The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 622, 21 January 1852, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

lio jtist .Hid fear not . I.ct all the oihK thou annb't at, bo thy Country's, Thy Oou'h, ami Tiutli't.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21, 1002.

The launching, and now the actual plying", upon our waters of a Steam-vessel, in ail its parts constructed by the skill and industry of Auckland artificers, as well as owned by Auckland proprietors, may. without exaggeration, bo regarded as an event in the history of our Settlement and Colony, — an occurrence the remembrance of which a Maori might seek to perpetuate by a deep indentation on the hereditary carved stick, the notches of which stand to him in the place of more legible records of important transactions. In itself an interesting fact, it assumes a more impressive aspect as the harbinger of good to follow, — the commencement of a series of similar enterprises which wo anticipate may prove a long and prosperous one. But to whatever length the scries may extend, and however the idea may be acted out on a larger seale — to the owners and builders of the "Governor Wynyard" will belong the honour of having initiated the undertaking,— of having been tho first in New Zealand, not only to project, but actually to execute the work of producing and setting afloat a steamer which the colony may, in tho strictest sense, call all its own. Many a day did old ladies and gentlemen — aye and wise philosophers too — see steam issuing from the pipe of the teakettle without dreaming that in steam was-hidden and available, a power (as Lord Jeffrey has described it) "stupendous alike for its force and its flexibility — able to engrave a seal, or draw out, without breaking, a thread as fine as gossamer, and to crush masses of obdurate metal like j wax before it, to forge anchors, cut steel j into ribbons, and impel loaded vessels against the fury of the winds and waves." \ It is told of James Watt, the boy, that his aunt MuiRHEAD upbraided him for his " good for nothing idleness" when she saw him one evening taking off the lid of tho tea-kettle and putting it on again, holding alternately a cup and a spoon over the steam, watching the steam as it passed from the spout, and counting the drops of water into which it became condensed. Yet who can doubt that even then visions, however indistinct and distant, were rising up before that boy's mental eye of the capabilities of steam, •which became realized, when — 'Using the knowledge gained by Worcester, ISavery, Papin, Newcomen, and others, as his stepping stones to greater and more useful attainments than they had ever realized — he gave to the Stciim Engine almost the pci'fection it now exhibits, — leaving, in an embodiment applicable to a thousand practical purposes, the simple, but while confined to theory, barren facts of the properties of expansion into vapour by heat, and of tho sudden condensation of this vapour possessed by water. The application of the power to tlie propulsion of vessels was at first little expected to achieve the wonders it has since accomplished. When Fulton, the American, — who, with the " go-ahead " energy of his country, was tho first to turn to pecuniary profit the information collected chiefly by tho experiments of Miller, Taylor, and Symington— launched, in 1807, his steam-boat, the Clermont, he had to encounter many jeers ; and something akin to dismay, niinglcd with the wonder, which the progress of tho attempt excited. The most ignorant Maori from the bush could scarcely bo more astounded than wore the inhabitants of the shores of tho Hudson : — those who saw tho vessel indistinctly in the night described her as " a monster moving on the water, defying the winds and tide, and breathing flames and smoke," and some " prostrated themselves, and besought Providence to protect them from the approach of the horrible monster." Four or five years had elapsed before Henry Bell placed on the line between Glasgow and Greenock tho first steam vessel regularly employed in Britain for commercial purposes. This was the Comet, — and who shall despise small beginnings,—she was a vessel of only twentyfive tons burden, and of three horse power, her rate of motion being about five miles an hour. Forty years have not elapsed yet since the whole Steam Navigation of the British Empire was concentrated in tho little Comet ; — a. vessel of forty feet keel, and ten and a half feet beam, that is not far from the dimensions of tho Governor Wynyard:—hut in 1820, there were 43; in '1830, there were 315; in 1840 they had increased to 842 ; and in 1848, (according to a recently compiled Table) they numbered 1100, when there aggregate length, it was calculated, was 125,283 foot ; their aggregate tonnage, 255,371 tons ; and their aggregate horso power, 92,862 ; — and now tho steam fleets of Britain — many of these ships " floating palaces" indeed, arc sweeping all j seas, connecting the ends of the earth for purposes of mutual benefit. We, at this " end of the earth," it must be owned, have derived comparatively little direct benefit from the advances in Steam Navigation. But wo may hope that the " good time" in this respect is "coming" at last. As respects intercourse with Europe, if we are at present to have nothing more direct for ourselves, wo shall at least be the better for the steam communication between England and Sydney, for which the Australian Gold Field more than tho Government may be thanked. Tho Nelson Steam project, to which we recently invited attention, gives fair promise of establishing the much required intercommunication between the Settlements of New Zealand. And for our local objects — so small, perhaps, in the eyes of others as that we may seem now almost to venture on an anti-cli-max, but most valuable to ourselves — we have in the Governor Wynyard—)\x&t what our immediate wants demand. Enough, however, of general comment. We now proceed to notice more purlieu-

laiiy the Nmning and i r w-i Vycvr-A<ra Tri]) of the New Steamer, look placo on Monday. About cloven o'clock (ho vessel was brought as near iho .New Pier in Oiiicia! Bay as the state of the tide permitted ;—; — unfortunately it was too lon to admit of her coming quite alongside, and the passengers were therefore talccu out in boats. This limited the numbers present when she "was named to comparatively few, although a much larger number had assembled on the Pier. The ceremony was performed in the usual manner by the Mayor, who called the vessel " The Governor Wynyard" His Worship delivered an appropriate Address on the occasion, of which the following is the substance : — Ladies and Gentlemen,— l have been called to-day to the performance of rather an interesting ceremony — to give a name to the little vessel on whose decks we now stand. This is a day to be remembered in the annals of New Zealand. This day the Jirst commercial trip is lo bo made by the Jirst Steam-boat built in these islands. Let us rejoice in the day of ( .small things. It is a pi'oof of progress. We are, as a community, young, and if not at the present time in the enjoyment of perfect health, we are full of hope, and every stop in advance slnukl be marked and encouraged by every legitimate means in our power. The history of Steam Navigation itself dates within the memory of many here. I do not myself recollect the little Comet, built by Hem-y Bell, to ply upon the Clyde, but I well vomembcv many of its cotemporarics and immediate successors, the Albiov> the Glasgow and others, and these were no more to be compared with the splendid vessels which [ now glide upon the bosom of that majestic river, than this little craft will bland comparison with | its many successors which I yet hope to see daily plying in this harbour. When 1 look at a ma}> of New Zealand I cannot but be struck with the advantages it oilers to steam navigation, and when I consider the resources of the country which such communication is likely to call forth, T hail with sincere delight the commencement of those enterprises which will pave the way for civilizing and Christianizing more and more the population of these islands, both native and foreign. All honour then to those gentlemen who have embarked their capital and put forth their energies in constructing this steamboat. May their most sanguine hopes be realized. Their prosperity is our prosperity. —Success to the " Governor Wynyard." The " Governor Wynyard" then proceeded on her trip, having' about thirty passengers on board. The weather was by no means favourable for a pleasure excursion, but very suitable to test the qualities of the boat, as she had to work her way against a strong N. E. breeze, and an opposing- current. She, however, gallantly buffcttcd wind and waves, making about four knots at the most difficult parts of the passage ; and sailing on an average for the entire day about five knots an hour. On reaching Panmure, the company landed, and after about an hour on shore, returned to town arriving here at Bh. 30m. in the evening-, at which hour the tide was in a state that permitted her to run along-side the Wynyard Pier, to the stops of which her passengers were able to walk from the deck. All things considered, this first excursion passed off in as satisfactory a manner as could have been anticipated, and afforded all reasonable assurance that her future trips will realize the expectations of those who feel anxious for the prosperity of this interesting- experiment, — if "experiment" an undertaking may be called which has every probability of success so decidedly in its favour. The Tonnage of the Governor Wynyard is (as we mentioned on a former occasion) forty-five tons Builder's Measurement, thirty tons, Now Measurement. Her length, though perhaps less than might accord with the style adopted in the architecture of steam boats now-adays, is adapted purposely for the Tamaki channel, in which she is chiefly to sail, and in some parts of which a longer vessel would find difficulty in turning. She is fitted with two steeple engines, of five horse power each, which are capable of making at full speed thirty-six revolutions per minute. The castings, &c, have been done at the establishment of Mr. Bourne in this town, by whom the entire machinery has been constructed. The Draft of water with engines and fuel, is 2 feet 8 inches. The engineer employed on board has had considerable experience in America, where Steam Navigation is now so familiarly known. Her fittings are not completed yet, but when finished, both her deck and cabin accommodations will be found sufficiently commodious for the short trips for which she is designed. The Governor Wynyard will now commence running twice a week to and from Tamaki ; but she has been built expressly for that trade, and will be devoted wholly to it should sufficient inducement offer.