The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1858

The Nautical Magazine, published monthly from 1832, covers subjects including navigation, oceanography, meteorology, exploration, trade, technology and maritime safety. The 1858 volume contains fascinating reports on the newly laid transatlantic cable, sending data at one hundred words per hour, the Western capture of Canton, and the Treaty of Tientsin.

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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.