FOW HARBOUR.-Island of Geby.

When on my passage to China by the eastern route, on the 6th of February last, we were within a few miles of the harbour of Fow on the west side of the island of Geby, and stood in for the south point of Fow island; off which at a mile distance, had soundings, fine sand 20 fathoms, stood into the bight or bay to the S.E. of Fow harbour, and rounded the shoals which lie in the middle of the south channel, leading to the above port, having a narrow passage on the other side; carrying 20 to 24 and 18 fathoms sand round the southern edge of the shoals. We anchored in the bay with the following bearings, in 20 fathoms sand and clay.

South point of Fow island, S. W. W.; S.W. point of the bay S. by E. E. Outer shoal patch dry at low water in the same bearing, or on with south point of Fow island.

Body of the middle shoal patch also dry at low water, W.b.N. N., and the third or inner shoal N.W., upon which we had two fathoms at low water, distance about a large quarter or half mile. And one mile off the Geby shore to the S.E. in the bottom of the bay, distance one three-quarters to two miles, is a fresh water stream or creek with excellent water, into which our boats went at half flood and filled the casks from alongside, but at low water as there is a bar, your boats must anchor outside, land the casks and roll them a short distance up to fill, in which case you have to raft them off; and which may be done with ease and expedition, as the water is perfectly smooth, and must be so during the whole of the N. W. Monsoon. A ship tolerably well manned would have no difficulty in filling 20 or 30 tons in the course of the day. From the mouth of the creek the south point of Fow island bears by compass, W. N., and may also be known by a bluff cliff or headland, the only one in the bay, rising in a gentle slope of table land from the top of the cliff, towards the hills to the S.E. On the north side of the creek, is a belt of jungle lining the coast from thence to the northward. In Fow harbour ships may anchor much nearer, say within a mile, in 18 to 24 fathoms, but the above anchorage is in my opinion preferable, being more convenient for getting out of the bay with the prevailing winds from October to April and smoother water. Spars fit for yards and masts abound on either shore; vegetables, fruits, and fish are also procurable in abundance from the natives, several of whom came on board; they are a mixture of Malay and Papuas, speaking the above and Tidorian languages, and under the Sultan of the place. We found them very friendly and kind, many of them speaking English, Fow harbour being much frequented by whalers.

My chronometers which were quite correct on arrival at Macao, measured from Singapore, 25° 45' east, or 129° 38' 30" east of Greenwich, latitude 0° 6' 0" S.-J. J. R. BOWMAN.

Singapore Chronicle, 15th April, 1837..

THE BOSPHORUS.-English Bank.

We have received the following communication regarding the shoal called the English Bank, in the Bosphorus, from Mr. Wright, acting master of H.M.S. Dido. In our volume for 1833, will also be found some excellent remarks on the navigation of the Bosphorus, by Capt. Middleton, whose nautical experience entitles them to implicit confidence. H.M.S. Dido, Constantinople, April 18th, 1840. SIR,-Having had occasion to assist several British ships off the shoal situated on the Asiatic shore, and opposite to the village of "Buyukdere," and, which, from the frequency of the occurrence, has, not inaptly been called the "English Bank," I beg to hand you a few remarks upon its position, &c., &c. which, if attended to, cannot fail in preventing a repetition of those accidents, which, though unaccompanied by actual danger, are often attended with serious delay, and a loss of property, in anchors, cables, &c. &c.

The northern end of this shoal in five fathoms, commences at about two and half cables S.W. of the point, at the foot of the Giants Mount, the farm on its summit, being then open to the right of the first quarry near the beach, E.N.E. and an old round tower, standing upon the high land, on the European shore, a ship's length open to the eastward of the "Walled Fort," N.N.E. E. The black gate of the Russian Ambassador's Palace, at Buyukdere, will then be on with the Scala, and central window N.W. W. It extends thence, in a southerly direction nearly three-quarters of a mile, to within two cables of the North Point of the bay of the "Sultan's Valley," or, as it is sometimes called from the monument placed on it, to commemorate that celebrated treaty,-the point of " Unkiar Skelessi," varying in breadth from 100 to 30 yards, and, in depth six fathoms to six feet, and is composed of a dirty kind of sand and gravel, with detached stones. At this extreme in seven fathoms, the British Ambassador's Palace at Therápia is its own breadth open to the southward of a remarkable grove of trees behind it W.S.W., and the "Sanita," or Health Office, is just open of the point E.S.E.

Nearly in the centre it is divided by a channel of about 30 yards broad, east and west, having 10 to 13 fathoms, thus forming two distinct patches, and which, in the event of a ship grounding near it might be available; otherwise, from the general strength of the current this passage could scarcely be turned to any account.

It is only in the event of working to the southward, or having a scant easterly wind, that a necessity would arise for borrowing on it; indeed there is no actual necessity, for the channel between it and Therápia" affords ample room for a ship under any circumstances;

but, I have observed several vessels from the northward skirting the western edge of this bank, as if apprehensive of falling to leeward upon the spit of "Yenikioy Point," forgetting that the current there generally sets out so strong to the S.E. that they could hardly fail in avoiding it.

To the eastward of the bank, there is a very good channel and anchorage, having from 5 to 15 fathoms, and ships from the southward with a commanding breeze, may use it with great advantage, as the current is at all times much less there than in the stream. From the Black Sea, with a northerly wind, this route will shorten the distance considerably, and prevent a necessity for anchoring at Buyukdere or Therápia, should the wind fail.

To sail west of the bank from the northward, bring the "Old Genoese Castle" on with the signal post in the Fort at the foot of the "Giants Mountain," until the southernmost high clump of trees opposite Yenikioy Point, comes just on with it, or, if they are obscureduntil the old round tower above the Walled Fort on the European side comes open to the westward of its flag-staff. Run thus, until the Health Office is well open of Unkiar Skelessi Point, S.E.b.E., when you may haul over for it, as ships generally communicate here. In working to the southward, stand no nearer the bank than 12 fathoms, nor open the round tower to the eastward of the flag-staff in the Walled Fort, as it is very bold to, shoaling suddenly from 15 to 5 and 2 fathoms.

Wishing to pass through the eastern channel from the northward, haul round the point as close as you please, in 7 or 8 fathoms, in order to avoid the current which here sets strong towards the shoal; stand into the little bay of "Quarries," until Yenikioy Point comes a ship's length open of the point of Unkiar Skelessi, which will lead through in from 12 to 8 fathoms.

Ships from the southward will have no difficulty in observing these directions in a contrary manner. Another leading mark, and which perhaps would be found more convenient, is a remarkable brown patch on the highest land, above the Walled Fort kept on with its eastern angle. The master of a ship, not wishing to delay at Constantinople, and particularly if in want of water, will find a good and well sheltered anchorage off the Sultan's Valley, and if he takes a boat to Constantinople and arranges his business with the consul, he will, on his return find the ship watered, (the British ship of war rendering any little assistance required) and he clears the " Bosphorus" without having to anchor in the "Golden Horn," which, in winter, from its depth of water frequently crowded and exposed state is, in instances of this kind, very objectionable. I am, Sir, &c.

To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine. GEO. WRIGHT, Master, R.N.

NAUTICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BAY OF MOSIMBWA, Eastern Africa, by Capt. W. F. W. Owen, R.N.—Aswatada Islands, continued from p. 401.

To illustrate the foregoing observations and descriptions, a part of Mr. Dupont's journal shall be extracted.

His voyages on these coasts commence in 1797, when he was chief mate of the Louisa of Tranquabar, and traded to Madagascar, on which island his observations will hereafter be noticed. In that year he was made a prisoner of war at Mozambique, where all the officers and crew died except himself, and he was employed by the Portuguese governor, after two years detention, to navigate the Esperance, the ship formerly commanded by Monsieur D'Entrecasteaux in the voyage in search of La Perouse, which ship was seized at Batavia by the Dutch. Her destination then was to extend the bounds of light, of science, and of freedom, not to rivet the chains of ignorance and slavery under the flag of Portugal, and thus to maintain the reign of darkness.

In 1799 the voyages of Mr. Dupont commenced to the places north of Mozambique, to supply Mauritius, Bourbon, and Seychelles with negroes, and for twenty years he continued this traffic as reputably and humanely as such a trade admits of. Having fixed himself on the Seychelles, he constructed there a small vessel of 50 tons, in which he made a voyage every year to the coast of Africa from Ibo to Zanzibar, and thus was enabled to collect much information; but observes that he did not occupy himself with the history of the countries, “which nevertheless,” says he, “if treated by a person equal to the work, would not fail to be very interesting, and would place it in a very different light from any history now existing, and I have had occasion twenty times to observe that the Abbé Reynal had most erroneous notions on all this country which would require ages to civilize. These people being all extremely lazy and never working but for their daily food, if this fail them at any time they resort to robbery, and often to open war, murdering in cold blood such of their prisoners as will fetch no price in the market, and reducing to slavery the others." Here Mr. Dupont moralizes on the great improvement in the state of these negroes by being sold to Europeans, of whom the worst masters never proceed to the lengths of murder, &c. &c., and adds several interesting traits of his adventures to elucidate this happy result of his traffic.

In January, 1807, Mr. Dupont describes Tikimadjy as having nothing interesting about it except its anchorage, which is between its N.W. point and point Foonjy. The island is well wooded, but has no water, as is implied by its name.

"Being on shore on this island," he says, "at low water, I had all the banks quite bare, and the pass of Foonjy was dry almost across; at

low water nothing can pass but very small craft, but as the tide rises 16 feet at times, vessels take advantage of high water and a good breeze to proceed by this pass of Foonjy to the isle of Ameez, where the water is deep enough."

This remark contrasted with the observations of Capt. Vidal on the rise of tide shews a great discrepancy. Capt. Vidal remarks the rise of tide seven and nine feet; this must have been deduced from the measures alongside when at anchor, and could never have been very precise. Subsequent observations by Lieut. Boteler, between Mosimbwa and Makalow have determined during his visit five feet to have been the smallest flow in neap tides, and eighteen feet at high springs.

Mr. Dupont's expression which I have rendered by "water is deep enough" at Ameez, is "on y a grand eau." Now Ameez is said to have abundance of fresh water, and sometimes to be visited on that account, but I apprehend the remark merely to affirm that the north-western part of the coast of Ameez has deep water close to it; viz., has no reef to prevent free communication with it, similar to Kisangoola which has no reef that drives off its north shore. It will be seen that Captain Vidal's examination of the coasts of the Islands was not very critical, nor indeed did they seem of importance enough to render any waste of time on them for such a purpose excusable.

It is probable that the coral reef north of Ameez joins its shore near the spot to which it is continued on our charts, and that the reef covers the south shore of Ameez but little farther, than where drawn on the charts.

In like manner the north reef of Kisangoola appears to join the coast of Luhamba near its north-western point, and terminates where we have left it unfinished.

These are the only points where Capt. Vidal's survey does not appear to have been sufficiently critical; and particularly it is precisely on these points only where Mr. Dupont's journal is of any value for these islands.

Mr. Dupont's observations on Cape Delgado have been before given: these were made in January, 1807, and he remarks that the Queen of Tonghy who was sixty years of age, had never before seen a white man, and moreover, that they had no tradition or memory of any white man ever having traversed the Cape or shore before Mr. Dupont, "therefore " he adds "it was not without much dread that I hazarded the undertaking," which was merely to fix his compass on the point of Delgado, and take two bearings. The value of these observations were not worth the trouble or risk, but the account he gives of the character and circumstances of the natives, which were occasioned by the adventure, may well serve as an historical record of their state at that time. Mr. Dupont ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 7.-VOL. FOR 1840. 3 P