With the foregoing before us, it was evident that there were either two banks, one found by him and the other by Captain Roe, for, as Captain Heckford says, there is a difference of eighteen miles of latitude between them, and there appears also a difference of longitude amounting to thirty minutes. In order to reason from admitted facts of the subject, we addressed a few queries to Captain Heckford, to which we have received the following replies:

eye of

18th June, 1859. Sir,-In replying to your inquiries, I beg to state that the the observer was elevated eighty-two feet above the level of the sea (from the main royal yard), and that in my opinion then (as now) the land seen was the peak of St. Matthew. The bearing was taken from a compass on the rail near the gangway, with a long batten placed across the compass-box, for the observer (aloft) to give a bearing as near as possible, which is magnetic, and not corrected for deviation. The distance I considered to be about twenty-one leagues.

I would here beg to add that the position assigned to the bank is in accordance with the longitude of the Seyer Islands. But from my long experience on this coast, I am led to believe that Barren Island, Narcondam, Elephant Point, Amherst Point, and the Torres and Seyer Islands are placed five miles too far to the westward, and which future observations I have no doubt will confirm.

I would also beg to state that I am fully convinced there is eighteen miles difference of latitude between Roe Bank and the one discovered by me, whatever may be the relative positions of these banks as to their true longitude.

I have, &c.,

To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine.

N. HECKFORD.

With the foregoing data we are inclined to conclude that Captain Roe's chronometer was likely to be about thirty minutes too far West, because Captain Heckford's distance of the bank from the land is checked by the sight of St. Matthew's Peak from the mast-head, and which he concludes to be about twenty-one leagues.-(The chart makes it sixty-two miles.) But the bearing of St. Matthew's Peak (if the latitude of this peak be correct, and as we believe with him it is that which he saw) by no means agrees with that so carefully taken by Captain Heckford. From Captain Heckford's latitude and longitude of the bank, the peak would really bear E. 19° S., or about E.b.S.S., and not "E.S." For, with the peak on this bearing of "E.S.," Captain Heckford's position must have been in about 10° 6 N. lat., assuming his longitude to be nearly right, and which we consider it to have been; while at the same time that position agrees better with Captain Roe's position in latitude, although differing largely from it in longitude. And we consider this difference in longitude to be more probable than that Captain Heckford should have been deceived in his view of the peak from his ship, that enabled him thus to render an important service to the chart in fixing it by

his bearing and distance, as we know the peak to be 3,000 feet high, and therefore clearly within the horizon of Captain Heckford's mast

head.*

We thus leave Captain Roe's bank in the lat. of 10° 6' N., on the authority of Captain Heckford's bearing and distance of St. Matthew Peak, with the longitude assigned by him of 97° 10' E.; and are inclined to believe that one bank only will hereafter be found to have given rise to the question.

Since the foregoing conclusion we have discovered that it is not unlikely Captain Heckford may have an old edition of Horsburgh's chart, in which the coast in question may not have been corrected.

TURKISH LIGHTS.

The following appears in the Moniteur de la Flotte :---

Tariff of Lights in the Ottoman Empire for Vessels Sailing between the under-mentioned Ports.

Art. 1.-Vessels from the Archipelago, or from any other intermediate point in the Archipelago, touching at Constantinople, the Turkish ton,-40 paras; for every ton over 800 tons, 20 paras.

Art. 2.-Vessels from the Archipelago to the Black Sea, and vice versâ, passing the Dardanelles and Bosphorus,-the ton, 60 paras; for every ton over 800, 30 paras.

Art. 3.-Vessels from Constantinople or any intermediate point to the Black Sea, and vice versâ,-the ton, 12 paras; for every ton above 800, 6 paras.

Local Coasting Vessels.

Art. 5.-Between the entrance to the Dardanelles and Constantinople, for every ton, 20 paras.

Art. 6.-Between Gallipoli and Constantinople,-the ton, 15 paras. Art. 7.-From Kara Bornou or Kili (Black Sea) to Constantinople, the ton, 15 paras.

Art. 8.-Between Tinee Ragtehee and St. Stephano, at the entrance of the Black Sea,-from 5 to 49 tons, and from 50 to 99 tons, by the ton.

Art. 9.-Tugs pay the annual sum of 1,826 piastres.

Art. 10.-Steamers with passengers from the Bosphorus to Prince Island and St. Stephano pay 50 piastres a year.

That horizon was about 12 miles and that of the peak is 59 miles, making 71; while by the chart he was 62 miles from it, and therefore 9 miles within the distance he would be from it if seen on the horizon from his masthead.

General Observations.

Vessels under five tons are free from all duties.

Lighthouse rates are compulsory both going and returning.

As there will be thirty-six lights, half the duty will be charged when half (that is eighteen) of the lights are in use. The whole duty will be charged when the lighting is complete.

The Ottoman Government are at present employed in constructing lights, which will still remain to be finished after the channel lights are completed. The following is a description of them, and this will hereafter be published in the form of books, as soon as the works are finished. Archipelago.

Cape Sigri.-A revolving light of the first order, range 24 miles, on the small island of Sigri, West coast of Myteline.

Point Ponente.-Fixed light of the third order, range 14 miles, on the West point of Tenedos.

Gadaro.-Light of the fourth order, varied with an alternate red light, range 12 miles: Gadaro Isle one mile E. 23° N. of the tower. These three lights are yet intended.

Dardanelles.

Cape Helles.-A revolving light of the second order, range 18 miles, on Cape Helles on the European side, southern entrance to the Dardanelles.

Seddul Bahr.-Two fixed green lights, range 4 miles, on point Seddul Bahr, first castle of Europe, two-thirds of a mile East of Cape Helles.

Koum Kaleh.-Two fixed red lights, range 4 miles, in the western battery of the Koum Kaleh.

Point Kefis or Barbers Point.-Light of the fourth order, varied with red flashes, range 12 miles, on a ruined battery one mile S.W. of Barbers Point, coast of Asia.

Chanak Kaleh Si.-Two fixed red lights, in the lower battery of the second castle of Asia, range 4 miles. A single red light is provisionally placed on this castle about six feet above the water, but this will shortly be changed.

Namasich.-Near Kilid Balır. Two fixed green lights, range 4 miles, placed in the battery of Namasieh (coast of Europe), threequarters of a mile to W. 8° S. and opposite Chanak Kaleh Si.

Nagara Kaleh Si.-Light of the fourth order, varied by red flashes, range 12 miles. On the tower of the castle of Nagara, coast of Asia. Bovali Kaleh Si.-Two fixed green lights, range 4 miles, the same as the two following, on the battery of Bovali (coast of Europe), opposite and N. 37° W. of the castle of Nagara.

Point Bourgas or Peskieri.-Two fixed red lights on the point Peskieri (coast of Asia), N. 25° W. of the town of Bourgas.

Point Galata.-Two fixed green lights on Point Galata (coast of

Europe), opposite and North of Point Peskieri.

NO. 7.-VOL. XXVIII.

3 D

Gallipoli.-Revolving light of the second order, range 18 miles, on the tower nearest to Gallipoli, on the West coast of the northern entrance to the Dardanelles.

Point Tcherdakh.-Two fixed red lights, range 4 miles, on Point Tcherdakh, eastern coast of the northern entrance to the Dardanelles. With the exception of those of Seddul Bahr, Point Kefis, and Point Bourgas, all these lights are in use.

Sea of Marmora.

Cape Khoraz.-Revolving light of the second order, range 8 miles, on Cape Khoraz, a mile and two-thirds from the village of the same

name.

Erekli.-Fixed light of fifth order on the South point of the coast of Erekli, range 8 miles.

Off Marmora Island.-Light of fourth order, with red flashes, range 12 miles. Placed on Beacon Island, about half a mile East of Marmora.

Koutaly-Fixed light of sixth order, range 8 miles, on an island on the western side of the entrance between Koutaly and Rabby.

Point Palaia.-Two fixed red lights, range 4 miles. On the West point of the peninsula of Cyzique, in the channel of Tarrodia.

Cape San Stephano.-Flashing light of the third order, range 4 miles. On the point San Stephano, 722 yards E. 22° 30′′ N. of the Sultan's mosque.

None of these are yet in use, excepting those of Beacon Island and Cape San Stephano.

Bosphorus.

Seraglio Point.-Flashing light of the third order, range 14 miles. Fener Bagtchi.-Fixed light of fourth class, range 10 miles. On the point of the same name South of Scutari.

Leander Tower.-(Coast of Asia). Two fixed red lights, range 4 miles.

This light and the two preceding are in use; the eight following fixed lights, the range of which is 4 miles, are not yet in use.

Point Defterdar.-Two fixed green lights in the village of Orta Keni, coast of Europe.

Kandib-li.-Two red lights on the point of the same name (coast of Asia).

Roumeli Hissar.-Two green lights on the point of the same name (coast of Europe).

Kanlizeh.-Two red lights on the point of the same name (coast of Asia).

Yeni Keni.-Three green lights in a vessel moored off the end of the bank of Yeni Keni (coast of Europe).

Therapia.-Two green lights placed on the battery of Kefeli Keni (coast of Europe), one mile N. 55° W. of Therapia.

Oumour or English Bank.-Three floating red lights in a vessel moored off the end of the English Bank (coast of Asia).

Fort Kavak.-On Point Jeron (coast of Asia); two red lights. The two following lights, of the third order,-range of the former 15 miles, and the latter 14,-are in use.

Anatoli Fanar.-A flashing light (a red flash, succeeded by two white flashes) is placed on the tower of Anatoli, on the East side of the northern entrance of the Bosphorus.

Roumili Fanar.-A fixed light_on_the_tower of Roumelia, West coast of the northern entrance to the Bosphorus.

Black Sea.

There are as yet only two revolving lights of the first class, range of both 24 miles: the first having an interval of ten seconds, and the second an interval of one minute; but the first is as yet the only

one in use.

Cape Bouroun.-On the cape of this name, twenty-two miles W.b.N. of the entrance to the Bosphorus.

Cape Kili.-Twenty-two miles E.b.S. of the entrance to the Bosphorus.

[In our vol. for 1857, p. 382, and for 1858, p. 209, will be found former mention of these lights.-Ed.]