owing to the higher branch of the priesthood, who were among his examiners and shared in his opinions.

Political matters interrupted the conferences of the learned assembly at Salamanca, and Columbus was forgotten.

Nevertheless, he followed the Court for five long years, consecutively taking his part with the army, with the hope of exciting the attention of royalty, giving proofs of his discretion and cleverness in the war with the Moors, and desiring as the price of his services nothing more than to give a new empire to Spain and Christianity.

In the course of the siege of the town of Baza, at which he assisted, an incident occurred which deserves notice for its extraordinary but almost unknown influence on the project of the illustrious navigator, transforming the discovery of the New World into a crusade, having for its object the conquest of the Holy Land,

The alliance of the rival Kings of Grenada was broken. Muley Boabdil occupied the town of Baza, while his nephew, Mohammed, looked to the discord in the capital of the Moors. Taking advantage of this state of things, the Spaniards directed all their efforts against the former place, when two monks from Jerusalem arrived at the camp. Isabella was attending the progress of the siege in person.

The two monks were the bearers of a message from the Soldan of Egypt, who threatened to destroy all the Christians in his country and the Holy Sepulchre also, if the King and Queen did not renounce the conquest of Granada. The monks also spoke of the sufferings of their brethren among the Musselmans, of the persecutions which they had undergone, and the sad condition of the brotherhood.

Isabella, who was much affected by their statements, granted an allowance to the guardians of St. Sepulchre, a thousand ducats of gold, and presented a veil worked by her own hands to the shrine. But the war was continued with redoubled ardour.

The Spaniards, filled with pious indignation at the threats of the Soudan, thirsted to revenge the oriental Christians, and performed prodigies of valour, while Columbus was so much excited by the reports of the monks, that one morning he exclaimed with fervour, "I swear to consecrate to the deliverance of the holy sepulchre all the benefits that I shall derive from my discoveries."

Such an exclamation from a poor volunteer of the catholic army wore the aspect of mockery, and Columbus was then considered as a kind of adventurer, whose mind was unhinged by his long application to scientific pursuits.

How often the old mariner was taunted by the young hidalgos of the Court, notwithstanding his bravery and his military attainments. But the monks of Jerusalem followed up their story, and described as something dreadful the sufferings of the Christians in the Levant; and Columbus no doubt repeated inwardly the oath he had taken, and which he did not forget to the day of his death.

It was owing to the good judgment of Isabella that the siege was so well conducted that Baza was soon obliged to surrender. Muley Boabdil yielded his claim to the throne in favour of the King and Queen.

The Court returned in triumph to Seville, and Columbus longed for the arrival of the hour when he shonld obtain a decisive answer to his cause. But the rejoicings rendered it more difficult for him to see the Queen than the war, and two long years more were passed by him in the most trying state of suspense in the expectation of an audience.

In 1490, when he considered that he was at length making himself understood, all he could obtain was no more than a vague promise. Fernando de Talavera told him that he could not make any engagement with him until the conclusion of the war.

With sorrowful feelings but not cast down, and yet with bitterness at heart, although convinced of the worthiness of his design, Columbus left Cordova to make proposals to the Dukes of Medina Sidonia and Medina Coli, grandees of Spain, in possession of flourishing principalities, who had ships and kept troops independent of the crown. But they both declined to assist him in his enterprise. On which the old man decided on leaving Spain, and on returning once more to the convent of La Rabida, and look after his son Diego.

(To be continued.)

MAULMAIN PORT REGULATIONS.

Maulmain, October 15th, 1858.

Dear Sir,-When in London lately, I was asked by several parties, what became of all the ships that went to Maulmain? One half of them appear never to return. I could not answer the question; but on looking over a list of vessels that had sailed for this port, sure enough a great many of them were not accounted for, although long overdue. Being considered an authority on Maulmain matters, and accepting the compliment, I must have looked somewhat foolish, and certainly felt very uncomfortable at being put to a stand by so plain a question. I think, however, I can answer it now, and with your permission will do so through the Nautical Magazine, trusting that it may come under the eye of my querists and others who may be interested in the information.

There are at this present time more ships in this port than ever was known to be before. But on looking over the harbour, I observe a great many dismantled and evidently not at work. Now as this is not a shipowning port where vessels are laid up at their home, the inference is, that some untoward cause must be at work to account for so many of them lying idle, and we may safely say at a loss to some one or others connected with them. This led me to make further inquiries, the result of which I beg to subjoin in a list of "cripples," procured from the port office, for the information of those concerned.

There were 483 vessels from over sea entered this port within the period embraced in the list; and in examining the cause of detention it will be found that of those detained only seven arose from accidents in the river, and of those seven only five were under tow of steam, or, shall we say, had a fair chance for their lives, as steam is now the rule for all rivers, and in none is it more necessary than Maulmain.

Admitting no complaints against Maulmain that I can gainsay, I must fairly confess that our river is very bad; the best that can be said of it is that it is very short-only twenty-five miles from sea to the harbour. The channels are narrow and tortuous, but deep enough in spring tides for anything; hence the only safe mode of navigation is by steam towage. The coast is all clear to the southward of the river's mouth, and I confess to have always looked with suspicion on vessels that have got into difficulties there; and no vessel has any business to the northward of Amherst unless seeking destruction. But these are matters for underwriters to look into; and if they do so properly I have no doubt but they will find a Maulmain risk as safe as any other river.

I may mention, however, that there is a talk of placing a lighthouse on Amherst Point, a position that will lead ships to a bad anchorage and a leeward tide of seven knots, with a heavy swell, and the Godown Sands and Sittang River Bar under their lee. If this ill-considered scheme is carried out, premiums of insurance on inward bound ships should be doubled, to meet the danger. If a light is required at all (which I don't think it is), Double Island or Calegouk would be the proper place for it, being to windward and out of the influence of the tide, where a ship could keep her position without anchoring until the pilot be on board; and in nineteen cases out of twenty would not anchor outside at all, which is the better plan; but, if need be, she may anchor in any convenient depths between Calegouk and Double Island, where there is comparatively little tide. Whereas to the northward of Double Island, and all in the vicinity of Amherst, the tides run like a sluice, increasing in velocity as you get to the northward, where no ground tackle can be expected to hold. In fact, with the exception of the Sandheads of the Hooghly, I know no worse anchorage than the neighbourhood of Amherst during the S.W. monsoon, or say from April to October, inclusive, and I repeat again that ships need not anchor there unless they like.

By the way, I may mention that by a late regulation the pilot service has been thrown open to the public, and pilots' earnings now depend on the amount of work done,-a decided improvement in many respects, and especially so in the spur it gives them to "board first.” I enclose the Port Regulation in case you have not seen it before. I am, &c.,

To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine.

J. H. MILLER.

List of Ships Detained by Accidents and other causes at Maulmain from January 1st to September 30th, 1858.

Chesapeake, Gossypium, and Amherst, put back, condemned, and

sold.

Thetis, put back and laid up for repairs.

Emily Apel and Emilia, put back, sold, and repaired.

John Mitchell, Hamburg, Launceston, Bona Dea, Portia, Stamboul, and Hope, laid up for repairs.

Minnie Lonsdale, in dock, lengthening.

Eos and Gottingen, grounded in the river, repaired, and sailed.
Great Britain, undergoing repairs.

Shaw in Shaw, Vencatareddy, Naiad, Viceroy, and Fortescue, put back, laid up.

Elizabeth, repaired and loading.

Albyn, put back and sold.

Marian, laid up.

Leodes, Alexander Baring, Lavinia, Superior, and Elenore, condemned and sold.

Ann Bridson and Skelleftea, grounded in the river and laid up for repairs.

Parisian, repaired and gone to sea.

Forest Oak, grounded in the river, repaired and loading.
Lord Harris, collision in the river, repaired, and sailed.
Mary Seaton, wrecked on the coast.

Damstadter Bank, grounded in the river and laid up.

Rules for Pilots and Pilotage, Maulmain River.

1. Licences will be issued by the Master Attendant, under the authority of the Commissioner Tenasserim and Martaban Provinces, to such applicants as may be deemed qualified, for pilots on the Maulmain River by a Committee convened by the Master Attendant, under the direction of the Deputy Commissioner.

2. The committee shall be composed of the master attendant, as president, and three members, two of whom shall be commanders of vessels, and the third the government pilot, or a licensed pilot, as available.

3. The qualifications of pilots shall be a knowledge of general seamanship, the capability of giving orders in the English and native languages, a competent acquaintance with the Maulmain River and the channels leading thereto, and the production of certificates of previous good conduct and sobriety.

4. On a candidate being reported qualified by the committee, he will receive a licence under the signature of the master attendant, and will then act under these rules.

5. The ordinary place for a pilot to board or leave a ship outside, will be half a mile to the southward or to the westward of the patch or outward buoy.

NO. 3.-VOL. XXVIII.

X

6. Every pilot is required to produce his licence and engagement (if any) to the master of any vessel requiring a pilot, and is to hoist his pilot flag at some conspicuous place while he is in charge. The pilot flag to be four feet square, red and white, horizontal for European pilots, and vertical for native pilots. The number of the pilot's licence to be on the flag in distinct figures of two feet in length.

7.-If a pilot who is unengaged passes an inward or outward bound vessel, having a signal for a pilot flying, without boarding such vessel, or who may demand or receive a higher or lower rate of pilotage than he is entitled to under these rules, will be liable to have his draught reduced or licence revoked.

8. A pilot leaving a vessel without the consent of the master is liable to have his draught reduced or his licence revoked.

9. The pilotage charge of the whole distance is as follows, subject to certain modifications, viz. :

Boarding or leaving to the westward of the Patch or
outer buoy...

Full Pilotage.
Boarding or leaving between the Patch and Reef buoys 3-4ths
Boarding or leaving to the eastward of the Reef buoy 2-3rds "9

10.-Scale of full pilotage for Maulmain River, distance from town to Patch Buoy, thirty miles:

Every additional foot to be increased by sixty rupees.

11. The rate for intermediate portions of a foot is to be regulated as follows, viz., three inches and under, no addition; between three inches and nine inches, the medium between the two rates; above nine inches, the draught of the next foot to be taken.

12.-Vessels taking steam aid to be charged two-thirds of the rate for sailing vessels.

13. Steamers under fifteen feet, one-half the rate of sailing vessels; above fifteen feet, three-fifths of such rate.

14.-Vessels not taking licensed pilots, and above 100 tons, will be charged by government at the rate of one anna per register ton.

15.-The charge for shifting of a berth in the port, or for removing a vessel, shall be twenty-five rupees.

16.-Vessels that call for orders or put into Amherst in distress, and proceed in and out without a pilot, shall be exempt from Rule 14. 17. A pilot may be detained twenty-four hours after arrival off town without demurrage.

18. The pilotage distance is divided into fifths, for charging broken or intermediate pilotage, but the least sum payable to a pilot for taking a vessel in or out of Amherst will be twenty-five rupees :