the rollers, which at times break over the jetties and do much mischief. It is of irregular shape, nearly two miles in length from the bar to the head, and between Week Point and the north end of the cove, it is three-quarters of a mile wide. Here however it is divided by Rat Island, a small rugged rocky islet, on the summit of which is the lunatic asylum and signal-staff, which are conspicuous objects, the wall which surrounds the building being 137 feet above the level of the sea. The islet has recently been connected to the shore at the west end of the town by a well built stone causeway, with a carriage road to the foot of the hill. That part of the harbour situated on the south side of the island, is alone occupied by shipping, and abreast of it there is ten feet water. The northwest point of the harbour terminates in a small rocky bluff thirty-eight feet in height, on which is situated Fort James, a mile from the nearest part of the opposite shore, which may be termed the entrance for small vessels. The harbour however is obstructed by a narrow sand bar, sixtenths of a mile to the westward of the fort, on which there is only a depth of fifteen feet and a half at low water. As the trade wind continually blows from almost the same direction, ships will always have to beat in; therefore, those drawing thirteen feet, having passed within the middle ground, should keep Yepton Mill on with the east end of Loblolly Bay, until the westernmost house in the city, which is a long low building with a red roof, and with a small flag-staff near the east end of the wharf on which it stands, is in one with the cathedral, when you may haul to the wind and cross the bar. The deepest part however is only a cable's length wide, and to beat up from it into the harbour, can only be effected by good local knowledge, with the assistance of a pilot, for we can give no safe directions. A nun buoy has recently been placed on the west end of the bar, which is of great use, enabling you to haul your wind more quickly than can be done by attending solely to the leading marks. To the north of the channel mark or buoy, there is thirteen feet water in that direction, until Fort James Bluff is in one with the north side of Rat Island, to the northward of that there is nine feet.

(To be continued.)

VICTORIA (REDCAR) HARBOUR.

Newcastle-on-Tyne, 15th Feb., 1851.

SIR.-In 1832 my project for forming a Refuge Harbour at Redcar, in Tees Bay, first received your support in the pages of the Nautical. In 1839 a bill to authorize the formation of the harbour under Commissioners was brought before Parliament; but the means which were then necessary for its execution, (viz. a passing toll of one half-penny per ton, not more than is paid for some lights without harbours to them,) were withheld, the preservation of human life was not in that decision made an object of paramount consideration, though warmly

advocated by many distinguished officers and members of the House of Commons.

A reference to your table of the wrecks of British Shipping which have since taken place on that coast, or foundered off it for want of a place of refuge, shows that the necessity of the measure still exists.

In 1839, many hundreds of masters and owners of vessels petitioned Parliament for the harbour, although it was to be paid for by a passing toll. They drew a wide distinction between Redcar with thirty feet at low water, and the wreck-traps for which they were taxed. Happily the same necessity for a passing toll does not now exist, because the connection of Redcar with the mining and manufacturing districts by railway, ensures a revenue sufficient to justify the advance of the sum necessary to complete what nature has by the Salt and East Scars so far advanced as the work of refuge.

There will now be levied only dues on entering or deriving shelter, and for this purpose a bill has been introduced this session which has gone through a second reading, and is now entrusted to a Select Committee of the House of Commons. Before that Committee accounts will be tendered of vessels seen to go down since 1839, with all hands immediately off Redcar, and of the shores of Tees Bay having been, as oft before, "strewn with wrecks of British Shipping."

To the Editor N.M.

I am, &c.,

W. A. BROOKS.

[Our readers will easily remember the interest we long ago expressed in the success of this project, under the name of Port William; being satisfied, of its great importance, as providing a port of safety for our ships just where that was wanted. The opposition, however, which it had to encounter from interested parties unhappily succeeded. The project was successfully opposed and many valuable ships and invaluable lives have been lost in consequence. What that wilful old lady dame Nature held out as an encouragement, (having done half the work of making the harbour herself,) was slighted and the projectors laughed at for supposing that harbours were really wanted on a dangerous coast of 200 miles in extent, where, in reality, none were to be found! But

66

Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur ab illis,"

"the poet sang of old, and so it still is." Those simple-minded men were really right after all, and although a glance full of jealousy may be cast at the projectors, by the same interested parties who opposed it in 1832, still we are informed that the work is really to be done, and a noble harbour, the appearance of which is to resemble that in the sketch accompanying our present number, is to appear under the more successful name of VICTORIA; for its inaugurating bill in parliament, that precious projet de loi, by which it is to stand or fall, has really passed its second reading. We have not room now for Mr. Cubitt's report, and must defer it for another number. We must, therefore, content ourselves at present with the sketch, and congratulate, not the projectors of this noble harbour alone, but seamen generally, who when they happen to be embayed on the lee shore of Durham, in those dreadful easterly gales to which that coast is exposed, will find a refuge fully capable of receiving them in safety at Redcar.-ED.]

* Query?—Of no value.-P.D.

THE BARROW MONUMENT, ULVERSTONE.

Tuis beautiful tower, erected in memory of Sir John Barrow, Bart., on the Hill of Hoad, which rises immediately above his native town, was partially damaged by lightning on the evening of the 30th of January.

We are sure that our readers, many of whom have contributed towards the erection of the tower, will learn of this casualty with regret, but it is due to the committee to state that orders had been given two months prior to the event, for fitting the lightning conductors on the plan of Sir William Snow Harris; want of time alone having caused the delay in carrying out the order.

The damage done is confined chiefly to the lanthern, eight or nine of its massive stones, weighing 3 cwt. each, having been hurled from the summit to the base, a distance of 100 feet, breaking through five out of six of the iron girders, inserted for the support of the several floors of the building, one or two of the landings, and several of the stone steps by which the tower was ascended. Some of the stones fell outside, but occasioned no material damage, striking the projecting portion at the base. No damage whatever appears to have been done to the body of the tower, which is a most fortunate circumstance.

The lanthern is much shaken and must be taken down, the expense to restore it is estimated at about £120, and the fitting of Harris' conductor will cost a further sum of about £50. Under these circumstances the committee have determined upon keeping open the subscription lists, and no longer to confine the subscriptions to the immediate friends of Sir John Barrow, who have shewn their marked regard for him by erecting one of the most beautiful structures in the kingdom, but to all persons, in the service, or out of it, who from their knowledge of his character as an honourable upright man, a friend and benefactor to the Naval Service, during the forty years he served as Secretary of the Admiralty, or in admiration of his great talents, perseverance, and industry, may wish to enrol their names in the same cause, in which we ourselves feel so deeply interested.

We trust this will be a warning to all architects and others, and that they will take good care to apply Sir William Harris' conductors, pari passu_with their buildings, when they stand on so exposed a site as that of the Hoad Hill. Fortunately in our own service few ships are without them, and their efficacy is frequently proved to the satisfaction of all on board. We have long been of opinion that no ship should put to sea without them, and (as it is impossible to be au fait with every thing,) we can only hope that all vessels and passage-boats, carrying large numbers of passengers across the Atlantic and elsewhere, are fitted with Sir William Snow Harris' admirable conductors.

THE COMMERCE OF LIBERIA.

THE formation of a settlement at Port Cresson, has been looked upon by me with unabated anxiety for many years. In fact its delay seems more like a rejection of an inestimable blessing of God than anything else. This I am confident is the opinion of every candid and sensible man who has visited the site. Our excellent President, Roberts, has often expressed the same opinion in substance, as also, other prominent citizens of this republic. Through your unabated and zealous efforts for our prosperity, Capt. Gordon, NO. 3.-VOL XX.

U

of the U.S. brig Porpoise visited us in June, in company with President Roberts, in the Liberia schooner Lark. They landed at the Cove, walked up (three miles) to the present settlement, Bassa Cove, and such were the manifest facilities of the former, as a harbour and landing, that the president informed me that he would embrace the earliest opportunity of communicating to the A. C. Society to send out a full expedition as speedily as possible for its settlement, and with these sentiments Capt. Gordon's were in perfect harmony.

I am happy to say further that Com. Byrne, of the U.S. sloop-of-war Decatur, anchored in our roads on Monday, the 3rd ult., and remained with us until Thursday the 6th. On his arrival I immediately communicated with him, apprising him of the dangers of our bar, and advising him to land at Cresson Cove, and to signify when he would land, and I would send some gentlemen down to escort him up to this settlement. I also informed him that it would be conferring a favour on this settlement if he would, during his stay, have the harbour and landing of Cresson examined, and give his opinion as to its advantages for a settlement.

This request was complied with. He landed the following morning at ten o'clock opposite the extreme end (this way) of the anticipated town, which is the reservation requested for the mission premises, &c., and though the landing here is not as smooth by 50 per cent, as the front, centre, and opposite end of the new town, yet he declared over and over, in the presence of a number of gentlemen that he considered it to be the best landing he had seen on the coast, and authorized me to freely use his name in giving publicity to this sentiment. In fact, he told me that so soon as the ship anchored and ere he had received my note, he took his glass, and after examining the Cove, said to several of his officers, yonder is the place at which the settlement should have been formed, and wondered why it had not been before this time occupied. These impressions were confirmed on his landing.

The French Squadron, while stationed on this part of the coast, in 1846 and 1847, used to run so far into the Cove, that their vessels could not be seen from the front street of this settlement, there they would land their marines and field pieces, parade and fire at targets part of the day, and at the proper hour, walk to their boats, step in and go off at pleasure.

I deem it superfluous to add the testimony of the Rev. R. R. Gurley, to the above. You will have the pleasure I hope of seeing him in a few months, and from him you will be able to gather considerable information. He invariably preferred landing at and going off from Cresson, considering the walk but a pleasant exercise. You will find that he will dwell upon the necessity and wisdom of the settlement of that place.

By some mishap, I perceive the river St. John is represented on the map of Liberia, comparatively smaller than it should be. Its representation is about half the size of the St. Pauls, which is a wide mistake. I feel confident in asserting that it is at least nine-tenths as large as the St. Pauls, and many say, equally as large, which I am more than half inclined to believe.

Its banks on both sides are generally beautifully elevated and admirably adapted, especially to agricultural settlements; the fertility of the soil increases as one ascends. A beautiful range of mountains is to be seen, while gliding on its lovely bosom. These are about twenty miles from Bassa Cove. There are tracts of land along the banks of the St. John still owned by tribes who would readily dispose of most of them, for the purpose of having settlements formed near them in order that their posterity may be benefitted by the blessings of civilization. These tracts of land lie above Bexley, and are superior to the latter in point of fertility and elevation, notwithstanding that of Bexley is truly excellent. I long to see the day when both sides of this noble and lovely river, will be thickly inhabited by Literians, and the