steering a vessel under sail, with a heavy following sea, is so great, and the peril of broaching to so imminent, as always to impress the mind with anxiety. On this head, an extract, which I have seen from the recent work of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, gives a very graphic example; and, among many instances I have known, I may state that one of our frigates (the Franchise,) coming up Channel, was in great danger of going down head-foremost! When any one will be at the pains to convince me that the accounts of the wind shifting suddenly in the left semi-circle are false, and the narrators were under a delusion, and that there is no curl therein, then, as an honest reasoner should do, I shall be ready to give up my opinion, an opinion I believe to be based upon certain facts, recorded facts, and upon "any preposession in favor of one view of the question, or any aversion to, or disrelish for, a different view of it." not I am, Sir, greatly obliged to Mr. Piddington for his desire to present me with a copy of his valuable work, (for valuable I know it must be coming from a gentleman who has devoted so much of his time to the study), but I had designed to order one as soon as the announcement of its publication appeared. As to criticising it, although I have had the temerity to touch on isolated points, and to write much on the operation of circular storms, I do not think that would qualify me for the task of reviewing an entire work. May, 1848. STORMY JACK. THE SAILORS' ORPHAN GIRLS' ASYLUM. June, 1848. SIR.-I venture to place in your hands a statement, which I earnestly wish you may deem admissable into your pages; the charity to which it refers, having assuredly a strong claim on "Nautical" attention and support. By making it better known among your numerous readers, you will render essential benefit to the youthful object of its care; and I need only add, that the deep and heartfelt interest in this and all kindred institutions, which impels me thus to intrude on your notice, is but that which well befits every English woman, especially one who may subscribe herself with all respect, AN ADMIRAL'S ORPHAN DAughter. THE Sailors' Orphan Girls' Episcopal School and Asylum receives within its walls twenty orphan daughters of British seamen, whether belonging to the navy or merchant service, between the ages of 3 and 15, whom it boards, clothes, educates, and aims to set forward in life, by placing them out as servants in respectable families. It also extends a measure of the same advantages to about twenty others, allowed to attend daily from the neighbourhood. More than 600 such children have during the last 18 years, been thus rescued from the worst miseries of the orphan's lot; and much of lasting benefit, as well as present relief, has thus been ministered to the poor and destitute. The charity has not been without influential patronage; headed by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and the Right Honourable Lord Byron. But we all know it is from the many in the middle ranks of life, rather than the few in the higher, that the practical support of our public institutions is reasonably expected. Thank God, in our land, and in our day, we are not wont to look to these in vain, when the claims of any such cause have been once satisfactorily established. Yet the vast variety of appeals presented to all who are able and inclined to attend to them, and the round of busy engagements in which all but positive idlers seem ever involved, are frequent hindrances to those being heard, which need only a hearing, to ensure them a kind and effectual response. Added to this, with regard to the charity in question, the wretched locality in which it unfortunately stands, amidst the dense population of our sea-faring men and their families, has always been an obstacle to its being either frequently inspected by visitors, or very regularly superintended by an efficient Lady's Committee of management. It is therefore matter of more concern than surprise, that it has thus long remained comparatively little known, and in consequence, most inadequately supported. In fact the efforts and liberality of a few friends, who have tested and proved its value, aided by the faithful and unwearied exertions of its School-mistress, have alone prevented its falling to the ground: and these have failed to keep it free from the incumbrance of a debt, which unceasingly damps its energies, and cripples its operations. Urgent and affecting applications for admittance, the Committee are reluctantly compelled to turn a deaf ear to, in the present state of their finances and either the removal to more commodious premises, or the much needed repair and improvement of those they at present rent, they likewise feel it their painful duty to defer. : Being without endowment, or any other resources than the fluctuating list of annual subscribers and benefactors, aided by an occasional sermon, and from time to time a sale of such useful and ornamental articles as a few kind and warm friends are ready to supply, the Committe find their charge, however interesting, one of frequent anxiety and embarrassment. Still, however, the Institution pursues its quiet unobtrusive course of usefulness, relieving many a widowed heart of a portion of its burden, saving many a helpless orphan child from want and ruin, and sending forth, year by year, into that important, though humble, class of the community, our household servants, those whom it has trained in the principles and habits that will best prepare them "to learn and labour truly to get their own living, and to do their duty in that state of life to which it has pleased God to call them." Wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, of British sailors, placed happily out of reach of the privations and perils which but for such a shelter, must overwhelm this orphan band: husbands, fathers, brothers, personally familiar with the casualties of a profession, that is daily making the children fatherless, and the wives widows in the midst of us: all who recognize the special claims of British seamen on their fellow-countrymen and fellow-countrywomen,-such will surely need but to be informed NO. 7.-VOL. XVII. 3 с of the existence and the difficulties of an institution like this; and they will promptly stretch forth to it their helping hand, if only in gratitude to a kind Providence, for their own happier lot. But twenty of these children, as wholly dependent, and but forty, as partially so, do the Committee venture to present for support, to the thousands around, who have more than heart could wish. Shall this handful then plead in vain? No! rather by "delivering the fatherless, and her that had none to help her," may the rich “ blessing of her that was ready to perish come upon" every kind reader of this appeal on their behalf. Subscriptions and Donations are thankfully received by Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton, & Co., Lombard Street; by Mr. Nisbet, 21, Berners Street; Messrs Seeley, Fleet Street; Messrs. Hatchard, Piccadilly; at the Office of the Naval and Military Bible Society, 32, Sackville Street, Piccadilly; at the Sailors' Home Office, 23, Well Street, London Docks; by the Honorary Secretary; the Rev J. Lyons, A.M., St. Mark's Parsonage, Whitechapel; or by Mrs. Largent, at the Sailors' Orphan Girls' Episcopal School, 29, Cannon Street Road, St. George's East, London, where visitors also are respectfully invited. BERMUDA Light. THE improvements in the approaches to this island alluded to by the Governor, Colonel Reid, appearing likely to render it more frequented, to the correct position of the light determined by Captain Barnett, which we gave in our volume for last year, we may add the following observations by this officer, in August, 1846, on the character of the light. He says in a letter to the Hydrographer: "On our voyage from Nassau we had an excellent opportunity of observing the intervals and duration of the flash of the light. It bore N.E.b.E, 22 miles and the time day dawn, the weather fine and remarkably clear, wind south. By these observations the mean interval was 63'4 seconds, and the duration of flash 7.3 seconds." The governor opened the Colonial Parliament on the 15th ult. The most important part of his excellency's speech was that which bore upon ocean steam navigation. "You will learn with satisfaction by a dispatch from the Secretary of State that her Majesty's Government concur in the advantage of deepening the Stag's Passage, and I trust the time is not distant when that work will be achieved. Bermuda has happily become the connecting link of a great chain of direct steam intercourse between the mother country, the north American continent and all parts of the West Indies. The voyage to and from England is thus reduced to little more than two weeks' duration, and we are brought within four days' easy access of markets of almost illimitable demand for productions which you may gather in abundance at the seasons that they are planting there. With industry and enterprise the consequence on the prosperity of the colony, cannot be doubted. Connected with these considerations, I remark with particular satisfaction the encreasing clearance of the land, and the observable improvement in the industry of all classes of the people. The owners of the soil are acting in best accordance with their own interests, by the liberal encouragement of cultivation; for it is manifest that the garden and orchard husbandry of the colony, and above all, the rearing of stalled cattle, may be pursued on an extended scale with profitable returns. It is neither necessary nor convenient that this colony should be entirely tributary to other countries for the cattle supplies requisite for the population, and the public establishments; and the experience of the last twelve months has fully borne out a remark I have made in other places, namely, that the winds and the waves are the charter of a protecting impost to the stock-farmer of Bermuda, beyond the reach of human abrogation. I coumit it to the public spirit which has ever distinguished this legislature to relieve all steam ships, carrying the public mails of the countries to which they belong, from light dues at Bermuda; and I recommend to your judicious support well directed plans for encouraging the resort of strangers to these shores in search of health, business, or recreation." While on the subjeet of lights, and their distinct visibility, we may notice the following jeu d'esprit in the lighthouse way, a model of which was to be seen at the recent soiree of the President of the Civil Engineers Society. TELEGRAPHIC LIGHTHOUSE.-"A plan with suggestions for a Telegraphic Lighthouse has lately been presented to the Government by Mr. G. Wells of the Admiralty. Mr. Wells points out the numerous accidents that vessels have encountered owing to the mistakes of mariners, as to the distance and position of the several lighthouses on our coasts, and states that the great objections to those which now exist, are, first, their unnecessary elevation; secondly, their impropriety of coloured lights, which cannot be distinguished in foggy weather; and thirdly, the general insufficiency of the light, and its similarity in appearance. To obviate these disadvantages Mr. Wells proposes that in the existing lighthouses four or more circular apertures should be cut just below the lantern, and the openings fitted with glazed sashes of ground glass, with the initial letter of the particular lighthouse painted in an opaque colour thereon, the light being so reflected as to render the unpainted glass transparent, and thus exhibiting the letter itself in bold relief. It is also suggested that in constructing new lighthouses it would be better that they should not be carried to the present altitude as the nearer the light is to the level of the eye the less probability would exist as to any mistake in the distance of it." We are quite ready to concede that a lighthouse may be out of its place sometimes when among the clouds, such as that at Rio Janeiro, and that at Sumburgh Head. But all seamen will desire to see a light as soon as possible, and many well know from experience the great advantage of catching a glimpse of a light let it be ever so distant, so as to know their whereabouts, for that glimpse has been full often the means of saving a ship. We cannot compliment Mr. Wells on his proposal, and as to his distinguishing letters of light he is surely dreaming? Yachting INTELLIGENCE.-The Fixtures for the Ten forthcoming Regattas. 1848-July 11. Royal Mersey Yacht Club at Liverpool. Yorkshire Yacht Club at Hull. 66 Harwich Yacht Club. REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF The Northern LigHTHOUSES, relative to the Summary Report by the Examining Commissioner on the Harbours of Scotland. (Continued from p. 318). The Board has thus errected 27 great sea-lights on the coast of Scotland, including three on the Isle of Man, but exclusive of three secondary lights, besides re-building three of those which were first erected. They have also for some time been engaged in the erection of lighthouses at Nosshead, near Sinclair's Bay, on the coast of Caithness, at Ardnamurchan, in Argyllshire, at the entrance to the Sound of Mull; and a considerable time before the date of Summary Reports, they had resolved upon, and are now preparing for, the erection of two lights in Hoy Sound, a light on the "Ship of Sanna," another on the island of Devaar, one at Kyleakin, in the Sound of Skye, and another in Loch-in-daal, in the Island of Islay. The lights in the course of erection, as well as those resolved upon, are all noticed in the Summary Report as being required in the precise localities selected by the Board, thus affording a confirmation of the views which the Board entertain, and a testimony to their judicious choice of stations. (about 84 miles). On the line between Cape Wrath and Island Glass, the most salient point is the Butt of the Lewis, a high and bluff headland, for which a guide is not much required, and where a light would be extremely apt to be obscured by fog. For the refuge harbour of Stornoway a light would be most useful; and so satisfied were the Board of this, that in 1827 they gave Mr. Steward Mackenzie, the late proprietor of the Lewis, a lantern and some reflectors to enable him to complete a lighthouse which he had erected on Arnish Point, but which has never yet been exhibited to the public. The commissioners have at various times had under con sideration the placing of a light either on the Trumpanhead, Biblehead, or Chickenhead, about 45 miles from Cape Wrath, and have also in view to make the entrance to one of the natural harbours between Island Glass and Barrahead, so as to complete the chain of lights in the passage of the Minch. As to the second line, or that between Cape Wrath and Kyleakin, which is less important for the general trade, a light or lights may perhaps be required for leading to the northern entrance of the Sound of Skye. Various sites might be named; but that which may be selected should, if possible, also serve to point out some of the natural harbours on that line of coast. When the works now mentioned as in progress have been completed, the lights will in only two instances be more than 50 miles apart, and the great majority will be much nearer each other. The exceptions alluded to will be between Cape Wrath and Island Glass (about 70 miles), and between Cape Wrath and Kyleakin Ackergill.-Summary Report, p. 41.-Sinclair Bay, from the low nature of its shores and the similarity of Noss and Duncansby Heads, has often been mistaken for the entrance of the Pentland Firth, and many wrecks have taken place in consequence; but the site for a lighthouse has now been marked out at Noss Head, which it may be hoped will be speedily erected and serve as a remedy yet for more than a quarter of a century of profound peace, 70 miles of this coast, from Tarbet Ness to Pentland Skerries, have been left without a single light, while the traffic along it, from official returns, appears to be 4,864 loaded vessels of 706,866 tons annually. Tobermory. Summary Report, p. 43.-The Sound of Mull, or the strait between the island and the main, is 15 miles long, by about two miles wide, and has good depth of water throughout. Since the erection of the light at |