The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-28 00:00:00

BAILING OF THE FORERUNNER FOR
AFRICA.

The Forerunner, Captain J. B. Atkins, a new and
beautiful vessel, belonging loth* African Steam Navigation
Company, arrived at Plymouth on Thursday musing, from
the Mamie, after a speedy passive of thirty-four hears, in
weather well calculated to try her capabilities as a sea boat.
Several of the directors came round as passengers, and,
amongst them, Mr. Macgregor Laird, the founder of the
=y. The Forerunner is an iron steamer, propelled
screw, of 400 tone, and 60 horse power. tier ex-
teems length over all is 170 feet, and breadth of beam 22
feet, drawing, with full cargo and coals for fifteen dap, I
sine tut water fore and aft. The saloons and pivots
cabins are designed with every view to comfort and ale- 1
Ranee, and her great length, tapering mute, and external
colour, which is entirely green' give her a light and grate-
ful appearance. The contract for the conveyance of the
mails was only completed in March last, and the tercel has
hem built and made ready for sea within six months.
The Forerunner takes out a full cargo of mis:ellaneous
goods, and a large amount in specie, and also carries a
number of passengers. Her berths, though comparatively
small, ere well lighted and ventilated, and this company
have, we believe, the merit of introducing for the first time
in a mail packet-ship Silver's waterproof and tliatable
mattresses, each of which is said to be capable of sustain-
ing the weight of eight persons in the water. She also
carries powerful hose, to be worked by the ship's engine,
in ease of tire, and two capacious life-boats, each with MU
room (or thirty persons. rho latter have been imported
from America. and are similar to those now generally em-
played in the United States navy. They are constructed of
galvanized iron; hare air chambers fore and aft ; and are
' considered peculiarly adapted for vessels trading in hot
climates, the in.:terial of which they ere constructed
not being likely to deteriorate by exposure. Capt.
Atkins, who commands the Forerunner, is a seaman of
much experience, and was, until recently, in the employ-
ment of Messrs. Wigram, in one of their Las; lndiamen,
and, therefore, well acquainted with the passenger trade.
Ws crew consists of first and second officers, ten able sae-
men, three engineers, and sit Armes. The en lily servants
ale also appointed by himself and under his implicit control,
and, looking to recent examples, the most rigid regulations
are prescribed with respect to lights, smoking, and other
practices involving danger by fire. A nand expedient has
also been adopted by the directors, at Mr. Laird's sugges-
tion, with a view at once to preserve discipline and encou-
rage propriety of behaviour. A certain per tentage is
allowed upon the passage mor.ey and freight rich voyage,
which is called good-conduct money, and divided amongst
the officers and crew ; the former getting two-thirds and the
latter one-third each. This is Meth on the system of "lays"
in the whaling service, and gives ell on board an interest in
the sucecse of the voyage, and, as the captain has the power
of withholding thee* gratuities in cases of misconduct, a
salutary means of punishment is thus provided.
We are told that the Forerunner is specially designed by
draft of water to enter the harbour of Lagos, it being ez-
peeted, as a consequence of the friendly relations which we'
have bitterly established with the chicb and other inha-
bitants of that part of the coast, that an extensive trade
will soon be in operation. Already it has exhibited itself 1
in an extraordinary degree at the Gambia, and there tan be
no doubt it will be further encouraged by the facilities
afforded to commercial enterprise by the active directors of
the African Steam Navigation Company.
The Foreruaner will be succeeded by four other steamen
of a much larger elm, two of 900 and two of 1,060 tons
burtheasteseileury month, and a steamer will shortly be
laid me to Mobil cad Teneriffc, which, from the beauty
of its athisie Nth pltharesipm scenery, is likely to rival the I
I former ghee as a Nmeamiust. hitherto, however, Tens-
' riffe kr ass been mark mewled to by Europeans for pur-
poses of bean, owing to the want of opportunities of
roachintsFaviag it at INIIIISSieft intervals, such opportn- '
nities ing solely apes the thence visits of eligible I
vessels. nder all eirmanistugne we hal that great public
advsatage• will be derived hen die Warts of the company
to wide we new allude; the harthealsirm influence of legi-
timise esmaesee math math se later show its effects in en-
peesedieg a Imehmene talk the way of the missionary
i . sad the curb et these at home, be they tell-
Ist= up,
or Niue phithithapihth having in view the recla-
mation of the with ethe. NE he promoted and fostered by
a New of -M once frequent lath certain.'
Abeady we dad that the vikalitaary clergyman' biz=
out is the Foreranner, we thin the Chunk of
Society, the other from the Waiegan beikLeed we am Nil
that a number of others ate =peeled SI alieli.—LAMPrOa