THE

NAUTICAL MAGAZINE.

NEW SERIES.

JANUARY, 1872.

EDITORIAL NOTICE.

THE New Series of the Nautical Magazine which began with 1871, has been on the whole reasonably successful, and among maritime men it has undoubtedly had a very encouraging reception.

It is proposed to carry on the New Series under what it is hoped will prove to be still more favourable auspices.

For the future the Magazine will be under the joint editorship of a gentleman of acknowledged position in the Civil Service and well known in shipping and mercantile circles,-and of the Editor who has conducted it during the past year.

Associated with the Editors will be a number of competent and well-known writers on Navigation, Meteorology, and Astronomy; on Steam, on the deviation of the Compass, and on other matters of interest to the Royal Navy and the Mercantile Marine; and it is confidently hoped that the reputation which the Magazine has already attained for papers on scientific subjects, will thus be well maintained.

Our leading articles will, whenever practicable, be published with the names of the writers, and the articles themselves will appear fresh from the pens of the authors, without suffering any material alteration at the hands of the Editors.

VOL. XLI.

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At the same time it is hoped that our numerous correspondents in various parts of the world will continue to send us communications* on nautical matters; and such communications will always be published if warranted by the importance of the subject.

With the view of making the Nautical Magazine still more useful than hitherto as a hand-book and book of reference for persons connected with maritime affairs, it is intended to publish in each number-in addition to the particulars concerning new lights, rocks, and shoals, and other hydrographic information which has hitherto appeared in our columns,-a digest of the chief maritime law cases decided in the preceding month; the substance of official enquiries into cases of wrecks, etc., and of official orders and circulars; promotions in the Royal Navy, the Royal Naval Reserve, and amongst the Board of Trade and Customs officers at the outports; and such other information as may have an interest for professional men. Whilst however we endeavour to make our Magazine a book of reference for Naval and Consular officers, and officials connected with nautical affairs in all parts of the world; for owners, masters and officers, underwriters, agents and sailors, and others immediately concerned with our great mercantile marine,-we shall always find space for the discussion of such general personal and professional matters as will gratify our readers, taking especial care to avoid anything in the shape of personal grievances or party feelings.

We shall not omit to find space for such light literature as will help to relieve the tedium of long voyages, and in our next number will be commenced a serial story, written expressly for the Nautical Magazine, by Mr. W. Cosmo Monkhouse. We shall also present our readers from month to month with one of those pleasing productions sometimes in prose sometimes in verse, with which Mr. Austin Dobson delights the English reader.

We look with hope for the assistance of the nautical community to render the Magazine at once characteristic and representative, feeling that genuine efforts on our parts will be rewarded by genuine and substantial appreciation by those for whom we cater.

Communications should be addressed to the Editors, Nautical Magazine, 1, Vincent Square, Westminster, S.W.

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RETROSPECT OF 1871.

A BRIEF review of the principal events as regards maritime matters during the past year, will not be out of place in this first number of our journal for 1872.

The year 1871 opened under very inauspicious circumstances. The deadly struggle was raging between two great powers on the continent, and the other nations of the world stood as it were aghast, watching the terrible conflict with eager anxiety. In England the depressing effects of the dreadful calamity of the loss of the Captain were still operating on the public mind; the loss of the Psyche, the vessel employed on the Eclipse Observation Expedition, by striking on a rock near Catania, had aggravated the popular feeling of distrust, and the latent fear finding expression, the cry was heard on all sides that we were not prepared to hold our own either by land or sea in the event of our going to war.

The events that have occurred in connection with the Navy have not been so startling and important as was imagined they would be at the close of 1870.

This last year may be said to have been more occupied in developing the schemes marked out, both with regard to the materiel as well as the personnel of the Navy, than with any direct plans or resolves. The materiel of the Navy has progressed more with. regard to coast defence than of sea-going ships, we have had the Glatton added to our strength, although as far as we yet know, this powerful nondescript will only be of use for the purpose alluded to, and even doubtful in her capabilities of moving from port to port excepting under favourable circumstances. That such ships were necessary is beyond doubt, and one or two stationed at each large port will render more real service in defence than the stationary forts; but it is much to be regretted that more gunboats of the Staunch class have not been built, for we are persuaded they would be found most powerful auxiliaries, and would be more dreaded by an attacking force than the larger and heavier vessels.

The illness of Mr. Childers in the early part of the year was a most unfortunate circumstance, he having commenced a reform of a sudden and almost revolutionary nature, both in the administrative and personal departments of the Navy, which he was unable to carry out, being compelled by continued ill-health to resign his post before they were completed. The changes made in the preceding year were of too radical a nature, and too sudden; but Mr.

Childers, ignoring the opinion of a great statesman in favour of "general improvement, no violent changes," had no sooner assumed the reins of office, than he experienced in his own person the ill effects of haste in taking the whole responsibility of the Admiralty on his own shoulders, which responsibility the subsequent loss of the Captain caused him to ignore at once. We may also point to the disorganized state of some of our departments, to prove the unwisdom of the sudden dismissal of officers of experience, and the penny-wise and pound-foolish proceeding has even yet to be felt in its entirety. The scheme of Naval retirement, also inaugurated by Mr. Childers, although a step in the right direction, and done with a good intention, has proved no more successful than his administrative acts, and although some of the lists of officers are reduced to the standard figure, promotion has come to a standstill, and the prospect of the junior officers is deplorable in the extreme. Mr. Goschen, the present First Lord, has a task before him this year that may well create great anxiety, but we believe he is steadily purposed to do his best, and if not too much led by onesided professional advisers, will doubtless effect much good; it is however but fair to suppose, that had Mr. Childers continued at the Board, and thus had the opportunity of completing his arrangements, much permanent good would have been effected.

Of our dock-yard economy much cannot be said; the ultra economy-as is the case with all ultra economies-has proved anything but economy, the combining in one and the same person the master shipwright, chief engineer, and storekeeper, has failed most lamentably, breaking down the man, while the duty was inefficiently performed; it has consequently been abandoned. The same may be said of master's attendants of victualling yards, who were removed contrary to the advice of some of our best officers, and will doubtless have to be replaced, though it may be under another

name.

The courts martial on the ship's stewards for peculation was another evidence of a want of administrative arrangements in providing a sufficient check to prevent such a thing being possible; indeed the pursorial duties of the paymasters have been so changed that their responsibility did not extend to one important article of consumption in a man-of-war.

The Committee on designs for ships of war appointed in consequence of the loss of the Captain has completed its labours, and if our future ships of war are not all they should be, it will not be for want of scientific investigation and experiment in regard to form for stability.

No more notable instance of gross mismanagement in naval affairs has happened during the year than the dispatching the Megara to the Antipodes overladen and unserviceable; the bad name she previously bore for unsoundness and consequent unseaworthiness has been sufficiently proved to be true, and that coupled with all the remonstrances that both in Parliament and out perfectly rained on the officials, made it doubly reprehensible that no further examination was instituted to ascertain the truth of the assertion on one side or the other. The officers and crew have been entirely exonerated of all blame by a court-martial, and if the Royal Commission at present sitting does not bring to light on whom the responsibility rests there will be a great miscarriage of justice.

The stranding of the Agincourt on the Pearl Rock in broad day, was a culpable accident that has been of some use in exhibiting some of our weak points, fortunately without having to pay too dearly for our experience. It has proved the undesirableness of divided responsibility in navigating our ships, and has stimulated an enquiry into the modus operandi by which these matters are governed, which has been shewn to be unsatisfactory in the extreme. It has also opened up the question as to how and by whom our increasingly costly fleet is to be navigated and piloted, whether by abolishing the class of officers hitherto retained for that special service, and entrusting the duties to the general officers of the executive, or by raising the present class of navigating officers to a position commensurate with the importance of their duties, and making them (under their commanding officer) personally responsible. We believe some action has been taken and we hope it will bear fruit in this present year, and thus set at rest for ever a question that has caused much jealousy and ill feeling.

The subject of the higher education of the officers of the navy has been well ventilated during the year, and has greatly added to the information obtained by the Royal Commission the preceding year, so that in the creation of any college or university for the purpose, the principles on which it should be established have been well ascertained.

Greenwich hospital has been a theme of comment as to its future use, and equivocal hints have been given that it will be devoted to a naval purpose, but nothing definite has yet transpired, although we believe we are right in saying that its destiny will be for educational purposes. A wise decision has been come to in adding 200 boys to the school. Connected with this subject is that of manning the navy, the difficulty being an increasing one, the Naval