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800 THE L fe AD ER. [Saturda^,
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THE LOST ARAB SHIP. The outward English ...
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A YACHT RACE. A SPinrr-STntitiNO contest...
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IIUSHAND AND WIFE. The Honourable Mrn. N...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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History Of The Winds And Waves. Lieutena...
to proceed to Cape St . Roque , and then to cross the ocean , a . third time before they could reach the Cape of Good Hope , making a zig-zag , and crossing the Atlantic three times . Now , by the investigation of the subject of the winds on the outward and homeward routes , he discovered the space which he had before mentioned ; and he concluded that in this space the winds were the same in going out and in coming home . Accordingly , he recommended vessels to take the middle or new route . The W . K . C . Wright , of Baltimore , Jackson , master , was the first vessel that had , the courage to take the new route . The average passage to the Equator being then 41 days , Captain Jackson made it in 24 . He went to Rio and back in little more than the usual time occupied in going . This fact called the
attention of American navigators to the subject , and enabled Lieutenant Maury to proceed with his investigations . It enabled him to enlist the voluntary cooperation of shipmasters , who furnished him with an abstract log of the daily p osition of the ship ; of the prevailing direction of the wind for each of the three parts of the twenty-four hours into which sailors were accustomed to divide the day ; the height of the barometer , the state of the thermometer , and any remarks which it might have occurred to them to make touching the winds and the waves , and the general course of navigation . By these means he soon had a volunteer corps of a thousand American ships co-operating with him in all parts * the ocean , and furnishing him with the most valuable statistics .
The results of these investigations have been very striking . By their means the average passage from the United States to the Equator has been reduced from a mean of forty-one to a mean of about twentyseven days . Since the investigations were first commenced , the passage has been done in as short a time as seventeen days and a few hours . It was soon found that the early charts did not give information enough . Accordingly , another system of investigation was commenced , in which the ocea n was divided into spaces of five degrees square , five degrees of latitude , and five of longitude . Taking the log-books , Lieutenant Maury
co-ordinated the results , showing what vessels had reported to be the prevailing direction of the wind for each eight hours of the twenty-four . In some cases he had a thousand observations for a whole year ; in others , he had two thousand in a single month . Of course he then had the means of presenting a pretty fair average of the prevailing dh'ection of the wind in that part of the ocean and in that month of the year to which the returns applied . Among other things that he learnt was the fact that in a particular part of the ocean during winter or spring the wind was never found to blow from the westward or the northward . The American Government , anxious to collect and publish , for the benefit of commerce , all the results of these observations , have supplied their own mercantile marine with charts on the new principle , on condition that they should return an abstract log , properly kept and at the proper time . By a recent regulation , the American Government places British shipmasters on the same footing with American captains . Illustrating the uses of this systematic observation , Lieutenant Maury told a story , showing how whales have guided the search for Sir John Franklin . Some time ago he requested the American whaling masters
to furnirih him with their journal ? . With these journals ho divided the ocean into squares of live degrees each ; and he had the map so arranged that he could toll how ninny days in each month of the year vessels spent in any particular spot of the ocean in looking for whales ; how many days they had . seen sperm whales , and how many days they had seen right whales ; by which means he was enabled to . sen very clearly what parts of the ocean were most frequented by whales , and whut parts of it , at various periods of the year , a Horded % \ w best hunting grounds . It turned out that there was a bolt of 2500 miles in breadth , going right round the world , in which the right whale was never seen . The right whale could never cross l-he tropics ; and , in the opinion of u whaler who had been on both . sides ,
the riglit whale of the North Pacific , and the right whale of ( Greenland was one und the snme animal , the inferences being that at some period of the year there must be a water communication from one l ; o the other through the Arctic seas . At that period the sympathies of nil the world were keenly alive to the' late of Sir John Franklin and his companions . The fact of the whales on either side being considered identical , led to an important discovery . Taking up f , ho slender clue which those dumb creatures hud , as it were , placed in his hands , the ) Secretary of the American Navy directed Lieutenant Do Iluven , the commander of the American expedition in scureh of Sir John Franklin , to go up'the Wellington Straits , and when there to look to ( he north-west for an open sea , passage . Ijiouteuanl , Do Hiivon . and Captain Penny , and others , went there ,
found the passage , and came home and reported it j and the world was indebted in a great measure to the whales for that discovery . The statements embodying these facts were received by the British merchants with respect and lively at * tention . One gentleman having remarked that these were jealous times as between nations , and that jealousy would perhaps interfere witlrthe attainment of the
object , Lieutenant Maury said— "I admit that the times are jealous , but must remind the gentleman that England and the United States are now jealous for good works . ( Loud cheers . ) I believe the British Government will be disposed to share with that of the United States the honour of these investigations ; and I shall be most happy to see the two nations entering into a rivalry which is likely to be attended with such good results . " ( Cheers . )
800 The L Fe Ad Er. [Saturda^,
800 THE L fe AD ER . [ Saturda ^ ,
The Lost Arab Ship. The Outward English ...
THE LOST ARAB SHIP . The outward English mails for Bombay were brought to Aden by the Ajdaha , which reached that place in a shattered condit ion , her rudder being- almost rotten . Under these circumstances , an Arab ship called the FazlILereem , which-had ,., a few days before , arrived from Jiddah with a cargo of salt and pilgrims bound to Singapore , was engaged by the political agent to carry the mails to Bombay . It ? s not known whether she was properly surveyed before the engagement was entered into , but as no veto was placed upon the native commander against taking- freight from Aden , he took an additional large cargo from that port , so that when she Ic pufe to sea she was deep in the water , and carried in crew and pilgrim passengers 191 persons . The Hindostan , as above stated , arrived from Suez on the 12 th , coaled , and left on the 13 th ; but there being no steamer to tow out the Fazl JKereem , she remained in harbour till the evening of the 13 th , when , a favourable wind occurring from the north-east , she made sail and got clear of Cape Aden . Mr . Hankins was sent in charge of the mails . He was an acting master in the Indian navy , the son of an English clergyman , and was supplied with a chronometer to aid the native commander in the navigation of the vessel . ' " * ..
The Fazl Kereem left in one of those storms called by the Arabs a "Shamaul , " which bring with them clouds of dust , completely filling the atmosphere , and making everything look gloomy and desolate . On sailing out of the harbour several of" her sails were riven by the wind—a sad presage of the fate which awaited that unfortunate ship ! Many were the predictions in Aden that she would , never reach her destination , for , even if she weathered the sea , it was firmly believed she would fail to make Bombay in her course . Some of the Aden residents so much anticipated an accident that they chose to send their letters to Bombay by the Hindostan , via Galle , and others detained them for a future and more promising opportunity . Only cloven out of one hundred and ninety-one souls have lived to tell the fato of their doomed . companions . Threo of these have reached Aden , two pilgrims and a
Lascar , and they etate that on the morning after the ship left Aden , when she was only about twenty miles distant from , that port , it was discovered that there were six feet of water in the hold . This alone , with an under cargo of salt , was sufficient to call forth tho energy , and perhaps to baffle tlio stalwart strength , of British seamen ; but the crew were poor miserable natives , and tho passengers wore chiefly Mussulmans , whoso wretched doctrino of fatalism robbed thorn of their natural power , Tho witnesses speak most strongly of tho efforts of poor Mr . ITankins , who urged tho men to stand to tho pumps and to clear tho longboat ; but it was all in vain . Tho spring butt ( which appears to have beon tho cause of tho disaster ) gavo admittance to tho water , little or no offort was made to stay tho progress of the drowning element , and in a few hours the vessel filled and wont down bodily .
A Yacht Race. A Spinrr-Stntitino Contest...
A YACHT RACE . A SPinrr-STntitiNO contest took place at tho Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta on Wednesday . This day was appropriated to the race for Her Majesty ' s Cup , value 100 / ., for schooners belonging to tho club under 200 tons , the eour . so being the same as that for his Royal Highness Prince Albert ' s Cup—viz ., from tho Club House to Yarmouth , from theneo to the Nab-Light , und back to the station-vessel moored olF West Cowes Castle . Tho following schooners contested : —• Yachts . Tons . Owners . Gloriu . ua L'H Mr . Joseph Goo ... Red and Whito . Shark 150 Mr . W . Curling ... Bluo Peter . Viking 110 Major A . Stirling ... Blue . Only throo caino to the post , in consequence of a deficiency in the crow of tho Irene . Tho day was delightfully fino , presenting- a remarkable contrast to that of yesterday , with a smart breeze blowing from tho north-west . When all was in readiness for the
start , scarcely before the flag No . 2 , hoisted at tho head of tho signal-post of the Club House , had time to get fairly unfurled , sit half-past ton , tho gun was fired , the ( Uoriana taking a good lead , the Viking followingher at about a cabloVlength distance , and tho Shark about the Fume distance astern . Tho tide now running down , they were soon well away , and they made good their run down the western Channel . At llh . llm ., on getting abreast of Gurnet Bay , the Gloriana , who now held an " excellent wind , wna about a milo ahead of the Viking , with about half that dihitaneo botwoon her and the Shark . The mark-bout at Yarmouth wa « rounded hi the following order :- —<
¦ ¦ . ¦ ¦ : ¦ : " . - . " .. . . H . M . S . Gloriana 11 31 0 Viking ................. 11 42 30 Shark ....... * .............. 11 , 43 15 The vessels now had to beat up against a flood tide with the wind , however , in their favour . Subsequentl y the wind very considerably dropped , and the '¦ . Shark having gradually been creeping upqji her rival * , succeeded , on passing Cowes Castle , in taking the lead of the Gloriana , and came abreast of the mark-boat half a minute before her . The following was the time of their arrival : —
H . m . . Shark 1 47 0 Gloriana 1 47 30 Viking .......:. 1 50 0 The warmest acclamations greoted the Shark on her arrival at this point , and ardent were the congratulations of her friends ; but she had not long passed from abreast of the Club-house when the Gloriana began v gradually to draw upon her , and before she had reached Old Castle Point the Gloriana had left her at a respectful distance in her wake . Passing the No
Man-Buoy , the Nab Light , and in returning to the No Man Buoy there was no change , the Gloriana still taking the lead . When off Old Castle Point the Shark made a long tack to the northward ( the Gloriana being then nearly half a mile to the windward ) , and caught a strong wind to the north-west , which brought her up nearly alongside the Gloriana before the latter vessel felt the breeze . An interesting and capital race took place from this point , which terminated in favour of the Gloriana by forty seconds only . The following was the time of arrival as given officially by the club :-
—H . M . B , Gloriana 6 35 0 Shark 6 35 40 Viking 6 48 0 The . Viking and the Shark are both new vessels , the latter having been built by Mr . Worrell , of Poole , and is considered to be a specimen of naval architecture . The present is her first match ; and , from her sailing to-day , gives promise that , as soon as her trim is properly ascertained , she will rank as a clipper of no small or mean pretensions . The Gloriana , which at ^ the time this was written was the leading vessel , had the good fortune to win her Majesty ' s Cup at this regatta last year .
The American builders have sent a distinguished competitor to this year ' s regatta . It is the new American clipper Sylvie , whose fame has long since preceded her arrival on the English shores . As she now lies in the Solent , viewed from tho beach , her hull does in a great measure resemble her prototype , the noted America , but is unlike her in other respects , being cutterrigged , with an immense breadth of beam , and carries a false or dropping keel . This enables her in light weather to draw but very little water , ' but if occasion requires her to stand under a very heavy press of canvass , then she can drop her keel for the time , and g aiu all tho advantages which it will effect . This keel can bo lowered about 15 foot . Her tonnage is 105 tons , her
mast 82 feet long , 72 feet boom ; from tho end of tho bowsprit to tho mast 50 feet , and tho jib-boom 18 feet out . The length of her deck is 80 feet ; beam , 24 feet m inches ; depth ; 7 feet ; and draft of water , G £ feet aft , and 3 | feet at the fore . According to tho statements of the American papers , her owner , Mr . Louis Depau , a gentleman of family and fortune , is willing to test her sailing qualities with anything in Europe , not oxcep ting tho renowned America , for an amount of money , f or the honour of the American llag . The now Swedish wonder , tho Aurora Borealis , is now lying m theso roads , and it is the opinion of some of the best ju < l p in such matters , that with a breozo there is nothing on these waters that can " take tho wind out of her . "
Iiushand And Wife. The Honourable Mrn. N...
IIUSHAND AND WIFE . The Honourable Mrn . Norton , writer of many popnlm fictions , is separated from her husband , tho Magistrate of Lambeth Police Court . Some trudosinon , who oxocuted carriage repairs for tho lady ( in 1843 , from thonco to 1850 ) , instituted a suit against tins hushim " to recover the amount . They summoned tho wife () give evidence as to tho debt , and to tho liability of t » io husband . Mrs . Norton was thus compelled to ll Pl ) l ! al in court , and there onsued u partial exposure of » ' » ° circumstances of her position . On the " separation' ^ in 1830 , her h usband , it vntf arranged , should allow her 400 / U year . This annuity tfi ^ irregularly paid ; and another agreement tor un allowaii of 5 ( MV . a " year was made in 1848 . But that annuity "'• boon stopped , und Mrs . Norton , in consequence , lm y " ({ come involved in debts amounting to over nix l » un < lil pounds , ono of which is tho debt for earring 0 r * J ! ' " These tradesmen , " said Mr » . Norton to il »« M " u , ' ( rate , " have u right to their money ; awl if X 1 >»( 1 ' " day tlmt my husband is enabled to cueapo in " > « °
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 20, 1853, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20081853/page/8/
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