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(a.) 13.-The tower is circular, coloured white, and sixty feet high, from base to the centre of the lantern. It stands on a knoll sixty-six feet above the sea, with Morna Point bearing S.W. W.; eastern extremity of Broughton Isles, N.E. N.; little islet, N.N.E. E.; South head peak or Toomeree, N.N.W. W.

When rounding the light it should not be approached within the distance of one mile.

(b.) 14.-Amrum Island.-Information has been received at the Admiralty that the revolving light supposed to have been exhibited from a lighthouse erected at the South end of Amrum, Island, on the coast of Jutland, has not been established, nor is it now intended that any light should be shown on that island.

Hanois Light, Guernsey.-The Corporation of the Trinity House, London, has given notice that on or about the 1st day of November, 1862, a quick revolving red light will be exhibited from a lighthouse recently erected on the Hanois Rocks, off the West end of the Island of Guernsey, further particulars of which will be given.

DANGERS ON THE JAPAN COAST.

We find the following notices of dangers on the Japan coast in a recent number of that valuable daily paper the Shipping and Mercantile Gazette. The hydrography of Japan is in a condition that renders such notices most desirable, inasmuch as should they not be entirely trustworthy they serve as warnings of dangers that will place the navigator on his guard, but in most instances they serve to improve the charts. The position of the rock here mentioned has been corrected in our chart, agreeing thus with others in its vicinity, although not so with that part of the Japan coast off which it is found. But we caution our readers that although our chart of that ill known coast may be kept corrected, there must be many more such dangers as these quite unknown.

Captain Ranlett, of the ship Golden State, at Kanagawa, Japan, March 9th, from San Francisco, writes as follows:

In lat. 29° 27' N., long. 140° 20′ E., saw the high rock called in Findlay's Pacific Directions Lot's Wife. It was correctly described by Meares in 1788. It is not on Imray's or Blunt's charts. On Norie and Wilson's chart it is called Ormsby Rock. The lat. and long. are right in Horsburgh.

I saw some dangerous rocks above water when Fusi-yama bore North, as I judged about seventy miles, not on my chart. I suppose them to be Redfield Rocks. I anchored off Maya Town, and while there sounded on a shelf or rock not on any chart I have seen. It is not on Perry's chart. This rock I sounded over above 300 feet in thirteen feet water, at one-third flood tide. It bears about East from Gambrill Point; E.S.E. from the northern bluff of Maya Harbour; N.E. from Plymouth Rocks; and S.b.W. from the low point of Cape Kamisaki. The latitude and longitude of Ormsby Rock, Lot's

Wife, or Black Rock are correctly stated above, as the observations by my chronometers agree exactly with all the longitudes of points and known places on Perry's chart.

P.S.-At low water the kelp can be seen on the rock or Maya; a very dark black weed, spreading over a space of thirty or forty feet.

JAMAICA.-Kingston, 7th June.—We have to call attention to a reduction which will take place from the 1st proximo in the charge of dues for the Plumb Point lighthouse, off this port. Sailing vessels will pay 3d. per ton instead of 6d., as heretofore, for each voyage, while steamers will pay 1d. instead of 2d., and this only quarterly, instead of on every voyage.

CAPTAIN PETER'S SHOAL,-Gulf of Mexico.-H.M.S. “ Bar99 racouta.

H.M.S. Barracouta on the 30th April made an unsuccessful search for Captain Peter's shoal, reported N. 59° E. twenty-one miles from San Juan d'Ulloa. No bottom was found by her anywhere with ten fathoms. Reported in a recent number of the Nautical.

NEW BUOYS,-Reported by Mr. James Brown, Oban.

Northern Lighthouse Office, Edinburgh, June 27th, 1862. Bearings and marks for a fifteen feet Nun buoy, with mast and ball painted red:-Coast-guard watchhouse on Ratsay Head in line with highest notch on Mernon hill, N.N.W.IN.; Kinnaird light-house just open of Whitelink house, N.W.b.N. N.; Buchanness lighthouse, S.S.W. The buoy lies in nine fathoms.

The Little Horse Shoe buoy was replaced at its station on 24th June.

A black buoy has been moored off Kirkaldy Spit, North of Leafield Vows.

The North buoy of the Rock Head is changed from black to red.

Sound of Kerrera.-A six feet buoy (black) is to be moored in three fathoms, outside the Little Horse Shoe Rock in Kerrera Sound, leading from southward towards Oban, Argylle. The following are bearings from the buoy :-Middle Bank buoy, E.N.E.4 N.; Puddingstone Point, S.E. E.; middle of rock, N.E.

A. CUNNINGHAM, Secretary.

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THE WRECK OF THE BRITISH BARQUE "VALLEYFIELD," on the Reef off Green Point, Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope.

The

The narrative of a wreck, besides the account of the unfortunate disaster itself, generally suggests a moral which should serve as a caution to those entrusted with the charge of life and property. And in this view of the unfortunate loss of the Valleyfield we preserve the following from the South African Advertiser and Mail, along with remarks on it by that paper. We do not join in those remarks, since an inquiry into it seems likely to be made, although a want of due precaution is naturally suggested by the circumstances related. We preserve, however, the remarks to which we have alluded. wreck, by an extraordinary coincidence, happened on the 15th of June, the anniversary of the loss of the Bernicia on Robben Island. "There can be no doubt that it was to a great extent the result of the imprudent daring of the unfortunate commander, who was the first to pay for it by the forfeit of his life. But we of the colony dare not, in justice, entirely exonerate ourselves from blame. The Robben Island light, though ordered out from England about twelvemonths ago, has not yet arrived; the Green Point light, though good and steady of its kind, is by no means of the class it should be, considering the dangerous character of our coast and the long extending reef against which it is meant to guard; and at the spot where the wreck occurred, and where a similar catastrophe may happen during any of our winters, we had none of the appliances which should

NO. 9.-VOL. XXXI.

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always be available for the saving of life. A commission of inquiry will of course be appointed; strong censure pronounced where censure is due; and in addition to this we fervently trust that means will be adopted for promptly remedying all the defects which have on this occasion been so lamentably apparent. The whole system of our Table Bay lights must be remodelled and rearranged; and provision must be made at every exposed point for rendering immediate assistance wherever any disaster may occur."

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The barque Valleyfield, William Burton, commander, bound from Liverpool to Table Bay with a general cargo, was wrecked on Sunday night, the 15th June, on the reef of rocks in front of the Green Point lighthouse. The vessel was seen off the port on Saturday, but in consequence of the threatening weather, she stood out to sea until Sunday, when the captain felt confident of being able to enter the bay and come to the anchorage. The weather was very thick and hazy, with a heavy sea running in shore. About half past five in the afternoon they sighted land, and between six and seven o'clock they saw dimly a light on their starboard hand, which was that of the Green Point lighthouse, but they thought it to be a good distance. off. The vessel was standing E.S.E. with all sail set, and there were two men on the look-out. The first indication of their proximity to land was the sound of the breakers, which the look-out at once informed the captain of. The helm was then put hard up and the yards backed, but the vessel at the same moment struck, and in less than ten minutes she broke up and was a total wreck.

The residents in the neighbourhood, and even the lighthouse keeper, were quite ignorant of the unhappy fate of the vessel and her crew until some minutes afterwards. Mr. Bainbridge was one of the first to hear the cries of distress, and on going outside he at once gave the alarm of a vessel on shore. But there was no boat nor any apparatus at the lighthouse to render assistance to the unknown, nor was there a gun to give the signal to the port authorities in town. Mr. Bainbridge, however, fired a couple of shots from his carbine, as an assurance to those on the wreck that there was succour at hand; and in a few minutes he had his horse saddled and rode into Cape Town with the news, and to obtain assistance.

Captain Wilson, the Port-Captain, had his crew mustered, and, provided with lines and other gear, he hastened to the lighthouse very quickly-only to find the wreck strewed on the beach in a thousand pieces. One or two of the crew had ventured to swim and crawl ashore and four others had got in by the long-boat; but there were still some clinging to portions of the wreck whose cries could be heard. The darkness prevented their exact position being known; but fires were kindled as close to the beach as possible, so as to throw a light upon them. By means of a mortar and line it was endeavoured to attach a line to them, but, after repeated attempts to hit the exact spot, this failed.

The attention of the bystanders-a large number of the residents at Green Point and from Cape Town having now assembled-was directed to other means for rescuing the poor fellows on the wreck from their perilous position. Captain Spence, with Messrs. Bensusan, De Pass, Abrahams, and Captain Shiel, went off to Three Anchor Bay for a small dingy belonging to Mr. Joubert, which they soon carried to the spot; while Mr. Coleman, of Phillips and King's, provided a set of oars. The little boat was at length launched over the rock. There were volunteers enough to take charge of her, but Captain Wilson, who superintended the proceedings, entrusted the duty to Mr. John Roe, master-boatman, Captain Sheppard, formerly of the Hebe Augusta, and one of the port-boat's crew, named Hansen. A rope was attached from the land to the stern of the boat, so as to secure it; and with this they pushed off to the place where the seamen were, and rescued three of them, John Hodges, John Smith, and James Hunter. They reported that the captain and chief-officer were drowned, and no more souls remained upon the wreck.

The others who were saved had managed to get on shore by their own exertions. Four of them came in the long-boat a portion of the way, and then finding shallow water walked over the rocks. Among them was a little boy named O'Donnell, who was discovered by the lighthouse keeper crouching in the water, in great terror of what he supposed to be a South African lion, but which proved to be the keeper's faithful dog.

One of the seamen who got on shore in the long-boat states that the mainmast gave way immediately after the vessel struck, and he was washed over on the starboard side, receiving severe injuries on the back and loins. He managed, however, to get up again, and, with several others, he got into the starboard chains. The captain was with them at that time, but when the mizenmast gave way they were all washed off again, and the captain was not seen afterwards. This man again scrambled over the bulwarks and got hold of a rope, which happened to be the main-brace. He then saw the long-boat, and shouted to some others of the men to assist him, and in a few minutes they managed to get it out and pushed toward the shore. Passing along, they picked up the little boy O'Donnell, who was swimming about with a rope; and they also saw the cook, who told them that he felt the ground, and that they might walk on shore, which they all did. The steward, who also came in this boat, was the last who spoke to Captain Burton, just before he was washed away with the mizen-mast. He said to the steward, "If you get on shore take care of John "-his son, who has been saved. After the captain was in the water the steward tried to pull him out, but the old man's strength was gone, and he went down. He was upwards of fifty years of age.

The second-officer (Hodges) states," As soon as the vessel struck she leaned over on her beams and the mainmast gave way with a crash. I saw one man, John Williams, get jammed; he had his leg broke, he said, and I carried him into the cabin. I did not see him

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