} is 62 feet The length of engine-room, from the fore bulk-head to the after bulk-head These engines were made, completed, and fixed on board the vessel, in little more than eight months from the receipt of the order; they were set to work for the first time on Thursday, the 13th day of June, 1838, and acted in the most efficient and satisfactory manner. On Monday, July 2nd, an experimental cruise down the river to Gravesend and back, was made by this vessel, with a number of naval and scientific gentlemen on board, among whom were the Earl of Minto, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Charles Adam, Sir William Parker, Mr. Charles Wood, M. P., Secretary of the Admiralty, Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy, Sir E. Parry, Comptroller of Steam-boats, Captains Austin, Henderson, Daws, Symonds, Captain Loch, Chairman of the Committee of Steam Navigation of the East India House, Captain Hayman, Trinity House, Mr. Ewart, and Mr. Kingston, the Admiralty Engineers, and others. The vessel proceeded down the river in gallant style; and notwithstanding her immense bulk, and her draught of water, thirteen feet forward, and fourteen feet six inches abaft, she soon obtained a velocity through the water of 111 miles per hour; the engines making 19 strokes per minute; and with this great speed there was no sensible vibration on board. A tumbler of water, placed on the taffrail, as well as one at the paddle beam, directly over the engine, remained undisturbed; it was remarked by all on board that the motion of the vessel was that of ship under sail, no effect of the immense power that was propelling her forward being perceptible, except the velocity with which she went through the water. This freedom from vibration or concussion may be attributed to two important causes; first, to the judicious and excellent plan adopted by the surveyor of the navy in the construction, by which the vessel may be said to be from stem to stern, like one solid piece of timber, so admirably is she fasted and secured; and, secondly, to the important improvement adopted in the engines, whereby a mass of moving material, of forty-five tons weight is dispensed with, and the energy of the piston is at once carried to the paddle-shafts, and the whole force of action and reaction confined within the base of the cylinder upon which the engine stands. The "Gorgon" proceeded at once to the Mile Ground, as it is termed, in Long Reach; when, after four trials, two with the tide, and two against it, the average was found to be as above statedeleven and a quarter miles per hour, through still water. Their Lordships then proceeded to Gravesend, where they had ample opportunity of witnessing the ease with which the vessel was worked; her steerage was excellent, one man at the wheel being found sufficient for all ordinary purposes. She was turned round repeatedly in the river, in about four times her own length, occupying in the evolution from two and a quarter to two and a half minutes. On her voyage down she easily passed all competitors, except the Gravesend clippers, and on her return from Long Reach, she overtook the "Albion," river steamer, and in a run of one hour and a quarter, passed her, and gained two miles upon her between Gravesend and Woolwich, where she finally arrived at five o'clock. The consumption of fuel, ascertained by weighing, was one ton of Welsh coals per hour, equal to seven lbs. per horse per hour, at full speed; of course, when under canvas, or when going slow with head-winds, the consumption will be considerably less. The coal boxes, holding four hundred tons of coals, in the engine-room, will be sufficient for seventeen days' consumption, at full speed; ten days more coal may occasionally be stowed in the fore and after hold, making, in the whole, fuel for twenty-seven days; this, at an average speed of nine miles, will carry a distance of 5,800 miles by steam alone. As this steam frigate will carry, besides the crew, 1,000 troops, with stores and provisions for two months, it is evident that a regiment might be transported, to any of the ports of the Mediterranean, Baltic, St. Petersburgh, or West Indies, at once, without waiting for wind, or stopping for fuel. On the 6th July, the "Gorgon" proceeded to Sheerness; she started from Woolwich, with the flood-tide, and performed the distance to Gravesend in one hour and forty minutes, and from thence to the Nore light in two hours, making the whole distance from Woolwich to the Nore light, about fifty miles, in three hours and forty minutes. She ran the mile in Long Reach, against the flood-tide, in six minutes, and fifteen seconds, equal to twelve miles per hour. The "Gorgon," is fitted with the stop-wheel, very narrow, and of large diameter, compared with the stroke; the outside diameter to the edge of the paddle being twenty-seven feet, each arm has three floats, one ten, and two nine inches wide, and 7.5 feet long. When the wheel dips five feet, the ship must roll to an angle of 40° from a perpendicular, to bring one wheel out of the water. Commander Dacres, and the crew of the Salamander, have been turned over to this vessel; she is now fitting for sea at Sheerness, and is expected to go down the channel in three weeks. Royal Prussian General Consulate, 106, Fenchurch-street, 13th June, 1838. SIR, I beg leave to transmit to you the enclosed copy of a notice issued by his Prussian Majesty's government at Coslin, concerning a new light which has been erected between Rugenwalde and Stolpmund on the Baltic sea; and I shall feel obliged by your giving publicity thereto, for the benefit of British shipmasters navigating the Baltic. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, NEW LIGHTS IN THE BALTIC.-Between Rugenwalde and Stopmunde, on the shore of the Baltic, sea, near the village of Jershöft, is a ridge lying east and west, and sloping suddenly towards the sea, which in Gustav-Klindt's chart, used by Baltic navigators, is improperly designated by the name of Rober Hooft. A lighthouse, built of stone, with a circular base and iron lantern, has been erected at the eastern end of this ridge, at the back of the village, distant from the sea, at the nearest point, 102 Ruthen six feet, (422-2 English yards,) situated in the lat. 54° 33′ north, and in long. 16° 36' east of Greenwich, 24' south, and 19' long., west of Stolpmunde; 6 north, and 8' east of Rugenwalde. The light which, from the 1st July, will burn every night throughout the year, from sunset till sunrise, is a plain light, formed by fifteen parabolic reflectors, of twenty inches diameter, and nine inches in depth, which are so fixed in an upright axis in three clusters of five each, that on each revolution of the axis, there is an alternation of light and darkness in the proportion of seven to five. The intensity of the light will only be complete to the observer, at the moment the extended axis of the parabolic reflector becomes visible. The motion of the machine is so regulated as to perform an entire revolution once every six minutes. The light will, therefore, be visible to mariners from the sea in every direction during about seventy seconds, and invisible for fifty seconds. By these intervals, and more especially by its revolving entirely every six minutes, and the alternation of light and darkness, three times this light will be distinguished by mariners from the nearest lights to the eastward and westward at Rixhöft and Arcono, and also from the revolving light to the eastward at Hela, where the duration of light and darkness is equal. The eminence on which the light is erected is seventy-two feet from the surface of the sea; from the foot of the building to the centre of the highest reflector is ninety-three English feet, therefore the light will burn at a total height of 165 feet above the level of the sea. At this height the light can be seen from the sea everywhere within the bearings from the lighthouse of E.N.E. and S.W., from the deck of a ship, at a distance of sixteen miles. But the bay in which the harbour of Stolpmunde lies is hidden by the high Downs at the Viezieger Lake, so that there the light can be seen no nearer than from the harbour roads. Coslin, 26th April, 1838, Royal Government, Home Department. HARBOUR OF TADO USAC.-ST. LAWRENCE. MR. EDITOR,-As the recent erection of sawmills on the banks of the Saguenay, seems likely once more to make Tadousac a busy trading port, a part of the French population from Mal Baie having also removed there, the accompanying instructions and hints for making that place, may be worthy of your next number. You are so ready at all times to assist the interests of navigation and commerce, that I make no apology for requesting this insertion; one of the papers is from the pen of that indefatigable and valuable officer, Captain Bayfield, R.N., whose labours cannot be too highly appreciated by shipowners and masters in the merchant service. NATHANIEL GOULD. I am, Sir, your obliged, 16th July, 1838. TADOUSAC AND THE SAGUENAY.-Tadousac, at the mouth of the Saguenay river, is a small harbour. having space for about half a dozen ships, or more, in case of need, to moor conveniently. The holding ground is good, bottom being of clay. It is sheltered so that there is never any swell in it that would in the least degree endanger a vessel. The space to anchor in, is about one-third of a mile in length, and a quarter of a mile wide; the depth of water from eight to sixteen fathoms at low water. There is scarcely any stream of tide at the anchorage, although a very strong ebb outside. There are good leading marks to enter the Saguenay. The entrance is about a mile wide between shoals which lie off each point, so that there is plenty of room, and although the tides are strong, there is neither danger nor difficulty with a good pilot, or a good chart, a leading wind, and fine weather. Vessels arriving in the St. Lawrence in thick weather, bound for the Saguenay, I would recommend to drop anchor at the Brandy Pots, or on the south shore, until the weather becomes favourable, and then, by the use of the lead, and attention to the soundings laid down in my charts, and to the leading marks, there is no difficulty whatever in entering. There are also good anchorages higher up the river at the Ance St. Etienne, ten miles above Tadousac, at St. Louis island, fifteen miles above Tadousac, and two miles above St. Marguerite, at the Ance St. Jean, twenty-two miles above Tadousac, and at the Baie L'Eternette, twenty-eight miles above Tadousac, at all of which places vessels might lie well to load. There is very deep water (too deep for anchoring) everywhere, except at these anchorages; the shores are bold, rocky, and high, and there are no shoals. The ebb-tide is very strong, but there is very little stream of flood much above Tadousac, so that vessels can only ascend the river with a fair wind. It is navigable for the largest ships fifty-two miles above Tadousac, and for smaller vessels about five leagues higher. HENRY WM. BAYFIELD, Captain, R.N., surveying the gulf and river St. Lawrence. Quebec, 15th May, 1838. Mr. Joseph Hovington, a native of Durham, in England, master mariner, and master of the schooner "Tadousac," belonging to the Hon. Hudson Bay Company, trading between the Saguenay and Quebec, and the north shore to Esquimaux, says, that there is no difficulty whatever in entering the river Saguenay with a leading wind. The wind from any point from the south-west round southerly to the north-east, is a leading wind to enter the Saguenay, and to proceed up as high as the anchorage of St. Louis, fifteen miles up; after that, southerly to north-easterly are leading winds. North and north-westerly winds draw out of the river; in summer months west winds draw in, from the temperature outside in the St. Lawrence being warmer than in the Saguenay; but in the spring and fall it is not so. Tadousac is a good harbour for shelter and anchorage; if more than three ships should be there, I recommend them to moor head and stern. The anchorages higher up the river Saguenay,-St. Etienne, ten miles, St. Louis, fifteen miles, Ance St. Jean, twenty-two miles, Bay L'Eternette, twenty-eight miles,-are safe, good, and convenient; but to get to them, must not be attempted without a leading wind. Southerly to north-east, or south-west, is leading as far as St. Louis. St. Marguerite is about two miles below St. Louis, on the opposite side of the river; the anchorage there is not good for large vessels, the ground being too steep. Anchor there, but very close in-shore. At St. Louis, the anchorage is at the north-east end of the large island, and forms a very good harbour and shelter from north-west winds. Easterly winds blow up, but never any sea. The leading marks are good to enter the Saguenay: on getting a full view of the Bull, ships may run boldly in. The Bull is a round mountain on the north side of the Saguenay, about three miles up; and by keeping the Bull open from the points, there is no danger in running in; and when abreast of the port or houses at Tadousac, they may run up, on whichever side they think they may have most advantage, but with ebb-tide there is less current on the north-east side of the river. There The entrance between the two shoals is one and a quarter mile wide. I recommend that ships arriving for the Saguenay, should keep the north shore, above Portneuf up to Point Bon desir. is good anchorage all along, from Point Bon desir to the Saguenay. Edward Verrault, a half-Indian, at Tadousac, is a good pilot for the Saguenay river. The ships can load conveniently at the anchorages up the river. There is a good anchorage at Mull a Boce, in five and sixteen fathoms water, three miles below the Saguenay. I recommend vessels to keep the north shore, above Portneuf up to Bonaca. There is good anchorage all along the north shore, from Bonaca to the Saguenay. Captain Pine, many years master of a schooner, trading along that coast, says:— "There is no difficulty or trouble in getting into Tadousac, or running up the river, which, if the wind answers, ships should do, for the convenience of loading at the mills, which are nine miles and fifteen miles up where the harbours are good. Captains should keep the north shore from about Port Neuf, and have Captain Bayfield's admirable chart before them. A man-of-war may sail up fifty miles above Tadousac. It is intended to have a pilot stationed at Point Bon Desir, eighteen miles below the Saguenay." LITERATURE.-The second volume of "Papers on Subjects connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers," has just been presented us. It contains many important professional papers, illustrated by numerous plates, among which we may instance a paper on contoured plans, by Lieut. Harness, R.E., which might be turned to account by the nautical surveyor; and another on hurricanes, by Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, R.E., which should assuredly be studied by every seaman who is (or should be, if he is not) desirous of acquiring all the knowledge which has of late been gained respecting these dangerous phenomena. The papers generally are most interesting, and we cannot too highly commend either the project itself, or the mode in which it is carried into effect, of a body of scientific officers, thus contributing the results of their useful and valuable observations connected with professional subjects to one common stock, attainable in the shape of an annual volume: an example, we may add, worthy of imitation in the navy. ADELE, a Tale of France.-In our notice of this little volume in our last Number, the name of "Maria Antoinette" was unaccountably substituted for that of" Adele," by which an improper idea of the intentions of the authoress was given. It affords us, however, another opportunity of recommending the work, both as interesting and instructive in history. HURRICANES.-We understand that a work on the subject of hurricanes, from the pen of Colonel Reid, of the Engineers, is in the press, and will shortly be published. We shall not fail to announce its appearance. Sold by Weal, 59, High Holborn. ENLARGED SERIES.-NO.8.-VOL. FOR 1838. 4 c |