ARRIVAL OF THE ST. OSYTH AT MELBOURNE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 12, 13 January 1876, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE ST. OSYTH AT MELBOURNE.

This splendid screw steamer, which as yet ranks foremost in making rupid voyages to Australia, has conclusively demonstrated on her present trip that the -'45-days " passige via the,C*pe of Good Hope is not only easy of accomplishment, but that this limit, although long regarded as a finality, is capable of bein j still fu ther reduced . Since his first venture here with the St. Osyth, Captain M'Nabb has on each visit abbreviated the duration of the trip, until he appears to be not very far now from realia ng the possibility of the voyage being performd in 40 da> s, or even a less period. One swallow does not make a eummer, and ooe St. Osyth could not ot course constitute a mail service, but she has dpne a very great deal to show whit ■might ba accomplished in this rr spect by the establishment of a line of such steamers. The preseht passage, besides being the quickest ever known, has boen performed under not . altogether , favorrble circumstances, head win is having been encountered for 16 days after 'cros-*ing tbeiine, and a slight dißarrangement to the low-pressure engine causing her to trivel at only two-thirds speed for the last VIO day?. A, The necessary repair might have /heen effected by stoppage lor a couple of ZZ/^aya f 'hvi.t.ptvt^'^^^ considered it the t7''most..advi*able7cours4 to keep the steamer • .trayeiling. at. ;; the reduced, rate mentioned. TBiit for this accident, there is good reason for believing that the ISt. Osyth might hive been

here two days (a r .li°r. Along wi'h the shortening of the passage there has also been an pcnomising of fuel, and the consump ion on tbis trip has been three tons less per day than bn any former occasion. The coal sup • plic I to her bunkers previous to leaviu? was be-t Wel-b, and of the quantity put on board there were 1450 tons u>ed, leaving her with sufficient for lo days more steaming. The St. Osyth is evidently acquiring a good name amongst passengers, no fewer thin 268 of all classes having conn out by her. Of thf Be there vere 19 saloon "nd 92 in the eecon.l cabin and average for Melbourne and 28 saloon and 128 in the 'tween decks for Sydney. The passengers, from all accounts, have had a goo i time on boar 1, and there w»s no lack of amusements in the way of musical and am-teur ih'atrical entertainments. Cip'ain M'Nabb has also g lined the goo! opinion of the people on board, and an iiddres. with an accompanying presentation were given to him as the steamer was nearing Port Phillip. In addition to her complement of passengers, the St. OByfch hns a tolerably large cargo, upwards of lO'H) tons of which iB for this port, and comprises bnlk ale, soft goods, oilmen's stores, hardware, &c The S'. Osythleft Plymouth at 3 p.m on November 18, and passed Madeira when four days and eight hours out. Teneriffe was sighted on November 24, and the steamer crossed the Equator on November SOth in longitude 11 degs W. her run of 11 days to the line being one of ihe fastest performances known. Contrary winds were afterwards met with for 16 dayß. and the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope was crossed on December 13th in lat. 42<iegs. S. (24 days out.) Heavv weather was fallen in with in crossing the Great Smthern Ocean, and the St. Osyth had to steam against a hard E.NE. gale on Dec. 19. She was al?o amongst ice a good deal, and on the day previous to tha gnle in lat. 42 degs. one very large and several smaller icebergs were pissed, the weather all the while being intensely cold. .Cape Otway was sighted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and the pilot taken on boird at 8 p.m., and at 1 o'olosk next morning the St. Osyth had reached Hobson's Bay. — Argus.