houses were unroofed, trees uprooted, men and women, horses, cattle, and sheep were raised up, drawn into their vortex, and borne on to destruction; during their passage rain descended in cataracts, accompanied with hailstones of enormous size and masses of ice. Going over Castellamare, near Stabia, it destroyed half the town, and washed 200 of the inhabitants into the sea, who all perished. Upwards of 500 persons have been destroyed by this terrible visitation, and an immense amount of property, the country being laid waste for miles. The shipping in the harbour suffered severely, many vessels being destroyed, and their crews drowned. STEAM BOAT Building in the THAMES.-The British public are frequently amazed by accounts of the immense new steam boats of America, and the construction of others of still greater tonnage and power. We think, however, that a visit to the Thames building-yard of Mare and Co., Orchard Wharf, Blackwall, would convince the English public that neither for tonnage nor horse-power do the American yards surpass us in building ships and machinery. As a specimen of British manufacture, Messrs. Mare launched two gigantic ships on Tuesday last. One of these vessels is a yacht for the Pacha of Egypt, to be named the Faid Gihaad, a ship 282 feet in length, forty feet in breadth, twenty-nine feet in depth, of 2,200 tons measurement, and to have engines by Maudslay, Son and Field. The other ship to be launched on Tuesday is the Lady Jocelyn, built for the General Screw Steam Company, a sister ship of the Queen of the South, launched a few weeks since, 240 feet long, thirty-nine feet broad, twentyfive feet deep, 1,765 tons measurement, to be propelled by a screw machinery by Maudslay, of 300 horse power. At this establishment of Mr. Mare may now be seen some thirteen steamers of all sizes, from the stupendous 1,200 horse-power steamer the Himalaya, of 3,041 tons, building for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company, to a gun boat of 144 tons and thirty horse power, in course of construction. NEW CHARTS. New and Correct Charts, Published by the Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, and Sold by J. D. Potter, 31, Poultry. ENGLAND, EAST COAST, YARMOUTH ROADS, corrected to 1851, by Capt. Bullock, R.N. ... Ditto do. LOWESTOFT TO ORFORD Ditto do. BRITISH LIGHTS POLAR SEA, ARCTIC CHART DISCOVERIES, by Capt. Austin, R.N. Penny, Lithographed, 1851 MEDITERRANEAN, ARCHIPELAGO, SKOPELO GROUP, by Capts Brock, R.N., 1847 ... do s. d. 0 6 2 0 1 0 ... 1 6 1 0 99900 6 AFRICA, WEST COAST, DELTA OF THE KOWARA, lithographed, from 1833 Ditto do. ST. HELENA BAY TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE do. 2, AGULHAS TO CAPE ST. BLAISE WEST INDIES, Plans of Ports in the Antilles, by Capt. Barnett, R.N., 1846 Ditto BAHAMAS, LONG ISLAND, CLARENCE HARBOUR, do. 1824 Ditto Ditto ANTIGUA HARBOUR, CARLISLE BAY TO ST. JOHN'S HAR- ... SOUTH AMERICA, SOUTH-EAST COAST, BENEVENTE TO ITAPEMIRIM With EAST INDIES, ISLANDS EAST OF JAVA, FROM BALLY TO TIMOR, by Lieut. ... 2 6 EDWARD DUNSTERVILLE, Master, R.N. Hydrographic Office, November 20th, 1851. METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER. Kept at Croom's Hill, Greenwich, by Mr. Rogerson, of the Royal Observatory, From the 21st of November, to the 20th of December, 1851. November, 1851.-Mean height of the barometer 29.884 TO CORRESPONDENCE. The important communication from Labuan and passages to and from San Francisco just received. Hunt & Son, Printers, 6, New Church Street, Edgware Road, -21222 of of of of og og og og bem bm og be be od (2) be inches; mean temperature = 36:8 THE NAUTICAL MAGAZINE AND Nabal Chronicle. FEBRUARY, 1852. A VISIT TO PITCAIRN ISLAND ON A VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO.-By Mr. W. H. Dillon, Master-Commander of H.M.S. Cockatrice, 1851. On the afternoon of the 9th July, we ran out of Papeite Harbour with a fresh breeze from E. N.E., steering to the southward between Otaheite and Eimeo. At sunset, the wind became variable from the eastward, continuing so for the two following days, keeping us in sight of Otaheite until 5 P.M. on the 11th, when the wind freshened from the northward, drawing round to west and S.S.E. We took advantage of the northerly wind to get to the southward; when in lat. 24°S., long. 145° W., shaped a course directly for Pitcairn Island, and although the wind was exceedingly variable, with the exception of one or two days, (when it blew hard from the south-east with a very heavy sea,) it was generally favourable. The position assigned to Incarnation Island, was passed within a few miles, but we saw nothing of it, and I am of opinion, from the enquiries as well as the experience of others, that, such an island does not exist. No land was seen after leaving Otaheite until midnight of the 25th July, when we made Pitcairn Island, bearing east, and in the morning were NO. 2.-VOL. XXI. I within two miles of the village. We soon observed a boat pulling towards us, from which half a dozen fine looking men (G. Adams and Arthur Quintal were of the number), jumped on our deck and shaking us cordially by the hands, gave us a hearty welcome to Pitcairn Island. They were delighted at our arrival, as they had been despairing of ever seeing a man-of-war again. It was so long since one had visited them, that they were afraid they had given some offence, and were no longer thought worthy of notice. I assured them that such was not the case, that circumstances over which the commander-in-chief had no control, entirely prevented his sending a vessel to the island last year, and to convince them of their not being forgotten, told them that I was the bearer of numerous presents and letters from their old friends. As soon as I could satisfy their anxious enquiries, I desired they would pull me on shore, which was eagerly complied with. The landing place is in Bounty Bay; it is partly protected by a reef of rocks to the north-eastward from the heavy surf, generally rolling in there. On this day it was very smooth, and I landed easily: a rough path and very steep ascent leads to a level where the village is built. On arriving at the top a most interesting scene presented itself. The pastor (Mr. Nobbs), and all the inhabitants of the island, male and female (many of the latter very handsome and possessing great personal attraction,) dressed in a clean and pretty becoming manner, had assembled to greet and welcome us to the island; and after the heartiest salutation I ever experienced, they enquired most affectionately after Her Majesty and the Royal Family, and then pressed me with questions as to the non-appearance of a man-of-war for so long a period. The women especially were most importunate on the occasion, and exceedingly anxious to know if any thing wrong on their part was the cause. "Oh! why don't you come oftener?" was the question. "We have been longing to see you; they form the happiest hours of our lives-the few visits from our countrymen, and we have been watching for you days, and months, and years; you cannot think much of us, or you would never let us remain so long without coming to see if we were alive." After pacifying them in the best manner I could, and answering all their enquiries about officers that had ever visited them, of whom they retain a lively and grateful recollection, I was conducted to the schoolhouse, a large and substantial building about fifty feet long by twenty wide; it is conveniently fitted up with desks and well furnished with slates, a well selected supply of moral and religious books, and other requisites for the instruction of youth. At one end there is a pulpit and a small space allotted for the use of the pastor; the house being used for a chapel on Sundays. The book containing the records of the island is kept here, it was handed to me for inspection; I found all the births, deaths, and marriages, duly registered in it, and also the number and name of the ships that have visited it since its occupation. The average number formerly was eight per annum, but in the last two or three yeers, there have been many more; for instance in 1850, there were forty-seven, of which seventeen were English, (principally from the colonies to California, and whalers), twenty-nine American (whalers), and one Hanoverian. This year they have already been visited by seven English and nine American ships. They speak very highly of the conduct of all, especially the whalers. It appears that many of them make a practice of calling there for a few supplies, such as yams, sweet potatoes, limes, oranges, fowls, and pigs, for which they receive in return coarse cotton goods, fish-hooks, biscuit, old lead, &c. The captains always caution any of their crews that land, not to molest the inhabitants in any way, or make use of bad language. There are now (30th July, 1851,) 160 souls on the island, eighty-one males, and seventy-nine females. The average annual number of births eight, whilst, but four deaths have occurred in six years, (one of which was Susanna Young, the last survivor of the Bounty, who died July 15th, 1850, aged seventy-five years). There are at present fourteen males and nine females marriageable, unmarried. The whole community consists of twenty-three families inhabiting seventeen houses. The diseases they suffer mostly from, are rheumatism, asthma, ague, and billious attacks. The small-pox has never appeared amongst them, neither has a soul on the island been vaccinated-the attempt was made on a few some time since, but from the lymph being old or bad, it had not the desired effect. It is sad to contemplate such a disease breaking out there, yet it is not improbable, from their having intercourse occasionally with vessels crowded with passengers. I cautioned them particularly (on the assistant-surgeon's suggestion) not to communicate with any vessel until they ascertained there was no sickness on board. There were five passengers left on the island from the ship Noble, Captain Parker, from Sydney to California in April, 1850, the same ship also took one of the islanders (Matthew Quintal) away with them, who has since returned he told me he was never happy or well whilst he was away, and every day of his absence appeared a year to him. The gen tlemen left on the island were destitute of every thing except the suit of clothes they had on, but were clothed and fed, and treated in the most hospitable manner by the inhabitants, until their departure in another vessel about a month afterwards. They left the following testimony of their gratitude in the record book, which I have copied to show the goodness of the people in whom I now feel so much interest: Pitcairn Island, 12th April, 1850. "We cannot leave Pitcairn Island without recording our thanks, not only for the hospitality shewn towards us by the kindhearted inhabitants, but even more for the general cordiality of our reception, and the delicacy with which it was manifested. Anxious as we were to be as little a burthen to them as possible (being aware that they had but little to spare for themselves) while obliged by necessity to be entirely depenent on them, having been left on shore from our vessel, with nothing but the clothes we stood in, we found it impossible to prevent them from supplying us with even a superfluous abundance; for they would |