Section 1.

PILOTING, PILOTS, ETC.

ABSTRACT OF THE PILOT LAWS OF THE VARIOUS SEABOARD STATES, AND RATES OF PILOTAGE FOR THE PRINCIPAL PORTS.

RULE OF THE ROAD.

INTERNATIONAL STEERING AND SAILING
REGULATIONS.

UNITED STATES REGULATIONS FOR INLAND

WATERS.

INTERNATIONAL CODE OF SIGNALS.
SIGNALS FOR PILOTS.

SIGNALS OF DISTRESS, ETC.

WEATHER INTELLIGENCE FOR THE COASTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.

PILOTING.

ONE of the most important duties in a sailor's profession is the piloting of the vessels committed to his charge.

To insure success in piloting, a thorough knowledge is required of the coast or locality on which the ship may be sailing, and as it frequently happens, in the absence of a local pilot, that the sailor has to depend upon himself, the methods and instruments by means of which such knowledge may be acquired should be made the serious study of the navigator. As such methods and instruments are easy of access, it only remains for the sailor, by constant practice, to acquire facility in understanding the former and handling the latter, remembering that the constant exercise of such duties, in the opportunities afforded by fair weather, will enable him to conduct his vessel with greater safety in foul weather.

MARINER'S COMPASS.-Special care should be given to the mariner's compass, which instrument, in these days of iron ship-building. should be well understood, its peculiar deviation carefully ascer tained, and the changes in that deviation constantly watched.

THE ANCHOR AND CABLE, also important implements in piloting, should be always ready for use, and not be lost sight of as valuable auxiliaries until the vessel has fairly left the land.

THE LEAD.-Above all, the sailor's attention is earnestly called to that simple but important instrument, the Lead; the neglect of which may be said to have been the great cause of modern disasters to shipping. The lead, deep-sea as well as hand, should never be lost sight of, and the crew (and even passengers) made familiar with the method of passing the line along," so as to obtain a deep-sea cast with as little delay as possible. The lead should always be armed, and the soundings and nature of the bottom obtained by each cast of the lead should be compared with that shown in the supposed position of the vessel on the chart. It should be borne in mind, when approaching the land, that even under the most favorable circumstances, the use of the lead is desirable; but when, from the state of the weather and absence of celestial observations, the ship's position is dependent on dead reckoning, the lead becomes of

primary importance, and its constant use indispensable to safe navigation.

In obtaining a deep-sea sounding a little delay may be incurred in "passing along the line," but the length of modern steam vessels gives great facility to the performance of this simple act of seamanship; the engines may be eased and bottom obtained, thus securing, at a very small expenditure of time, the safety of life and property.

THE BAROMETER AND THERMOMETER, observed conjointly, will enable the intelligent seaman to acquire a knowledge of wind and weather.

THE CHART should not only be always at hand, but also be thoroughly understood; and as considerable information is to be obtained from every mark delineated thereon, the necessary abbreviations should be so well comprehended that they may be read at sight. In fair weather the coast in sight should be watched with the chart, so that the sailor may become accustomed to recognize the land as drawn upon the chart, the various points being observed as the vessel moves along, and the changes in their appearance as seen from different aspects, carefully noted. Every light and buoy passed should be observed as to its position, character, and color, so that they may be known again when encountered under less favorable circumstances.

THE SEXTANT should be always at hand, as a means of obtaining the ship's position; obtaining sights in cloudy weather in mid-ocean is good practice for doing the same thing when nearing the land, and observations are more valuable. Sumner's method for fixing the ship's position should be thoroughly understood and often practised; and the position should also be frequently determined by means of stars observed north and south of the zenith. A good longitude may often be obtained by stars taken just before sunrise or just after sunset.

The protractor, dividers, and parallel rulers should always be found in the neighborhood of the chart.

THE TIDES AND CURRENTS will require serious attention, and as they are always considerably affected by the prevailing weather, constant watchfulness is required to enable the sailor to handle these

useful forces. The log should be regularly hove; or, if the patent log is used, it should be frequently observed; attention to the log, combined with good steerage, and obtaining the vessel's position by means of bearings, etc., being the methods by which the movements of the water can be understood. The dead reckoning should be carefully kept, and constant comparison made between the currents actually experienced and those noted upon the charts.

CORAL REEFS.-The secret of successful navigation among coral reefs, where the lead is of little use, is to sail or steam with the sun astern of the vessel, conning her from the masthead. The vicinity of coral reefs is sometimes indicated by what is known as "white water," but generally the reefs show as dark green patches.

THE RULE OF THE ROAD should be so thoroughly mastered that there would be no hesitation in the action to be taken in meeting or passing vessels, by night or day, whether under steam or sail. The sailor should be as familiar with these laws as he is with the points of his compass, so as to enable him to move his ship as instinctively as he moves his own body. Hel:nsmen should be often tried to ascertain that they are able to carry out correctly and quickly the important orders of "Port" and Starboard." The state of the bow lights as well as that of the masthead lights should be the constant care, not only of the officer of the deck, but also of the lookout man. The steam-whistle, or fog-horn of a sailing vessel, should always be in a state of efficiency in case of a vessel encountering a fog. during which time the sailor's vigilance should be increased, and arrangements made for rapid and instant action on meeting or passing another vessel. Speed must be considerably reduced, boats must be ready for lowering, and every preparation made to prevent loss of life in one of the most serious difficulties that has to be overcome at sea.

PILOTS.

IN the United States an act of Congress authorizes the several States to make their own piletage laws, and such laws have accordingly been enacted by all the seaboard States.

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While the pilot is on board, the power of the master of the vessel is not wholly superseded. It is his duty, in case of obvious and