The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XVI, No. 6 [‎382v] (117/232)

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THE MONTHLY RECORD.
received between September, 1898, and October, 1899. In the absence of north
west winds, which had, during the preceding period, apparently carried the bottles
to the south of Australia and New Zealand, current papers had arrived unusually
fast on the Australian coasts, two and sometimes even three per day having come
in, giving a total during the period in question of 124. As regards the currents in
the sea east of Australia, these papers confirm the suggestion previously made by
Mr. Russell, that there is first a drift to the east, especially south of Sydney, then
northwards until the great current from the east passing south of New Caledonia
is reached. This idea is supported also by the drift of the Perthshire after she was
disabled in the Tasman sea. The steady eastward drift from the vicinity of Cape
Horn across the Southern ocean is again exemplified by the track of three papers,
which, thrown overboard, one at that cape and two near the Falkland isles, were
all picked up either on the west or south coasts of Australia. The current would
seem to maintain a very uniform course slightly to the north of east. Bottles
thrown overboard in the vicinity of Kerguelen and the Crozets were picked up on
the coasts of New Zealand, and though the course followed could not be ascertained,
the northward tendency of the current just mentioned would seem to favour the
idea that they may have been carried round the great Australian bight before
passing through Bass strait or south of Tasmania. The rate of drift seems to have
been abnormally high during the period under review, particularly that northwards
along the east coast of Australia, which is accounted for by the prevalence of
southerly winds during the winter and spring of 1899. The Cape Horn papers,
however, show a similar abnormal rate, one showing an average per day of 12‘2
miles. The papers were fairly evenly distributed through the year, the relatively
small number received during April and September being perhaps accounted for
by equinoctial disturbances. The record kept by six ships of the total number of
bottles thrown out shows that the proportion of those picked up to the total varies
from 1 in 7 to 1 in 48.
Lord Dunraven's ‘Navigation.’* —There are already so many excellent
works on Navigation, both from a theoretical and practical standpoint, that it may
at first appear surprising that Lord Dunraven has thought it advisable to add to
the number. Eaper, Norie, Inman, and others give a vast amount of information
on all matters connected with the subject, together with tables for the necessary
computations, whilst Lecky’s ‘ Wrinkles,’ and books of a similar character, form
most useful supplements to these for the practical man. Still, there is doubtless
truth in Lord Dunraven’s statement in his preface, that “ most writers have treated
the subject from the point of view of addressing themselves either to the highly
educated or to the totally uneducated,” and there is, he thinks, room for a treatise
designed to meet the requirements of those who lie between these two extremes.
This work does not, therefore, presuppose any great amount of mathematical know
ledge on the part of the student, nor is it, on the other hand, written on the assump
tion that it is sufficient to give a number of rules to be learnt off by heart, without
any appeal to the reasoning powers, which has too often been done in the past by
writers on this and kindred subjects; but by a series of diagrams, lucid explanations,
and clearly expressed investigations of formulae, Lord Dunraven has succeeded in
producing a work that will not only be useful to those who are thinking of going
up for the Board of Trade examinations, for whom it should possess a special value,
but to all who are interested in practical astronomy and navigation. Unlike Raper,
* ‘ Self-instruction in the Practice and Theory of Navigation.’ By the Earl of
Dunraven, Extra Master. In two volumes. London: Macmillan & Co. 1900.
Price 2Is.