tificate of competency granted under the present examiners, may pass an Extra Examination, and receive an Extra Certificate in exchange for his former one, without payment of any fee.

If the applicant passes, he will receive a document from the Examiner which will entitle him to receive his Certificate of Competency from the Shipping Master at the port to which he has directed it to be forwarded. If his testimonials have been sent to the Registrar to be verified, they will be returned with his Certificate.

As the Examinations of Masters and Mates are now, for the first time, made compulsory, the qualifications have been kept as low as possible; but it must be distinctly understood that it is the intention of the Board of Trade to raise the standard in the course of time, whenever, as will no doubt be the case, the general attainments of officers in the merchant service shall render it possible to do so without inconvenience; and officers are strongly urged to employ their leisure hours, when in port, to the acquirement of the knowledge necessary to enable them to pass their examinations; and Masters will do well to permit apprentices and junior officers to attend schools of instruction, and to afford them as much time for this purpose as possible.

T. H. FARRER, Secretary.

F. W. BEECHEY,

W. H. WALKER.

NAUTICAL NOTICES.

BAR OF THE COLUMBIA.-Extract of a letter from Lieut. W. A. Bartlett, U.S.N.

The U. S. schooner Ewing crossed the bar of the New South Channel, under charge of Capt. White (the discoverer of the channel), on the 19th April last, and so perfectly plain and accessible did this new route appear, that we could scarcely believe that we had beat into the Columbia river, or over its bar, so famous for the last half-century, for difficulty and delay, as to be a place of terror to all seamen and underwriters. Since the date referred to, now over two months, I have witnessed almost daily the passage of the bar of the New South Channel,' by vessels of all classes, trading into the Columbia river, crossing at pleasure, with or without pilots, and without danger.

Since Mr. White left duty at the bar (I hope, however, only temporarily), five sail have crossed the bar without pilots, viz: the brig Seguin, barques Ann Smith and Eliza, and the U. S. schooner Ewing, under my direction, twice; so that I can state from my own knowledge that any observing seaman can cross, in or out, over this bar safely and certainly without an hour's delay, after having once crossed in order to observe the ranges, which are well defined, and certain to lead over in good water. We have not yet sufficiently surveyed the bar to state how much water there is at all stages of the tide, but the least water I had in crossing with the Ewing yesterday (with two careful leadsmen) was 16 feet at half-tide (flood), running in on a straight range of Pillar-hill-tree (a very remarkable landmark) just shut on over point Adams, still I deepened to five fathoms, inside the Point NO. 1.-VOL. XX.

of Breakers (on north side of channel), and hauled up for the Beacons,' on Sand Island (wind, N.W. & N.), having from six and seven to nine fathoms up to Sand Island Beacon, two miles inside the bar. Time from the five fathoms outside to Sand Island Beacon, twenty minutes. A vessel goes out from the anchorage at Sand Island into open ocean in from thirty to fifty minutes. There is abundant room for any vessel to work in or out with the wind from any point of the compass, and as the tide ebbs fair through the channel in the best water it greatly facilitates both ingress and egress. The ranges for turning Clatrop spit are (by my own verification) 'Point Ellice,' with Pillar-hill just shut in behind it, and Point Adams in one with the highest pass' of the mountains in the Fast C., in eight fathoms. A vessel passes clear, either in coming in or going out. As that leading 'pass' has no name, I propose to distinguish it as the 'Ewing Pass.'

We have built a beacon on Sand Island, on which is a white flag, 80 feet above the island, and 85 feet above the high-water mark. Around the base of the flag-staff is a block-house, 35 feet high and fifteen feet square; it can be seen plainly, in good weather, 12 miles at sea. By bringing the beacon flag directly under the centre of the highest peak westward of Chinook peak, and Point Adams just open south of Pillar-hill-tree, a vessel will be in 12 fathom3, in a fair way to the bar, with bar ranges on, viz., Point Adams and Pillar-hill. And the usual wind from north-west, or anywhere on the western board, is fair for crossing. Vessels cross the bar of the New Channel under all steering sails, or beat up the channel, as the case may be. It is not necessary to tack ship on the bar, in any wind. A sailing vessel can run to sea from Sand Island, or come in, in less time than she can run to Baker's Bay, after which (if in Baker's Bay) she must take her chance for wind and tide to get to sea. The anchorages at Astoria, Sandy-point (east end of Clatrop beach), and Sand Island are good, with abundant room for getting under weigh at any stage of the tide.

CORAL REEF.-The following notice of a coral reef existing in Dampier Straits, with which we (Singapore Free Press), have been favoured, will be useful to mariners having occasion to pass through the passage:-Extract from the log book of the Sophia Fraser. "Friday, September 9th, 1850. At 10 A.M., while steering to the south-west through Dampier Straits, on a passage from Shanghae to Singapore, grounded on a coral reef that appears to be detached from Pidgeon Island. On one side of the vessel the jolly boat could not float, and on the other side we had 8 fathoms, under the bow 2 fathoms; let go the anchor, when she instantly tailed off to the southward, veered out 8 fathoms cable and had soundings 57 fathoms. Bearings taken when aground: Western extreme of King William Island N.W.b.W.4W., Pidgeon Island just visible well open of the western end of King William Island. Hump Island N.b.EE. and Foul Island S.S.E. Hove up and steered to the southward until the south-west point of Battanta bore W.b. SAS., then steered mid channel S.W.b.W&W. This reef lies by my bearings about six miles E.b.N. of Pidgeon Island, and is of very small extent, as the chief officer pulled almost round it, and could get no bottom with 30 fathoms on one side of the boat, while on the other side the oars were touching the coral. The coral appears to be in an active state of growth, as it could be easily pierced with the oars. I can find no account of the reef in any of my books, nor is it laid down on any of Horsburgh's charts, for all our bearings were clear and distinct.

D. M'KELLAR, Commander.

Extract of a letter received from H.M.S. Resolute, at sea.
Lat. 74° 5' N. long. 58° 30′ W.

In the hurry of forwarding my report it had almost escaped me to state, that on the 1st inst., when proceeding in tow between Horse Head and an island, the Pioneer and this ship, struck on the pinnacle of a sunken rock, having 14 fathoms water by the side of it; but I am happy to say that they were not brought up, and both glided off again immediately without sustaining any damage.

H. T. A.

Admiralty, Dec. 3rd, 1850. BELL BUOY AT The Entrance of THE NEEDLES CHANNEL, ISLE OF WIGHT. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty hereby give notice that in compliance with the proposal of the South Western Steam Navigation Company, a Bell Buoy has been moored at the south-west end of the Shingles Shoal, near the outer end of the tail of the Shingles, in lieu of, and in the position formerly occupied by the Red Beacon Buoy off that shoal, and which Beacon Buoy has been removed.

H.M. Surveying Vessel Royalist, Labuan,
August 12th, 1850.

On the evening of the 9th inst., when N. 29° E., distant two miles from the north extremity of Labuan Island, (Bethune Head), and steering south for an anchorage off Konbony Bluff, the Royalist going at the time five knots, struck upon a rock which is not laid down in the chart.

It was nearly low water, and the vessel drawing a little under twelve feet, her keel gave two bumps, and she then passed clear.

The following bearings will place you upon the rock.

Tarras Point S. 0° 30′ E., and in line with a conspicuous ebony tree, in the body of Pappan Island.

A small tree upon an isolated rock, which lies close off Luke Point, a little open of Heath Point, S. 44° W.

Lookdan Islet, on the Borneo Shore, S. 69° E.

It is an isolated coral patch, upon which the sea is said to break occasionally at low water spring tides. One cable south of it there is 24 fathoms, but the contiguous depths are 4 and 5 fathoms.

Vessels should not pass inshore, that is, to the south-westward of it, as the ground is evidently foul. A good mark to clear it to the eastward, is keeping Tarras Point open of the western extremity of Pappan Island.

In the chart, there is a 4 fathom bank (of about half a mile in its longest diameter), laid down E.N.E., four cables from the position of the above rock.

Upon examination however, I think it must have disappeared, as the least water found upon the same spot was 6 fathoms.

I am, &c.,

WILLIAM THORNTON BATE, Commander.

· Mr. Reed, master of the brig Emma, at San Francisco, from Tahiti, reports, Oct. 8th, in lat. 37° 24′ N., long. 137° 27′ W., discovered two rocks not laid down in the chart, running north-east and south-west, one 150 fathoms long and 66 wide, the other about 100 fathoms long and 38 wide; on sounding, 5 fathoms was got on one part, and 3 fathoms alongside the rock. Mr. Reed is of opinion that in heavy weather the sea would break over it.-Shipping Gazette, Dec. 23rd.

TABLE LXXV.

For converting English fathoms into French Metres, and Metres into

EXAMINATION OF MASTERS AND MATES OF MERCHANT SHIPS.

A List of the Masters in the Merchant Service, who have voluntarily passed an Examination, and obtained Certificates of Qualification for the Class against each assigned, under the Regulations issued by the Board of Trade, to the 25th of October.

Those marked thus [m] served last as mates.