close abstracts and dates in the very words used by Captain M'Clintock. Now, one would almost naturally have supposed that in a region so remote and so physically peculiar,-locked in nearly perpetual ice, subject to occasional thaws and congelations upon a mighty scale,the state of the weather would be affected by laws different in some measure from those which govern the sunny zones of lower latitudes. Taking the general public impression as to the effect of electricity in those regions where the aurora gives its splendid evidences of electromagnetic excitement, we should, from the extraodinary activity which such phenomena seem to denote, have reasonably expected a marked exemption from influences which regulate atmospheric disturbances in other climates. But no! M'Clintock's narrative (only, by the bye, read by me a month since) confirms the simple truth that there is one general weather system available for all parts of the earth, acting of course with variable intensity at the same moment at different places. Any apparent exception to this ought, therefore, to be capable of some elucidation by me; although it should not be demanded that a question which has occupied so many abler heads than mine for so many years, without success, should be solved in all its bearings in a comparative day or two. On the Allies gaining a footing on the Peiho, why was a royal salute heard throughout the land, if not to encourage further progress? But I have to occupy my Pekin before being allowed to consider myself on solid grounds. It may be, however, that I am already on the North Gate. But to resume. The navigator may argue that because the system I propose professes to indicate changes of some sort about once a week, his experience in passing through the belts of the Trades is repugnant to my views; because (as I can myself also testify) in entering the Trades, he can, in full confidence of settled weather, and according to the season, bend his oldest suit of sails, stopper his topsail sheets to the yards, &c. To this I would answer that unless the indefatigable Maury be in great error this is a beautiful and cheering evidence of the consistency of my lunar theory; for if the changes of the moon in her declination have power to disturb the electric equilibrium of the two hemispheres, the equatorial regions would be the grand laboratory for the production of the effects of such disturbances. But Maury demonstrates that there is a continual ascent of air (of course in whatever state of disturbance or repose it may be in other respects) from the great belt of equatorial calms, and that it is carried above the neighbouring strata of the N.E. and S.E. Trade winds;— that from the higher portions of the atmosphere these descend again, meeting the earth's surface at the calms of Cancer and Capricorn, sweeping the faces alike of the temperate and frigid zones, even to the regions of polar calms themselves. The regions of the Trades, therefore, at the earth's surface ought to be exempt from the direct influences, which, as Maury shows, pass high above; while such in fluences would be in active operation from the calms of Cancer and Capricorn along the earth's surface to the arctic calms at either pole,— and wide experience in observation seems to confirm these. But to return to the forty-six abstracts from M'Clintock. You will perceive, Sir, in the enclosed that, with the exception of one record, which appears ambiguous as to date, only two gales occurred which seem not to belong to my system. Captain M'Clintock himself accounts for them as local when he speaks of the windy peculiarities of Bellot Strait. Two others are evidently records of revolving storms. The remainder are in indisputable accordance with my lunar theory. And it is again remarkable that while the periods between the times which I mark as suspicious are from five to seven days, the average of all the storms in M'Clintock's narrative falls within an hour or two per day of my precise periods of expected change,-the amounts. of retardation (as explained in a former case) compensate the amounts of acceleration. Why, Sir, this is not mere coincidence! it is proof! and as such I beg to be allowed to consider it until these coincidences can be explained by any other man living by any other system. It must, however, be remembered that my humble opinions were formed from observations patiently and laboriously followed up through years. These corroborations are not the less welcome because they came after my theory had been publicly announced for twelve months. Now what, Sir, is my consistent course? I can give a list of some sixty periods of probable change of weather for the current year (two have passed already with abundant satisfaction to all about me). While we are deliberating as to the manner in which the public may derive the greatest benefit, permit me to offer a List of days on which the weather may reasonably be suspected as liable to change, most probably towards high winds or lower temperature, up to March 1st, 1861 : January 2nd*; 8th or 9th; 15th or 16th; 23rd; 29th*; The days marked with an asterisk are likely to be strongly influenced,—in what manner I cannot say. I only hope that for pity's sake no crowded emigrant or troop ship will put to sea at these periods. In conclusion, I beg further to state that I can offer useful hints on future mode of registry of weather, and hope to do so. I have, &c., S. M. SAXBY, R.N., To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine. [The following remarkable phenomenon has been pointed out in a Calcutta paper, in which it is described as occurring on the 6th of December last,-one of Mr. Saxby's marked days.-ED.] NO. 2.-VOL. XXX. L Calcutta, December 8th. The weather now is delightfully cool, and, though it is called the winter, the season has quite a summer aspect. If it were like this all the year round it would be a splendid climate. The atmosphere is usually clear and dry; but the day before yesterday, after a foggy uight, we had a most singular spectacle at sunrise, which seemed to indicate a wintry moisture. The fog had settled in solid layers, like snow ridges, over the wide plain called the Maidaun,-the lungs, or Hyde Park, of the City of Palaces. The layers were generally about from ten to fourteen feet in height,-here and there nearly twice that height; between these layers the ground was perfectly distinct and the air clear, and the sky above quite resplendent. But the people walking through the centre of the thicker layers were quite hidden, while in some two or three of the thinner layers figures were dimly visible, like theatrical ghosts behind gauze curtains. A temporary erection of mats, bamboo, and thatch, called "De Vere's Amphitheatre," where feats of horsemanship are exhibited twice a week, had a most singular appearance, for only the dark thatched roof was visible, and it seemed supported, not on bamboos and mats, but on the snow-like mist by which it was surrounded in the lower part. The entire pediment, also, of Lord Hardinge's monument, on the triangular plot of ground called the Cocked Hat, was completely lost sight of, and the gallant soldier seemed to be riding on the surface of the snow. Only the tops of trees were visible, and looked as if they were floating on snowwhite water. There is a collection of tents on the plain, some of which glimmered through the thinner layers of the mist, and others just showed their pointed tops. To complete the scene, the sun rose in the form of a deep red ball of marvellous magnitude. In a long life I never saw the sun in so expanded a state before. It was a globe of fire without flame-seeming to give neither light nor heat. It was as if it were painted on the sky. Suddenly a line of redcoats issued from a thick fog, and as they emerged into the light followed by the white-coated band of the Fusileers, the latter struck up a most cheerful strain of martial music, changing altogether the tone of the scene. At the same time a smart breeze sprang up, quickly swept away the pageant of mist, and bared the whole green plain to the light, while the golden sun turned into silver and dwindled into its ordinary dimensions. THE RECENT VOYAGE OF H.M.S. "BULLDOG," CAPTAIN SIR F. L. M'CLINTOCK, FOR DEEP SEA SOUNDINGS,-Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador. Report to the Hydrographer of the Admiralty, 11th November, 1860. Leaving Stornoway on 1st July, we proceeded without loss of time to the Faroe Islands, stopping only twice to sound; when, about midway and where the chart led us to expect about 680 fathoms water, we obtained bottom in 254 fathoms. I landed at Thorshavn for the purpose of communicating with the governor and of obtaining a pilot, but did not make any examination of the little bays near it. They appeared to afford ample shelter and security for any cable landed there; but the strong tide outside them, between Stromöe and Naalsöe, might prove objectionable,-we found it running fully three knots an hour on 4th July (two days after the full moon). In Westmanshavn Fiord it ran much stronger. Off the port of Westmanshavn it appeared to run six knots, and although the harbour is most excellent, it would not (for this reason) be advisable to bring a cable there. In fact, these strong tides occasion the only difficulty or danger in approaching Westmanshavn. The topography of the Faroe Islands was very correctly laid down in 1806 by Captain Born, who was, I believe, an officer of the Royal Danish Engineers, but the seaman will find that the positions of offlying islets and rocks are not always marked with the same accuracy. The rock off Mylen Head, at N.W. outlet of Westmanshavn Fiord, is placed close in to the land, instead of being three-fourths of a mile off shore. I was informed that the channel between Stromöe and Osteröe is contracted to fifty or eighty yards in one part, and is comparatively shallow; hence there cannot be much tide through it, and upon this account I would seek a landing-place for the Iceland cable near to the N.W. outlet of this channel, at Haldervig or Eide. Leaving Westmanshavn on 6th July, we sounded across towards Ingolf Holde, during tolerably fine weather, and found the depth generally less than 300 fathoms: in one part we passed from 350 fathoms to 680 fathoms and then to 368 fathoms, within a distance of thirty-five miles. The soundings near to Ingolf Holde we found to be irregular and shallower than the charts indicate, but foul weather prevented our determining this point with critical accuracy. There are, therefore, no difficulties upon the sea route between Faröe and Iceland for the proposed cable. We reached Reikiavik (the chief town of Iceland) on 11th July. The expected collier had not arrived, so we sailed again on 14th. I was informed that no drift ice ever enters the great bays of Faxe and Brede (in the former of which Reikiavik is situated), and yet that no other portions of the shores of Iceland are wholly exempt from it; neither do these bays ever freeze over. It seems probable that the Gulf Stream strikes most directly upon this part of the island. A cable could be landed in Faxe Bay with ease and security, and probably to the South and West of Reikiavik. I was also informed that a telegraphic wire could not be carried overland along the South coast, on account of the many wide rivers, which bring down ice in the spring season. Neither could it be conveyed at a moderate distance inland, as glaciers abound; but beyond these glaciers and mountains, and near to the North shore, it could be effected. Five days of calm weather enabled us to complete the soundings across to within twenty-five miles of Cape Vallöe, on East coast of Greenland, nearer approach being barred by closely packed ice. The soundings generally were very regular, the greatest depth (1,572 fathoms) being found in mid-channel; but on a near approach to the Greenland shore a very sudden change was experienced. Here we passed from a depth of 806 fathoms to 228 fathoms, in a distance of three miles and a quarter. Keeping close in to the ice (which formed a margin, about twentyfive miles wide, to the coast), we sounded to the southward nearly as far as Prince Christian Sound, when a gale of wind compelled us to stand off shore. From this date (19th July) until 18th August we were unable to proceed with our soundings; gales of wind and vast quantities of ice prevented us from doing so near Cape Farewell. Ice barred all approach to Frederickshaab, in lat. 62° N., where a collier was directed to meet us; and after repeated fruitless attempts to get into a more southern port, we entered Goodhaab, in lat. 64° N., on 7th August, towing in our collier, which we had met with off Frederickshaab a few days previously. Gales of wind had been experienced on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 29th July, also on 5th August. With great difficulty we threaded our way into port through the ice, where we found six vessels unable to get out; and within twelve hours after our arrival the ice again packed in so closely that an active man could have walked on shore over it. I was informed here that so much ice very rarely visits the coast. Goodhaab Fiord never freezes over, but this, perhaps, is mainly owing to the strength of the tide. It is usually quite free from ice between December and June or July, when the "great pack" (or "Spitzbergen ice," as it is sometimes called), drifts up from Cape Farewell, and more or less obstructs navigation for about one month; but some years are so favourable that none is seen, as in 1857. The present year it came in very late, not arriving until 18th or 20th July. The Danish provision ship came and went without obstruction in May. Having taken on board the coals and rated chronometers, we sailed on 13th August. Mr. Reed, Master and Assistant-Surveyor, aided by some of the officers, had made such survey of the harbour and its approaches as the ice and our limited stay permitted. We found Frederickshaab and the whole coast to the southward still blockaded by ice, and were obliged to commence, on 18th August, our line of soundings between Cape Farewell and Hamilton Inlet, in 1,175 fathoms, and forty-five miles off shore. Very indifferent weather now prevailed, retarding and rendering our sounding a matter of difficulty; but on 24th August we anchored in Indian Harbour, Hamilton Inlet, having completed a very fair line of soundings from Greenland. The changes of depth were found to be gradual, and the greatest depth 2,032 fathoms. From 24th until 31st August was spent in an examination of the inlet, which is considerably narrower, has less depth of water at its |