The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1855

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 1855 volume is dominated by the Crimean War and includes critical comments on Balaclava and Sebastopol as well as opportunistic advertising for ‘preserved vegetables for the Crimea’ (recommending a precursor of ‘instant mash’). In addition to regular features, it discusses the ethnography of West Africa, the eruption of Vesuvius, piracy in the Mediterranean and the China seas, and the causes of the loss of ships: the writer ranks teetotalism (‘coffee instead of rum’) sixth, even before poor construction of the vessel. Books reviewed include titles on the Arctic by Belcher and Bellot (also available in the Cambridge Library Collection).