NAUTICAL ALMANAC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 52, 25 November 1907, Page 5

NAUTICAL ALMANAC.

Tho -sixth edition of the New Zealand Nautical Almanac for 1908, issued by Capt. Blackburiie, lintical adviser to tho Government, is to hand. Tho work contains altogether 380 pages, 24 folded,plans of Now.Zealancl harbours and wharves,, 3-coloured maps of Zealand, one illustrating the different kinds of. lighthouses, and. the others showing the railway and steamer communication up to date. A two-fold coloured page, giving the International Code flngs and their ÜBes, is also shown, in this useful production. There are about a dozen pages illustrated by. diagrams, semaphores and' flag signals, etc., some of which are coloured. In addition to-the- information with plans about tho principal harbours of Now Zealand, there aro this, year 'no less than 80 pages of information, supplementary, to tho New Zealand Pilot, 1901 edition, inserted to keep that work up to date. This has been collated from ' Notices to Mariners," and-tho information supplied by tho Commander of H.M.S. Penguin,-surveying ship. Twentyfive pages aro devoted to cautions, information, etc.j relating to fires on, ships. These mainly deal with vessels carrying cargoes of coal, flak,-wool, and tow. As in .former, publications, considerable space has beon dovoted to. courses and distances 1 around the Now Zealand coast,. and also between New Zealand and; Australia, South Africa, San Francisco, Vancouver, and- to England, together with tho return via Capo Horn. ' The editor of the work states that tho great circle and composite courses have been worked out to these places with great cam. His remark in tho preface is worth noting that, " If these, course's were agreed iipon to bo taken by tho different ocean-going steamers, it-would be helpful in knowing whero to look out for steamers in case of breakdown." The work also contains the latest amended regulations for preventing collisions at sea, and useful instructions ro' drowning, etc. Sailing directions for Karatnea, Nelson and Wellington, though only .gazetted lato last month, are in. this yonr's almanac. Thero are many other features about the book' which should prove of the greatest value to mariners and shipping .people.