tween Madeira and the Canaries, but a few hundred miles to the westward of both, he would fan his way across the baffling "Calms of Cancer," and pick up the northeast trades. With these astern and freshening every mile, he would sweep down to the south and west, and when well over toward the West Indies, haul up to the northward toward Bermuda. Here he would have to work again across the "Calms of Cancer," and then, with the uncertain but probably westerly winds of our Atlantic coast, and with the Gulf Stream in his favor, he would stand on and make his port, having sailed 4,500 miles between the two countries. This route is laid down on winds and current almost universally favorable, and with fine and bracing weather.

In order to insure the greatest possible safety in crossing the North Atlantic Ocean between the United States and Europe, the vessels of the principal steamship companies follow a common track in traversing the ocean between the two countries. This route is laid down on the monthly pilot charts issued by the United States Hydrographic Office on the first day of every month. Besides the indicated route to be followed by steamers, the monthly chart-which generally can be had for the asking-contains information as to the best course to be steered by sailing vessels; graphically represents the force and the direction of the winds which may be expccted during the month; locates the positions of the derelicts and the buoys and obstructions to navigation re ported during the past month; marks the fog belts and the rainy regions, and gives much other information of interest to seafaring men and even to landlubbers.

KOUTES FOR OCEAN STEAMERS.

The leading steamship lines have adopted a system of two homeward and two outward transatlantic tracks. The courses are as follows:

"Westbound, from January 15 to August 14 inclusive, from Fastnet or Bishop Rock on the great circle course to the crossing of meridian 47° west in latitude 42° north; thence by either rhumb line or great circle or even the

northward great circle, if an easterly current is encountered, to a position southward of the Nantucket light vessel; thence to the Fire Island light vessel when bound for New York, or to the Five Fathom Bank south light vessel when bound for Philadelphia.

"Westward, from August 15 to January 14, from Fastnet or Bishop Rock on the great circle course, nothing to the southward, to cross meridian 49° west in latitude 46°; thence by rhumb line to cross meridian 60° in latitude 43°; thence by rhumb line to a position southward of the Nantucket light vessel; thence to the Fire Island light vessel when bound for New York, or to the Five Fathom Bank south light vessel when bound for Philadelphia.

"Eastward, all vessels at all seasons of the year will steer their course from the Sandy Hook light vessel or the Five Fathom Bank south light vessel to cross meridian 70°, nothing to the northward of latitude 40° 10'. From this crossing point during the period from January 15 to August 23 inclusive, they will steer by rhumb line to cross meridian 47° in latitude 41°; thence nothing to the northward of the great circle, to Fastnet when bound for the Irish Channel or to Bishop Rock if bound for the English Channel.

"During the period from August 24 to January 14 they will steer from the aforesaid crossing point to cross meridian 60° in latitude 42°; thence by rhumb line to cross meridian 45° in latitude 46° 30'; thence, nothing to the northward of the great circle, to Fastnet for the Irish Channel or to Bishop Rock, always keeping south of the latter's latitude for the English Channel."

The outward and homeward northern tracks indicate the centre of an assumed lane of about sixty miles in width, within which it is desirable to run so as to prevent or lessen the danger of collision. When ice is apprehended a more southern track will of course be imperative. Should ice be seen the course must at once be altered to the southward, so as to get away from it without delay; and on no account must any steamer be taken into or amongst either field ice, floating ice or bergs.

The region of ice and fog so dreaded by seamen covers an area of some 260,000 square miles of ocean, which may be said to lie between the forty-first and forty-seventh parallels of latitude and the forty-fifth and sixtieth meridians of west longitude. The shortest way to Queenstown is through the heart of this region of ice and fog.

SAILS AND RIGGING.

To the eye of the ordinary "landlubber," the rigging of a ship is a fearfully and wonderfully tangled mass of ropes and lines, but to the sailor whose business it is to know all about the ropes and things, the maze and the various parts which compose it are the embodiment of symmetry and the perfection of order. Sails are nearly always either triangular or quadrilateral, but not necessarily equiangular. To give strength to the outer edge all around the sail a strong cord or rope is sewn; this rope has eyes in it, to which the various ropes employed in connection with the sail are fastened. The top of the sail is its "head"; the bottom its "foot"; and the sides are "leeches"; the upper corners are termed "ear-rings"; the lower corner of a square sail, and the after lower corner of other sails, "clews"; the front lower corner of a foreand-aft sail is the "tack." The ropes from the lower corners, used in tightening the sail against the wind, are the "sheets."

The sails of a ship are either "square" or "fore-andaft." The square sails-beginning from below are the "course," the "top-sail," the "top-gallant sail," the "royal," and, though rarely used, the "sky scraper." Each has the name of the mast on which it is set prefixed, as "foretopsail," "main-royal," etc. The square sails are made fast by their heads to yards, the foot being drawn to the extremity of the yard below. Fore-and- aft sails are the "spanker" or driver, extended by the gaff at its head, boom at its foot, and mast on its fore leech; the "staysails," which are suspended by rings to the stays, and the "jibs." In a three-masted vessel the sails of most importance are the main course, the spanker, the topsails, the forestaysail and the jibs, which can usually

be distended to the full without taking wind from each other. In very light winds, when every breath is of consequence, the area of the sails is increased by setting the "studding-sails," which are oblong sails set on each side of the square sails, on short booms run out beyond the yards of the latter.

PARTS OF A FULL RIGGED SHIP.

17

21

1 hull; 2 bow; 3 stern; 4 cutwater; 5 stem; 6 entrance; 7 waist; 8 run; 9 counter; 10 rudder; 11 davits; 12 quarterboat; 13 cat-head; 14 anchor; 15 cable; 16 bulwarks; taffrail; 18 channels; 19 chain-plates; 20 cabin-trunk; after deck-house; 22 forward deck-house; 23 bowsprit; 24 jib-boom; 25 flying jib-boom; 26 foremast; 27 mainmast; 28 mizzenmast; 29 foretopmast; 30 maintopmast; 31 mizzentopmast; 32 foretopgallantmast; 33 maintopgallantmast; 34 mizzentopgallantmast; 35 foreroyalmast; 36 mainroyalmast; 37 mizzenroyalmast; 38 foreskysailmast; 39 mainskysailmast; 40 mizzenskysailmast; 41 foreskysail-pole; 42 mainskysail-pole; 43 mizzenskysail-pole; 44 fore-truck; 45 main-truck; 46 mizzen-truck; 47 foremast-head; 48 mainmast-head; 49 mizzenmast-head; 50 foretopmast-head; 51 maintopmast-head; 52 mizzentopmast-head; 53 foretop; 54 maintop; 55 mizzentop; 56 dolphin-striker; 57 outriggers; 58 foreyard; 59 mainyard; 60 cross jack-yard; 61 fore lower topsail-yard; 62 main lower topsail-yard; 63 mizzen lower topsail-yard; 64 fore upper topsail-yard; 65 main upper topsail-yard; 66 mizzen upper topsail-yard; 67 foretopgallant-yard; 68 maintopgallant-yard; 69 mizzentopgallant-yard; 70 foreroyal-yard; 71 mainroyal-yard; 72 mizzenroyal-yard; 73 foreskysail-yard; 74 inainskysail-yard; 75 mizzenskysail-yard; 76 spanker-boom; 77 spanker-gaff; 78 maintrysail-gaff; 79 monkey-gaff; 80 lower studdingsail-yard; 81 foretopmast studdingsail-boom; 82 foretopmast studdingsailyard; 83 maintopmast studdingsail-boom; 84 maintopmast studdingsail-yard; 85 foretopgallant studdingsail-boom; 86 foretopgallant studdingsail-yard; 87 maintopgallant studdingsail-boom; 88 maintopgallant studdingsail-yard; 89 foreroyal studdingsailboom; 90 foreroyal studdingsail-yard; 91 mainroyal studdingsail-boom; 92 mainroyal studdingsail-yard; 93 bobstays; 94 bowsprit-shrouds; 95 martingale-guys; 96 martingale-stays; 97 fore-chains; 98 main-chains; 99 nizzen-chains; 100 shrouds; 101 main-shrouds; 102 mizzen-shrouds; 103 foretopmast-shrouds; 104 maintopmast-shrouds; 105 mizzentopmast

fore

shrouds ; 106 foretopgallant-shrouds; 107 maintopgallantshrouds; 108 mizzentopgallant-shrouds; 109 futtock-shrouds ; 110 futtock-shrouds; 111 futtock-shrouds; 112 forestay; 113 mainstay; 114 mizzenstay; 115 foretopmast-stay; 116 maintopmast-stay; 117 spring-stay; 118 mizzen