ate regions of our globe any more immediate cause than that resulting from a change in the direction of the wind. In France, with northerly winds the weather is cold,-not so when the wind is southerly; but it is dry when the wind is East, and wet when it is West. Winds, again, from intermediate points modify the weather accordingly-thus, a N.E. wind is dry and cold; the S.W. wind is moist and warm. But amongst them all there is not one constant wind. All more or less depend on local and accidental circumstances, such as difference of soil, the meeting with other aerial currents of a mountainous country, the sudden cooling of a current of air, by which it falls into the lower atmosphere, &c. From such causes perpetual changes and perturbations arise, so as to prevent us from effectually foretelling the kind of weather that is to follow either a day or even a few hours to come.

Such predictions have for some time only been found in almanacks of the lowest character, mostly anonymous, and not worth the trouble of refutation, and it may be hoped soon to disappear. And yet this has not been the case, for during the last two years there has been a superabundance of these publications. Notwithstanding Arago said, in the Annuaire abovementioned, "Whatever may be the progress of science, truthful men, careful of their reputation, will not hazard a prediction of the weather," incredible as it may appear, we have seen serious and justly esteemed journals vying with Mathew Larnsberg in foretelling the weather as long as fifteen days or a month beforehand. These predictions concerning the cold of the month of January, which should give us frost to freeze up our rivers and cover them with crowds of skaters, have met with the fate they deserved. The lowest temperature of that month was on the 10th. The wind being from North, the thermometer was 64° colder on that day in Paris at six o'clock in the morning; but on the next day the frost disappeared, and the weather became quite like spring.

Nothing is more difficult than to foretell the weather, even for a few hours beforehand. This was proved by the author within the last few days-Saturday, 22nd January, in the morning, the temperature was low, the wind light, and the sky cloudy. This, however, did not prevent the sun from appearing for some time in the middle of the day. Going out in the afternoon, the sky being clear, no umbrella was taken; but, in spite of the favourable appearances, rain came down all the evening, and gave the author a wetting.

The next day (Jan. 23rd) the sky was the same as the morning before, except that it was clearer and the sun still brighter; and, again going into the fields, the weather promised so well that, in spite of the mischance the evening before, no umbrella was taken. The weather continued fine till four in the afternoon; but the sky then became cloudy, the wind fresh from S.W., and in one hour after the rain commenced; it increased more and more, so that on returning to Paris at nine or ten in the evening the author was again the victim of his want of fore-knowledge of the weather.

But, once more, on the following day (the 24th), in the morning

the state of the sky was again the same as that of the two preceding days, the temperature a little lower, the wind light and hazy, but with a bright sunshine, &c.; and again the author sallied forth. However, with two such previous warnings, an umbrella was this time his companion until returning an hour after evening. But there was no occasion even to open it, for not a drop of rain fell.

What conclusion may be drawn from these facts, except that in meteorology we must not reason by syllogism? If in argument the same facts always lead to the same conclusions, it must never be forgotten in predicting the weather, that two days beginning in the same manner often end very differently.

THE NAVIGATION OF THE FRAZER RIVER, AND ITS APPROACHES.

Vancouver, February 26th.

I stated, for the information of our mutual friends, that no person should think of chartering a vessel from London, or any home port, for the Frazer River, on account of the difficulties and dangers of the navigation. Since the departure of last mail I have had opportunities of hearing the opinions of several of my friends here, many of whom are of opinion that ships will load at home direct for the Frazer; but I must say that those who hold this opinion are most of them landsmen. The naval officers who have been cruising about the place in screw steamers, be it remembered, admit that it is practicable for vessels of a certain draught to enter the Frazer, but that they should be towed over from Victoria by steamtugs, which they fondly imagine will be found here in great plenty after a time; but, in my humble opinion, the expences of a steamtug here, with engineers at £30 per month, sailors and firemen £11 or £12, and coals at £3 per ton, preclude the idea of any ship being able to pay the exorbitant charges of towage which must be asked in order to meet those expences, to say nothing as yet of the extra risk and insurance.

However, having heard the advocates pro and con, I determined, if possible, to take a trip to the Frazer and judge for myself as to the advisability of ships going from Europe direct for the Frazer; and my opinion, after seeing the place and its approaches, is decidedly against it. Having obtained leave of absence, I embarked. It will be sufficient for me to state that the navigation from Victoria to the entrance of the Frazer should only be attempted by a person possess ing competent local knowledge, on account of the numerous islands you pass between. The surveys of H.M.S. Plumper have done much in discovering anchorages at convenient distances, which are always attainable by steamers; but, unfortunately, it frequently happens, on account of calms or light winds, that sailing vessels are unable to reach those anchorages, being all close in with the land, and they are thus

left to drift in the various channels at the mercy of the tides, which are at times, and in places, strong, and the only resource left to them in a dark night is to drop the anchor and veer cable to 30 or 40 fathoms, letting the anchor lie pendulous, in hopes it may hook something before the ship drifts into danger, which is by no means certain. This has been done frequently.

To my mind the officers of H.M. ships having always a steamer under their feet, underrate the difficulties and dangers in the navigation of this place; and when they speak of the facility and safety with which these parts may be navigated, I respectfully submit that such remarks would apply to steam-vessels alone.

We did not reach the entrance of Frazer River at the Sand Heads until the dusk of evening, and snow squalls combined, rendered it impossible to attempt the channel; and just before dark the captain, who is one of the best pilots of this coast, had a boat lowered to sound ahead of the ship, for, as he said, you would have 50 fathoms, and then be on shore. Presently the leadsman on board announced 15 fathoms. The anchor was let go immediately, but did not reach the bottom. I took hold of the lead-line; there was no bottom at 20 fathoms; but with the deep-sea lead-line we had 35 fathoms. Veered cable and brought the ship up, and then had 17 fathoms over the stern, and two ships' length more astern had four fathoms. I am thus particular in describing the anchorage at the Sand Heads, because it is all the anchorage you have. The sands are nearly perpendicular, and in our position as above we had the channel open, and were but just outside the edge of the sand. The only anchorage for ships in the vicinity is off Point Roberts, seven miles to S.E. of the Sand Heads. The holding gronnd off Point Roberts is good, but no shelter is afforded from the westerly winds; it is an exposed anchorage.

The next morning we entered the river through a narrow channel between the sands (the only one). The least water we had was 2 fathoms. At high water there would be but four fathoms, and as there must be a heavy swell here with westerly and northerly winds, in my opinion nothing drawing more than 12 feet should attempt the Frazer. All the lower part of the river, on both sides, is low land, covered with scrub and brushwood, and overflows with the freshets during summer. There is no place sufficiently elevated for a town site until some distance up.

The site selected for the new town and capital is a pretty rising ground on the North bank, immediately below the junction of the Pitt River with the Frazer. The Pitt River district is supposed to be rich in auriferous deposit, and, as some of them say, will "knock the Frazer River out higher than a kite." The new town is to be called Queenborough. Great disappointment is manifested by the settlers here that the town is not fixed at Langley, where it was at first intended to be placed, as barracks are already built there, church and court-house commenced, &c. But Langley is on the South side of the river, and only seven miles from the American lines, and this is a dis

advantage which cannot be got over. Fifty-seven canoes passed up for the diggings a day or two before we arrived. The prospects of the diggers are brighter than ever. In one locality, the Bridge River, I heard they were making 150 dollars a day per man.

Little can be said of the country hereabouts just now, further than that the river winds its way through between lofty mountains, at this time sprinkled with snow, with a small patch of somewhat level land here and there on the river banks. I saw nothing at Langley to tempt me to prolong my stay; it was cold, cheerless, and comfortless. The town consists of a few wooden shanties and stores, among which flourishes the Caledonian Restaurant, the Columbian Exchange, &c., all of which, I am told, will have to be raised up on stilts and well moored, or be washed away by the freshets during summer. The H.B.C. schooner Recovery is lying alongside the bank, affording temporary quarters for the officers and men of the Royal Engineers until the barracks are completed.

Returning to Victoria, we stopped opposite the site of Queenborough to land the first lumber for buildings. The only houses there at present are two log huts for a party of men from the Royal Engineers, Captain Parsons, their officer, living in a tent close by,-not very comfortable, you will say, in a country where, during my visit, it was snowing every day and freezing every night. We wayed from Queenborough about one p.m., and I began to rejoice that we should be in Victoria early the next morning; but, alas! I was doomed to know something more of the Frazer than I bargained for. We unfortunately got aground on the sands when nearly out of the channel, and there we lay until ten p.m., when she floated off, and anchored in four fathoms. Fortunately there was little or no wind. Had there been much wind to cause a swell, we might not have come off so easily. A schooner above us, the Island Queen, which had been thirteen days coming down from Langley, took advantage of our position as a beacon, and dropped down until abreast of us, and then anchored; and there we left her. It will probably be another week before she reaches Victoria. Such is the Frazer and its approaches. Its advocates as a shipping port can make the most of it.

A small schooner, the Pilgrim of New York, got on the sands, and is now hove down in Victoria undergoing repairs at a great expence. The buoys which are laid down to mark the channel are not to be depended on, as the sands are continually shifting.

After what I have written above, I need not say again that my opinion is decidedly against any vessel going from home direct for the Frazer. I am only the more convinced since my visit that Victoria or Esquimault must be the depot. Victoria Harbour is safe for vessels of 18 feet. Vessels of that draught can at present lie afloat alongside the wharf, and more wharfage is in contemplation. The greatest drawback to Victoria is its being somewhat difficult of access, on account of sharp turns round the outer point; but the neighbouring harbour of Esquimault is one of the finest in the world, and will ad

mit ships of any size at all hours; and it is in contemplation to build wharves along its shores, to admit vessels alongside, with warehouses attached to receive ships' cargoes. The distance of Esquimault from Victoria is four miles by sea, and about three miles or less by land. Shipping Gazette.

MANNING THE NAVY.

The following circular, relative to the treatment of volunteers from the merchant service to the royal navy, has just been issued by the Admiralty:

Sir,-Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to invite the sailors of the merchant service to join H.M. navy, in order that this country and its commerce may be adequately protected under the varying circumstances of a war in Europe, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you that the men who loyally accept the invitation deserve a cordial reception from the profession that has sought them.

It must be borne in mind that men, on first joining the royal navy, will have to renounce many old customs, and to adopt others which will at first be irksome to them, but they will learn to appreciate the order that is indispensable for the comfort and efficiency of large bodies of men, if the change in their habits be effected by the officers with temper and with judgment. If, on the contrary, an expectation prevail that these men will be able suddenly to accommodate themselves to the necessary restraints of a ship of war, and if a harsh attempt be made to compel their immediate conformity to these restraints, they will feel they have been unfairly and unwisely treated. Such a feeling would be most unfortunate.

These considerations alone would seem sufficient to secure to such seamen a proper solicitude for their contentment; but the impression produced upon the merchant seamen, on the present occasion, must have a very important influence in times to come. If they be not now cordially received and kindly treated, the unfortunate repugnance for the navy that has so long prevailed will be strengthened and perpetuated, to the irreparable injury of the national interests.

The presence of these merchant seamen in H.M. ships should not only be a source of present strength, but, by securing their regard for the service, it should be the means of spreading a similar feeling among the whole seafaring populations of our islands.

Those whose duty it may be to instruct the men should be firm, but they should also be patient and forbearing. The men should be taught the necessity for their exercises and to take an interest in them accordingly. Steadiness at quarters and precise firing are the first steps towards efficiency, and the next is a silent and seamanlike performance of other duties, without aiming at great rapidity.