gation direct from Liverpool, or any other English or Irish port, to New York. The writer of that letter was Macgregor Laird, Esq., now secretary to the British and American Steam Company, whose magnificent ship, the British Queen, built under his superintendence, was launched on Thursday week. In that letter, written nearly two years and a half ago, Mr. Laird calculated, from the Doctor's own data, that the voyage, instead of being impracticable, was quite practicable, and that it might be done under fifteen days; a calculation which the performance of the Great Western, both out and home, completely justified.

We subjoin a copy of Mr. Laird's letter, for the purpose of showing how sagacious and practical were his views, at that early period, on the subject of transatlantic steam navigation.

"TO THE EDITOR OF THE Albion.

"SIR,-In your paper of the 14th instant, there is an extract from a lecture delivered by Dr. Lardner, on steam navigation, which contains some assertions upon transatlantic steam navigation, which strikes me as betraying an ignorance on that important subject that I did not expect to find coupled with such a celebrated name. For any man to limit the application of steam power to navigation in the present day, in the face of the great extension of it within the last few years, is to me a proof either that he has not studied the subject at all, or having done so, has arrived at very opposite conclusions to those that most marine engineers of the day have adopted, and they have not yet, I believe, any idea of starting a steam-boat to the moon, which according to Dr. Lardner would be as easily done as from any part of Great Britain to America.

"If there is one feature more than another that particularly distinguishes steam navigation from the old system, it is its independence of winds and currents; and whatever advantages a port on the west coast of Ireland may present to a sailing-vessel, as a point of departure and arrival, no one practically acquainted with a steam-vessel would ever think of stopping short at Valentia. It would be equivalent to the Liverpool and Manchester railway taking their passengers and goods over the seas of Parr or Chat Moss, and there leaving them to make the best of their way to Liverpool or Manchester.

"The project of making Valentia the port of arrival and departure is by no means new. A company at present exists who got an Act of Parliament, granting them extraordinary powers, in 1825; but after procnring it, they made the. notable discovery, that, though it was easy to get passengers from America to Valentia, to get passengers to and from London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Liverpool, was no joke. So they laid upon their oars for the tenth part of a century, and in 1835 started up afresh, backed up by a railway from London to Liverpool, the Post-office packets to Dublin, the Valentia railway; and from thence, not to the capital of the western hemisphere, but to the capital of Newfoundland, where sailors gang to fish for cod,' but certainly where no passengers go, if they can help it. In short, to get to New York by this route involves at least four changes of conveyance; which may be pleasant enough to a man desirous of contrasting at a railroad speed the midland counties of England with the western counties of Ireland; but a family, I opine, would prefer stepping on board at Blackwall or the Prince's Pier, and landing at New York in

the centre of society, business, and communication; and yet the one is called the grandest project that ever occupied the human mind,' and the other, that grapples with the difficulty, and takes the bull by the horns, is chimerical! The world, then, has stood still since 1825. The march we hear so much about has been going on in everything but steam navigation. Is it so? Let the Mersey, the Clyde, the Thames, the Baltic, the Bosphorus, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the shores of Van Dieman's Land, answer. If we could, in 1825, go from Ireland to Newfoundland by steam, cannot we, with ten years' additional experience, make the voyage direct from Liverpool or London to New York?

"By what process of reasoning Dr. Lardner has fixed the ultimate size of steam-vessels for the Atlantic at 800 tons and 200 horse power does not appear, which is the more to be regretted, as it must be a peculiar one, from the size of vessels very little exceeding that of several in the coasting trade, and the power being much less. But I am not bound to take this for granted, particularly as all my experience has proved that we, as yet, have never had to complain of the size of the vessel, if the power had been proportionably increased: on the contrary, the Dublin boats have crept up from 250 tons to 5 and 600 ; and the Clyde from 200 to 400 tons; and other lines in the same proportion. In reasoning, therefore, upon a line of steam communication between Great Britain and New York, I must reason from analogy, and fortunately Dr. Lardner gives me the data. The Leeds, it appears, makes the voyage to and from Bourdeaux, a distance of about 1,600 miles, with one supply of coals: the Leeds is, I believe, 420 tons, and 140 horse power, and her displacement between her light and load marks will be about 80 tons to one foot, or perhaps only 70. Now, the distance from Liverpool or Portsmouth to New York is 3,000 nautical, or 3,500 statute miles; a little less to Liverpool. Suppose the Leeds to be trebled in capacity, so that her displacement should exceed 200 tons per foot draught; it is not necessary to treble her power, as double power propels more than double bulk; but allow her 300 horse power-her light draught of water would be about eleven feet with her machinery on board, and with 800 tons of dead weight on board, about fifteen. I take the consumption of coals at 30 tons per day, and a mean speed of 10 miles per hour, and at an expenditure of 325 tons of common coal, or 420 of Llangmuch, I land my passengers in New York, Portsmouth, or Liverpool, IN SOMETHING LESS THAN FIFTEEN DAYS. I have not allowed anything in this calculation for the saving of fuel that would accrue in these large engines, by working them expansively, but have the consumption at 94 lbs. per horse per hour, and with common coal I would have a surplus of 275 tons dead weight for passengers and goods.

"One objection will, I am aware, be made, viz., that my average speed is too great, and if I admitted that the 'beau ideal' of a steamvessel was embodied in one of his Majesty's Mediterranean steampackets, the objection would be fatal; but what is the fact? (no less wonderful than true,) the average speed of private vessels far exceeds them; and to prove that the average speed of ten miles per hour is not 'chimerical,' I may state that the average speed of the Dundee and Perth, in all weathers, winter and summer, fair or foul, exceeds eleven miles per hour; that the average speed of the Monarch is ten miles and a half per hour; and that the Medea, steam frigate,

averaged more than ten miles per hour on her voyage to Malta. Now, I am of opinion, that the Dundee, Perth, Monarch, and Medea, are to be, and will be beat, but not by vessels of 800 tons, and 200 horse power.

"I hope, Mr. Editor, I have proved that it is easier to go from Portsmouth or Liverpool to New York, than to the moon; that it is more convenient to go direct than through the first 'gem of the sea;' and the last, though not the least consideration, that, if we wish to go at all by steam, we had better not wait for the Valentia railway. "I remain, Mr. Editor, very respectfully,

CHIMERA."

MEETING OF THE MATES OF H.M. SQUADRON, STATIONED AT PORTSMOUTH.

A MEETING was held on Tuesday at the George Hotel, by the Mates, and attended by other Officers of her Majesty's Squadron, stationed at this port, upon the subject of the refusal, on the part of Colonel Lewis, the Commandant of the Plymouth Division of Royal Marines, to allow the Band of that corps to attend the funeral of the late Mr. Lewis, Mate of the "Royal Adelaide," whose untimely death on board that ship has been already noticed. Mr. J. Aylmer Painter, of H.M.S." Excellent," having been unanimously called on to take the chair, opened the proccedings, by stating that a letter, signed" BLUE JACKET" having appeared in the "Naval and Military Gazette," commenting on the above circumstance, the Mates of H.M.S." Excellent" had written to their brother officers of the "Royal Adelaide " at Plymouth, for a statement of what actually occurred in this respect; to which request the following answer has been received:;

H.M.S. Royal Adelaide, Plymouth,
June 14, 1838.

GENTLEMEN, The best plan of giving you a clear view of the circumstances of the attendance of the marine band being refused at the funeral of our late messmate Lewis, is to relate to you the manner in which it was asked for and refused. Two Mates of the ship went as a deputation to Colonel Lewis, with their Captain's compliments, and asked as a favour, if he would allow the marine band to attend the remains of their late messmate to the grave; to which he answered, that he would neither hear nor think of such a thing, adding at the same time, that it would be making a bad precedent. He was met on that point, by their saying that it would not be making a precedent, as the Marine Band had always attended at the funerals of naval officers who were buried with military honours-instancing the case of Lieutenant Derriman, who died some months since, while belonging to the "San Josef," and at whose funeral the band had attended. He then not only persisted in his refusal, but was candid enough to say, that had he been at Plymouth the marine band should not have attended on that occasion.

The band of the 29th regiment was then asked for, and was given with as much courtesy as the other was uncourteously refused. We have reason to thank the 29th, not only for the band, but for the ENLARGED SERIES.NO. 7.-voL. FOR 1838. 3 R

handsome manner in which it was given. The naval world be ing at a loss to account for such an extraordinary circumstance as the nonattendance of the marine band at the funeral of a naval officer, have very naturally thought some point of etiquette had been violated in asking for it-never dreaming that it could be refused (if properly asked for), to attend at the funeral of an officer belonging to a profession of which the marine corps is a branch.

The Chairman resumed by observing, that on the receipt of this answer, his brother officers and himself at this port, considered they were called upon, in the first instance, to return their grateful thanks to Lieut.-Colonel Simpson, and the officers of the 29th regiment for the kind manner in which they granted the attendance of the regimental band on the melancholy occasion referred to; and in the next, to mark their surprise and regret that the Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Marines should have found it necessary to refuse permission for the band of that corps to do so. In whatever way the present meeting might express their sense of the latter, he knew the superior rank of Colonel Lewis to themselves would not be lost sight of.(Hear, hear, hear.)-He only spoke the sentiments also of the whole of his brother officers, when he said, that whatever comments they might make upon the subject, especial care would be taken to avoid any expression that could imply a reflection on the corps-(hear, hear,) that whatever resolution the occasion seemed to call for, should be so framed as to preclude the possibility of its being construed into a censure of the corps in the most remote degree, or having a tendency culculated to interrupt that harmony and good understanding which existed, and ought always to prevail, between the two branches of the service.(Hear, hear.)

After some judicious observations from the whole of the officers present to the same effect, and more particularly in confirmation of what had fallen from the chairman-their anxiety not to say anything that could imply a reflection on the corps of Royal Marines; the following resolutions were submitted and unanimously adopted.

Resolved, That this meeting cannot but express their surprise and regret, that the Colonel-Commandant of the Plymouth Division of Royal Marines should have found it necessary to refuse permission for the attendance of the band of that corps, at the funeral of their late brother officer Mr. Lewis, of her Majesty's ship "Royal Adelaide ; but hope it will not tend to disturb the harmony and good feeling which happily exists between the two branches of the naval service.

Resolved, That the sincere and grateful thanks of this meeting in behalf of the Mates of the different ships in Portsmouth harbour, be tendered to Lieut.-Colonel Simpson, and the officers of Her Majesty's 29th regiment, for their kind and handsome manner of granting the band of the regiment to accompany the remains of the late Mr. Lewis to the grave.

(Signed)

J. AYLMER PAYNTER, Chairman.

The chairman then submitted, that the vote of thanks to Lieut.Colonel Simpson, and the officers of the 29th regiment, should be conveyed to them in the following letter:

George Hotel, Portsmouth, June 19, 1838.

SIR,-I beg to lay before you a copy of resolutions, unanimously agreed to at a general meeting of the Mates of her Majesty's Squadron at Portsmouth; and in furtherance of these resolutions, I beg, in the name of the Mates of the Squadron, to offer to yourself and the officers of the 29th regiment, our most sincere and grateful thanks for the kind and handsome manner in which you granted the attendance of the regimental band at the interment of our late much respected brother officer, Mr. Lewis.

Trusting that the good feelings which actuated your conduct on the late mournful occasion may ever exist between our respective services, which may then be justly termed united,

(Signed)

I have the honour to remain,

To Lieut.-Colonel Simpson, H.M.

29th Regiment.

Your most obedient servant, J. AYLMER PAYNTER, Chairman of the Meeting.

On a motion being made that this letter be adopted, Mr. Dumaresq said, he had peculiar satisfaction in seconding it, because he knew that this was not the only instance in which the navy was indebted for kindness to the officers of the 29th regiment. It had been experienced at the Mauritius; for the moment the ship in which he (Dumaresq) was, arrived at that island, the officers of that regiment that moment invited all the officers of the ship, without distinction of rank, to become honorary members of their mess, treating them as brothers in the same service, though separate in its branch.— (Applause.) The motion was then unanimously carried, and after thanks had been given to the chairman for his able and impartial conduct in the chair, the meeting, which was admirably conducted, dissolved.

PORT OF BIDEFORD.-It is gratifying to see our naval officers, assisting in their own peculiar line of pursuits towards those undertakings which contribute to promote their country's good; and we shall be found ever ready to record such services: with these feelings we insert the following copy of a resolution, passed at a meeting at Bideford, relative to the proposed harbour of refuge in Bideford Bay, at which the Mayor, Vice-Admiral Glynn, presided.

"That the thanks of this meeting be conveyed to Captain Denham of the royal navy, for the clear and satisfactory manner in which he has pointed out the most eligible situation for the proposed harbour of refuge in this bay, and that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to Lord Ebrington."

NEW BOOKS.

MADAME TUSSAUD'S MEMOIRS AND REMINISCENCES OF FRANCE. Forming an Abridged History of the French Revolution. Sanders and Otley, Conduit Street. 1838.

The peculiar position which the authoress of these memoirs occupied previous to, and during the French revolution, doubtless gave her an opportunity of witnessing a large share of the horrors of that awful period, and her reminiscences of those scenes has enabled her,