The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-07 00:00:00

THE NSW CUNARD STEAMSHIP SCOTIA.

The Scotia, the latest and moat magnificent of
the line of Cunard Royal Mail steamers, is approaching com-
pletion on the Clyde.
The general dimensions of the ship are as follow:
Length of keel and forenke 360 feet ; length over all,
400 feet breadth of mould, 47 feet ; and depth 32 feet. In
the construction of the hull the most modern improve-
mente have been introduced towards enabling her to afford
as peat roosting power as possible to the combined influ-
ences of stoma end winds. The keel is composed of several
bars of iron, each 33 feet in length, firmly joined together
by long 'carved the whole being 14 inches in depth, and 4
inches thick. The framework is of the strongest description.
Amidships it consists of plates of four-angle iron, naming
up to the gunwale and towards the stem and stern, while
the other portions of the hall are constructed in the usual
way. Owing to this arrangement of the plates, the
framework is very heavy, but the amount of strength secured
will be increasedly peat. The frame of the bow is built
diagonally, so that in themes of a collision, or contact with
• rock or iceberg, the strain would fall uponthe very
strongest material of which the ship is composed. The
Scotia would thus have a doubly good chance of safety, and
of a successful redolence to accident, while other vessels
would be in peril. la addition also to the keleong and
girders of a usual frame, others of a novel character have
been introduced in order to give a superior resisting
power. The Scotia is sot dialect' built, but the plates are
Lid on alternately, and in such a manner as to impart
wonderful compactness and solidity to the hull. The
plates at the keel are 1 1-16th of an inch in thickness ;
at the bottom of the ship they are 15-16ths of an inch, from
the load water mark they are 7-Btbs, and above that they
are 1 inch in thickness. The hull consist, of seven water-
tight compartments. The cargo of the vessel is to be
stowed in two of these divisions, 75 feet each in length, 20
In breadth, sod 20 in height. These tanks Sr. built in the
centre line of the ship, and are capable of receiving 500
tons measurement of cargo. They are completely water-
tight, and in the event of. an accident to the hull would
of themselves be sufficient to keep the ship afloat.
The vessel, in fact, hes a double bottom under
the tanks for the stowage of the goods, so that if the outer
shell were beaten in or strained, the inuer would progeny
the cargo intact. The coal bunkers are placed on sect
outer side of these tanks, and are made to contain 1,800
tom of coals. Her engines, which are of 883 horse-power,
are on the side-lever principle, with two cylinders of 100
inches diameter each and 12 feet stroke of piston. The ap-
paratus for starting the engines is also constructed so that
the operation will be comparatively easy. The paddles
measure 40 feet it inches in diameter over the rings.
The accommodation for pawners is in harmony with
the splendid general capacity of the ship. She has
157 cabins, affording sleeping accommodation to 300 pas-
sengers. These cabins are each St feet in beight, which,
with the excellent system of ventilation introduced, will
reader them airy and healthy. Surmounting the mein deck
there is a deck house, the roof of which forms a promenade
from stem to stern. The saloons, will afford dining accom-
modation for above 300 persons. When the Scotia was
launched her weight was about 2,800 tons, but now that the
heavy weight of her machinery is on board, she is about
4,000 tons, and draws 20 feet of water.—Lircrient Journal
of Commerce.

Mr. Gerald Ralston, a noted eolonisationiat in
America, writes to Lord Brougham a letter, in which he
says :—" I have great pleasure in informing your lordship
that the decision of the Federal Court in the ' Dred Scott'
CYO is practically annulled by the present government
of Washington. I have before me the passport granted
to Rev. Henry H. Garnet, a black man of note, and
of great distinction among the negroes of Now
York, given by William H. Seward. the Secretary
of State, dated Washington, August 26, 1861, in which the
Secretary 'requests whom It may concern to permit safely
and freely to pus Henry H. Garnet, a citizen of the United
States, and in cass of need to give him all lawful aid and•
protection.' This passport is impressed by the seal of the De-
partment of State, and signed by the Secretary of State, in
the 86th year of the independence of the United States."
The government of Mr. Buchanan uniformly refused to
grant passports to coloured meu, or to recognise them as

The James Ager, a Federal American man-of-war,
arrived at Southampton yesterday. Messrs. J. H. Wolfe
and Co., the shipping agents, have been employed to coal
her and repair some damage which she sustained on her
voyage from New York. Her destination is believed to be
the Mediterranean, to look after Confederate pnvateers in
that sea.

THu WARRIOR AT QUISINNTOWN.-DIMUNt
NOV. 6.—This splendid vessel arrived on Tuesday night at
Queenstown. She gave great satisfaction on her trial trip.
She steamed, with sails set, fully 18 miles an hour, and
was perfectly steady, although the wind rose to a reeled
topsail breeze. The Revenge, with Admiral Smart on
board, was her companion, but the Warrior had frequently
to go balf•speed so as not to lose sight of her consort.
Lord C. Paget and Mr. Drummond, of the Admiralty, were
on hoard the Warrior. The Warrior will proceed to sea
again on Saturday in search of bad weather, not having as
yet .ecountered severe enough weather to test her sailing
qualities.

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Yesterday the autumnal exhibition of fruit and
chrysanthemums took place in the gardens of the society,
South Kensington. The st►te of the weather in the fore-
noon was such as to preclude the expectation that any very
large number of visitors would be present ; but still the at-
tendance was better than could have been anticipated under
tho circumstances. Al to the display of fruit and flowers,
the exhibition was excellent, both in quantity and quality,
though of the Litter the visitor could of course only judge
by appearances. There was altogether about 1,500 dished
of fruit, apples and pears predominating. Of apples there
were 780 dishes, and of pears 273. One dish of six peen
weighed 12lbe. 7ox There were 61 dishes of grapes, some
of them splendid specimens of horticultural skill. There
were 43 pines, 10 melons, 14 dishes of plums, 3 of raspberries,
and 20 of miscellaneous. A finer display of fruit has been
seldom seen at this season of the year. The chrysanthemums
were also very full and varied—the cut specimens especially
exhibiting great beauty.
The band of the let Life Guards was in attendance, and
performed a variety of selected music during the illy.