covered with trees and verdure. The N. E. side of the group is accessible, and of gradual ascent, and the shores appear to have some fine sandy bays; the S. W. side of this group presents a dreadful precipice, on which the swell beats with great violence. The S.W. group consists of five or six barren inaccessible islets, or rocks, the sides of which are perpendicular, and covered with the dung of birds. There appear to be a number of shoals and reefs amongst these islands, so that, if possible, they had better be avoided. The latitude of these islands was determined from meridional altitudes, horizon good, with two sextants; the longitude, from chronometers and lunar distances, taken on three consecutive days preceding our arrival. The difference of longitude, measured by chronometers, to the anchorage at the back of Cable Island, in Southern Port, was 1° 6' 36", the interval of time being 24 hours. The distance measured by the patent log to Broad Passage was 69 miles, the course steered N.E. b E. a little easterly by compass, which proves the ship to have been very little influenced by currents, as the observation gives distance 69 miles, course N. 41° E. true. In the description of Southern Port, it is necessary to refer to Stewart's Sketch in mentioning this harbour, as I adopt his names. We lay here six weeks, during which time upwards of 40 sets of lunar distances were taken east and west of the moon, the mean of which gave 167° 26′ 45′′; and a number of meridional altitudes from the artificial horizon gave the latitude 47° 11′ 31′′. The variation of the compass, by a number of azimuths, with three compasses, gave 17° 4′ 30′′ E. The longitude by chronometers on our arrival corresponded within 2 miles of this mean; from these data the latitude and longitude of Cable Island was computed, and from it the other places mentioned. From the summit of Cable Island, the South Capes, the Traps, &c. could be seen, and bear as follows: the South Cape, S. 33° W. distant 7 miles; the S. W. Cape, S. 49° W. 9 miles; the Northern Traps, S. 64° E. about 5 leagues; the South Traps, S. 38° 30′ E. about 6 leagues, all compass bearings; and from which bearings and distances I have computed their positions. This longitude and latitude differ considerably from that given by Purdy, computed from Stewart's Sketch; the latitude being the more surprising, as the most common navigator can generally ascertain that tolerably correct. This error rather astonishing me, when Stewart arrived I mentioned the circumstance to him, and he told me that when he drew the sketch he had nothing but a quadrant, no artificial horizon, and only a boat compass to assist him. With these slender means, it is indeed surprising that he has made the sketch so correctly. In the latitude of Cable Island, Stewart's Island is not more than 5 miles broad. This harbour or sound (Southern Port) would contain the whole navy of Great Britain secure from all winds; at present it affords a station for the New South Wales seal-fishers, who are not very successful. A ship bound from India to Peru, or Chili, may, in case of carrying away a topmast or yard, supply herself here, or recruit her water; which, by the bye, is not very good. When we were here, it had a reddish tinge, and imparted that colour to every thing it touched, and was also very astringent, which we thought was caused by the decayed vegetables it ran through. This is the most rainy and boisterous part of the world I was ever in.

Note 4. Port Otago is an inlet, or arm of the sea, running up about 9 miles S.S.W. making a peninsula of the land on which is Cape Saunders, bearing from the said cape N. b W. by compass, about 2 leagues distant. This is a well-sheltered harbour, with a bar across the entrance, having 34 fathoms over it at low water, and from 7 to 9 fathoms inside. The course in, is S. b E. keeping the larboard, or east shore, on board, until a mile and a half within the heads, when a vessel will be completely land-locked. As the bar is within the heads, there is never any sea on it. Variation 17° 5' E. High-water full and

change 20 minutes past 3 P. M. The tide rises about 9 feet. In latitude 45° 24′ 26′′ and longitude 170° 50′ lies a reef nearly level with the water, and about 3 miles from the shore, on which we had nearly struck.

Note 5. From what is called in the chart Point Lookers-on, as far as Cape Campbell, we found the land from 15 to 20 miles of longitude too far east; in fact, there is no part of the islands of New Zealand worse laid down than Cook's Strait, which is the more singular, as Cook was so much about it: except in the vicinity of Cape Koamaroa, the chart bears not the least resemblance to the land; what is termed in the chart Cloudy Bay, is in fact not a bay, but nearly a straight coast, and very low, being between two high lands; at a distance, it has the appearance of a deep bay. In the centre of the low land runs a river, the bar of which at times is scarcely navigable for canoes, owing to the surf and shallow water. Two miles and a half from this flat, or low land, and to the northward, is Mangi Nui, an excellent harbour, and well sheltered from all winds. From this harbour Cape Campbell bears S. 35° E. by compass, distant abouut 5 leagues; and a point of land to the northward of the cape, at the commencement of the low land, bears S. 21° E. distant about 3 leagues; the high snowy mountains S. 11° W. Cape Tierawitte N. 60° E. and Cape Pallisser E. by compass. The course into this harbour is N. b W. having 11 fathoms at its entrance, which a vessel may pass miles up, and lay sheltered from all winds. There the water is excellent, and the shore covered with wild cabbage and South Sea cress.

Wangi Nui Atra, or Port Nicholson harbour, bears from Cape Pallisser N. 74° W. by compass, distant about 8 leagues, and from the high snowy mountains N. 40° E. The course up this harbour is N. 6° 30′ W. for nearly 9 miles. Here all the navies of Europe might ride in perfect security: at the entrance there is 11 and 12 fathoms water. Viewing the coast on the eastern side of Cook's Strait (when off and within a few miles of Cape Campbell) from Cape Pallisser to Cape Tierawitte, it forms in three table lands, Cape Pallisser being the first; the table land which forms the east entrance of Wangi Nui Atra, the second; and Cape Tierawitte, the third: between these table lands at this distance there appears to be two deep bights, which is not the case, but low land nearly level with the water. By the above description, this harbour may easily be discovered, as it is close under the north part of the middle table land.

Note 6. The longitude of Mercury Bay was determined from chronometers agreeing with lunars, taken east and west of the moon, when near White Island, some few days previous to our arrival, and which I considered very good, the weather being very favourable. We had five sets of lunar distances while lying in the bay, but being only taken on one side of the moon, and the terrestrial refraction being so great, that we could neither determine the latitude, nor rate the chronometers, from the natural horizon, I do not think they can be correct, although agreeing with each other; and therefore give the preference to the chronometers. The lunars made the bay in 175° 20′ 15′′, differing 30′ 45′′ from the chronometers.

Note 7. River Thames. The same remarks on the lunar observations, made at Mercury Bay, are applicable here. We had here five sets of distances, which gave longitude 175° 10′ 45′′, differing from the chronometers 15′ 15′′ to the westward; such was the refraction here, that the latitude by meridional altitudes differed upwards of 3 miles. The difference of longitude from Mercury Bay to this station, by chronometers, was 24′ 39", and from the ship, Cape Colville bore N. 16° W.; the entrance of Fresh-water River, or Thames, N. 80° E.; entrance of the River Piacho, S. 50° E.; and the N.W. point of land in sight, N. 35° W. Variation 12° 38′ E. This would place Cape Col

ville in 175° 22′ 30′′; and as the bearings are so near the meridian, the longitude cannot be far wrong.

Note 8. A dangerous Flat Rock, nearly level with the water, lies off the first point of land to the eastward of Point Rodney, nearly 3 miles, and bears from Cape Colville W. 10° S. by compass, and S E. from Point Rodney, right in the fair way between it and Cape Colville.

Note 9. At the Bay of Islands we had no opportunity of getting lunar distances, and have therefore approximated the longitude by the difference of longitude from the Thames, and likewise from Maria Vandiemen, and Sydney, which I think will be found not far from the truth. To the eastward and westward of Cape Maria, we had 18 sets of lunar distances, differing very little from each other; the mean of which made the cape in 172° 49′ 30′′, which is within a trifle of the longitude I assign it in the table annexed. The difference of longitude, measured from the anchorage at the Thames to the Bay of Islands, by chronometers, was 1° 15′ 57′′ W. and from the Bay of Islands to the North Cape 1° 6' 7" W.; from the North Cape to Cape Maria Vandiemen, 20° 50": making the whole difference of longitude from the Bay of Islands to Cape Maria Vandiemen 1° 26' 57" W. the chronometers from the Bay of Islands to the Heads of Jokeehangar, 44' 10" W. and from the Heads of Jokeehangar to Sydney, in a run of 12 days, the mean of the chronometers gave 22° 15′ 15", which would make the heads of that river 3 miles more to the westward than I have put them in the table; but it is, in my opinion, difficult to say which is most correct. The variation at Jokeehangar was 13° 23′ E.; Percy Island, off Cape Bren, bears from Point Pocock N. 76° 30′ E. by compass, distant about 3 leagues.

(Signed)

JAMES HERD,

Commander of the barque Rosanna.

It is with much satisfaction, that, through the kindness of Mr. J. W. Norie, we have been enabled to record these valuable observations of Mr. Herd for the use of navigators; and we trust that they may be the means of inducing other Commanders of our numerous merchant vessels to avail themselves of those frequent opportunities they have of making others. The surveys made by Mr. Herd, of the various harbours alluded to, are published by Mr. Norie.

ON THE LONGITUDE OF NEW ORLEANS.
To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine.
SIR,

In the Bulletin of the Geographical Society of Paris, for March, Vol. xv. No. 95, page 97, is the report of M. Brue on the Map of the United States, published by Tanner, in which I find the following paragraph:

"New Orleans, which Blunt and Bowditch place in lon. 92° 29′ W., is placed in Tanner's map only in 92° 16′ W., whilst with respect to Natchetz, which Ellicot and Ferrer have determined from an observation of one of Jupiter's satellites, the longitude of New Orleans would be 92° 26′ W. The difference which Tanner's chart shews is about 10 minutes less. With respect to the mouth of the river Sabine, it is generally agreed to place it, with Darby, in 96° 17′ W., from whence, as far as the parallel of 27° 10′, the point which Ferrer fixed by chronometers from Campeche, there have been no observations."

Referring to the geographical position of New Orleans, it will be as well to shew the data on which Ellicot and Ferrer found its position, and at the sanie time to remove the error of M. Brue on this point.

Ferrer says, in one of his Memoirs in MS.,-"New Orleans, 15th January, 1799. The occultation of Jupiter by the moon was observed in this city by Mr. Andrew Ellicot:

By these observations, New Orleans is 6h. 9m. 46s. W. of Paris.
By the immersion of the 1st Satellite, 6 9 54

Mean .. 6 9 50, or, New Orleans is West of Paris 92° 27′ 30′′. Ferrer also says, that these observations were made with great precision, and the calculations performed with the greatest care."

Comparison of New Orleans with Natchetz.

The difference of longitude which Ferrer determined between Natchetz (the house of Mr. Dunbar) and New Orleans, in 1801 within the interval of five days, was Oh. 5m. 16,6s. 1° 19 9".

The eclipse of the Sun on the 6th of June, 1806, was observed in the house of Mr. Dunbar, situated 2′ 15′′ West of the Fort of Natchetz, and having calculated it, and compared it with the observations made in Europe, the fol. lowing result was obtained :

The house of Mr. Dunbar, West of Paris,
Ditto, by several immersions and emersions of
Jupiter's Satellites,

Mean

New Orleans, East of Mr. Dunbar's house.

h. m. 8.

6 15 3,0

6 15 4,0

or, 92° 26' 36,7" W. of Paris, and 90° 6' 16" W. of Greenwich.

If the immersion and emersion of the 1st Satellite be admitted, we shall have

Occultation of the 1st Satellite of 24 6 9

h. m.

8.

54,0

or, 92° 27′ 13,58′′ W. of Paris, and 90° 6′ 53,58′′ W. of Greenwich.

London, 4th June, 1832.

F. BAUZA.

345

VOYAGES AND MARITIME PAPERS.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN BALSA.

AMONG the various contrivances produced by the ingenuity of man, for the purpose of overcoming obstacles to his pursuits, the balsa of South America may be justly considered a rude, but successful application of the most simple means. The Spanish word balsa, in a nautical sense, signifies a raft or float, and it is certainly well applied in the present instance. The use of this contrivance seems to be confined to the descendants of the Spaniards on the shores of Peru, and exposed, as the whole of that coast is, to a continual violent surf from the waves of the vast Pacific ocean, the communication with vessels in their various roadsteads would be much curtailed, were it not for the complete assistance afforded by the balsa. In the foreground of our present sketch is a representation of the balsa, seen in different positions. It is made of sealskins sewed together, so as to form a bag about eight feet long, terminating in two points, and very much resembling the shape of the North American birch canoe, excepting that it is entire, instead of being open in the upper part. Being sewed perfectly tight, it is easily inflated through a tube at one end, which is secured by ligatures. Two of these bags are then placed together, so as to make a considerable angle with each other, the ends that meet being firmly secured together, to form the prow of the balsa. At a short distance from their ends, a small plank is placed across them, for the person whose duty it is at once to guide and propel the balsa through the water, which he does with a piece of wood formed as a paddle at each end. The raft is then completed by small pieces of wood, covered with matting, secured across the whole as far as the other extremity-which serve not only as seats for passengers and goods, but also to keep the two principal parts in their proper position. Thus constructed, the balsa is ready for service, and, when on the water, is so buoyant, that it floats on the very surface of the wave. It is, however, an unwieldy machine, and difficult to launch through the surf, should there be much wind, but at the same time a safe landing may be effected with it at any time. In doing this, the person who has the charge of the balsa paddles it towards the shore, and having reached the edge of the surf within a few fathoms, he watches for the highest wave, and manages, as it comes on, to keep the balsa on the top of it, with her bow to the shore. In a moment the balsa is hurried onwards, and in consequence of its buoyancy is washed fairly to the very extent that the surf reaches on the beach, and as the wave retires it is left safe on terra firma. The opportunity is immediNO. 7.-VOL. 1.

2 x