BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 791, 21 March 1871, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

AB RIVALS. Wanganus.—March 18 Wallabi, from West port. Nelson.—March 10 —Phoebe, from Auckland ; Kennedy, from YVestport. DGI'AIITUJi.ES. Nelson,—March 19—Phcobo, for Picton. THE VOYAGE OF THE IRONCLAD CEUBEEUS. The following letter, addressed by Lieutenant Panter to a iriend in Melbourne, will be read with interest, as showing how the gallant commander of our ironelad extracts amusement out of the difficulties and inconveniences of his adventurous voyage. It is dated H.M.C.S. Cerberus, Aden, January 10 Well, here lam with the three headed brute, safe and sound so far, though not halfway to my destination. I hare been rather a long time getting so far, but she is not a clipper; and with all her extra weight she won't steam, and it requires a gale to drive her under sail; and when it does blow u gale I prefer keeping the sails lashed up, or 1 should be making another Captain of her, which, as far as I am personally concerned, I don't care about, nor do I think, as far as regards the ship, the colony would thank tile for so doing. Sho i 3 not a handsome ship—bi'w and stern the same, except that she "ins n bowsprit at oneend and not at the other ; i,ui her real beauty will not be seen till I go into dock, when they will sea her magnificent lines just like this (making a mark to illustrate the cross section of the vessel.) Her extreme breadth on upper deck is 45 feot, and on the bottom 43 feet, so you can fancy its being much like taking a floating-dock to' sea. Nevertheless sho has proved herself a good sea-bout, though not exactly a clipper. I hare managed hitherto to "get, 100 miles a day out of her. Her next best (?) quality is power of suffocation, which is very slron". We were nearly all cooked coming down the Red Sea, and I am sure if we had been ■another week we should have been overdone. I have the satisfaction of beiiif the first to bring an ironclad and cupola" ship through the canal and down the I!c\l Sea ; also I hoist the Australian flag 'in these .parts.' Victoria may be proud of the first ironclad she possesses, as far as strength goes, for I verily believe sho is impregnable to the present ordnance. Sho causes a vast atnonnt of astoni-hmenfc wherever she goes, especially when people see her guns. I hone to get away from this the day after tomorrow, and reach Galle about the 2nd of February ; from thence I go to Sumatra and •Java, then down south for the Sound, and then 'Hot rah' for llobson's Bay. It will be lie of tile happiest days of my life when I drop my ' mud-hook ' off Williauistown."— " Argus."