on other occasions. viz., three times in England. and once in Newfoundland.

This table was computed from the observations North 4 25W. for sun's bearing on each fourth point of the comN.E. 0 14 99 pass, and correcting each bearing for sun's change of azimuth in the interval of time. The variation determined on the S.S.W. point assumed as having no deviation was 19° 16' W.

East 1 6 S.E. 3 45 "" South. 0 20 S.W. 0 10E. West. 5 OW. N.W. 8 24,,

On the morning of the 11th, the wind was more southerly, with a long northerly swell, and a short sea as well from southward, and with no prospect of change of wind the fires were banked, paddles disconnected, and all sail made on the ship. Towards the afternoon the long northerly swell had apparently overcome the short sea from South, and towards evening the wind got more to S.W., very light, and a heavy bank of clouds rising to the North, with lightning.

On the 12th and great part of the 13th the wind still was light from South, and S.S.W., with the long northerly swell, when it began to veer to S.W. and W.S.W., and on the morning of the 14th it was light from N.N.E. At the latter point the wind kept steady, and I concluded we had now really got the N.E. Trade. Of course all sail was made on the ship, but in such light weather it has but little effect, and were our passage to the Red Sea dependent on canvas, it would indeed be a long one.

On the morning of the 16th we made the island of St. Antonio, one of the Cape de Verds, with a moderate breeze from E.N.E. and N.E.. Steam was got up, and at 10h. 40m. we steamed into the harbour of Porto Grande, securing to one of the mail steamers' buoys, for the greater convenience of coaling.

In this snug harbour there were many large vessels waiting to and discharging their cargoes of coal for the West India steamers, it being their port for replenishing to and from Rio, &c. Amongst these vessels were two chartered by Government, therefore we filled up from one, the Alexander. And from the circumstance of having to haul alongside the ship every morning, and off again every evening, by reason of the constant swell in the bay, it was not until the evening of the 20th that we completed, and waiting to get the second series of observations for time, in which unfortunately we were not successful, we did not leave until the morning of the 22nd.

Porto Grande is situated on the N.W, side of the island of St. Vincent, one of the group of the Cape de Verd, and under Portuguese NO. 1.-VOL. XXXI.

rule. This bay affords very snug anchorage, but although so well sheltered, there is generally a swell in it, and a great deal of surf around its shores. The landing, however, is good at the wharves run out from the town in the East part of the bay by Mr. Miller, the present consul, who is the chief proprietor of all the coals and stores, &c, built for the use of the mail steamers. The inhabitants are chiefly of the negro race, and are constantly employed, women as well as men, in keeping the supply ready for the ships as they arrive.

Not a particle of stock or fruit could be had, as most of the cattle, &c., had been swept off some short time ago by disease, and the few now remaining were kept to replerish, therefore none could be spared.

The wind is generally from N.E., except in the rainy season, when the South easters prevail. It commences in July and ends in October. The anchorage in the bay is good towards the N.E., and water so clear that a clear spot might almost be picked out for the anchor. A vessel should moor by the stern, as from a strong set to N.E. and wind at night not steady, she may foul her anchor, and it comes down in strong gusts off the land.

Captain George Richards had been here in the Plumper, and finding that he had been observing, I got his results from Mr. Miller. We differ in the longitude a little more than half a mile. I made the longitude of the consul's office 1h. 40m. 4-44s. West of Greenwich, taking the mean of five chronometers. Captain Richards, 1h. 40m. 8s. W. My second series of sights were not very good, I therefore worked up the rates got from Portsmouth to my first set of equal altitudes here. I would therefore give the preference to Capt. Richards' results, presuming that he did not leave until he had got a sufficient number of good and reliable observations.

We steamed out of Porto Grande with a light S.S.E. wind, and it being so dead against us, although but light, no sail could be made to help us on our way. But towards the afternoon it backed to the South, then S.E., when fires were drawn and all sail made.

The next morning was dark and cloudy, and all round the horizon squalls getting up, and paying us frequent visits, keeping the watches throughout the day constantly on the alert, shortening and making sail, accompanied with a heavy downpour of rain. Once in the afternoon the wind came out from N.N.E., and I hoped it was the forerunner of the N.E. Trade, but it did not continue, for we had hardly trimmed when the ship was taken aback with a squall from S.b.W., then again from N. W., sometimes blowing in these squalls a perfect gale. This last one I again thought might be the beginning of the Trade, but it gradually fell light, and at four the next morning chopped to the S.E., continuing a short time, then veered to West, light and steady, so until eight in the evening, when it fell calm.

On the morning of the 25th, still continuing calm, steam was got up, and shortly after a light air sprung up from S.S.E. Throughout the squally weather during the last two days, 23rd and 24th, there was a short confused sea, in fact every appearance of current, and our reck

oning showed it too, giving twenty-six miles in the two days on a S. 55° W. course (true). But up to noon of the 25th, for the preceding twenty-four hours, there was a light drain of three miles to the N.E.

In 134° N. and 26° 25′ W., the ship was steered round to ascertain the deviation. Proceeding as before on the 10th, getting the variation on S.S.W. as the no deviation point, The variation was 15° 43' W., and the observation confirming those before taken, making the deviation all westerly.

Throughout the day the wind continued pretty steady from S.S.E., except for a short time between six and eight in the evening, when it was S.E., and partly calm; when towards midnight it drew to E.S.E., and early in the morning of the 26th, N.E., where it held steady although light, and I concluded it to be the N.E. Trade. It gradually increased, but all the sail we could pack on the ship could not move her more than five knots. Her average speed being about three without steam! If differently masted she might do better for at present she has not sail sufficient, and the spars are so light that we cannot press them much. There cannot be any doubt about our passage to Aden being other than a long one.

(To be continued.)

ROLLER SKIDS.

There are doubtless few persons that reside on or have visited our coasts who have not frequently watched with interest the picturesque groups of fishermen and other boatmen hauling up their boats, and observed the contrivances by which that often laborious operation is made more easy of accomplishment,-varying according to the size of the boat, the character of the beach, or mere local custom.

At one place, as at Deal or Hastings, with their steep shingle beaches, large boats, and numerous bodies of boatmen, will be seen the long row of powerful capstans, by the aid of which the large decked or half-decked smack, or hovelling boat, or trawler, is hauled up with comparative ease, yet seemingly reluctant to leave her native element, in which her weight is nothing, and in which she lives and moves; to hibernate, as it were for a time with suspended life and animation, motionless on the land. There, also, it will have been observed that long flat boards of hard wood, with their upper surface greased, are placed under the boats when hauled up or launching, so as to reduce as much as possible the friction as they are dragged along.

At another place, as at Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft, with a flatter and sandy shore, their long and graceful yawls and smaller craft are,

for the most part, hauled up by hand alone, the numerous boatmen being banded together in companies, and mutually assisting each other in the operation. Here the friction of hauling up is lessened by employing small portable machines consisting of a strong wooden frame with two or three iron rollers fixed in it, which is traversed by the boat's keel, she being held in an upright position by men at her sides. Again, further north, on the still flatter sands of Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire, where the three-keeled and graceful coble abounds, the fishermen, often aided by their wives and daughters, will be seen lifting them on the little wooden trucks, on which they are wheeled along on the hard and level strand.

As the hauling up of a heavy boat is a laborious work, which men who have been many hours, perhaps all night, in their boats would be very glad to dispense with; and since, as implied above, their mode of performing it is sometimes rather the result of custom than of scientific appliance, we think that we may usefully circulate, for the information of boatmen to whom they are at present unknown, drawings of the "roller skids" used by the Norfolk and Suffolk boatmen in hauling up their larger boats, and which have been adopted by the Royal National Life-boat Institution, and found valuable auxiliaries in hauling up its lifeboats, saving much labour, trouble and expense.

There are three varieties of these skids used by the lifeboats of the Institution, one is the simple wooden frame with either two or three rollers in it (Fig. 1), which is sufficient on hard ground, moveable short boards being placed under it transversely where the beach is soft. A second (Fig. 2) is similar, but having its sleepers attached to it beneath the rollers, which form is more convenient for placing under a boat whilst she is still in the water. Much labour is saved by hauling a heavy boat on the rollers whilst she is partly water-borne, and it is awkward to place a detached board under a skid under water, especially when the boat has much motion from the surf. A skid of this description can, by means of two short lines attached to it, as shown in the figure, be readily hauled under the stem, or sternpost of a boat by two men or lads, one dragging by each line. These lines should be of Manila rope, which will float and thus indicate the position of the skid when under water ;-two-inch rope will be found a convenient size.

A third variety (Fig. 3) is a shorter skid, similar to the above, fitted to turn on a pivot-bolt fixed in a flat piece of wood, thus forming a portable turn-table, on which a boat, when hauled over it, can be turned round with very small power in any direction. The lifeboats of the Institution are supplied with one of these turn-tables, with two of the second variety, or water-skids, for use in the water, and with two of the plain skids with detached sleepers. A less number would, however, be sufficient for ordinary use, unless for very large and heavy boats; and we strongly recommend them to the attention of the boatmen on those parts of the coast where they are not already employed.-The Life-boat.