mids' steward, Thomas Daniel, while in a state of intoxication jumped overboard, and was drowned; lost the life buoy also; owing to the fuze not igniting. Crossed the equator about midnight of the 12th in long. 22° W.

On Sierra Leone, &c.-The beauty of the scenery in the neighbourhood of Free Town, has I think been much exaggerated. The practice of firing the country to destroy the underwood, (principally the indigo plant which grows with great luxuriance,) has given it a denuded appearance, and on the summits of the hills, the tall, gaunt skeletons of what were once magnificent cotton trees, detract much from the picturesque. But the great drawback is the want of cultivation, for the small patches of Indian corn and vegetables scattered about can scarcely be distinguished from the surrounding verdure with which the hills are clothed to their very tops. How different is this verdure from that grassy swarth close cropped by nibbling sheep of our own favoured country! Here, no signs of life or animation are visible beyond the limits of the town. One solitary house perched at a considerable elevation overlooks the gulleys which on three sides of Free Town gather at this rainy season the contributions of the surrounding hills, and pour them down, swamping the land on which it is built; its site has evidently been very badly selected.

The access to Sierra Leone is very easy; in entering the river keep close to the southern shore; "the Carpenter," is the only danger and may be readily avoided. I should recommend anchoring above the landing place at the commissariat store, the situation would be less exposed to the influence of the noxious vapour that is seen rising about sunset, and spreading like a table cloth over that part of the town called Maroon Town; there can be little doubt, that inhaling it has proved fatal to many a European, and even the natives themselves suffer from its deadly influence. The opposite side of the river is low and well wooded, and though apparently a swamp, is, I am informed, a fine table land, capable if cleared, of producing anything. It is called the Bullam's Country.

As soon as a man-of-war has anchored for the first time in this part of the world, she is beset by kroomen eager to be employed; and as the weather was extremely hot and disagreeable, pouring torrents at intervals, I engaged through two "headmen," the services of thirty-eight others at one shilling per diem each, and two shillings the headmen, to assist in completing our coals and water. The Commissariat department lending casks for the latter purpose, two launches I was obliged to hire at the rate of £1 per diem.

"Free Town" is soon seen and easily described, the most conspicuous buildings are the governor's house, barracks, and church; the two former have little to recommend them, the last is a rare specimen of the effects of colonial peculation and incapacity. For the sum it cost, in these days a moderate sized cathedral might be constructed. Most of the houses are built on the West India model, enclosed by a stone veranda which is open on the ground floor and carefully closed above by "jealouses," but although the streets are laid out with great regularity the grass growing in them, the rusty lamp posts minus the lamps, and many houses in ruins, give it a most forlorn appearance. The only indication of pros

perity are in the shops of the petty traders, (all blacks of course), whose wares of the most ordinary description of English goods are exposed in the open street for sale. Figures in policemen's clothes, caricatures of our metropolitan force, preserve order and are not a little proud of their dignity; it is impossible however to repress a smile at their ridiculous

appearance.

In company with Mr. Pine, (the acting governor of the colony) I visited the establishment of the Church Missionary Society at Fourah Bay, and was much gratified. The principal, Mr. Jones, seemed a shrewd intelligent coloured man, full of zeal for the cause, which is indeed one of much promise for the African. Twenty young negroes are being educated here, either for normal teachers or for the church, as their inclination and abilities prompt; and who can predict the effects that may result from their exertions in enlightening their own race and spreading a knowledge of Christ in the benighted regions of this mighty continent. The trade of the colony is on the increase, the following statement shews to what amount, and it may not be out of place to mention that the navigation laws (now repealed) have been here a dead letter. It was found to be utterly impossible to carry them out without completely prostrating all trade; even the necessary supplies of food could not have been procured, had the attempt to enforce them been persevered in.

The customs duties on imports amounted in 1837 to £7,720; in 1847 to £16,371; (Parliamentary B. B., 1848) the net revenue of the colony in 1847, was £20,653 4s. 9d. (Parliamentary B. B., 1848.)

The contract price of beef we found d. a pound and vegetables a farthing, almost nominal in fact; fruit was to be had in profusion, pine apples from d. to 1d, a piece; and our davit guys when we sailed were so laden with these and Bananas that I wonder the davits were not carried away.

At 3h. A.M. on the 25th, struck soundings off the Abrolhos Shoals, 19 fathoms, soft white sand and coral, during the whole time we were in the vicinity of these shoals, the weather was squally.

At 2h. 20m. A.M, we hove to off Raza and got the steam up, but owing to the rusty state of the cylinders were unable to start the engines till 10h. 30m. A.M.; proceeded into the harbour, and at 11h. 40m. came to with small bower in 14 fathoms; banked the fires up. Found here Tweed, Crescent, and Seagull packet, (arrived on the 24th,) and the Brandywine, American frigate with the broad pendant of Commodore Stoarer. Saluted the Brazilian flag with twenty-one guns, and American commodore with eleven. At daylight on Sunday the 29th, took H.M.S. Tweed in tow and towed her as far as Raza (Maximum speed

five knots and a half); Hove to under the island till noon, then returned and anchored again with the following bearings, Sugar Loaf S., Rat Island N. W. W., Palace, W.b.S.

At 9h. P.M. arrived H.M.S. Cleopatra, from Plymouth, sailed on the

14th of June.

NOTES ON NEW CALEDONIA, by Capt. Edward Woodin, of the barque Eleanor.

The southern extremity of New Caledonia is in lat. 22° 30′ S., long. 166° 50' E. The land is low, and not visible from the southern part of the great reef that surrounds it; the southern extreme of the reef is in lat. 23° S., long. 166° 55′ E. New Caledonia is seldom more than eight to teu leagues in breadth, but the chain of mountains which forms the interior, extends north-west and south-east about eighty leagues. On the south-west side a coral reef extends along the whole coast, forming a steep wall to seaward, level with the water's edge, having no soundings within two ships' length of it, with 150 fathoms line. There are several passages through the reef, admitting ships of the largest size, with good anchorage inside in from 18 to 10 and 8 fathoms. The bottom is sandy near the reef, but towards the shore changes to a blueish stiff mud. In clear weather, and the sun at an altitude of 20°, a ship may be (with a look-out on the top-sail-yard) navigated up and down the coast inside the reef for nearly seventy-five miles. Vessels should be kept nearer the coast-line than the reef, as when the latter is approached, there are many spits of coral which would not be seen, were the sun obscured, until the ship was close upon them. The coast-line is mostly clear, and there are few dangers but what are visible. Inside the reef there are a number of islands of considerable size, situated about from three to four miles from the mainland, forming most excellent harbours, with a depth of water from 11 to 3 fathoms. In fact, one of these harbours to which there is a direct entrance through the reef, is a natural wet dock which would contain a number of large vessels, and a more excellent depôt for the accommodation of steamers could not perhaps be found in the world. Distant about twelve or fourteen miles in a south-east direction, fresh water may be obtained in many of the islands, and an abundance of firewood. On the mainland fresh water may always be procured, and in many places boats can enter the small fresh water rivers and fill from alongside. The north-east side does not furnish more than three good harbours, and it requires great caution in approaching them, as there is a chain of reefs fronting the whole length of the coast, with many detached, diverging from one to nine miles from the shore, with no anchorage inside of them until about 150 miles to the north-west, where the reef is continuous for some miles and forms a good anchorage.

The whole coast of New Caledonia, on both sides, has at a distance a most uninviting appearance, except about forty miles at the north-west end, where the land is thickly covered with vegetation to the water's edge. On entering the rivers, a fine alluvial country is found, and on

the north-east side more particularly, the scenery is grand beyond description. Most of the land has evidently been formed from the washing down of soil from the high lands for ages. In some places the land is formed into small islands, with a good boat-channel between them, forming most picturesque views seen from a height. In the vallies there are many groves of the courie-pine growing large enough to make spars for vessels of 300 to 400 tons, and on the island there are many other trees of large dimensions, fit for ship-building and other pur

poses.

A stranger visiting this country would imagine it was thickly populated, in consequence of the natives (generally speaking two or three friendly tribes) assembling together, whenever Europeans make their appearance. That it has been thickly populated at sometime there can be little doubt, not only from the appearance of the neglected cultivation, but from statements made by the elder inhabitants. Captain Kent in H.M.S. Buffalo, who discovered and named Port Saint Vincent in 1803, mentioned that the natives were very numerous there; at the present time there is not twenty natives to be found all around that fine harbour. For many miles round the south end, and on the coast W.N.W. fifty miles from Port Saint Vincent, there is not a native establishment to be seen. The natives are most numerous at the north-west end of the island, and there is a considerable number residing on the adjacent islands inside the reefs on the south-west side, generally employed fishing, who are all subject to the chiefs on the main land. The whole population of New Caledonia would probably not be underrated at 25,000, although the French Roman Catholic missionaries have stated the population to be 60,000; but these gentlemen reside in that part of the island where the population is most numerous, and have not travelled much into the interior. There are now residing at Balade Harbour eleven French missionaries.

The traveller finds great inconvenience from the many different dialects spoken by the inhabitants, differing considerably at places not more than twenty miles distant from each other, yet the chiefs visit each other from greater distances and seem to converse familiarly. The language does not seem to partake of the Malayan, nor of the New Hollander's, nor of the New Zealander's, and seems to be distinct from that of any of the contiguous islands.

The climate is very salubrious, by reason of the cool south-east winds blowing from April to October. There are frequent gales of winds from November to March, accompanied with heavy rains from the north-east, the wind veering round to north-west and south-west. When it gets to the southward of south-west, the weather becomes fine and serene, and the wind settles to the southward and eastward, with moderate weather, until the change of the moon, when an alteration takes place and the saine expositions of winds are observed. In the latter part of November and nearly all December, there is much lightning and heavy thunder, with vast quantities of rain, but these storms seldom last beyond thirty-six hours. At these periods the water inside the reef on the south-west side is deeply coloured, from the great quantity of

soil washed down from the high lands all along the coast, and it is then dangerous to move a ship, unless the commander is particularly well acquainted with the various channels. In February and March, hurricanes may be looked for, but they seldom rage with the fury which they do at the Mauritius, which is in the same parallel. Nor are they so frequent as they are at that island, as several years may pass over without one being known. They commence from the same point of the compass as those at the Mauritius, and there is about the same interval of calm, but they soon resolve themselves into moderate gales. At least such has been the character of those experienced the past six years; during which time, only three have occurred.

Many of the natives live to a ripe old age, which can only be attributed to the salubrious nature of the climate, as they endure many privations from their improvidence; for although nature is most bountiful in the crops, they do not think of storing food to supply themselves during the winter months. When the harvest is gathered in, each neighbouring friendly tribe invites the other to feast with it, and in one round of feasting the whole is consumed, their only care being to reserve seed enough for the ensuing season. During the rest of the year the natives live upon the bark of trees, wild roots, and fish. The several tribes are almost constantly engaged in exterminating wars, which is the principal cause of the falling off of the population. In these wars many lives are lost, and the conquering parties do not hesitate to make use of their slain foes for food. So many men being killed in these fights, the result is that the females greatly preponderate in number. These are made to perform all the heavy work in cultivating the soil, cooking, &c., and for the slightest offence are often put to death. The men are generally tall, powerfully made, and athletic, and when used in a kind manner by European visitants, are harmless and inoffensive. They are not subject to many diseases, and those they do suffer from are generally of a cutaneous nature; elephantiasis is somewhat common among them. Like all other people in a savage state, they have a belief in spirits, and use propitiatory sacrifices at harvest, death, and other times.

Beside the wood previously noticed, the indigenous productions of the island consist only of yams, tara, sugar-cane, cocoa-nuts, and plaintains. Various kinds of fish are found in abundance around the coast, especially on the south-west side, where, in the shoal water, large and fine mullet abound, so much so, that often at night when a boat is going rapidly through the water great numbers will jump in. There are found also in the fresh water various kinds of fish, and amongst them perch and carp. The lagoons are frequented by large quantities of curlew and wild-duck. Of four footed animals indigenous to the island, there is only one, a very small rat; not one venemous reptile is to be found. The sugar-cane grows very luxuriantly. The natives use it for food, eating it in its green state. No doubt, mostly all tropical plants would flourish on the island, and not only so, but from experiments which have been made, wheat, Indian corn, turnips, and such like vegetables, are found to thrive. Cottton has also been tried, and is found to grow luxuriantly though short in the staple.-Hong Kong Register, Mar. 2nd.