10th May. Ir is very satisfactory to know that the article with the above heading the 15th of September last was re-which appeared in these columns on
printed in the Indian papers and attracted much attention, and it must be a source of much pleasure to all those who are responsible for the lighting of the coast of China to find that their excellent plan of doing away with all fixed lights and relacing them with distinctive lights is being followed elsewhere in the East. In this case once more it is the illumination of the East that is spreading westward. The fixed light of Cape Marshig at Aden is, after much consideration, to be altered as soon as possible to a distinctive light. Brigadier-General Creagh, V.C., the Governor of Aden, who, though a soldier by profession, takes a deep interest in all shipping matters, has given his personal attention and all the weight of his authority and influence to bringing about this change. He has also taken up another question to which we also drew attention last September, the erection of a light on the south-east end of Socotra. It will be remembered that after the terrible wreck of the P. and O. steamer Aden the Government promised in the House of Commons that this should be taken in hand. As is too usual with such promises, it has been forgotten until the next wreck occurs there; but it isa hopeful sign that, Socotra coming under the Aden command, General Creagh has interested himself in the matter, for there is little doubt that a first-class powerful modern light, showing twenty-five to thirty miles, would do much to prevent, if it would not obviate entirely, the possibility of future losses in this part of the Indian Ocean.
Another point that we mentioned last September was the unlighted condition of the lower part of th Red Sea. "To day," we said, "nea the end of the nineteenth century, the lower part of the Red Sea—and Far Eastern residents are deeply interested in this question—is in the same unguarded state that it was when Noah's Ark was the only vessel afloat: and so two hundred miles the most intricate and difficult navigation to be met with anywhere in the run between England and the East is entirely unprotected by the science of to-day." It is known that some French adventurer years ago got from the Sultan of Turkey a concession to remedy this. but he has b never done anything, and our Governments, one after the other, are too weak to disregard his claim, or insist on its being withdrawn or settled, though the Khedive's Government, with the full support of Lord Cromer, is ready and willing to erect at once four first-class lights of the latest design on points already marked out as the best positions for them. Now we learn with pleasure that the Bengal Chamber of Commerce have written a strong letter to the English Government, asking that this pressing need may be at once attended to, and we trust that their representation may be effective.
Reverting to the alteration of fixed lights to distinctive lights, in carrying out which China is setting such a laudable example, we learn that there is reason to hope that the fixed light on Kenery Island, a few miles to the southward of Bombay, and which guards the southern approach to the arbour, is likely to be the subject of attention in the near future, it being proposed to add to the present fixed light a powerful group flash, so as to make it positively unmistakeable by the seaman steering for that very important harbour. So year by year salutary additions are made to the precautions taken to safeguard life and property at sea, a question in which we shall all continue to be personally interested until communication by land or through the air entirely supersedes traffic by water.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.