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certificate of competency, merely requiring that their Consuls shall verify their certificates.

That the Colonies have quietly submitted to this while doing their best to avoid the hardships caused by it, and their success in the latter direction, is probably the reason why the outcry against the domicile clause has not been greater; for, by granting what is called the Intercolonial Certificate, which will enable the holder of it to sail to or from any part of the world, but, on which, whether master or officer, he will not be allowed to ship in his own country, viz., England.

But a master proceeding to England with one of these inferior certificates, can evade the letter of the Act (the thing has been done repeatedly to the writer's knowledge), by getting the holder of an English certificate to ship his crew and clear the ship outwards, and who conveniently takes sick, and is put on shore in the Channel, while the bona-fide master proceeds on the voyage.

That such stratagems have to be resorted to in order to avoid the hardships of this clause is to my mind only a proof that the sooner the clause is reduced to six months, as far as Englishmen are concerned, the better, or, what would perhaps be better still, abolish it altogether, for it might safely be left in the hands of the Colonial Marine Boards to satisfy themselves of the authenticity of the applicants' certificates, or if they are English ones they could be verified by the Registrar-General in London, and sent out again in something like four months, this would only be necessary in the case of these certificates of which they might reasonably have doubts of their genuineness.

The writer is not making this matter public because the clause has ever affected himself, his own certificate having been obtained in London; but he has a relative who holds a London certificate as second mate, and who has two years' servitude as such in an English ship in the Indian trade, who, from the force of circumstances over which he had no control, finds himself in the Colonies, and, on wishing to pass, is told that he must either take the inferior certificate, or fulfil this clause.

The writer feels sure that the inconsistency of the stipulation only requires showing to the Board of Trade to have it modified in

some shape, at any rate, to those Englishmen who have the abovementioned certificate of V.G. servitude; for, surely, if England will allow foreigners to pass in England on their foreign service, she will allow her own children (who these same aliens are entering into competition with, and driving from her shores) to pass an examination in her own Colonies upon certificates given under her own hand, and thus obtain the highest certificate that can be obtained without having to fulfil three years more duty. MARSHALL SMITH, Master Extra,

Member Royal Society, N.S.W.

Port Adelaide, S.A., October, 1879.

THE CAPTURE OF THE "HUASCAR."

N the last number of the Nautical Magazine, there appeared an account of the recent naval engagement in the Pacific. Since that account was in type, the official report of the Chilian Commander-in-Chief has been received in this country. That document, dated Autofagasta, October 10th, 1879, though, as might be expected, it throws much light upon details of the combat, previously rather obscure, corroborates in all important particulars the story as previously related in these pages. In some minor points there is a discrepancy between the Chilian Admiral's letter and the descriptions of the battle published before its arrival in England. None of these, however, are very important. The name of the Chilian Commander is Admiral Rivero, and not Laborre, and the "boarding" by boats' crews, which completed the defeat of the Huascar, was apparently not so much boarding as sending men to take quiet possession of a silenced antagonist. A perusal of the report, nearly the whole of which is subjoined, will show that the Peruvian ship was overwhelmed by superior force, that the wooden ships in the enemy's fleet took but little part in the attack on her, and that their two ironclads suffered but little damage. Her engines, also, are declared to be uninjured.

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"On arriving at Mexillones, I ordered the squadron to coal and follow me to the southward, as I was informed that Peruvian warvessels were cruising off the coast of Chili. I left port at a late hour at night, the squadron forming two divisions-one being composed of the slower vessels which kept close in-shore, watching every inlet of the coast; and the other of the fast vessels which received orders to keep twenty or twenty-five miles a-stern, and more or less distant from the land." "This was not

exactly carried out, as a telegram was received from the Minister of War, ordering the Almirante Cochrane to remain till noon next day with the O'Higgins and Loa, off Mexillones." This proves that the catching of the Huascar, in a trap between two squadrons, was a deliberate piece of strategy, and not an accident. "The Blanco Encalada, and Covadonga, with the transport Mattias Cousino, were to steer south and cruise during the night, not far from the port of Autofagasta. In compliance with these orders, I left Mexillones with the vessels mentioned, at ten p.m., on the 7th, and steered south in sight of the coast. About 3.30 a.m., the look-out man on board the Blanco Encalada sighted right a-head two black lines of smoke." These turned out to be "two steamers, which were about five miles off. I gave orders to steer for the two vessels, which immediately altered course and made towards the coast." "At day-break, I discovered that the vessels chased were the Huascar and Union. Notwithstanding the bad state of the Blanco Encalada's boilers, I ordered full steam to be put on, and to steer right down on the enemy. I saw, on observing the speed of the ships we were chasing, that all my efforts would be useless if, as I confidently expected they would, the rest of the Chilian squadron did not interrupt the enemy in his flight. The latter retreated, sometimes steering slightly towards the west, sometimes towards the land, but always keeping a northerly course, and increasing his distance. At about seven a.m., I saw the smoke of a steamer to the north-west. A few minutes afterwards, I was certain that our vessels were making their approach." It is to be noted that the Admiral says nothing of the fog mentioned in the former reports.

"The Peruvian vessels, recognising the danger, put on full steam

and continued their course to the northward, but keeping well inshore." This, no doubt, was Admiral Gran's manœuvring to get into narrower waters, where he could engage his enemies one at a time. "The distance between the enemy's vessels and ours was at that moment about 7,000 or 8,000 metres. The Union, being the faster, visibly increased her distance. The O'Higgins and Loa were specially directed to chase her." "Rapidly separating from the rest of the squadron, the ironclads advanced at full speed against the Huascar. The Cochrane soon shortened

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the distance between her and the Peruvian. The latter made every effort to escape to the north, but the Chilian ironclad gained fast on her, interrupting her course, when flight being no longer possible it was evident that an engagement must ensue. twenty minutes to nine o'clock the Cochrane was only 3,000 metres distant from the Huascar; at about a quarter-past nine the Huascar, continuing her flight, fired for the first time at the Cochrane. The latter did not return the fire, but continued the pursuit." "Her Commander did not trouble himself about the enemy's fire, but kept advancing till the guns of his vessel could be used with greater precision and more terrible effect. A few minutes afterwards the combat began with both vessels keeping up a hot fire.

"Meanwhile the Blanco Encalada was bearing down on the enemy. The Huascar, after a well sustained cannonade with the Cochrane, turned her prow towards the Blanco Encalada, firing at the same time. The Blanco Encalada returned the fire. The Huascar's flag became invisible for an instant, and it was thought that the combat had terminated; but the Peruvian colours were seen waving again, and the struggle continued. So small was now the distance between the ships, that in our vessel we thought the moment opportune for ramming, but the Huascar swerved and evaded the shock. The Huascar at one time passed within 25 metres of the Blanco Encalada, firing as she did so, and plying her mitrailleuses from aloft.

"The Cochrane, which had withdrawn during a certain space of time from the Huascar owing to the manœuvre in which the latter made against the Blanco Encalada, advanced

against her anew, and by able handling placed her between two fires. At this moment the Huascar, under a shower of projectiles from our ironclads, was forced to surrender. Almost at the close of the action the Covadonga came within range and succeeded in firing one of her projectiles at the enemy. It was then observed that the crew of the Peruvian had become demoralised. While her engines continued working as if trying to escape, some of the crew were seen springing overboard into the sea. On seeing this I ordered the firing to cease and the boats of the ships to be lowered to render aid to those in the water. A launch from the Blanco Encalada, under the Squadron Adjutant [? Chief of the Staff], proceeded to the Huascar to receive the chief officers. The launch returned in a few minutes after with the sad news that Admiral Gran had been killed by a shot. His body had disappeared. Shortly after his death two officers who succeeded to him were slain." Admiral Rivero says that Admiral Gran's death was much regretted by the Chilian officers, and he pays a graceful compliment to his unfortunate antagonist's memory. He then attended to the wounded; placed a prize crew on board the Huascar and ordered her to steer at once to Mexillones. Her engines having remained in a perfect state, the Huascar, with some slight repairs, may fight again under our national flag." "There were twentyeight officers prisoners, and more than one hundred of the crew."

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"This result was obtained with very little sacrifice. The Cochrane received two of the enemy's projectiles which struck her in no vital part. The crew had ten wounded, one of whom died, the rest were but slightly hurt. The Blanco Encalada suffered neither loss nor injury. The O'Higgins and Loa chased the Union till off the river Loa, but, finding it impossible to overtake her, gave up the chase.

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