(From the Nautical Magazine for November.)

London Docks, October 12, 1843.

Sir,

The enclosed was picked up by me in latitude 10 � 25' N., and longitude 14� 45' W., near the River Broat, on the west coast of Africa, on the 28th of July, 1843. I am, &c ,

THOMAS FLIGHT,

Commander of the brig Nunez.

" Kinnear, from Sydney, New South Wales, to London. _________ 1843, latitude north 6� 6', longitude west 24� 29'.

" This bottle is thrown overboard to ascertain the course of the current, by

" HENRY KELSALL, M D., Surgeon R.N.

" Passenger in the Kinnear.

" Have the kindness to forward this paper to the editor of the Nautical Magazine, London, informing him where and when the bottle was found."

[We have inserted, above, the contents of the paper sent to us by the Commander of the Nunez Mr. Kelsall will perhaps be so good as to send us the day when the bottle was thrown overboard, which unfortunately has been lost.)

------------------

Maranham, Sept. 28th, 1843.

Sir,

I have the honour of transmitting to you the enclosed, which was picked up on the 2nd of August, at the Bar of Tutoia, entrance to Parnahiba, on the coast of Brazil, which place lies in lat. South 2� 38', long. West 41� 48'. and there can be no doubt that the bottle which contained the same, came ashore on the day it was found, for the person who found it and delivered it to me, said that he passed that way on the 1st, and on returning on the 2nd, he discovered the bottle lying on the beach. Without further to add

I remain, Sir, &c.,

ALEX THOMSON

" Ship Kinnear, from Sydney, New South Wales, to London, May 8th, 1843, lat. South 8� 46', long. West 24� 18'. This bottle is thrown overboard to ascertain the course of the current, by

HENRY KELSALL, M.D.

Surgeon, R.N.

"Have the kindness to forward this paper to the Editor of the Nautical Magazine, London, informing him where, and when, the bottle was picked up. H.K."

[The foregoing will not fall within the limits of the chart in our March number, being entirely in the Southern Atlantic. Its course has been about N. 71� W. distance about 1100 miles.]

On the bottle paper, in our last number, thrown over from the same ship, Mr. Kelsall has obligingly communicated the following:

"9, Union Terrace, Plymouth,

" Nov. 14th, 1843.

Sir,

The notice of a bottle thrown overboard by me from the ship Kinnear, forwarded to the office by the Commander of the Nunez and contained in the Nautical Magazine for this month, with a request to forward to you the date when the bottle was thrown overboard would have been attended to before this, but that my diary of the voyage has unfortunately been mislaid. I can, however, from some data, which I have by me, fix the desired period within three or four days, viz., between the 14th and the 18th of May, 1843, I am inclined to assign the 15th of May as the date ; so that the bottle has made that course and distance in about 72 days.

"I have little doubt but that other bottle papers will be forwarded to you hereafter, relating to the same subject, as, during the whole voyage from Sydney round Cape Horn, homewards, I was in the habit of daily consigning to the ocean one or more bottles, containing each a paper, noting latitude, longitude, and the day of the month, with a duplicate of those three important points written on the back of the paper, in the event of the other side becoming obliterated by a drop of water getting into the bottle.

" During the time the ship was surrounded by the Sargasso, or Gulfweed, I availed myself of every bottle I could obtain, for the purpose of ascertaining the direction, and possibly the termination of that current.

" I am, Sir, &c.,

" To the Editor, :Cc " " Surgeon, R.N.

[This is a remarkable illustration of the different prevailing currents of the ocean. The bottle which we call 43a appears to have been thrown overboard in that part of the ocean between the northern edge of the equatorial current, and the south-west edge of the Guinea current: and to arrive at the place where it was found from its starting point, we can suppose it to have been carried first to the northwest, then to the north and north-east (perhaps as far as the Cape Verds,) until it fell into the current, setting to the southward and eastward along the coast of Africa. The totally opposite course it has taken from bottles Nos. 43 and 44, adds considerably to the interest of it.]

P 71 18 May 44

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