The coast survey has for its object the production of accurate charts of the coasts and harbors of the United States. With a shore line, including bays and islands, and exclusive of Alaska, of more than 21,000 miles in length; .and with a commerce extending to all parts of the world, and rapidly increasing, the importance to the country of this branch of the public service will be readily appreciated.

The work was commenced on the Eastern or Atlantic coast in 1832, under the superintendence of Professor F. R. Hassler, and after his death in 1843, was continued under the superintendence of late Prof. Alexander D. Bache, and extended to the Gulf of Mexico. On the acquisition of California, the Pacific coast was included in the survey, and since the treaty with Russia, by which Alaska was brought under the government of the United States, the survey has been extended to that Territory. The whole work is under the administrative direction of the Treasury Department. Upon the Superintendent devolves the duty of planning its operations, for the scientific accuracy of which he is responsible. The Corps of Assistants is composed of three classes,-civilians, and army and navy officers. The work is divided into three branches,-the geodetic, topographic, and hydrographic surveys. The geodetic survey accurately determines the relative positions on the surface of the earth of a great number of prominent points, by a system of triangulation and observation of the true meridian lines, and of latitude and longitude. The positions fixed by the triangulation form the ground-work of the topographic survey which delineates the shore-line of the coasts, bays, and rivers; the shape and heights of hills; the position of roads, houses, woods, marshes, and fields,-in short all noteworthy features of the country. The hydrographic survey based upon the points and shore-lines furnished by the triangulation and topography, delineates the hidden configuration of the sea bottom, discovers channels, shoals, and rocks, assigns their true positions, and shows the depth of water and character of the bottom over the whole extent of the chart.

The observations made in the progress of the survey are arranged and published with illustrative plates, topographic maps and hydrographic charts.

LIGHT-HOUSE BOARD.

President, ex-officio..
Chairman...

Naval Secretary.

Engineer Secretary.

Chief Clerk.

HUGH MCCULLOCH, Secretary of the Treasury.
Rear Admiral, W. B. SHUBRICK.

ANDREW A. HARWOOD.

.O. M. POE.

BENJ. U. KEYSER.

LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICTS AND OFFICERS.

In conformity with the Act of Congress of August 31, 1852, 12 Light-House Districts have been established.

In the First District, extending from the N. E. boundary of the United States to Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire, there are 46 light-houses and light beacons, 39 beacons, 271 buoys,* and one light-house tender. Inspector, JOHN POPE, Portland, Me. Engineer, W. A. GOODWIN, Boston, Mass.

In the Second District, extending from Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire, to Gooseberry Point, Massachusetts, there are 63 light-houses and light beacons, 50 beacons, 7 light vessels, 451 buoys, 1 steam tender and 1 sailing tender. Inspector, GEORGE S. BLAKE, Boston, Mass. Engineer, W. A. GOODWIN, Boston, Mass.

In the Third District, extending from Gooseberry Point, Massachusetts, to Squam Inlet, New Jersey, including the Hudson River and Lake Champlain, there are 92 light-houses and lighted beacons, 44 beacons, 6 light vessels, 335 buoys, 1 steam tender, and 1 sailing tender. Inspector, A. L. CASE, Tompkinsville, Staten Island, N. Y. Engineer, Joseph Lederle, Tompkinsville, Staten Island, N. Y.

In the Fourth District, extending from Squam Inlet, N. J., to Metompkin Inlet, Va., including Delaware Bay and ifs tributaries, there are 18 light-houses and lighted beacons, 2 beacons, 2 light vessels, 75 buoys and 1 light house tender. Inspector, W. H. GARDNER, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Engineer, G. CASTOR SMITH, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the Fifth District, extending from Metompkin Inlet, Va., to New River Inlet, N. C., including Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, there are 62 light-houses and lighted beacons, 85 beacons, 4 light vessels, 460 buoys, and 2 steam tenders. Inspector, J. M. BERRIEN, Norfolk, Va. Engineer, W. J. NEWMAN, Baltimore, Md.

In the Sixth District, extending from New River Inlet, N. C., to Cape Canaveral light-house, Florida, inclusive, there are 49 light-houses and light beacons, 123 beacons, 5 light vessels, 146 buoys and 2 sailing tenders. Inspector, A. K. HUGHES, Charleston, S. C. Engineer, JERE P. SMITH, Charleston, S. C.

In the Seventh District, extending from south of Cape Canaveral, to Egmont Key, Florida, there are 10 light-houses and lighted beacons, 18 beacons, 57 buoys, and 1 sailing tender. Inspector, B. M. DOVE, Key West, Florida. Engineer, M. C. DUNNIER, Key West, Florida.

In the Eighth District, extending from St. Mark's, Florida, to the Rio Grande, there are 64 light-houses and lighted beacons, 41 beacons, 80 buoys, 1 steam tender and 3 sailing tenders. Inspector, CHARLES GREEN, New Orleans, La. Engineer, M. D. Mc ALESTER, New Orleans, La. On July 1, 1867, by authority of the Secretary of the Treasury, the former eighth and ninth districts were consolidated, the new district being styled the eighth. This had become necessary, owing to the provision in the Act of Congress organizing the present light-house establishment, limiting the number of districts to twelve, and the extension of our coast upon the Pacific, which created the necessity for an additional district there. Under the present arrange ment, there is no ninth district, and the aggregate number of districts remains at twelve.

In the Tenth District, embracing Lakes Erie, and Ontario, and the rivers St. Lawrence, Niag ara, and their tributaries, there are 44 light-houses and lighted beacons, 79 buoys, and 1 steam tender. Inspector, F. B. ELLISON, Buffalo, N. Y. Engineer, W. F. RAYNOLDS, Detroit, Mich. In the E'eventh District, embracing all that portion of the lake region (including affluents) above Detroit, Michigan, there are 63 light-houses and lighted beacons, 80 buoys, and 1 steam tender, which attends to this and the Tenth District. Inspector, T. H. STEVENS, Detroit, Mich. Engineer, W. F. RAYNOLDS, Detroit, Mich.

In the Twelfth District, extending from the southern boundary of California, to the 41st parallel of latitude, there are 9 light-houses and lighted beacons. Inspector, J. C. CARTER, San Francisco, Cal. Engineer, R. S. WILLIAMSON, San Francisco, Cal.

In the Thirteenth District, embracing the Pacific coast north of the 41st parallel of latitude, there are 9 light-houses and lighted beacons. Inspector, J. M. WATSON, Astoria, Oregon. Engineer, R. S. WILLIAMSON, San Francisco, Cal.

*In all the districts the buoys are exclusive of spare buoys to supply losses.

SUPERVISING INSPECTORS OF STEAMBOATS AND THEIR DISTRICTS.

Salaries $1,500 each, and traveling expenses.

President of Board, WILLIAM Burnett.

First District-Embraces all waters and rivers of the United States west of the Rocky Mountains. Supervisor, WILLIAM Burnett, San Francisco, Cal.

Second District-Embraces the waters of the Atlantic coast, rivers and tributaries between the bay of Passamaquoddy and Cape Charles. Supervisor, WILLIAM BRADFORD, New York City. Third District-Embraces the waters of the Atlantic coast, rivers and tributaries between Cape Charles and Cape Sable. Supervisor, GEORGE W. MORRIS, Baltimore, Md.

Fourth District-Embraces the Mississippi river and tributaries, from the mouth of the Ohio river to Quincy, Ill. Supervisor, Daniel G. TAYLOR, St. Louis, Mo.

Fifth District-Embraces the upper Mississippi and its tributaries from and including Alton, and the Red river of the North. Supervisor, CHARLES L. STEPHENSON, Galena, Ill.

Sixth District-Embraces the Ohio river and tributaries below Madison, and the Mississippi river and tributaries (below the Ohio) down to and including the Arkansas river. Supervisor, JAMES V. GUTHRIE, Louisville, Ky.

Seventh District-Embraces the Ohio river and tributaries above and including Madison. Supervisor, JOHN S. DEVINNY, Pittsburgh, Penn.

Eighth District-Embraces all the waters of the lakes north and west of Lake Erie, with their tributaries. Supervisor, ALFRED GUTHRIE, Chicago, Ill.

Ninth District-Embraces all the waters of Lakes Erie, Ontario, Champlain, Memphremagog and George, and the river St. Lawrence, with their tributaries. Supervisor, A. S. BEMIS, Buffalo, N. Y.

Tenth District-Embraces the coast and tributary waters of the Gulf of Mexico between Cape Sable and the mouth of the Rio Grande, and the Mississippi river and tributaries to the mouth of the Arkansas river. Supervisor, WILLIAM ROGERS, New Orleans, La.

ARMY AND NAVY.

By the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution, Congress is empowered in general to raise and support armies; to provide and maintain a navy, and to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces.. By the second section of the second article, the President is appointed commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States. On August 7, 1789, Congress established a Department of War to enable the President to carry out the provisions of the Constitution for military affairs. A number of "Original Rules and Articles of War," which were enacted by the Congress of 1776, were continued in force under the Constitution, with several modifications. These rules were the basis of the actual Articles of War, enacted in 1806, which, with slight alterations, form the military code which govern all troops when mustered into the service.

At the commencement of the year 1861, the army consisted of about 14,000 regular troops, stationed chiefly in the Southern states. A large number of these joined the cause of the Southern confederacy, so that at the breaking out of the rebellion the Federal army numbered only about 8,000 men. April 15, 1861, the President called out 75,000 volunteers for three months to defend the national capital; and on May 3, he called out 75,000 volunteers to serve for three years, or to the close of the war. By subsequent proclamations and acts of Congress the army was increased; the whole number enrolled to the end of the civil war amounted to 2,653,062. Since the close of the war, the army has been reduced to about 50,000 men.*

* For organization of Army and Navy, see pages 122 and 132.