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. A recurring topic in the 1866 volume is the recent massacres in Jamaica, following which, the magazine complains, naval personnel were unreasonably required to administer harsh punishments to black people without due legal process. Another major feature stresses the need for seamen to be encouraged by the authorities to adopt a respectable lifestyle, improve their education and save for pensions and life assurance. Other articles focus on Japan, reports of piracy in the China seas, tea clippers and steam mailships. The volume also reports the successful laying of the Atlantic cable and the idea of a tunnel between England and France.