6,000 to 7,000 feet at about twelve miles distance from the coast, and keeping so far out as to reduce that to something approaching one-half, which seems to me, indeed, a very simple and effectual rule for avoiding this dangerous coast. In fact it might not be prudent, nor is it at all necessary, to keep too far from the Spanish coast, and therefore towards the middle of the Mediterranean, where, south of Adra, is the Alboran Island, with its adjacent rocks and shoals, which would be exactly in the vessel's course. Midway between this island and Point Entinas a shoal is also known to exist which has caused many disasters, the distance being about seven leagues from the coast. Vessels bound for Adra or for Almeria, though not keeping so far from the coast, should keep a good look-out on passing the cape or succession of dangerous points which have been described, the captain being particularly on his guard against the optical deception before noticed of mistaking the mountains for the coast. The Sierra de Gador, in particular, often towers above the fogs and haze, and even at night its dark outline may often be clearly seen against the sky. I have known some cases in bad weather when a foreign vessel has been off this dangerous coast, the captain hardly knowing where he was. For the benefit of strangers to the Mediterranean, I conclude, therefore, by giving a short description of the most conspicuous objects as seen by a vessel entering from the straits. The mountains cannot be mistaken. La Rabita.-A small port and village three leagues west of Adra, high mountains behind, the houses low, and a fort or castle close by to the eastward. Adra.-Situated at the foot of a high mountain, which has a good deal of cultivation and several white cortigos or farm houses on its slopes. West of the town are several lead smelting works, with high chimneys on the hill behind them, the roadstead being in front of these works. The town extends about a mile east, where a large square tower (part of the ancient castle) is seen, and near it the church. East of Adra commences the Sierra Alhamilla, a small mountain range from two to five or six miles inland, and, though very abrupt, not more than 1,000 to 1,200 feet high. Further north, or rather N. W., far beyond and towering above this low coast range, the lofty Sierra Nevada* range will generally be seen. The western end is shaped something like the roof of a house (peak of La Veleta, 11,420 feet high), a little east of which is a mountain formed of three fanciful peaks (peaks of Muley Hassan, 11,700 feet high). Then follows a long range eastward, about 2,000 feet lower than these two principal heights. In the winter the whole range is generally covered with snow, and even throughout the summer there are always large conspicuous patches of snow on the great western peaks of this lofty mountain range. The Sierra Alhamilla runs about eight or ten miles north of east, This mountain, the highest in Spain, is seen from Gibraltar, and at an enormous distance in all directions. NO. 11.-VOL. XXX. 4 к or towards Almeria, where it joins on to the far more lofty range of the Sierra de Gador, which runs about twenty miles eastward to that city, where it is terminated by the river of Almeria. The Sierra de Gador.-The highest of the coast ranges, whether seen on approaching it from the straits or when opposite to it, after passing Adra, has somewhat the form of an immense wedge, the highest part (an obtuse peak) being the S. W. point, from whence the mountain presents a long and gradual slope both to the northward and to the eastward. This high and abrupt S. W. peak* and escarpment of the mountain is about true north from the most dangerous part of the coast, where also the high western peaks of the Sierra Nevada will be seen over the Sierra Alhamilla (the low coast range) about true north-western. Roquetas. A village of low houses, with a high and prominent church; it has also a fort or battery commanding the roadstead which lies in front of, or eastward of, the village. Almeria.-A large town and capital of the province: cannot be mistaken, being in the centre of the bay. It is encircled northward by high Moorish walls and towers. The square tower of the cathedral rises in the centre, while to the westward is the port and mole. Also the castle of San Telmo, perched on a high crag, behind which runs the road to Adra, cut midway up among high hills and precipices overhanging the sea. From the above description every part of the coast in question may at once be recognised by strangers to the Mediterranean. All bearings have been expressed with reference to the true, not the magnetic, north. I have heard an opinion expressed that there may be some local deviation of the compass, that causes vessels unknowingly to approach too near to this coast; and two shipwrecked captains have stated to me that by the compass they considered they were steering quite off the coast when the ship struck. One, however, was an iron steamer, with part cargo of iron on board. In the other case I found, on inquiry, that the compass had previously deviated on the coast of Portugal. These two cases, therefore, admit of easy explanation, and I certainly know no cause for suspecting local attraction at this place, as there are no veins or masses of iron known to exist within a very considerable distance of the coast, though there is a good deal of lead and zinc ore in the mountains. It may be useful to state, however, that the magnetic variation is, or was five or six years ago, as follows:-Adra, 19° 17′ W.; Almeria, 19° 8' W. The best Spanish map that has been published places the point and tower of Entinas (or Sentinas) in lat. 36° 41' N., long. E. of Madrid, This peak is called La Cobache. Further east, and in the interior of the mountain, are two high peaks close together, called Les dos Hermanos, and the Pico de Sabinar, highest of all, 7,150 feet above the Mediterranean, are visible also from the coast of Africa. 0° 52'. The longitude of Madrid I have seen stated 15' 9" W. of Greenwich. It is important to notice also, that in the best and most recent map of Spain, that of Don Francisco Coello, Madrid, 1855, the Point Entinas is shown (as I have described it) projecting about three miles further South than the Cabo de Gata, while in older maps the two capes are shown as being on the same parallel. The foregoing report contains the result of several years' observation and experience on this coast. I could have wished to make it shorter, but in a matter which may be said to concern the safety of all foreign shipping entering into or going out of the Mediterranean, did not consider it right to omit any of the facts or explanations here given for the benefit of strangers to the coast. That such dangers should exist unnoticed, and without attracting the attention they deserve at the present day, does indeed seem extraordinary; but till the date of my first reports on the subject, in December, 1858, such was the case. Since then, however, I have seen losses on this coast to the amount of about £50,000. Nor, indeed, have I shown the whole number of vessels lately wrecked on this dangerous line of coast, there having been many disasters also near Torre Cerillos and Roquetas, and therefore in the district of Almeria; while I have only noticed the wrecks within the vice-consulate of Adra, and of which, therefore, I have full knowledge. The whole of the dangerous line of coast has, however, been fully described, though many of the recent losses upon it are not included. Finally, it is deserving of notice that the sea is gradually receding on parts of this coast, having retired considerably more than 100 yards on the beach at Adra within the last thirty years. On this subject, which is not without interest to navigation, I am still collecting information, to be communicated hereafter. An attentive perusal of the foregoing (the chart in hand, to understand well the localities) may assuredly be made the means of preventing nine-tenths of the continued wrecks and losses of which this coast has hitherto been the scene. FREDERICK BURR, Vice-Consul. FINDING COMPASS DEVIATION AT KRONSTAT. The hydrographic department of the Russian Imperial Ministry of Marine has given the following notice of an arrangement made in the commercial port of Kronstat to enable mariners to determine the deviations of their compasses, as resulting from the effects of the iron of the ship, or the 'cargo on board, whilst lying at anchor in the great roadstead of that port: viz. : The correct magnetic bearings of the foundry chimney from various parts of the western wall of the commercial port of Kronstat are indicated by a series of marks, ranging between the bearings of N. 89° E. and S. 79° E., painted on the western face of the wall. The degrees are marked in figures legible from the roadstead of Kronstat, the even figures being on a black ground, and the odd figures on a red ground, in the following order :— S. 89° E. East. N. 89° E. S. 86° E. S. 87° E. S. 88° E. indicating as here stated, under each figure. The half degree between each of the above is also denoted by a white circular mark between them. The difference between the bearing of the foundry chimney as indicated by any one of these marks and that observed from the ship when it is seen in line with it, is therefore the deviation of the compass. [It will be remembered that this arrangement is similar in principle to that adopted at Liverpool, where the bearings of Vauxhall chimney for the same purpose are legibly painted on the sea face of the dock walls of that port.] The variation of the compass at Kronstat has been assumed in the above arrangement to be 4° W. NATCHENDALL ISLAND,-Indian Ocean. We find the following in the remarks of H.M.S. Sphinx, Commander Geo. F. Day, 1860. "Whilst on our passage from the Cape of Good Hope to Java Head, on the 3rd of March, about 5h. p.m., observed, about 500 yards on the weather quarter, what, had there been anything marked down on our chart as near there, I should have put down as the round top of a rock. It was seen by three officers besides myself. The water was very smooth at the time and there was a slight ripple round it, like a current. We were under sail, going about 8 knots past it at the time. The next day, on looking at an old chart of 1817, on which the track of H.M.S. Hornet was marked down on her voyage out in 1854, I saw that there was an island called Natchengall marked down as doubtful very near the spot we passed, which, on working up our reckoning, was lat. 40° 24′ S., long. 52° 47′ E. I have not a doubt now but that it was that rock, and regret that I had not seen this old chart before that I might have ascertained it for certain." [It is indeed much to be regretted that so precious an opportunity was lost of determining the fact of this being a veritable rock instead of a sleeping whale, preserved by Rochette in his valuable chart of 1817. We trust, however, that the deep sea lead which has been exploring the bed of the Atlantic with so much effect as to displace several vigias from the chart, will tell us something more than it has yet done of the Indian Ocean, for there are several localities in store for it where it may be employed with great advantage. This is one of them and Rodriguez is another.-ED.] FRENCH NAVAL RESERVE. Paignton, October 19th, 1861. Sir, From the money article of the Times of the 16th inst. I extract the following paragraph :- "Private letters from Paris state that the Emperor is about to promulgate a complete and radical change in the system of the naval reserve. The whole of the reserve ships are to be maintained in a condition for active service on the shortest possible notice. A number of officers and crews are to be kept on board, and to such an extent that a large fleet can be sent to sea in an incredibly short time." Whatever value may be attached to this extensive organization of a naval reserve, I cannot permit our gallant ally to claim the merit of an original idea, however much I may congratulate his Imperial Majesty for his sagacity and foresight in carrying it out. In the Nautical Magazine for September, 1858, my own observations on this subject are thus expressed :— "As far back as the year 1847 I ventured to submit such a plan by stating that I had long been impressed with the opinion that it would be attended with great benefit to the service if a large body of naval officers, with a considerable number of men, were constantly attached to our reserved ships as the inceptive organization of a considerable fleet ;-in fact, that we should have, not only reserved ships, but reserved officers and reserved men. In addition to the service of the ordinary, which might with advantage be performed by the reserved force, I proposed that all dockyard duty, whether as riggers or such other labour as could with propriety be imposed upon our sailors, should devolve upon them," &c., &c. I am, &c., W. L. SHERINGHAM, Captain, R.N. To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine. ELECTRIC CABLES. 16, Argyll Street, W. Sir, I trust you will excuse me for again trespassing on your valuable space, but I am constrained to do so in answer to the Editorial remark you append to my letter in your October number; and as the doubt you express would possibly arise in every mind on reading my letter, under the circumstances, I am sure you will allow me the opportunity of answering it. You will observe in my letter that I state that the law on which I found my principle is to derive my electric excitement from moisture, i.e., the decomposition of water or of air, and not, as you appear to suppose, by the decomposition of metal; and in my cable my metals are preserved equally well or better than in the so-called insulated |