deductions have been found. Some of the bergs sighted in the South Atlantic during this period have been reported as being earth-stained and discolored. This may have been due to the iceberg "exposing the side of some old crevasse, into which débris from a surface moraine has fallen."

To show the remarkable drift of pieces of these southern icebergs, the following extract is taken from a report received at the Hydrographic Office from the master of the brig Dochra: "On April 30, 1894, latitude 26° 30′ S., longitude 25° 40′ W., at Io A. M., observed a piece of ice twelve feet long, four feet wide and four feet high; it was very white and seemed perforated. We passed quite near it; the sea was smooth and several people saw it."

It is to be hoped that the renewed interest in Antarctic exploration, now manifest in Europe, will bear good results, and that the bold explorers sent out will solve the question of the origin and nature of these gigantic ice masses. Knowing this, it will remain for shipmasters faithfully to report all ice sighted, together with observations of wind, weather, temperature of sea-water and air, currents, etc., before we can fully trace the history of the ice mass from the time of its first formation till it finally disappears in the waters of the temperate zones.

In the preparation of this essay, and in addition to the large number of ships' logs, I have consulted the following books, charts, etc.: "Antarctic Explorations," G. F. Griffiths, Smithsonian Report, 1890; "Glacial Geology," Prof. James Geikie, F. R. S., Smithsonian Report, 1890; "Deep-sea Deposits," A. Daubree, Smithsonian Report, 1893; "South Pacific Ocean Directory," fifth edition, A. G. Findlay, London, 1884; “Icebergs in the Southern Ocean," H. C. Russel, Sydney, 1895; "A Popular Treatise on the Winds," Ferrel, New York, 1893; "Theory of Winds," Capt. Charles Wilkes, Philadelphia, 1856; "American Practical Navigator," Bowditch, revised edition, Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department, Washington, D. C., 1896; "Climate and Time," Croll, Edinburgh, 1885; “Encyclopedia Britannica"; "International Ice and Derelict Code of Signals"; "The Liverpool Mercantile Service Association Reporter, 1895"; North Atlantic Pilot Charts for June, July and August, 1894; "Report of Ice and Ice Movements in the North Atlantic

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Washington, 1890; "Memoir of Danger and Ice in the North Atlantic Ocean," Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department, Washington, 1888; " Report of Ice and Ice Movements in Bering Sea and the Arctic Basin," Ensign Edward Simpson, U. S. N., Hydrographic Office, Washington, 1890; various reports on file at the Hydrographic Office, Navy Department, Washington, D. C.

U. S. NAVAL INSTITUTE, ANNAPOLIS, MD.

TARGET PRACTICE AT SEA.

BY LIEUT. W. J. SEARS, U. S. N.

It appears from recent instructions in regard to the subject that it is considered possible to simplify the method of conducting target practice. This probably includes the preparation for practice, the method of obtaining data with which to prepare the records, and the reports of the practice, as well as the method of actually conducting it.

It may be assumed that the primary object of target practice is to teach the men to load and fire the guns quickly and accurately. The methods of obtaining data for keeping the records should, therefore, interfere as little as possible with quick and accurate firing. At the same time it is evident that at least a fairly accurate method of keeping the record must be used, or the interest in the practice will cease with the practice itself, and much of the benefit, for future use and reference, will be lost. Under ordinary circumstances extreme accuracy of observation is seldom attained, and great refinement in plotting is therefore hardly necessary. As much credit may be given then to the gun captain who hits a target two hundred feet long and twenty feet high as to one who makes a bull's eye, unless bull's eyes are his specialty and he makes them frequently.

It will probably seldom happen in action that the guns of our vessels will be fired with ships at anchor, except, perhaps, in the case of bombardment. It would, therefore, appear to be advisable to teach our gun captains from the beginning to fire from the ships while under way. Two methods will be proposed for this: Ist, one in which the bearing and distance of the target remain constant, or approximately so. This would take the

which both the bearing and range are constantly changing, as in our present moving practice.

1500 YDS

C

A

1500 YDS

FIRST METHOD.

But one target is used, which is dropped overboard, when ready to begin the practice, at A. The ship then steams away from the target, say 1500 yards, and brings it abeam, as at B. She then steams around the target in a circle, with either port or starboard helm (according to the battery firing). All that is necessary to do this is to keep the target always bearing abeam. This method was recently used on board the San Francisco and was very successful, the ship maintaining a generally uniform distance of 1500 yards from the target, the limit of variation at any time being only about fifty yards. The target practice was excellent, and the fall of the projectiles about the target surprisingly uniform.

OBSERVERS.

Four observers are necessary, all on board ship, as follows: One to take the time and number of the shots as fired from the guns in sequence.

One to note the range (so that the ship may be kept within the desired one, and also to furnish data for plotting); this may be done by Buckner's method or with the Fiske range finder.

One to observe the distance the shot strikes from the target, using Buckner's method.

One to observe the angle, right or left, from the target to the spot where the projectile strikes.

All shots striking at an angle of not more than 1 degrees to the right or left of the target may be considered (at 1500 yards range) as striking a target extending 100 feet to the right and left of the target fired at, provided the vertical distance is not too great or too small. For horizontal plotting, on a scale of one inch to twenty feet, the following may be used:

1° = 1 inch; 1° = 2 inches; ° = 3 inches; 1° = 4 inches; 14°