The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-20 00:00:00

SHIP NOMENCLATUBE.

It has been often as red. who names our ships of
war. To whose genies and taste at the Adminl=ze
indebted for sash mimes as Alligator, Biter, Blom,
Bloodhound, Badger, Buzzard, Cockchafer, Cracker, Cormo-
rant, Devastation, Ferret, Growler, Hyena, Jackal!, Monkey,
Revenge, Spider, Terrible, Vindictive, Vdtare, Wessel, de.
We laugh at and despise the Chums. for painting dramas'
and devils on their armour to deceive and frighten their
enemies, but are we not as ridiculous by going into battle
with our Avengers, Blazers, Crackers, and Devas-
tations ? The French used to have ship of war
named Leveller sad Descartes. When shall we name
any of our. Humphrey Davy and Jolla Locke ? Ooe
would think that an enlightened nation might, in naming
national ships, add to and perpetuate the fame of ire great
men. The name of a ship has some infiumee. At the breaking
oat of the lndmn mutiny the Peninsular and Oriental Coot-
may were building a ship to be called the Delhi, but they
changed it to something else because they would not keep
airs recollection of horrors and atrocities. The only one
of our ships of war called after an English philosopher is the
one named after James Watt, the great mechanician, the
almost investor and perfecter of the steam eagles, and to
whom all mankind are indebted for the steamship. A story is
told that the James Watt was to have been celled the
Skunk, but it was feared that the nation would hardly
submit to this, and the philosopher's name was substi-
tuted ; but it is understood at the Admiralty that this I, a
most inappropriate name for a war steamer, and is not to
form a preodeat. If the names of philosophers, statesman,
poets, and illustrious writers are not fit for men-of-war why
not exhaust the names of our heroic seamen for our ships ?
We have now thirty living seamen—eight of whom are
common sailors, viz., Joseph Trewasas. Thomas Reeves,
James Gorman, Mark ficholefield, Ed ward Robinson, William
Hall, William Odgen, and Gem* Hinkley—whose breast;
are adorned with the Victoria Cross. What inactive. to
bravery for our ships of war to be called after them men.
On. day Lord Exmouth was mist to • bell is Plymouth
when he heard that • ship filled with tees, women, and
children was 11/1101V. He left his carriage, went to the
wreck in Lis ball dress, and immediately assumed command
of all who were endeavouring to save life. All on board
would perish unless some one swam with • rope through the
wing surf to the ship. His lordship offered to place say
MU on hie quarter-deck who would convey the rope. A.
young sailer belonging to a merchant ship volunteered, swam
through the surf, and all hands were saved. He became •
post captain. Why should not one of her Majesty's ship
bear his name? How is it that nom of our men- of-war are
called after Blake, oar first great admind ; Dundonald,
Charles Napier, Francis Drake, Walter Ensign, Rooks,
who captured Gibraltar; Hardy, Nelson's favourite
captain, who kissed the hero just before be died ;
Hyde Parker, Sidney Smith, who foiled Bonaparte
is Syria; Lloudesley Shovel, who joined the
navy through the hawsehole, as the sedan say, that
is, he wee • cabin boy, and by skill and bravery attained the
highest rank ? How is it also that none of our national
ships are named Roger Bacon who invented gunpowder ;
Commis, who invented war rockets; Shrapnel, who'
perfected bombshells ; Armstrong and Whitworth, who '
have improved our gum ?
Our mail packet cornanies display nearly an bad taste as
the Admiralty. The Peninsular and Oriental, Pacific), and
Cunard mall packet companies all their ships after riven,
and the Cap of Good Hope Company after national. Why
should not the Peninsular and Oriental Company call me
of their ships Waghoro, after the man who showed them'.
the overland route to India, and how to make their mean-
tient fortune? How much better than the Pooisah,
Rangoon, Koala°, Bethel* Bakal, Addy Northam,
and Meagna, and fifty other like them. would be
the names of Englishams distinguished in Indian and
Oriental history, each as Clive, Warren Hastings. Wellesley,
Canning, Beutiock, Malcolm, Colin Campbell, Agin,
Gough, Napier, Lawrence, Outram, Stamford itafiles,Rajah
Brooke, Metcalfe, Ralph Abercrombie, Havelook, "the
intrepid Nicholson," " the fiery Niel," Harbert Edwards's,
Willoughby, who blew up the Delhi magazines with the'
mutinous sepoys, Inglis, Wilms, Hodson, of Hodson'.
Horse, Ac. Spoke or Grant would be as good name. for
ships currying the Indian mail to the mouth of the Nile se
Vents or EUOra• Lookwi.at the West India Company
naming their ships after Reglish, Irish, Scotch, and even
French rivers. The first Lord Abinger was a Wen Indian,
wis Lad Chelmsford, two eminent men deserving of
Whig their fame extooded. The names of Wilberforce,
Clarkson, and Macaulay are intimately associated with the
West Indies, and there are • number of distioguished
Englishmen connected with the capture or prosperity of the
Antilles. What more appropriate mama lOC UND
West African packets them those borne by the Niger
explorers —Mum° Park, Rithardwa, Clappertoo, Lan-
der, dtc. ; or for the Canadian packets them Wolff.,
the conqueror of Csnada. Amherst, Sirocco, Cabot,
the Bristol mss, who disoovered Newfonedland. Amiss.
lian packet' should keep alive the fame of New Holland
explorers, such as O'Hara, Burke, Wills, Stuart, Gregory,
li'Kinlay, Leichhardt. Cunard's packets miry • Pennsyl-
vanian letter-bag ; William Penn would be • mach better
name for one of them than Penn. The Priestlier packet,
which touches at Comm, should be called after the accom-
plished, heroic, and lamented Joh° Moors The Americans
had • fine of Atlantic mail steamers called Humboldt,
Franklin, Hermann, Washington, and Arms Why should
not we have mail packets called shoe Kepler, Tycho Brake,
Copernicus, Isaac Newton, and Halley, the founders of the
science of navigation? It is disgraceful that none of the
following men have given names to our mail steamers—viz..
James Watt, James Cooke, the great circumnavigator, who
laid down comer, and surveyed coasts ad har-
bours by which our ocean mail companies have bone-
fitted; Alexander Selkirk, whose romantic adveu-
tares, as told by Defoe, have made thousands of
Reglish boys sailor; Harrison, who perfected the
watch into the chronometer, the next most useful instru-
ment to the mariners compass; Reed, wbo discovered the
law of storms ; and Clifford, who invented machinery
for reefing and spreading sails. Would the ancient
Greeks, if they had possessed the monster war mailing ves-
sels and steamships of modern times, so lifelike in their
docility and usefulness, so supernatural in their magnitude,
speed, strength, and destructive power, have called them
after obscene animals and semi-barbarous places. No ; they
would have ransacked Olympus for maim or exteeded the
fame of their warriors, mega, oraton, philosopher, and
sculptors. The ancient Oreek poeta, if they hail had to
describe Trafalgar. and Navariuo, would not have had
their verse vulgarised by a low and senseless skip nomen-
clature. There are nearly 1.000 ships belonging to the
royal navy. What • magnificent head roll of names
for such ships 1 Among them all there is not a Sbak-
speare, aMiltoee, • Newton, a Bacon, a Cromwell, • William
of Orange, a John Hampden.

METROPOLITAN BENEPTP SOCIESIES' ASYLUM.—
The Fancy Fair, &hie, and Ball arranged at this inatitotioe
for Monday and Tuesday. was so successful that the festivi-
ties were coutstued co Wednesday, and the efforts of the
ladies to swell the Endowment Fund were most untiring.
The chief feature of the soirée wee the spirited reederug by
Miss Emma Wallington, of several poem' by Eliza Cook.
and one on " Poland," written by herself. An excellest
glee choir sang at intervals ; and in the grounds during the
days the bands of the Duchess of Kent Lodge, Stalybridge,
Odd Fellows, St. Bartholomew's School, and Finsbury Rifles
entertained the visitors, thoroughly arousing the neighbour-
hood of Ball's Yowl-road from its usual quiet. There are
now six candidates for admission to the asylum, from whom
one is to be elected at the half-yearly meeting, fixed for the
Sack instant, at Seller's Hotel, Victoria-street.
ATTEMPT TO BURN DOWN A CHERCH.—Yesterday
morales a young mao, aged 26, named Arthur Hackman, a
warehouseman employed by Mr. Medley, was brought
up before H. Marshall, Esq., mayor, on a cheers of
feloniously setting fire to the parish church of St. Peter
at Godalming, with inherit the said church to burn down and
destroy. On Sunday morning it was discovered that the
laden van of a carrier between Godalming and Guildford,
named Nash, was on fire in a stebleysrd in the former
town; sod that when Heathers, who discovered the firs,
Save ea alarm, the lendleed, Yr. Milom, met the prisoner
the vicinity. At his request, however, Heck-
man assisted in extinguishing the fire, but upwards
of 304. damage wee done. Soon afterwards Folios-
constable Fricke met the prisoner in Church-street,
and accompanied him as far as his home in the
same street, when be (lischniais) went indoors. About half
au hour afterwards Mies Simmons, a resident of Chora-
-1 lam, whilst is bed, heard the noise of the church windows
being smashed and the glass falling. She did not rise, but
on the following morning the sexton, Wallace, on going into
the church, found the windows broken and a quantity of
burnt paper lyiog on the aisles between the pews and the
walls of the church. The pews were at that particular part
much scorched, and some notice papers and books were
partly burnt. Wallace at once proceeded to Mr. Simmons,
the churchwarden, who informed Mr. Superintendent High.
Mr. High took charged the embers, and on examining the
promises found some matches under the window of the
church. He made inquiries, and on Tuesday morning wee
passing the prisover's house, when, oe looking through the
widow, he found that the room was papered with the same
description of paper that was fogad in the aisle of the
church. Some of the unburnt paper that lay in the sacred
edifice exactly fitted on portions of the wall of the prisoner's
residence where the paper hangings had been tore off. On
consulting the churchwarden, Mr. &meet High appre-
hended Hackman, who gave several tales, the most specious'
being that be bad wrapped ionic, food in a portion of the
paper hangings for a tramp who bad asked alms of him on
Saturday. Mr. Superintendent High and Mr. Church-
warden Simmons baring spoken to the above facts. Mr.
High asked for a remand, in order to arrange his 'Millrace,
sense farther clue against the prisoner having been obtained.
The application was granted.
Full benefit of reduced duty obtained by pur-
chasing nomlalan'a Pure Tea; very choice at 3e. del. and 4a.
High Standard 'at da. ed. (formerly as. 8.1 la the Amami
and meet diadem Imported. Agouti in every town supply it
In pact eta —lideertlmateat.]

[TWOPENCE

THE EXHIBITION Ol• TEE BRITISH

ASSOCILTION.

The note of preparation—the sound of the Lam- .
mar_ and the SaW-Mll now heard in the Central E
JECIZI• Hancock, of the executive etitomitteet%
Mayor announced at the meeting en Saturday), have com-
menced operation, for the Exhibition, this department
baring bean entrusted to their competent bands ; and in
little more than • week from the present time, they will call
into @sista:co ore of the horst deploys of pictured models,
Philosophical apparatus, natural and industrial product/.
dm., that has ever been made on the shores of the Tyne.
The area within the pillars will be devoted to microscopes,
and perhaps to music—(the orchestra to be of the highest
degree of excellence). Prom each alienate pillar a sawn
will be projected into the outer promoted., with pertain, in
water colour ors each side ; and between the screens pedes-
tals surmounted by busts, comprisiog those of the president
of the association, his predecessor in the chair of the Lite-
rary and Philosophical Society, and other local worthies.
Between the pillars and the walls, in the outer area, •
series of oblong tables will be arranged, in the form (if we
may may so) of a Sitllkiftl• with passage ways between
them ; sod from sub table will rise a narrow platform, to
give additiocal surface foe objects. These tables will be
dedicated to Natural History. Industrial Products, and
Philosophical Apparatus. The panelled walls will be
covered with pictures, chiefly (if not wholly) by modem
masters ; and trophies, coropriaing the Enebli ensign,
will be reared, beefing on shields the names of repruente.
tire Englishmen iu the various departments of science ;
while two other trophies, with each • remmentative name,
will include the flags of all nations. Pedestals will alai;
stud the Exhibition, crowned with fragrant mad beentif al
flowers ; and we ere reminded as we write, by the sound
of the "time" gun that a " time•balr will fall doily at one
o'clock. Altogether, the Exhibition, which is is be opened by
*soiree on the 27th, will be of the highest order ; and as
consequently it will bear repetition, two large mirrors will
be placed, one on each side of the pillars, so as to double
the display, and convert the semicircular scene into •
circle. We list week expressed • misgiving lest the Exhi-
bition should be inconveniently crowded—overcrowded
Ned overflowing. But the Exhibition ceetains within itself
Oa moldy for the difficulty which it caner; for it, tao,will•
overflow; it will run over from the Central to the Corn
Exchaet•; and there will be two Exhibitions at the rune
e shall thus have choke ; the visitors will be
divided • they will peas from the me to the other. "Of
two evil," said • witty divine, "choose neither ;" and aq
of two goods—two geed things --choose Ueth. We sha
hays chose, of exhibitions ; we inn choose beck end valeta
we are voq hard to please we shall surely he
Newmark Chronicle.