vessels may get some shelter by dropping their anchors. The bottom is of coral, particularly pointed, in the midst of which some patches of sand are found. From October to June, which is the season of the N.W. winds, well established, they may lie at this anchorage; but in the other four months, from June to the middle of October, in which the opposite winds prevail, it is scarcely possible to lie there from want of shelter.

The shore opposite this anchorage is surrounded with reefs awash with the surface, between which there is a very good channel for boats.

Lord Anson, who anchored off Sunharon at the end of August, found very strong tides, the flood setting to the S.E. between Tinian and Agrigan. The Centurion anchored in 22 fathoms a mile and a half from the shore, and was frequently in danger of dragging her anehor from the effects of the current and the sea, which ran so high that on one occasion she was near being swamped, although a ship of 60 guns. Sometimes at the change of the moon she experienced furious gales, in which the wind would draw round from all quarters of the horizon.

Sunharon is the only place where vessels may anchor and have communication with Tinian. The rest of its shore is a vertical rock, and offers no anchorage whatever.

The Narvaez remained but five hours at Sunharon. I anchored tolerably close to the reefs three-fourths of a mile from the town (in 15 fathoms sand and stones), with the finest possible weather and very little sea, having a good pilot on board, who selected with the greatest care the best anchorage for us. Notwithstanding this and the short time we were there, the anchor came up with the stock broken, which well bespeaks the nature of the ground.

The well, which was so much approved of by Lord Anson and se much disapproved of by the navigators who followed him, is at a short distance from the landing-place, and is of little consequence, as it is neither worthy of praise nor condemnation. It is like any other well, not deep, with a very wide opening, and is descended by stone steps. In my opinion, all that it is remarkable for is its great age. It is called the Well of the Ancients, and was probably sunk by the same people whose burial-places are met with in all parts of the island, and who no doubt occupied the island long anterior to its discovery.

The town of Sunharon is composed of about half-a-dozen houses, containing fifteen persons, who form the whole population at present of the island. These persons come from Agaña, and are changed every two years. They are employed in killing black cattle (of which there is an extraordinary abundance in Tinian), and drying the flesh in the sun (forming what is called Tajea or Tasaje), sent to Agaña for sale for the support of the leper hospital. The establishment belongs to the governor, and is one of the least productions of the archipelago. This hospital of incurable lepers is on the Eastern side of the island, and at the time of my being there contained three wretched mortals. Fortunately the native Indians have no repugnance to this disorder, and they are attended by the same persons who are

employed in killing the cattle, under a principal person, who, for distinction sake, is called the magistrate.

The island of Tinian is very low, having no kind of elevation. However, the presence of the pumice stone, black sand, and scoriæ, which abound in the island, are certain indications of its volcanic origin. The whole Western shore is precipitous, except the part at which Sunharon is situated. The whole island may be passed close to, especially Point Georguan, which I nearly touched in my vessel; but it would be wise to give it a berth of half a mile in passing, since the details of the coast are not entirely known. A short reef extends from its

N W. point. The Eastern shore is even more precipitous than the other, and more exposed to the sea than the Western. Off Point Lalo, on the Eastern side, a reef is reported, but extending only a short distance out; less, indeed, than shown by the chart. For my part, I have never seen it.

Tinian is very well laid down in the chart, and the plan of it, as well as Sunharon Roads, is very good. But more information than we have is required of its Northern side, towards the strait which separates it from Saypan.

(To be continued.)

A TURRET NAVY FOR THE FUTURE.-An Appeal by Rear-Admiral Halsted to the Parliament of 1866.

Change always was, and always will be, the order of the day somewhere. If by change be meant improvement, it must be welcome. But what have we here? Something surely more than change—an entire revolution proposed in the royal navy of Great Britain. At first this seems appalling: to suppose that every man-of-war is a turretship seems absurd, when we remember the formidable broadside presented by our line-of-battle ships of the Nelson school. But, alas! change has already been at work. Those formidable ships and their heavy broadsides are things of the past already, and here is a proposal for a turret line-of-battle ship that shall even deliver a heavier broadside than the largest of our iron-clads, designated by Admiral Halsted as "box ships." In fact, a first-rate turret-ship against any iron-clad first-rate that can be produced, and one backed by such men as Napier, Watts, and Oliver Lang as "the right thing for a first-rate man-of-war," is a proposal not to be slighted; for there can be little doubt that foreign governments which are now so desirous of showing an effective navy will at once adopt the principle of turret-ships, and from one size to another progress to a nine or a seven-turreted firstrate, like that described by Capt. Halsted. So that such a proposal, startling as it really is, comes to us in a form that entities it to inquiry.

In reference to "Dimensions," Capt. Halsted says: "So far back as June 1860, before his Admiralty connection, Capt. Coles lectured to his brethren on a turret-deck plan similar to that here shown, with even nine instead of seven turrets; and then publicly stated his system to be capable of producing ships as large, as fast, and as sea-worthy as the Warrior, but full-armoured instead of semi-armoured, and with far more destructive and defensive powers. In full recognition of this fact, and to aid-not to rival-the inventor, the dimensions of the ship here shown have been adopted, with suitable modification, from those of our largest iron-clads built or building. To be furnished with engines of highest steam speed and masts for fullest proportions of sailpower; rudder with a surface to command with rapidity 45° across the line of keel at full speed.

"Armour-backing, &c.-Ship full-armoured fore and aft from 7 feet under water, with all other provisions for shot resistance against heaviest guns, based on the results first obtained by the Whitworth and Armstrong Committee, on the 26th of April last, in Oblique Fire.'

"Armament.-Seven turrets or cupolas with two guns each, so arranged that-1. The fire of four guns can be delivered in line of keel ahead and astern: 2. The central turrets, and very largely the deck itself, are protected from all raking fire: 3. The deck can be swept fore and aft to prevent boarding.

"Guns. Mr. Whitworth's 15-ton 9-inch rifle: the most powerful, enduring, and perfect piece of service ordnance yet produced, whether as regards the material, manufacture, and proportions of the gun, or the range, accuracy, penetration, and simplicity of its projectiles. Charge, 45lbs.; weight of projectile, 325lbs.; bursting charge of shell, 19lbs."

We moreover read that "the weight from both guns of each cupola is 650lbs. That of each of 14-gun broadside, whether end on or abeam, is 4,550lbs., or rather more than two tons. If the largest 120-gun three-decker ever built had been armed throughout with 56-pounders, her broadside weight of metal would have been 3,360lbs., or 26 per cent. less than the turret first-rate."

We must content ourselves with stating these very formidable particulars, which, with much more information, are stated in the brochure before us, as being of serious importance for our consideration. Such ships, there can be no doubt, would sweep the seas. The powers of the turret system have not yet been brought forward; and if we are not very much mistaken, it behoves us to look to them if we are for preserving that status on the ocean which we have hitherto been accustomed to consider our own; for assuredly there will be plenty of work to do should we find one of these "turret first-rates" dropping her anchor at Spithead some of these days, and we without one to place alongside of her. After such ships let no one boast of iron-clad broadsides!

PROMOTION IN THE NAVY.

The following copy of a scheme signed by Lord C. Paget, proposed for increasing the flow of promotion amongst certain classes of officers of the royal navy, was published on the 12th of March in the form of a parliamentary return:

"1. Compulsory retirement to be extended to all the executive lists.

"2. Admirals to be retired on attaining seventy years of age, or when physically unfit for service.

"3. Vice-admirals to be retired at sixty-eight, or when physically unfit for service.

"4. Rear-admirals to be retired at sixty-five, or when physically unfit for service.

"5. Flag-officers at present on the active list, who may be retired under these regulations, will retain all the privileges of rising in rank and pay to which they are now entitled; but no flag-officer, who has not hoisted his flag, will be considered eligible for the appointments of vice and rear-admirals of the United Kingdom, or for promotion to the rank of admiral of the fleet.

"6. The active flag list to be reduced to 85:-Admirals of the fleet and admirals, 21 (but not to be more than three admirals of the fleet at one time); vice-admirals, 22; rear-admirals, 42; total, 85. This reduction to be made gradually, by only filling up two out of every three vacancies caused by the removal of flag-officers who accept Greenwich pensions, and by retirements from age, whether optional or compulsory. Vacancies from all other causes are to be filled up as they occur. Vacancies on the list of officers on reserved half-pay in receipt of service pensions, and the list of flag-officers of Greenwich Hospital, will not be filled up.

"7. Flag-officers, at present on the active list, who have hoisted their flags, or been employed at the Admiralty, are to be allowed to retain their places on the active list if they should prefer it; but they may be placed on the retired list at their own request, with the consent of the Admiralty. Officers coming on to the flag list after this date will be subject to compulsory retirement at the ages specified above, whether they have served or not.

"8. Captains to be retired at sixty, or when physically unfit for service, on the terms of the order in council of the 9th of July, 1864. Those at present on the active list, who, before attaining the age of sixty, shall have served the necessary time to qualify them for promotion to the active flag list, are to be allowed to retain their places on the active list, if they should prefer it; but no captain will be eligible for promotion to the active flag list after sixty years of age, or if physically unfit for service.

"9. Officers promoted to the rank of captain after this date will be subject to compulsory retirement on attaining sixty years of age, whether they have served or not.

"10. Captains of sixty years of age, who have served the necessary time to qualify them for promotion to the active flag list, and who remain on the captains' list until promoted to rear-admiral, will be placed on the retired list, but will be allowed to rise by seniority to to the rank and pay of vice-admiral and admiral respectively. Captains who have served their time, but who retire voluntarily before reaching the top of the list, will not be entitled to rise to higher pay, as flagofficers, than 25s. a day, in accordance with the order in council of 9th July, 1864.

"11. Captains who have not served their time for active flag rank, and who have been unemployed for ten years, to be retired on the terms of the order in council of 9th July 1864.

"12. Captains to be allowed to retire on attaining fifty years of age, with the consent of the Admiralty, on the terms of the order in council of 9th July, 1864.

"13. The captains' list to be reduced gradually to 250, by filling up only two out of every three vacancies caused by age-retirements from that list, whether optional or compulsory. Vacancies from al! other causes are to be filled up as they occur.

"14. Commanders to be retired at fifty-five, or when physically unfit for service, and to be allowed to retire at fifty, with the consent of the Admiralty, on the terms of the order in council of 9th July, 1864.

"15. Lieutenants to be retired at fifty-five, or when physically unfit for service, and to be allowed to retire at forty-five, with the consent of the Admiralty, on the terms of the order in council of 9th July, 1864.

16. Time served by naval officers in civil employments connected with the navy, which does not entitle them to civil superannuation, is to be allowed to reckon towards increase of half or retired pay in the proportion of one year for every two served in such capacity.

(Signed)

"C. PAGET.

"Admiralty, March 9th, 1866."

VOLCANIC ERUPTION AT SANTORINO.

Her Majesty's ship Surprise, Commander Tryon, which had been despatched to Santorino to render assistance to the inhabitants, returned to Malta on Friday, the 24th of February. We have been kindly favoured with the following interesting particulars of the recent volcanic eruption. As soon as Santorino was sighted by the Surprise, a dense white mass of vapour was observed rising from the sea, which appeared to be boiling, from some unknown cause, and when the island was approached a strange sight was seen the sea was evidently boiling, and clouds of the whitest steam rushed out, soaring heavenwards