Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 447, 14 February 1857, Page 7

Local Intelligence.

{ No Change of Ministry.—We are told, that ourannouncement of a change was in error, and that new appointments have not been made. If so, the accident that prevented it must have been something,: of the character of a ' slip between the cup and the lip.-' But we confess pur fault Avith'all humility ; we had no business to know .too much.1 For the future in such matters, we shall not only turn a deaf ear .to all mere reports, as usual, bat we shall not credit the greatest certainties in anticipation; nor :. say a word: till the 'Gazette,'some;few days'after the occurrence, has made assurance doubly sure. Our; " backwardness in coming forward " shall match that of the principal actors, or of the ' Government Gazette' itself, a number of which has just reachedus, having occupied ten days in travelling from Christcnurch to Lyttelton. If ; it were not for this diffidence of ours, we should now repeat our assertion of-last Wednesday^ and tell ourre'aders to believe it, though so lately denied.-; ...••: ■■ - The Oliver Lang.—As no merchant ship comparable in size or in beauty of appointment to the Oliver Lang has ever bofore entered our harbour, and as few of our fellow-colonists have had opportunities of seeing such a one elsewhere, it will perhaps^ be right! to give a short description of her for the benefit of our up-country readers. She is one of the Black Ball line of packets, the largest, finest, and-fastest merchant ships in the world, belonging to James Baines and Company, the now; well-known Liverpool firm. In this ship, as well as in any other ship of the line, the one remarkable feature -which distinguishes from ordinary merchant vessels, such as brought most of us-to this place, the first thing which strikes a visitor, and the ono which perpetually recurs to his notice as helooks over the ship is the development of the. principle of perfection throughout. No requisite is omitted: no work is slurred over ; no supply ;is deficient; no inferior arrangement is left to ;'do well ■ enough'; there is no clumsiness, no 'parsimony, no ignorance or heedlessness per-

mitted/ -'Every department of management, every , item' of equipment and' every detail of arrangement respecting the skip,is evidence of the ruling idea that all things are done < by. and for this firm as well as they can1 be done. And this the firm does for the public, simply because it "pays. The Oliver Lang was built in New Brunswick and is now making her fourth voyage, having been three times to Melbourne on the special service for which 1 she was intended, the •carriage ■of passengers andT mails. For this service great speed is required, and> this quality the ship possesses, in the highest degree.- She is almost, if not quite, the. fastest ship of • this, . renowned , line. , The cabins and the stores are those particulars of. equipment which specially, concern the passengers, arid''these are . well provided. The poop deck, which'comes as far forward as ( the' main hatchway, covers two first-class saloons, with a ladies' room attached, the second-class cabin, with the. stewards' .pantries; > bars, ,&c, 'anduall the{ staterooms and. berths .for the first and. second •class passengers, calculated to-aceomodate."; 60: adults. . The fittings of. the. saloon 'are^of^ad.^, inirable sort for comfort. There is no-- splendid > ornamentation, a'little mahogany and rosewood panelling and a light gilded tracery on the cornice simply relieving "the clean "white paint of the bulk-heads and deck' overhead. The Ladies' room is next'to the stern .windows and is divided off from the main appartment so. as .to command privacy for the lady passengers .when' •desired. It is provided with -a piano. and other requisites for social'entertainment. • The state- • rooms or sleeping appartments are large,,clean, light, and airy, and this embraces all possible praise. A third large apparfcment, more amid- ' ships, belongs to the chief cabin, and is used for a. refectory. The second cabin is inferior in its -space and style to the chief cabin; but is posi- ■ "tively hetter in' almost every,respect- than the «Mef. cabins of many emigrant .ships. Theseappartments,occupy the centre of the deck and the sleeping rooms are arranged, round , the sides, approachable by a narrow-passage between each two sets, with" doors', into, each apartment. There 'is plenty of light' arid air let down* by skylights and ventilators into every quarter.' forward, as usual,.are the cooks-galleys for all hands, which defy-description. The store-room is below, a place well worthy .a; visit for .curious inspection. It lies at the aftermost part of the 'tween decks and communicates with a part of the hold immediately below, separated off from xhe hold for general cargo. It shares the ■width of'the >deck with the mail-room, in which, as much as 80 tons of letters and ' newspapers have been stowed at one time. The store room is fitted in compartments so arranged that tiny article' that may be wanted can1 be got hold of at any hour -of the day or night. All the sides and ' ■corners are fitted with' bottle racks, in which ' oOQ dozen -can be stowed. The place, -when we fiaw it, was overflowing with abundance, yet specimens of every imaginable article were produced -without the smallest trouble. It would T)e tedious to particularize the sort of things Iceptin stare, suffice it that all possible'1 provision for the eating and drinking of the 'ship ' fall of people is made in the greatest abundance. The difference between this system of management and that in nse on board "very many ordinary emigrant ships is apparent from the fact that the distribution of rations for -about 350 people, on the voyage from Liverpool to - "Wellington, only occupied about seven ' hours per week. From this store and mail-room forward to the boatswain's stcire room under the forecastle the deck is clear at present! Here above 320 people lately lived in cabins built into the «ides, eontainrng 8 adultb each. The Tracking was certainly close, the ship carrying mot ©ne person more or less than the exactnumber allowed by the Government inspector. The water supply is admirably -man-aged. The ship's tanks are built into the hold,running amidships from stem to stern-posts, and leaving-a flat surface for the cargo to refft upon.. From each tank iwo pipes are led, boxed up, along the uprights of. the ship to the main deck. To the top of one apump'can be attached,and the other admits air. As one frank is exhausted, the pump is detached and fixed on to another.' The £siks -are over-hauled in Livepobl every voyage. <On. the main-deckand in the'lower hold of the ship tbe process of leading with wool is now •<»oingtMi. The cargo comes ]yy boats alongside, "20 to 50 bale.* at ]& time. Tliese are brought -mi deck and if necessary weighed. They then go 5-nt©_thepresser s of which there are thxeson board,

two on the main deck and1 one between decks, and'are either pressed two into the space of one sideways,"or one into half-size endways, themachines being of different construction. While still in the press they are'laslied round,'then taken out and sent below, where they are hauled squeezed, and screwed into rows and tiers and built solidly into-the hold. 'When the'lower hold is full, as it shortly will be, the wool will in like manner -be built into--the space between decks. .We could go on with the discription, but to those-who have seen a'similar vessel, and they are not many, our wordsare worth nothing; and to those who have not, 1 mere description gives little idea of the reality. Such an opportunity for ■ passengers returning to England has never, occurred before. We only fear that with such' inducements our population may by degrees be all seduced away.