than the others, which, it was intimated by the natives, was constructed for the purpose of dancing and amusing themselves. Mr. Belcher was particularly struck with the cleanliness of the boards and sleeping-places in the interior of the yourt he examined; while the passage and entrance were allowed to remain in so filthy a condition: the air was too oppressive to continue in them for any length of time. Every yourt had its rafters for placing sledges, skins of oil, or other articles upon in the winter time, to prevent their being buried in the snow. The number of these frames, some bearing sledges, and others the skeletons of boats, formed a complete wood, which had attracted our notice at the distance of six or seven miles. Of the many yourts which composed the village, very few were occupied; the others had their entrances blocked up with logs of drift wood and the ribs of whales. From this circumstance, and the infirm condition of almost all who remained at the village, it was evident that the inhabitants had gone on sealing excursions, to provide a supply of food for the winter. The natives, when we were about to take our leave, accompanied us to the boat, and as we pushed off they each picked up a few pebbles and carried them away with them, but for what purpose we could not guess, nor had we ever seen the custom before :"

-a point for speculation, no doubt; and favourably as we might be inclined to think of these people, we can hardly imagine they were to be kept as mementos of the Blossom's visit."

At this time the barge was proceeding along the coast, where, in the parallel of 69° north, vegetation was as luxuriant as in Kotzebue Sound, more than a hundred miles to the southward Several reindeer were seen; the cliffs were covered with birds, and the swamps generated myriads of mosquitoes.

But his

Amidst fogs, attended alternately by calms and gales of wind, the Blossom penetrated to the northward as far as lat. 71° 8', in long. 163. 40. on the 13th of August, from whence, observing the favourable condition of the ice to the north-east, Captain Beechey felt every inclination to attempt the north-east passage. orders requiring him to keep his ship from being beset, he was obliged at once to relinquish the idea, and therefore hastened to join the barge under Mr. Elson, which was to the southward, proceeding along the shore. As soon as the boat had joined the ship, preparations were made for sending her to the northward, in the charge of Mr. Elson. Captain Beechey says

"My instructions to Mr. Elson were to trace the shore to the north-eastward as far as it was possible for a boat to navigate, with a view to render the earliest possible assistance to Captain Franklin; and to obtain what information he could of the trending of the coast, and of the position of the ice. He was also directed to possess himself of facts, which, in the event of the failure of the other expedition, would enable us to form a judgment of the probable success which might attend an attempt to effect a north-eastern passage in this quarter: and further, he was to avoid being beset in the ice, by returning immediately the wind should get to the north-west or westward, and not to prolong his absence from the ship beyond the first week in September. He was at the same time ordered to place land marks and directions in conspicuous places for Captain Franklin's guidance; and if possible, on his return, to examine the shoals off Icy Cape."

We shall again return to this interesting expedition in our next

number. On the 17th, Mr. Elson parted company in the boat, and the Blossom directed her course to the southward, to await her return in Kotzebue Sound. On his way to this anchorage, Captain Beechey again visited the shore between the parallels of 68° and 69°; and the following will complete the picture of the Esquimaux:

"From the desolate appearance of the coast where we landed, I scarcely expected to find a human being, but we had no sooner put our foot ashore, than a baidar full of people landed a short distance from us. Her crew consisted of three grown-up males and four females, besides two infants. They were as ready as their neighbours to part with what they had in exchange for trifles, esteeming our old brass buttons above all other articles, excepting knives. There was a blear-eyed old hag of the party, who separated from her companions, and seated herself upon a piece of driftwood at a little distance from the baidar, and continued there, muttering an unintelligible language, and apparently believing herself to be holding communion with that invisible world to which she was fast approaching. Though in her dotage, her opinion was often consulted, and on more than one occasion in a mysterious manner. We afterwards witnessed several instances of extremely old women exercising great influence over the younger part of the community. On this occasion, I purchased a bow and quiver of arrows for a brooch. The man who sold them referred the bargain to the old woman above-mentioned, who apparently disapproved of it, as the brooch was returned, and the bow and arrows redemanded. The males of this party were all provided with lip ornaments; and we noticed a gradation in the size, corresponding to the ages of the party who wore them, as well as a distinction in the nature of them. Two young lads had the orifices in their lips quite raw: they were about the size of a crow-quill, and were distended with small cylindrical pieces of ivory, with a round knob at one end, to prevent their falling out. For some time after the operation has been performed, it is necessary to turn the cylinders frequently, that they may not adhere to the festering flesh: in time this action becomes as habitual with some of them as that of twirling the mustachios is with a Mussulman. In the early stage it is attended with great pain, the blood sometimes flowing, and I have seen tears come into the boys' eyes while doing it. Lip ornaments, with the males, appear to correspond with the tattooing of the chins of the females; a mark which is universally borne by the women throughout both the eastern and western Esquimaux tribes: the custom of wearing the labrets, however, does not extend much beyond the Mackenzie River. The children we saw to-day had none of these marks; a girl, about eleven, had one line only; and a young woman, about twenty-three years of age, the mother of the infants, had the three perfect. One of her children was rolling in the bottom of the baidar, with a large piece of sealblubber in its mouth, sucking it as an European child would a coral. The mother was rather pretty, and allowed her portrait to be taken. At first she made no objection to being gazed at stedfastly, as was necessary for an indifferent artist to accomplish his purpose; but latterly she shrunk from the scrutiny with a bashfulness that would have done credit to a more civilized female; and on my attempting to uncover her head, she cast a look of inquiry at her husband, who vociferated 'naga,' when she very properly refused to comply. The young men were very importunate and curious, even to annoyance; and there is little doubt that if any persons in our dress had fallen in with a powerful party of these savages, they would very soon have been made to exchange their suit of broad cloth for the more humble dress of furs. Their honesty was not more conspicuous than their moderation, as they appropriated to themselves several articles belonging to Mr. Collie."

WORKS OF NAUTICAL SCIENCE AND ART.

CHARTS, PLANS, AND MAPS.

IRELAND. Sheet 3. North East Coast, from Lough Larne to Lough Foyle. By Commander W. Mudge, R.Ñ., F.R.A.S. 1828. Price 2s. 3d. (No. 95.) Size, Half Elephant Sheet. Admiralty.

This chart includes the part of the coast of Ireland which forms the south side of the entrance to the North Channel. The method adopted in forming the scale on which each of these charts has been drawn, consists in taking the minute of latitude, or the geographic mile in the middle latitude, contained in each sheet, as equal to half an inch, a length which had been previously determined on as best adapted to the nature of the coast. From this, the minutes of latitude to the north and south, as well as that of longitude, have been obtained on the principles of Mercator's projection. The space included within the limits of this chart, is from lat. 54° 50′ to 55° 26′ N, and lon. 5° 36′ to 7° 0′ W. A plan on an extended scale is given on this chart, of the dangerous rocks called the Maidens, showing the position and height of the light-houses on the two principal rocks. The little Pier Harbour, called Port Rush, on the north coast, near the entrance of the river Bann, is also given on a larger scale in the chart, by which a stranger may enter it with safety. The Mull of Cantyre, on the opposite side of the channel, is marked in outline. This, and the sheet to the southward of it, are very desirable charts; it is a continuation of that series, the two first of which appeared in our first number.

A General Chart of the WEST INDIES, and GULF of MEXICO; describing the Gulf and Windward Passages, Coasts of Florida, Louisiana, and Mexico, the Bay of Honduras and Mosquito Shore, and the Coast of the Spanish Main to the Mouths of the Orinooco, with a Plan of the Virgin Islands. Four Sheets. Size, Double Elephant. Price 14s. (No. 702.) Admiralty.

This chart, which was constructed from the surveys of Mr. De Mayne, so long employed in the West Indies, as well as from the Spanish charts, and published in 1824, has lately received some very important improvements, from the recent surveys of Commander R. Owen, in H.M.S. Blossom. These are principally on the coasts of Honduras and Yucatan, where surveys have been made from C. Comorin, to the north end of Ambergris Kay. The features, as well as the position of the Swan Islands, and the Misteriosa Bank, are also new, as well as the great and little Caymans. Some material improvements have also been made about the islands of the windward passages, particularly between the Caicos and Silver Banks, which our West Indiamen would do well to consult.

The PENTLAND FRITH, by Mr. George Thomas Master, R.N. 1830. Price 8d. Size, Quarto Sheet. (No. 186.) Admiralty.

This is an unfinished survey, but sufficient to afford what the importance of the passage demanded; namely, the correct relative situation of the land by which it was formed. As such, it is valuable, and extends from the Pentland Skerries to Denet Head.

PORT STEPHENS, NEW SOUTH WALES, by Mr. W. Johns, Master of H.M.S. Rainbow. 1828. Price 6d. Size, Quarto Sheet. (No. 2121.) Admiralty.

The Australian Company, of course, possess this little plan, and, probably, had Port Stephens been examined before, we should not have seen their settlement formed on the margin of a mud flat, while there is a bold coast about a mile from it. A view is given, on this plan, of the entrance to the port.

CAPE BYRON BAY, CLARENCE STRAITS, and the SOUTH CHANNEL of MORETON BAY, by Mr. W. Johns, Master of H.M.S. Rainbow. 1828. Price 8d. Size, Quarto Sheet. (No. 2118.) Admiralty.

Such small piece-meal examinations, of a coast which has yet much to be discovered, are always desirable. It is by these little authenticated surveys of enterprising individuals, that we shall gradually bring our charts to perfection. Both these, and the foregoing plan, are creditable to Mr. Johns, and we should like to see more of them.

Part of the ARABIAN Side of the PERSIAN GULF, from Core Abdullah to Ras Reccan. Surveyed by Lieuts. J. M. Guy, G. B. Brucks, and W. E. Rogers, H.E.I. Co. Marine. 1825. Sheet 1st, and 5th of the Arabian Coast. Size, Double Elephant Sheet.

The whole of the southern side of the Persian Gulf is completed with this and the charts noticed in our last number; a part of the world which, until these valuable surveys were made, was entirely unknown. They have therefore filled an important blank in Hydrography. The limits of this chart extend from lat. 27° 30′ to 30° 4′ N. and from 47° 37′ to 49° 24′ E. longitude, including the spacious harbour of Grane, or Quade and Core Abdullah.

Trigonometrical Survey of the Entrance to the Rivers at the Head of the PERSIAN GULF. By Lieuts. G. B. Brucks and S. B. Haines, H.C. Marine. 1827. Size, Double Elephant Sheet. E.I. Company.

The channels at the mouths of the Bussorah river, were scarcely better known than the south shore of the Gulf, although they were more frequented. Here, however, they are well sounded; and the limits of the extensive sand-banks, formed by the waters of this river, are well defined. No ship should attempt to enter this river without this plan. Part of the Coast of PERSIA, from Ras Tulop to Bushire. Surveyed by Lieuts. G. B. Brucks and R. Cogan, H.C. Marine. 1826. Size, Half Double Elephant Sheet. E.I. Company.

A small chart, which commences at the eastern entrance of the Bussora river, and belongs to the series of the Persian Gulf.

Chart of the Coasts of IRELAND and ST. GEORGE'S CHANNEL, exhibiting the Sea and Harbour Lights, under the management of the Corporation for Improving the Port of Dublin. Drawn chiefly from original surveys. By A. Nimmo, C.E. and Hydrographer. Two Sheets. Size, Six Sheets Double Elephant nearly. Dublin.

Every chart we see of Ireland, bears fresh proofs of the necessity there is for a survey of that dangerous coast. For instance, let us compare the position of Cape Clear, a headland pretty well known to

seamen :

By Norie's chart, of 1829, it is in lat, 51° 18'-no longitude, By Heather's chart, of 1807, lat. 51° 21', long. 9° 38', By Nimmo's chart, lat. 51° 25', long. 9° 30′; shewing a difference of seven miles in latitude alone !-Again, on the north coast, Tory Island, in the chart before us, lies in a direction about N.N.W. and S.S.E. (true), while, in Heather's and Norie's chart, it lies nearly east and west! We might multiply such comparisons, and find even greater differences, were it necessary; but we shall soon have them all rectified by Captain Mudge. Mr. Nimmo's chart is decidedly the best general chart of Ireland that is published, and contains his own accurate surveys of the principal ports for the Commissioners of the Irish Fisheries, since the year 1821. The Lighthouses are carefully laid down, and the limits at which they are seen indicated by a circular line-a method, of which we approve.

Map of INDIA, from the latest Surveys, of the best Authorities. Published principally for the use of the Officers of the Army in India. By Parbury, Allen, and Co. In Five Sheets. Size, Atlas.

This is a neat and elegant map; the details of it are clear and conspicuous; and it is just such a one as must be highly valuable to travellers, besides those for whom it is particularly intended.

BOOKS.

Rules for Finding DISTANCES and HEIGHTS at Sea. By Lieut. Henry Raper, R.N. London. Published at the Hydrographic Office, Admiralty.

This little work is calculated to do more towards improving navigation, than any we have seen for a long time. It is the production of an officer who has already distinguished himself as the inventor of a valuable little instrument used in surveying; a description of which appeared a short time since in the United Service Journal, and is the result of the best of all combinations-practical experience and mathematical knowledge. Lieut. Raper says-"It must have frequently occurred to seamen, that it would be a great advantage, in taking departures, to obtain promptly, and with accuracy, the distance of high land, by means of its altitude above the horizon;" and who has not felt the truth of this remark, excepting some few who content themselves with a rough bearing, taken by laying the hand across the compass, and an