know how they are acted on. But the fact that they are so often referred to without contradiction shows that they exist, and as they exist the Board itself must have, and their officers must act on, some rules accepted by themselves. Mr. Chamberlain has, however, struck out a new line, and one which will relieve his department from responsibility, for even he seems to avoid that now, and probably wisely. He or his successor must incur it some day directly, even as his officers now undertake it indirectly. The difference is only in name, the practical result to the shipowner one and the same. His ship is detained and the Board's officer detains her until lightened to a freeboard he fixes. The whole question resolves itself into one, which is, shall the Board's officer fix the load-line before the ship is loaded, or shall he wait and decide whether he shall interfere or not afterwards. It appears now that Mr. Chamberlain is about to appoint a Committee of Experts, and that he is intending to lay his own views before his Committee and then to appoint a "Tribunal" which shall be an "authority," and which shall contain "a large admixture of representation." Our readers will remember that we long ago advised the Chamber of Shipping to take a similar step, so that squabbles and delays by Board officers might be avoided by preliminary action on the part of shipowners and insurers.

We gather from the report of Mr. Chamberlain's speech that load-lines will be settled at last, and that the Board's officers will hereafter detain ships which they "find" overloaded, and refer the cases to the "Tribunal" for decisions. Now the question is, who are to be the members of this new "Tribunal," and is there to be only one Tribunal, or is there to be one at each of the ports guided by a Central Tribunal which shall be under the Wreck Commissioner or the Board of Trade? If the Tribunal is composed of independent men of knowledge and ability, the load-line difficulty will be solved, and although if solved in this way it will be quite counter to the views of Mr Plimsoll, it will be one other step in the right direction for which that gentleman, as in other cases, will probably receive all the credit. It matters not however who receives the credit so long as the present state of things is altered. The Board of Trade, while protesting against fixing a load-line, are in the

dilemma that they must now fix it under circumstances in which it is impossible to do it with justice or without delay and cost to every one, and it will be a relief to all if Mr. Chamberlain is able to cut the knot in the way his ingenuity and candour have foreshadowed, for the load-line will be fixed and that without annoyance, and with full consideration of, and allowance for, the different classes, constructions, and trades of ships.

HE s.s. yacht Anthracite, official number 81,630, of 70 tons gross and 27 tons net register, built by Messrs. Schlessinger, Davis and Co., and engined by Messrs. Hawks, Crawshay and Sons, of Newcastle (Perkins' patent engines and boiler), is of the following dimen

Diameter of cylinder 7 inches high, single acting.

Diameter of wrought-iron columns, 3 inches.

air pump, 11 inches.

circulating pump, 11 inches.

feed pumps, 2 inches, two in number.

bilge pumps, 3 inches, two in number.

Stroke of all the pumps, 4 inches.

Condensing surface, 422 square feet.

The total weight of the machinery-engines, boilers, screwshaft, propellor, and all fittings-is 25 tons, and the maximum indicated horse-power is 170, at 154 revolutions per minute; nominal horse-power, 20; bunker capacity, 16 tons; fore and aft schooner rig, with stump masts.

After several trials in the Thames, it was decided to send her across the Atlantic and back, in order to test the capabilities of the Perkins' engine and boiler in a sea-way as regards rough work and economy of fuel.

On the 29th of May, started from Erith for Falmouth with a crew of twelve, viz., Captain E. G. Dent, mate, six seamen, two engineers, and two firemen. Arrived in Falmouth on the 31st. On the 2nd of June, at 6 p.m., ste med away for New York, with twenty-two tons of coal, six tons being in bags on deck. Passed the Lizard at 8 p.m., and signalised vessel's number. After leaving Scilly, encountered N.W. winds and heavy sea to lat. 43° 30′ N. and long. 30° W., when, finding that the coals would not last to New York against the now prevailing S.W. wind and sea, bore away for St. John's, Newfoundland. On approaching the Flemish Cap, found the discoloured water to extend farther east (by a degree) than is laid down on the chart. From the Flemish Cap to the western side of the Grand Bank and across the north end of the same, encountered continuous S.W. gales, heavy sea, thick fogs, and rain, with thunder and lightning at times; bar. 29-42, ther. 39. This was on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of June.

On the 19th, wind shifted to N.W. with heavy rolling sea. On the morning of the 20th, moderate breeze, bright, fine, and clear. At noon, lat. 47° 49′ N., long. 52° 2′ W., bar. 30-10, ther. 43°, wind at N.W., passed more than twenty icebergs of various sizes. Arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland, at 6 p.m.

Crossing the Banks, the vessel was reaching under a balanced reefed mainsail and a reefed stay-foresail, engines going dead slow. The distance steamed from Falmouth to St. John's was 2,340 nautical miles, the number of revolutions made being 2,400,791.

On arrival, the balance of coal remaining was 1 ton; this, with coals used for cooking in the galley, gives a consumption slightly over a ton per day, at an average of 350 lbs. pressure of steam per square inch, revolutions 120, and an average speed of 146 miles per day.

The above result, considering the deck-load and the undulations of the Atlantic, with the heavy weather encountered on the passage, is highly favourable as regards engines and boiler.

During the stay in Newfoundland the vessel was visited by most of the notables of the place, all of whom expressed their surprise, and their admiration of the vessel.

The coals obtained there were out of a screw steam barque that had been sealing, and, being saturated with seal oil, the smoke from them was highly objectionable.

Before leaving, a barque, of about 700 tons, with screw engines, arrived from the Grand Banks, being the first of the kind used for line-fishing. She had been out three weeks and came in nearly full of cod-fish, trimmed and salted; the crew was large; thirty-two small boats were used for line-fishing away from the steamer. The line-fishing was also carried on by the remaining portion of the crew left on board the steamer when at anchor on the Banks. It is doubtful as to this style of cod-fishing being a profitable one.

June 24th, at 5 p.m., left for New York; bar. 29.72, ther. 52°; strong winds from E.N.E., thick fog, heavy rains, cross and confused sea. Took the channel midway between the Grand Bank and Cape Race. On the following morning it cleared for a couple of hours, when we had a fine view of several large icebergs, evidently grounded on the shoal bank to the eastward of Cape Race. The fog then set in again, lasting until past Sable Island, St. George's Shoal, and to the east end of Long Island, being so dense as to be positively sickening; engines going half-speed.

L

The only vessel spoken on the passage from England was the Anchor Line steamer California, from London to New York, with whom we exchanged a few words. We were then about 250 miles from Sandy Hook.

Took a New York pilot on board, at 6 p.m., July 2nd. Passed Sandy Hook at 8 p.m., and anchored at Clifton, Staten Island, at 11 p.m.; eight days from St. John's; distance steamed, 1,154 miles; revolutions made, 1,208,183, most of the time going halfspeed.

Remained in New York and its vicinity till August 16th, during which time the vessel steamed to the following places:-North and East Rivers, Hell Gate, Long Island Sound, Fisher's Island, Stonington, Watch Hill, Block Island, Point Judith, Narragansett, Beaver Head, Dutch Island, Beaver Tail, Newport and Providence, Rhode Island.

Twelve trial trips were made, with visitors on each occasion, viz., representatives of the press, engineers, scientific men connected with engineering, naval engineers, naval cadets, capitalists interested in steam power, and others too numerous to mention. The flow of visitors was continuous during our stay at Staten Island, at No. 50 pier in the East River, and at the usual yacht anchorage off Bellevue Hospital.

July 30th, steamed to Navy Yard, Brooklyn, for trial by the United States Naval authorities; vessel moored to the wharf, and, at 6 p.m. of August 10th, engines were started and kept going on the 11th, 12th, and 13th, and up to 10 a.m. of the 14th, three engineers at a time being on watch throughout the interval of trial. This finished the Naval trial, the accurate results of which will take weeks to tabulate and arrange, when they will be published. The general result was satisfactory.

August 16th, at 6.30 p.m., started for Philadelphia, and arrived at 10.30 a.m. of the 18th. After three trial trips with visitors interested in steam propulsion, went on the patent slip st Cramp's yard to cleanse and paint under the water-line.

At 6 p.m. of the 21st August, started for London, with twentyfive tons of coal on board, viz., sixteen tons in bunkers and nine tons in bags on deck; the latter less four bags thrown over