THE GREAT EASTERN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 102, 22 January 1870, Page 6

THE GREAT EASTERN.

The saying that " everything has its; use " was never more magnificently illustrated than by the Great Eastern. For years after that giantess was launched with so much difficulty, disaster appeared to dog her; she scalded her stokers, blew up her own cabins, ran aground, failed as n. passenger ship, foiled as a merchantman, ruined two or three sets of proprietors, and was generally pronounced a colossal mistake. But her day arrived along with submarine telegraphy ; and now she has become a sort of tcrrestial machine — a ship of tho planet — without whose mighty aid it is not possible to carry and lay a deepsea cable. Since she has thus found out her proper mission, folk havo found out also what a splendid piece of shipbuilder's craft; the vast vessel is. The Great Eastern is in reality one of the handsimest and handiest sea-ships afloat, and does all her duty well, whether you load her with an extra .10,000 tons or not. She never pitches, while she rolls but slightly, and in a most stately way, to a heavy cross sea. As she now lies in. the Medway, with her tropical suit of bright white paint, and the Indian Telegraph Cable aboard, she is at last as her worst calumniators must own, an absolute success. Business, in fact, comes in upon her faster than she can transact it; for, having just laid the French Atlantic, cable, she ia now off to deposit the Indian line, and she will then return immediately to. lower the Malta and Falmouth wires into the sea-bottom. Everything points to the fact that instead of discarding Brunell's grand lines, we must rather build larger and steadier ship 3 than even the Great Eastern — at fcuo same time constructing docks, Inrbours, and other appliances to match these craft of the .future. The great steamship has demonstrated one fact among many others — namely, that wo could build an island of iron and wood, and cruise about from latitude to latitude with invalids ; or navigato the ocean with huge and motionles3 floating hotels, the passengers in which need never know that they were at sea, unless they choose to look out of the upper-deck windows. — " Daily Telegraph."

A young lady in London, writing to a relative hero, says : — I suppose you have received the fashions, and are wearing Queen Elizabeth's ruffs, dcop enough to scratch the tips of yourears. The fashionable London girls, are frightful sights in their dress. — * " Thames Advertiser."

The "Shortland Times" writes:— As a curiosity in natural history, we may mention that a toad was found yesterday at a depth of five feet from the sur-i face in a well which was being sunk on the back premises of Messrs Harrison and Co., Pollen-street. Its back is of a bright green hue, whilst the other parts are of the usal light brown colour. The curiosity may be seen by those interested at Messrs Harrison's store. We believe this is the first toad found in the neighbourhood of Shortland, although several have been found in Coromandel. It is a question for the scientific to account for the presence of toads at such a depth from the surface of the ground.