THE SYDNEY, STEAM-SHIP. (From the "Sydney Morning Herald," November 17.)

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 693, 4 December 1852, Page 2

THE SYDNEY, STEAM-SHIP. (From the "Sydney Morning Herald," November 17.)

. This anxiously expected bearer of a very lnrge and overdue mail arrived yesterday morning, sfler a voyage extending;, in consequence of various most vexatious detentions and impediments, to 104- days from the date of her leaving Plymouth. Possessing high qualities as a sea-boat, fitted with engines which display the Litest . improvements in engineering science and raech mical •kill, she has nevertheless made a tedious pissage, which is on every acrount to be regretted. 'J lie fol- - lowing memorandum of her voyage, will, however, show that to sadly imperfect coaling arrangements, and not to any fault of the skilful. ship-buildi-rs and enginerrs of .Dumbarton, must her "diaggmg her slow length «long" the waters be ascnbable. She left London at 1 1 a m., on the .3 1st of July, and steamed to Plymouth in 18 hows ».nchoiing theie at x 6 a.m. on the Ist of August. She left Plymouth on the 4th, at noon, and anchored at St. Vincent at li.illpast one p.m., on the 14, h — one of the shoi test passages belween those points that has yet been accomplished. The Australian, it wjII be remembered, was much disappointed at St. Vincent's by being only ible 'to ( " coal " with ft most unserviceable aiticle, supplied under the delusive name of ' patent fuel ;" and the same fa c awaited the Sydney. After an unprofitable ■detention o\ $% days she, at 9 pin on the 17th, resumed her voy,ige, and was making rapid progiess to- ' wards A-jcension, when, at 3, p.m. on the 22nd, one o| her crank pins. got loose, »nd the engines being stopped the necessajy repairs were effected, and she again got her #teamTrp at 8 a.tn. on the £3id, and reached Ascension at 2 p.m. on the 29th. The reliance upon this station lor coals was as ill placed as in the case of St. Vincent. Ciptain Franklyn was info, mcd th it with not more than 'lo loin could the Sydney be supplied; lie thereupon started again immediately, leaving the island at 7 the same evening, intending to make the best -of his way to St. Helena, After steaming for 24 hours against a strong S.ft. wind, and every signs of a gale presenting themselves, Captain F. deemed it piudent to return to Ascension and secure even the few tons of fuel winch bad been offered to him. He re-anchored .there at G p.m. on the 31 st, and having urgently represented to the Governor the strait in winch he was placed, every point was str.uned by that functionary to supply the vessel with as much fuel ai, with the strictest economy, might lust her to the C:ipe. At 7 p.m. on the 6th of September she again pursued her voysge, but, on the L4th, at 4 p.mi, m 'lat. 29*42 S., and long. 147 E., it was found that the fuel was acaicely sufficient for two more days, and, the stt-am boing •stopped, she (then being within three days' steam of Table Bay) was until 3 p.m. on the 26th impeded by baffling winds ami calms. She then, having made land off Saldanha Bay, steamed along shore between Dassen Island and the main, and anchored in Table Bay at noon on the 27th. Having coiiled, the voyage was resumed at 6 p.m. on the 2nd of October, and at 1 1 v.m. on the 24th the anchor was dropt in King George's Sound. Having coaled, an operation which occupied five days, she at 1 p.m., on the 29th, again got under -weigh, and ateamed to Port Adelaide, where she anchored at 4 p.m. on the 3rd instant, leaving the following morning at 2. At 5 p.m., on the 7th, she anchored in Hobson's Bay, landed her mails and passengers, obtained a small quantity of coal, and having i taken oa board 130 new passengers from Melbourne,

she at I i.M., on tlu> Kill), stnrt.nl ior Sulitey, iimviug lipic 3'es.teitlay moining, and naclionng off Moore's Whurf at 1 p.m. Ie will be been, Jrom tins memoliuuluiu, that the Sydney's steaming was only 6r>\ days in all, anil out of lliat time 2£ days must be d< ducted for tho leaving and putting 1 hack to Ascension. So that, but for (ho vexatious detentions occasioned by the imperfect pro vision made for her coaling:, this fine vosfeel would Lave made a voyage demanding special ie.cord. With regard to the construction of the Sydney and the fitting up of her engine-house, we h.ive only to observo that she is the sister ship of the Austialian, built by Messrs. Denny, Brotheis, of Dumbarton, and her engines Iro" 1 the estnb ishment of Me-srs. Tulloch and Denny of the same port. As a slight diflerence «>ppeara in some of the dimensions of the two vessels, we "ive the Sydney's ns follows :— length .... 216 feet. Length oveiall . . . 23a Breadth of beam. . . . 34 Depth of hold ... 25 Her burthen is 1500 tons, and she has two engines of 300-bors(s pon er. Her cylinders are 66 inches in diameter; the diameter of her screw or fan is 16 inches; its pitch IB inches ; the stroke 4| feet; and the revolutions 2? to 30 per minute, which, by the aid of the coj;whee^ are -increased to 67 or 68. Witb regard to the arrangements of the cabins, the same comfort prevails which distinguished those of the Australian. We indeed miss the gorgeous decorations in the chief saloon which formed so prominent a feature in the latter, but this is amply compensated for by the excellent taste which is displayed throughout. The Sydney's mail consists of 8017 letters, and 25,000 newspapers. She reports having passed the P. and O. S. Company's steam ship Formosa, off Western Port on Saturday last, and the Eureka (bound for this port) off Wilson's Promontory on the following day, The Great Britain arrived in Hobson's Bay on the 12tb; entering in company with the tiny model, theAgenoria. the singular spectacle lie ing thus afforded to the gratified crowds, of, perhaps, the largest, and certainly one of tlie smallest steamers in the world, peacefully gliding together over the smooth waters of the Pacific The /Shamrock, steamer, was ready for sea when the Sydi ney left, with the exception of water, the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient supply of which at Williams Town was likely to detain her. The Waratah had not arrived at Melbourne up to the date of the Sydney's departure.

The Great Biiitain. — This far-famed steam-ship has at length visited our shores, having anchored of Gelhbrand's Point late on Thursday evening. Early on Friday morning the officials connected with the shipping were asiir to render every facility to the giant stranger. It is with infinite satisfaction we announce to the public that no sickness had taken place on the voyage, and only one man died, an old Chinese, who was taken on board at St. Helena. This speaks well for the accommodation and comfort provided by the liberal owners of the ship (Gibbs, Bright, and Co., of Liverpool) for so large a number of passengeis — six hundred and thirty. The Great Britain had to call at St. Helena for coals, and had unfoi tunately to put in there a second time, the quautity taken on board being found in the fiist instance not sufficient to prosecute the voyage to the Cape ; this caused a delay of seven or eight days, and about the same space of time at the Cape of Good Hope. When this is taken into consideration the actual I time in making tbe voyage under steam is very good. During the passage to tbe Cape, a newspaper was published weekly on board in manuscript, which on arrival at the Cape was printed in one sheet. From the bustle that arose from so large a number of passengers all anzions to disembark, as was the case when our correspond pnt was on board, it was impossible to form a correct idea of tbe vessel or the splendid manner in which she is fitted up, but as far as could be judged, sbe fully bears out all the numerous previojs descriptions. To Captain B. R. Hosken, J. Anger, Esq., the Purser, and 11. Thorpe, Esq., we beg to tender our thanks for the attention paid on board ; the latter gentleman, we believe, is about to settle in Melbourne, in conjunction with Mr. Bright, of the above-mentioned firm ot Gibbs, Bright and Co. — Melbourne Argus Nov. 13. About £70,000 in specie for Melbourne, and a mail consisting t of twenty-three large bags and eight boxes, arrived by tbe Great Britain. The Hawaiian schooner Harriett, late the property of his Majesty King Kamehameha the 111., was sold yesterday at auction by Mr. Mort, to Mes9rs. Sbeppard and Alger, for £1525. Tbe schooner was purchased by Messrs. Sheppard and Alger for Mr. C. L. Throokmonou, of Melbourne. The reason of his Hawaiian Majesty baring disposed of this splendid yacht is, that he has had another built for him in France, which was daily expected at Honolulu when the Harriett sailed. — Empiie. Nov. 18.