LOFTUS, WILLIAM KENNETT, 1820-58; b. England. From 1849 to 1852 he was a -resident of Turkey, and, devoting himself to archmology, made extensive explorations on the sites of the ancient cities on the Tigris and Euphrates. He made renewed exam inations in the saine field under the auspices of the Assyrian society of London in 1853, and a few years later published a volume of his Travels and Researches in Chaldea and Susiana, with illustrations. IIis contribution of specimens of ancient Assyrian sculpture to the British museum are highly valued.
10G is the instrument by which a ship's rate of motion through the water is measured. Its simplest form is a triangular piece of light wood, leaded so as to swim vertically; this isconnected with the log-line so that its fiat surface is at right angles to the ship's course. "When thrown out—attached to the log-line (see KNoT)—the log meets with such resist ance that it theoretically remains stationary in the water, and the log-line passing freely out shows the speed of the vessel. There are, however, many improved logs, which have oomplicated apparatus, for marking the way made, chauges of direction, etc. The log
and line are known to have been used as early as 1570 A.D., and were alluded to by Bourne in 1577. Computing by the log is an uncertain operation, allowance having to be made for numberless contingent circumstances. In ships of war, it is usual to heave the log every hour; in merchantmen, every two hours. The log-board is a board on -which the hourly results of the log-heaving are recorded in chalk, with the wind's diree tior., and other particulars, for the guidance of the officer in charge. The contents of the log-board are entered daily in the log-book, with all particulars essential to the history of the voyage, as ships spoken, icebergs seen, land sighted, etc. The log-book thus becomes a rough journal; and it is compulsory upon every master of a vessel to keep it properly, and to have it ready for inspection by any ship of war of his own nation -whose captain may require its production.