SCOTLAND, NORTH COAST, LOCH, ERIBOLL, Com. Otter, R.N., 1844 do. 1 EDWARD DUNSTERVILLE, Master R.N. Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, July 21st, 1851. METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER. Kept at Croom's Hill, Greenwich, by Mr. Rogerson, of the Royal Observatory. From the 21st of June, to the 20th of July, 1851. June, 1851.-Mean height of the barometer = 30.052 inches; mean temperature 58.5 degrees; depth of rain fallen 1.38 inches. Erratum,-p. 380, line 22, for Oxholm read Axholm. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The letters signed Spratly and March are received, and will appear in our next. The plan accompanying Capt. Sherringham's paper, is unavoidably deferred for our next. Hunt, Printer, 6, New Church Street, Edgware Road. REMARKS ON A Passage froM SINGAPORE TO SHANGHAI, in the ship Viscount Sandon, during the strength of the north-east mon soon. October 17th, 1850.-Sailed from Singapore with light variable airs, which obliged us to anchor every tide, and observed that these set very strong to the westward, but quite weak to the eastward or out of the strait. October 18th. At 10h. 30m. P.M., passed Pedro Branco, having light easterly airs, and stood to the northward. On the 26th passed the North Natunas, having experienced strong southerly currents, with the wind variable from south-west and west. Steered to pass between the Louisa and Royal Charlotte Shoals, and sighted the latter, bearing N.E.b.N. at 6 P.M. on the 30th, having as we advanced to the eastward gradually drawn out of the southerly current. November 3rd.-Sighted Balabac Island, the weather excessively hot, and nothing but faint variable airs and calms, with showers occasionally, and lightning during the night. On the 6th, in lat. 10° N., and long. 117° 45′ E., got the north-east monsoon, strength 4, worked ship to the northward. On the 10th, strength 2 and 3, wind N.E. to E.Ñ.E. From this date to the 19th the wind continued light from north to east, the weather being remarkably fine, barometer being steady at 29.90, thermometer 80°. On the 19th the wind freshened up very rapidly, and although no change in the barometer I anticipated a blow, being just at the change of the moon. We were now thirtythree days from Singapore, and only in 174° N. and 120° E., with a strong monsoon gale and a very high short sea. Kept the Coast of Luconia close aboard, as we found the sea much smoother near the land NO. 9.-VOL. XX. 3 M than in the offing. In reaching in towards the land in the afternoon, I discovered that the coast was not correctly laid down on Horsburgh's Chart; when within two miles and a half of the shore, I took observations for the longitude, knowing that my chronometers were very accurate, and having obtained a good meridian altitude, there was no difficulty in ascertaining our exact position-latitude at time of sights 17° 28' N., longitude by mean of three chronometers 120° 26' E., which would place me seven miles inland; latitude by bearings 17° 18' N., long. 120° 23′ E., making Point Dille, which is very low and extending far to seaward, to be laid down 10' too far south. Neither can I reconcile Horsburgh's remarks respecting Bigan Road, unless Point Dille be further to the northward than the position assigned to it, which is lat. 17° 26' N., long. 120° 18' E., for he says, that Bigan Road is in about lat. 17° 35' N., and sheltered from north-east winds by Point Dille, which projects far out to the northward, consequently Point Dille must be to the northward of 17° 35′ N. There are a number of villages on this part of the coast, apparently defended by Martello Towers; there were also many trading craft at anchor. With a succession of strong monsoon gales and against a high sea, we continued working to the northward, and on the 24th made the North Bashees; between these and the south end of Formosa experienced a very heavy gale. Ship hove to under a close reefed maintop-sail for two days, the sea running tremendously high, expecting to have the decks swept every moment; one sea broke aboard, which smashed all the hencoops on the poop, broke the glass of the skylights, although well secured with tarpaulins battened down; there was also an immense body of water on the main-deck, causing the ship to stagger under the enormous weight. The heavy sea which is always experienced here in blowing weather, is occasioned by the current which generally runs to the north along the coast of Formosa. The first day of the gale we were set N. 22° E. twenty-seven miles. It appears that these gales repress the current, for on the second day we had only eight miles, and on the third day, November 28th, there was no perceptible current. Finding that I could not gain anything to windward by working along the Coast of Formosa, against such a series of strong gales, and a high turbulent sea rising like a wall against the bows, and rolling in over the top-gallantforecastle in an immense body, besides this, that the ship pitched so heavily that her jib-boom was often in the water and we were obliged to carry a heavy press of sail to hold our own;-in the midst of these difficulties, the continual heavy straining of the ship, the great wear and tear of rigging and sails, the crew worn out with fatigue and constantly wet, often immersed, I deemed it advisable to stand out in the Pacific as it appeared my only chance of effecting the passage, and I expected more moderate weather as I advanced, or rather receded from the coast. In this I was not mistaken. On the 29th I passed to the northward of Botel Tobago Xima, and stood to the eastward, occasionally making a tack to the north-west, kept between the parallels of 19° and 20° north until I reached the long. of 133° east, which I did on the 8th December. Having to navigate through an unexplored sea, I had now a look out stationed at the mast-head day and night, besides the usual look out on the forecastle head. On the 8th, the wind hauled to the E.N.E., tacked and stood to the northward. I had now gained a position which enabled me to make a fair wind of the north-east monsoon, and was spanking up at the rate of 170 to 195 miles in twenty-four hours. On the morning of the 12th, I sighted Harbour and Bungalow Islands, and up to this time I had not met with any dangers. I passed a group of islands at a distance of about fifteen miles, as laid down in my chart, but being in the night although I had a well defined horizon and it was quite clear I could not discern them. As day advanced I steered to make a shoal laid down in lat. 26° 58' N., long. 131° 36', but could see nothing of it. Having reached Harbour and Bungalow Islands, and there being no other dangers laid down on the chart in the route I had to pursue, I began to congratulate myself at being free of them; but I was soon undeceived, for the man on the look out at the mast-head, reported a rock ahead; then islands on the port and starboard bows: these were only the beginning; I kept my course and at noon being close to the rocks, I sent the chief officer to examine them. The highest is about twenty feet with two low detached rocks a cable's length to the westward, and a reef between them; a quarter of a cable's length on the north-west side of the rocks, there is 12 fathoms: sounded over an uneven bottom half a mile to the north-west having overfalls from 22 to 15 fathoms coral, no other danger visible near them. Not being aware that these had been reported before, I named them the "Sandon Rocks," they are in lat. 28° 44' N., long. 129° 38′ E. As a few remarks on the group of islands I passed through may prove of service to a stranger adopting the same route, I will give a brief statement of them, while I would not affirm that the position I have assigned to the several islands named hereinafter is accurately correct, yet, I do not think that it is far from the truth: any commander navigating these seas in a dark night, knowing that they existed, would give them a wide berth, as in all probability there are many low dangerous rocks between the islands. Bungalow Island is long low and flat with a small peaked hummock about the centre of it. There is another low island on the north-east side of it which is not open to the east point until the west end bears to the southward of south-west. I made the east end, lat. 28° 28′ north, long. 129° 28' east; north-west end, lat. 28° 35' north, long 129° 18' east. At 7 passed between Peaked and Roy Islands and within two miles and a half of the latter; the distance carefully measured between the two islands is nine miles and a half, with no dangers visible from the masthead as far as the eye could reach: took several casts of the patent lead, but had no bottom at 60 fathoms. These islands are on a transit line bearing N.E.b.E., and S. W.b.W. To the north-east of Roy Island rocks from two to three miles apart, there are several low detached being very dangerous in a dark night. I had no opportunity of examining them as the night set in dark, dirty, and wet, but I have no doubt that these rocks are connected with Roy Island by a reef. There were a number of large islands to the north-eastward. The following are the positions in which I made some of them, Many of these islands are inhabited, as we saw large fires and smoke on several of them. After leaving Roy Island it set in very thick with incessant rain and lightning all around, wind veering from E.N.E. round by south to S.W. and W.S. W., strength 4 and 5. Not knowing what other dangers might exist, being unable from the darkness of the night and the phosphorescent state of the sea to observe any distance from the ship, I kept under easy sail till daylight, but we met with no other dangers; and on the 17th made the Amherst Rocks, at the entrance of the Yangtzee Kiang. The wind during the five days, that we were coming across was from W.S. W., N.W.b. W., N. W.b.N., and N.N.W., at times blowing so hard that we could barely carry double reefed top-sails and reefed courses. I had anticipated a leading wind right across, but found it dead on end. Having reached a good position to the westward of the Amherst Rock and the tide making down came to an anchor for the night. In the morning, December 18th, got underway, the wind being from the north-west and the weather so hazy, that we could not discern anything. Captain Bethune's remarks for the entrance of the Yangtzee Kiang are no doubt very good, providing the weather is clear, but should it be thick, which is generally the case when the sun is far to the southward and the weather moderate, it is of the greatest importance to know what course to pursue to reach a place of safety before it sets in to blow. I think that the best plan is to steer for the south bank, taking care to shoal your water on that side of the channel which may be known (especially if you occasionally take a cast of the deep-sea lead) by the tenacity of the ground. I stood nearly into the ship's draft, which was above eighteen feet, and worked round the bank until I sighted the low land, when I knew that I was clear of the north sand head. If there was a light vessel placed on the sand head the navigation even to a stranger would be comparatively easy, but to have to grope your way over a vast expanse of muddy water after a long sea voyage, and that just in the ship's draft, without a knowledge of the place is truly harassing; and I trust it will not be long (especially as Shanghai is becoming such a great port of trade) before we have a pilot establishment, and also a light vessel, on the north sand head. Both would be very highly appreciated by commanders, who sail to this port, and would be the means of |