The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1858

The 1858 Nautical Magazine reports on the inauguration of the first Atlantic cable and relations between China and the West.

9781108054492, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 March 2013

724 pages, 13 b/w illus. 2 maps
21.6 x 14 x 4 cm, 0.91 kg

The Nautical Magazine first appeared in 1832, and was published monthly well into the twenty-first century. It covers a wide range of subjects, including navigation, meteorology, technology and safety. An important resource for maritime historians, it also includes reports on military and scientific expeditions and on current affairs. The 1858 volume carries an obituary for Sir Francis Beaufort, the influential hydrographer who was the editor's commander and mentor. The newly laid transatlantic cable features prominently: September's issue reports, 'We are now receiving from Newfoundland accurately, with perfect signals, at the rate of one hundred words per hour', and mentions the Queen and the US President exchanging telegrams, but the October issue announces that the cable has failed. Other topics covered include the Western capture of Canton and treaty with China, the lighthouses of Lake Superior, an improved anemometer design, the Russian navy, naval recruitment and Queen Victoria's visit to Cherbourg.

Contents of volume for 1858
1. January 1858
2. February 1858
3. March 1858
4. April 1858
5. May 1858
6. June 1858
7. July 1858
8. August 1858
9. September 1858
10. October 1858
11. November 1858
12. December 1858
Index to volume for 1858
Plates
Woodcuts.

Subject Areas: Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH]