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24 channel with safety, even if he does meet with other boats. But the difficulty can perhaps be best 'illustrated with a story: In New York there was a little Jew, who in going to his place of business every morning had to pass a saloon and restaurant in the Bowery, that owned a dog. This dog,- for some reason or other, seemed to have an antagonism to the Jew and every morning when he passed would run out and bark viciously at him. The Jew was very much afraid of the dog, fearing he would bite him. One morning the dog was unusually dem- onstrative, the Jew badly frightened ran into the restaurant for protection. The owner of the dog who ran the saloon, a great big, burly, two-fisted specimen, bellowed "What are you afraid of? The dog won't bite.' The little Jew looked down at the dog in mortal fear, looked up at the great big. hulking owner in as much fear, and replied. "Yes, you know tat te toggie won't bite, and I know t'e toggie won't bite, but t'e toggie don't know t'at he won't bite." And so I say to you that the difficulty is that while you may be fully convinced in your own mind that you can go through and clear the vessel down bound with safety, you don't know what the other fellow will do, and, therefore, the only safe way, to obtain the best results for all concerned, is to strictly obey the rules and regulations and take no chances. In conclusion, I would like to say a word to the young men who sit around this board tonight. The older men have had years of experience and do not need advice, but it is always peculiarly pleas- ant to me to see young men starting out in life, full of vigor, hope and promise, and with the world, as it were, all before them, and to say to them that with the troubles and vexations which come in all occupations in life, in which, owing to the peculiar nature of their vocation, has more than the average share of them, that when they are inclined to be discouraged and inclined to let up on their exertions, thinking perhaps that they are not recognized as rapidly as they ought to be, to remember that there is no royal road to success; that there is nothing that wins in the end like steady, persistent, hard work--steady sawing wood, as it were--and if any are dissatisfied with their environments or surroundings I want to say to them un- qualifiedly, that there is no other country on the face of the earth where the op- portunities are so great and where true merit is so rapidly recognized and ap- preciated as it is in these United States. There is always room at the top and if you have any doubts of this, young man, I suggest that you pack your gripsack, and TAE MarINE REVIEW you take a trip across the water to other countries and see the environments and difficulties that surround the young men across the water, and the farther you get away from the English speaking race the worse it will appear, but the result will be, if you are observing, which you prob- ably will be, and you take in the situa- tion fully, the feeling will come up in your mind strongly that you would like to see the American flag again. Unfortunately the American flag is rather a scarce commodity at the present time in foreign waters, but after you have been traveling some time and do see the American flag flying at the masthead of a vessel, you will feel as if the whole air had blossomed into joy, and on your return trip, when you pass Sandy Hook, and you put your foot again on Ameri- can soil, you will feel like getting down on your knees and thanking God that you belong and live under that starry ban- ner which sweeps the ground and touches the stars. DECEMBER LAKE LEVELS. The United States lake survey reports the stages of the great lakes for the months of December, as follows: Feet above tide- Lakes. water, New York. SUPCiHOt ne wae cots 602.55 Michigan-bluron)..s...... 580.58 Wie eee eer ek 572.24 Ontanowser nine te. 246.28 Since last month Lake Superior has fallen nearly 4 in.; Michigan-Huron, 2% in.; Erie, 114 in.; while Ontario has held its own. In the next month Lake Su- petior is likely to fall over 3 in. and Michigan-Huron over an inch, while Erie should hold its present level and Ontario rise an inch. 'Lake Superior is 14 in. above its December stage in 1892, 6% in. higher than in 1890, an inch higher than Jast year, and 'about the same as in 1895; but it is 7 in. lower than in 1900, 5 in. lower than in 1905, and 2 in. lower than im 1904, and 1% in. lower than the average December stage of the past 'ten years. Lake Michigan-Huron tare 19 in. higher than in December, 1895, and 9 in. higher than the mean Decem- ~ber stage of the past ten years; but are lower by 2 ft. than in 1876, and an inch lower than last year. Lake Erie is 16% in. higher than the stage of 1895, and 7 in. above the mean December stage iof the past ten years; but it is 11 in. below that of December, 1876, 314 in. lower than in 1890; and 2 in. lower: than last year. Lake Ontario is 33 in. above the low walter of 1895, 414 in. higher than last year, 2 in. 'higher than in 1905, and 141% in. higher than its mean De- cember stage of 'the past 'ten years. It is only 1% in. below the high water stage of December, 1876. QUESTIONS FOR WHEELSMEN AND WATCHMEN. 334. A statute mile contains 5,280 ft. 335. A nautical mile and a knot each contain 6,080 feet. 336. Divide 6,080 by 5,280 and what "dor you ger: 337. Divide 5,280 by 6,080 and what do you get? 368e > in. ote nautical anile: how many statute miles? 339, What part of a nautical mile 1s one statute mile? 340. To get statute miles from nautical miles what decimal do you multiply nautical miles by? C4 Wralttply25= Dye lelo wand what do you get? 342. If 25 was nautical miles how many statute miles would you have by multiplying iby 1.15? 343. If you multiplied statute miles by 087 what kind of miles would you have? 344, Why is it that by multiplying statute miles by 0.87 we get nautical miles? QUESTIONS FOR MASTERS AND MATES.--NO. 54. 716. Unloading at an electric work- ing clam dock, what would you do with your compasses to prevent de- magnetization of the needles? 4/17. How would you shake the super-induced magnetism out of the hull acquired by the electric machin- ery operating the clams? 718. When would you return the compasses to their binnacles? 719. Supposing they were left in their binnacles what would be the probable effect? 720. What effect does this super- induced effect have on the hull, equip- ment and adjusting magnets? 721. Which is the best way of getting rid of this magnetism? 722. Which is the best helm to swing first on, starboard or port? (23), SNAmaeR 724, What is meant by induced magnetism? 725. Is the magnetism from this electric apparatus the same as the earth's induced magnetism or is it stronger? 'Capt. James Reid expects to pump out the sunken steamer Pabst at Port Huron next week. The hull will be reinforced before it is attempted to raise the boat.