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 1859 volume focuses on Japan and the signing of a long-desired treaty, British military operations in China during the Second Opium War and setbacks affecting the Great Eastern and the laying of submarine cables. Research on water temperatures and currents, and accounts of the eruption of Mauna Loa in Hawaii also feature. The later issues are dominated by developments in the Franklin searches and a new series of 'occasional papers of the Nautical Club'. An unusual feature of this volume is a versified list of lighthouse locations and signals, which was later published in booklet form.