furnished by the inventor. In Section III., some practical and simple rules for avoiding collisions at sea, by Vice-Admiral de Horsey, have been introduced. The admiral has also kindly placed at my disposal some notes on boat sailing, which will be found in Section VI. By far the most important addition, however, is the section devoted to steam: this has been written for the Pocket Book by Mr. Yeo, Chief Engineer, R.N., the Instructor of Steam at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, who has devoted much time and thought to it; and Mr. Rudd, Engineer, R.N., who was associated with him at the college for some time, has also assisted. The illustrations are from photographs of original drawings taken by Mr. Haddon of the Royal Naval College.

It has again happened that my duties have called me from England while this edition has been passing through the press, and once more my old friend Commander Thomas A. Hull, R.N., late Superintendent of Admiralty Charts, has undertaken the onerous task of revising and correcting; this is sufficient guarantee for its having been thoroughly done. Commander Hull has added considerably to the passage tables, and also introduced the star maps, which will be found useful and less confusing than many larger publications.

The Foreign sea terms and phrases have been carefully revised by Commander C. R. Harris, and German has been added, corrected by Lieutenant H.S.H. Prince Louis of Battenberg, R.N. The Italian portion was also revised, by Captain Grenet (of the Italia, R.I.N.).

I can hardly hope that this edition will find more favour with seafaring people than those which have preceded it; but I trust that the alterations and additions will be recognized as an earnest endeavour to keep the Sailor's Pocket Book up to date.

H.M.S. Monarch, ALEXANDRIA, December, 1884.

F. G. D. B.

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION.

HE Sailor's Pocket Book is an attempt to collect in a compact form

THE

a series of those small practical facts, a thorough and ready knowledge of which tends to secure the success of the mariner, and the safety of life and property confided to his charge. Some of the notes are taken from the excellent works on seamanship now extant, but the greater number are extracted from the small professional pamphlets, published by, or with the approval of the Admiralty, the Board of Trade, and the Meteorological Office.

These useful little works are liable, from their very form, to be either frequently mislaid or seldom at hand for reference when required; and it was more especially as an endeavour to concentrate the information contained in these pamphlets, that this work was commenced.

In this undertaking I have been much encouraged by the sound practical advice of Captain W. H. Cuming, to whom, in 1869, the idea was first communicated; the interval of half-pay following promotion afforded time to begin in earnest, and helping hands and brains soon introduced new features. The work grew so rapidly, that it threatened to assume the proportions of a nautical cyclopædia rather than a pocket-book; and it became a difficulty to know where to stop, what to omit or condense, and what to enlarge upon.

Fortunately, from the outset the work commended itself to my old friend Staff-Commander Thomas A. Hull, the Superintendent of Admiralty Charts, who at once undertook to assist me in the compilation, wrote portions of Sections IV. and V., and pointed out the vast amount of information that was to be gleaned from the charts and books published by the Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty.

Many thanks are also due to Admiral A. P. Ryder for various important suggestions and contributions, particularly in Sections VII. and VIII.; and to Admiral Sir C. F. A. Shadwell for permission to make extracts from his useful work on chronometers. Sections II. and IV. owe much to StaffCommander E. H. Hills, whose help has been most willingly rendered; Section V. to Admiral G. A. Bedford, and Staff-Commander V. F. Johnson, Instructor of Surveying at the Royal Naval College; Section VI. to Captain G. C. Wilson, and Mr. George Tuck, Chief Engineer, R.N., Instructor in Steam at the Royal Naval College. The Secretary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, courteously furnished me with copies of the instructions issued by the Institution, and also allowed me the use of the blocks for illustrating Section VIII. Lieutenant H. H. Grenfell kindly undertook Section VII., while Section VIII. was revised by, and partly re-written by Staff-Surgeon D. J. Duigan, M.D., of this ship. Mr. W. Weston, Admiralty Chemist, Portsmouth, supplied the articles on Disinfectants.

Mr. R. C. Carrington, of the Hydrographic Office, kindly superintended the production of the last Section during my absence from England, and also furnished the book with its comprehensive Index.

Thanks to the hearty co-operation of my brother officers, the book has thus reached its present form. I trust it may be of service to sailors, as a handy work of reference, especially to those who are not gifted with retentive

memories; and that after passing through the necessary criticism, pruned down where diffuse, and enlarged where too brief, it may at some future time find favour with those who from motives of duty or pleasure take an interest in the art of navigation.

H.M.S. Agincourt, MADEIRA, November, 1873.

F. G. D. B.