a position about 5 miles south from the assumed locality of the island, when no sign of land could be seen from the masthead, and the entire absence of birds strengthened the opinion that no land exists in the vicinity.

Marcus Island. This island, according to Commander Belknap, is about 60 feet high, and appeared when first seen like a forest of trees rising out of the water. With Marcus island bearing S.W. W. distant 8 miles, observations were taken and the island was found to be in latitude 24° 14' N., longitude 154° 0' E.

Reefs extend a considerable distance off the east and west ends of the island, and a high white beach, occasionally broken with large black rocks, fringes the shore. The surf was very heavy, and landing seemed impossible on the northern side. Great numbers of birds were flying over the land.

At night or in thick weather vessels should give Marcus island a good berth.

Southerly currents had been experienced three days previous to sighting the island, but the general direction of the current in this locality is to the W.S.W.

Kingman Reef.-In June, 1874, the British steamship Tartar struck on a coral reef which is considered to be identical with Kingman reef situated in latitude 6° 24′ N., longitude 162° 22′ W. The shoal, none of which showed above water, appeared to be of considerable extent and in the shape of a horseshoe. The vessel was found to be in a lagoon enclosed by a network of coral reefs.

In this locality reefs have been frequently reported, varying but little in position, in latitude, but considerably in longitude, and it is probable

that different positions have been given to the same reef, and that the error has been caused by incorrect reckoning and strong currents. Until this locality has been more thoroughly examined, great precaution should be taken in its navigation.

Kingman reef is situated in the belt traversed by the equatorial counter current setting to the eastward, which current in this part attains a strength of 30 to 42 miles a day.

Palmyra Island, which has been surveyed by Commander J. S. Skerrett, commanding United States' ship Portsmouth, 1874, consists of many small islets occuping a space of 14 miles east and west and 7 miles north and south. The several islets, which enclose three distinct lagoons, are low, the most elevated being only 6 feet above the level of the sea, and covered with cocoa-nut trees. From a distance the islets appear as a group surrounding a single lagoon. The position of the observation spot, near the south-western islet, is in lat. 5° 49′ 4′′ N., long. 162° 11′ 29′′ W.

Breakers extend a mile from the north-east and south-east islets; and on the north side of the group, the sea sometimes breaks in 5 fathoms. On the eastern side, the current combined with fresh easterly winds creates an overfall; but there is no known danger outside the breakers on the eastern side.

Anchorage. It is dangerous to approach Palmyra island from the northward or westward; the safest approach is from the southward. A vessel may stand safely in by keeping Strawn island, on which the huts are erected, bearing N.E. by N., and run in until Bird island bears E. by N., when she may anchor in 7 fathoms. The water shoals rapidly from 30 fathoms.

Tides. It is high water full and change at 5h. 23m. ; springs rise 2 feet. Weather.-Mr. Strawn, a resident, stated that during the five months he had been on the island the rain was almost constant, four days of dry weather being the longest interval on any one occasion. There is no evidence that the island is visited by storms, but strong squalls sometimes blow from the east and south-east.

Supplies. A few people are living on Strawn island (north-west end of the group), engaged in curing cocoa-nut fruit. Fish are abundant, and in great variety; turtle scarce; curlew, snipe, and plover were found. On one of the eastern islets there is a small pool that generally contains rain-water.

Samarang Islets.-Two days were spent by the U.S. ship Portsmouth, in search for these islets without finding them, and without seeing any indications of shoal water. It is, therefore, probable that Samarang islets and Palmyra island are identical, as their recorded descriptions closely agree.

WEST INDIES.-HAITI OR ST. DOMINGO.

THE following information, by Commander A. V. Reed, United States Navy, has been received :

:

shoals have been lately

N. from Fraile islet, which

NORTH COAST.-MONTE CHRISTI BAY. Phaeton and Liverpool Shoals. These examined, and are found to lie in a line N.W. lies about 30 yards to the N.W. of Granja point. Phaeton shoal is a little over 2 miles distant from the islet, and Liverpool shoal two-thirds of a mile further out.

Phaeton shoal is 1 cables long, east and west, and one cable broad, with a depth of 3 fathoms.

Liverpool shoal is 3 cables long, E.N.E. and W.S.W., and one cable broad, with a depth of 2 to 4 fathoms.

About half a cable north of the eastern end of Liverpool shoal is a much smaller shoal, having a depth of 5 fathoms and 10 fathoms close to it. Fraile islet is an excellent landmark; there is no passage even for a boat between the islet and the main.

Cabras Island, lying about 3 cables S.W. from Granja point, has low bluffs at its north and south ends, is low in the middle, and difficult to distinguish when approached from the westward. A rocky cay lies 8. by W., three-quarters of a mile from the island; inshore of an imaginary line joining Cabras island and the cay, the water shoals from 5 fathoms gradually towards the shore. There is a depth of 6 or 7 fathoms half a mile to the westward of the cay.

A shoal with 2 to 4 fathoms lies about a mile S.W. by W. from Cabras island, and S.E. by E. E. from the rocky cay just mentioned. Anchorage. There is good anchorage, with smooth water, between Cabras island and the rocky cay, lying to the southward of it.

Reef. About a mile N.N.E. from the eastern end of Granja hill is the extremity of a breaking reef, which extends W.N.W. from the eastern side of Jicaquito bay and protects it. There is a depth of 44 fathoms in the bay, but the eastern side is very shoal. In entering, it is necessary to keep over toward Granja hill.

WEST COAST.-CAYEMITES BAY.

The peninsula of Bec-a-Marsoin will be readily recognised by the deep bay at the back. The shores of the peninsular consist of perpendicular rocky cliffs, about 20 feet high, much worn and fissured by the sea, and having occasional sandy patches. In shore of the cliff is a low table land covered with dense foliage, decreasing in height towards Fautasque point, which is low, rocky, and projects to the northward. The mainland is mountainous.