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motions of the moon and planets presented about a century ago ; 

 and unless considerable exertions be made, it may so continue for 

 many years to come. The tables of the planets have acquired their 

 present accuracy only through the liberal encouragement of learned 

 bodies, and of some of the governments of Europe j nor can tables of 

 the tides, adapted to the present state of science, be now constructed, 

 unless very considerable expense be incurred, and immense labour 

 bestowed. 



The results of numerous observations on the influence of the wind 

 on the tides in the River Thames, are stated ; and the author observes, 

 that this is a subject of considerable importance as regards the accu- 

 racy of which tide predictions are susceptible. 



The reading of a paper, entitled, " An Account of some Operations 

 executed at Cape Frio, by the Officers and Crew of His Majesty's Ship 

 Algerine, for the purpose of raising a part of the Stores, &c. lost in 

 His Majesty's Ship Thetis." By the Hon. Commander F.T.de Roos, 

 R.N., F.R.S. — was commenced. 



February 27, 1834. 

 FRANCIS BAILY, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Hon. Commander de Roos's paper was resumed and concluded. 



The author, who had the command of His Majesty's ship Algerine, 

 was instructed to take charge of the enterprise commenced by the 

 officers and crew of His Majesty's ship Lightning, having for its ob- 

 ject the recovery of the treasure and stores from the wreck of the 

 Thetis, which, in the month of December 1830, had sunk in a cove to 

 the south-east of Cape Frio. He reached this spot on the 6th of March, 

 1832, having with him eleven officers and eighty-five men. A certain 

 number of men were appointed to remain on board the ship, which 

 was moored in a harbour two miles off 5 a party of artificers and others 

 were employed at the huts which they inhabited near the Cape ; and 

 the rest, nearly thirty-five in number, were stationed at the wreck. 



The author gives a description of Cape Frio, and of the island of 

 which it forms the south-eastern extremity, and which is an immense 

 promontory of insulated granite jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, sixty 

 miles east of Rio de Janeiro. The cove, in the middle of which the wreck 

 of the Thetis lay, is a square indenture in the cliffs, six hundred feet 

 deep by as many wide. It is surrounded by nearly perpendicular 

 masses of granite, from one hundred to two hundred feet high, and 

 is exposed to the whole swell of the South Atlantic, which sets in 

 with remarkable force in that direction. The weather is singularly 

 variable ; and transitions frequently take place in the course of a few 

 hours, from perfect stillness to the most tremendous swell. The author 

 states that he has witnessed few scenes in nature more sublime than 

 that presented by the Thetis Cove during a gale of wind from the 

 south-west. 



