Should you have to pass Rio Hacha, you will have a good mark at the Snow Mountains east of Santa Martha, which raise their summits above the clouds It will, however, be very difficult to beat up, as there is commonly a strong breeze in day time. During my sojourn from the 1st to the 23rd of April, we had a very strong sea-breeze from N.E. to N., which mostly commenced at nine o'clock in the morning, and lasted until eight o'clock in the evening, being particularly severe from two until four o'clock in the afternoon. At night there is mostly a calm and very little land breeze.

The principal articles of export are redwood, and fustic, particularly the former article, which is brought to market by the Indians in large quantities.

The authorities of La Hacha were very kind and friendly towards us, and ifter perusal of my passport gave a salute to the flag of our Republic, which how for the first time was seen in these waters.

C. OSTERLOH, Bremen brig Margaret.

XULES AND DIRECTIONS FOR THE REGULATIONS OF THE PORTS OF HOBART TOWN AND LAUNCESTON.

1. No vessel shall receive a Certificate of exemption from pilotage until she has been two months in the Colonial trade without interruption.

2. When the Master or Commander of a vessel wishes to be removed either from her moorings or from her berth alongside the wharf, he must write an application in a book in the Port Office; and the Officer whose duty it may be to superintend the removal, must when he has performed this duty, make an entry in the book opposite to the application, stating the date when such removal took place, and signing his name to the entry.

3. When a vessel is about to leave the port, the Master or Commander nust write his requisition for a Pilot in a book in the Port Office, stating the nour the Pilot will be required.

4. The Master or Commander of every Vessel leaving the port must call at the Port Office and discharge all pilotage and harbour dues; and upon producing the receipt for the same to the Collector of Customs, and discharging all other duties to the Customs, the Vessel's clearance will be forwarded to the Port Officer.

5. The following are to be considered removes upon which the harbour-due of One Penny per ton will be charged :

1st. The anchoring and mooring a Vessel on arrival, whether inside or outside the Harbour Master's limits, (which is a line drawn from Battery Point to Macquarie Point), except those Vessels attempt by the Act of Council 10th Victoria, No. 1.

2nd.-Any removal in the Port, unmooring and moving to the wharf, to be considered as one remove: hauling off the wharf and re-mooring to be considered as only one remove: or if a Vessel be taken alongside the wharf at once on arriving from sea, that is to be considered as only one remove. Unmooring and preparing for sea to be one remove, except when the Vessel is outside the Harbour Master's limits, and then only on a written requisition.

6. All vessels entering the River l'amar for the purpose of seeking for trade, and proceeding no further up than George Town, and not breaking bulk, are to be exempt from pilotage except upon requiring the services of a pilot. 7. All Colonial traders taking the Gypsy steam-tug from Launceston to Bryant's Bay, or the converse, are to pay only two thirds pilotage.

8. The limits of the Port of Hobart Town, for the purposes of the Port Regulations, to be a line drawn from Little Sandy Bay Point to Tryway Point.

9. All Vessels after having anchored in the Port are (without being required to do so) to rig in their flying jib-booms; and are not to run them out again before their departure from the Port without the permission of the Port Officer.

10. The Harbour Master, his Assistants, or any Pilot, while removing any Vessel from one anchorage to another, may make her fast to any other Vessel.

11. The Senior Harbour Master is the second Officer of the Port, and will take charge of the Port Officer's duties in his absence: both Harbour Masters to be available for any general duty which the Port Officer may require of them.

12. The Port Officer at Hobart Town has charge of the whole Marine Department of the Colony, and is responsible to the Government that the whole of the duties are performed. His charge includes the Port Officer at Launceston, the Harbour Masters, Pilots, Signal Stations, Lighthouses, Buoys and Beacons, and all persons connected with them on both sides of the Island.

13. The Pilots in charge of Vessels entering the Port are not to permit any boats to come alongside except the Boarding Officer's boat, the Customs' boat, or Health Officer, before the Vessel is properly secured at her anchorage.

Given, &c.

W. T. DENISON.

DANGERS IN THE SOOLOO AND MINDORO SEAS.

Newton Heath, Manchester, November 20th, 1851. SIR. First premising that I have been in command of merchant vessels navigating in the eastern seas for several years, I beg to acquaint you of the following dangers, &c. that I have met with on various trading voyages whilst there, which I believe are not generally known; if they should not have been noticed by any of your correspondents, please give them a place in your Magazine for the benefit of its readers.

First.-The Golconda shoal in the Mindoro Sea.—“Sir E. Belcher speaking of this shoal in his voyages of the Samarang says, that he could not determine the exact position of it, not having any land in sight, and very strong currents prevailing at the time." I happened in one of my voyages to pass over it (or possibly another) in very clear weather, with the land of Panay and the island of Cagayane both in sight, of which I annex the particulars.

October 17th, 1850, noon, lat. 9° 55′ N., island Cagayane, S.W.b.S. distance twenty miles, moderate breezes, north-east. At 1h. 30m, close to the shoal, could not weather it, tacked off and sent the boat to sound; found three fathoms, but there being a strong westerly current, the boat could not reach the extreme eastern point of the shoal where there appeared to be much less water; after hoisting up the boat stood over the western part of the shoal, least water in passing over six fathoms; bottom, black rocks with white sandy patches; whilst on the shoal, the island Cagayane bore S.S. W. S., from the Royal yard and point Nasog, on the island of Panay, N.E. E. from the deck, which will make the shoal in lat. 10°02′ N., long. 121° 27' E., allowing Cagayane the position given it by Sir E. Belcher.

The extent of the shoal is about two cables' length, in a north-east and south-west direction, and half a ditto in breadth; saw another shoal about the same size, bearing S.b. W. from this distant two miles: after passing the shoal stood to the north-west twenty miles with a good look out, but saw nothing more. These shoals appear to extend in patches from Cagayane to the parallel of 10° 02′ N.; as on a subsequent voyage, I passsd through the

Cagayane islands, bound to Manila with astrong north-east wind; after passing through, wind shifted to the northward; endeavoured to pass between that parallel and the islands, but on nearing the meridian of Cagayane, its distance about fifteen miles, found the passage nearly blocked up with heavy breakers. It would not be advisable for any vessel to get on that meridian, until to the northward of 10° 10' N., and vice versa.

Shoal in Carimata Passage.

June, 1846.-Bound to Singapore, passed a sand bank, nearly awash, bearing from East island, S.E.b.S.S., distant twelve miles this was published on my arrival at Singapore in the local papers.

Straits of Balabac.

The Dry Sand Bank mentioned by Horsburgh, three miles north of Passage island, has an extensive reef stretching to the south-east, which is not visible in the south-west monsoon, but breaks very heavy in the north-east ditto, and would be very dangerous if a vessel with a scant wind should be tempted to go to the southward of the shoal. There are also several very dangerous shoal patches contiguous to the islets, off the east coast of Banguey; they should not be approached at all in the night, nor within five or six miles in the day without a good look out at the mast head.

Calagatan Shoal.

This shoal does not appear to be noticed by navigators at all (at least, not to my knowledge), although much in the way of vessels going to, or leaving Manila by the Straits of St. Bernadino; it extends some distance along the coast, from Port St. Jago to the northward; about two miles off shore breaks very heavy in the south-west monsoon, to avoid it, after passing Point St. Jago (which is bold to), do not steer more northerly than N.W.b.N., until Fortune Island is brought to bear N.b.W.; then haul up for that island and pass it on either side; another mark for clearing this shoal, is to keep Point Limbones open of the eastern extreme of the land of Maribales.

Shoals contiguous to Sooloo.

Breakers probably on Takoot Paboonoowan shoal.-I have seen these breakers on three different occasions, and suppose they must be on the above shoal, although they are farther north than the position as given by Hors. burgh; neither does he speak of breakers. I made them to bear from Duo Bolod N. W.b. W., and from Sangboys S.b.W.W.; it appears to be of small extent, and probably would not break in smooth water.

Another shoal of three fathoms, or probably less at low water spring tides exists, with the Salleeolakit islands in one, bearing S.E.b.E., and the Sangboys E.b.N.N. This is probably the Griffin shoal of Horsburgh, but it is much to the westward of the position given by him.

There are several shoal patches to the westward on this parallel, but, I think none dangerous but the above. I have passed over all that I believe exist, but never had less than five fathoms. I have gone this passage on many different occasions, to and from Sooloo, and I find the best track is to keep the island of Dassaan just visible from the deck (of a small vessel nearly dipping), which will lead clear through between these shoals; it would not be advisable for a stranger to get on this parallel at night, as most of the shoals are on the edge of soundings, and vessels coming from the northward would get no bottom until on them.

I also beg to acquaint you with two different passages between the Phillippine islands that I have gone through several times, and which might probably be of use to future navigators.

Northumberland Passage.

Running for the above passage, passed over a shoal with overfalls from five to twelve fathoms, about half a mile in extent; at the time had the NO. 1.-VOL. XXI.

H