The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-22 00:00:00

IRON STEAM BOAT.

f oTmhteh Simanu fraocnt
osteam oeasts,
rwhich
rhhaasi r brie en lately launched
and.,M.
Works, made an experimental drip down the River yesterday,
fur the purpose of ascertaining her speed and other sailing
qualifications. This vessel is, we believe, the first iron steam
boat that has been launched on the Thames, and from her
peculiar form and appearance she has for the last few days at-
tracted much observation, and given rise to various conjectures
miwai
among persons conversant with the subject of steam naviga-
tion. She has been built for a French Steam Boat Compaq,
and is destined to ply on the Rhone, the current of which 2g
in some parts very shallow, and at the same time so extremely
rapid, that it frequently requires thirty or forty horses to tug
the passage boats at ordinary speed. To obviate in some de-
gree these difficulties in the navigation of the river, the Sift?
is almost flat-bottomed, and extremely sharp in the bows. Sb
measures 178 feet from stern to stern (being 5 feet longer thp
the City of Canterbury, the largest river steam-boat on tae.
Thames), and is only 17 feet in the beam. Her register 15
about 220 tons, and she drew, when launched only 15 incites
water, and now, with her engines, boilers, water, fuel, Sce•P
her draught is but 29k inches. She is fitted up with three
boilers, and two high pressure locomotive engines, of 45 hors°
power each, the pistons of which work diagonally, for the Pr
pose of saving room. The boilers, which, together with the
engines, &c., have all been manufactured by Messrs. Fair-
bairn, have been tested by a pressure of 150 lbs. to the
square inch, but the average pressure does not exceed 45 lbs.
The fore and after cabins are lofty and unusually roomy--thal
will not be fitted up until the vessel arrives in France.
Among the party yesterday were several scientific gentle-
men, masters of steam-vessels, and some French gentlemen vibe
accompanied M. Rosier, the agent for the company for whet:
the vessel has been built. The Sirius left her moorings "
Deptford at 5 minutes past 12, with the tide at half ebb, VW
ning about two miles an hour. The first 5i miles were ac-
complished in 321- minutes, and she arrived abreast of Graves-
end Church at 24 minutes to 2 o'clock. The distance run at
the lowest calculation was 24 miles in 1 hour and 31 minutes,
giving the extraordinary speed of 16 miles an hour. We
may here observe that the starting pcint from whence the
time was computed, was the four mile post below London
Bridge, and the above calculation it founded upon the assunlP;
tion that the distance by water from London Bridge to Gravesend
is 28 miles ; it is but fair, however, to add that some experienced
Captains of steam-boats who have been plying on the river
for many years, stated that the distance was thirty miles, or
upwards. Some interesting experiments were made dur-
ing the day with Massey's patent log, to which we have not
at present space to advert. Notwithstanding her great length
and narrow beam, the Sirius is very " stiff" in the water, and
answers her helm with great quickness and precision. There
is no vibration, owing probably to the material of which she
is constructed, and much less noise than in steam-boats fitted
with the ordinary engines ; the fuel is coke, and that subjeet
of universal complaint with steam-boat travellers, smoke, and
its attendant filth, are •entirely avoided. We have been in-
formed that the speed of this vessel is little, if at all, affected
by the current, but from the state of the tide no opportunity
was afforded during the excursion of testing her powers is
that way.
All parties appeared highly gratified with the result of the
experiment ; and there is no doubt, notwithstanding the pre-
judices which were some time since entertained against this
description of boats, that the enterprising manufacturers of
the Sirius have commenced a new era in steam navigation, of
which we trust they will reap the benefit. The General
Steam Navigation Company, and other parties, who at the
outset decried the employmeet of wrought iron for such
purpose, have already made arrangements for building iron
steam boats, and ero long we should not be surprised to find
them superseding the old vessels, the cost being much less,
and their superiority, in many particulars, so well ascertained.
The Messrs. Fairbairn have another iron steamer, of some-
what smaller dimensions than the Sirius, nearly ready for
launching—she has been built for the Humber; and a third
is in progress, which has been ordered by the Emperor of
Russia, for his own use.

Mr. Burford's new panorama represents the Bay of
Islands in New Zealand, and is certainly calculated to Will
many a weary sojourner amid the beaten ways of civilization
into the wi!ds of savage lift. The point of sight selected for
the panorama seems to command the most remarkable points
of this splendid scene. The spectator looks down over the
bay, on whose bosom a considerable number of vessels, trad-
ers, whalers, and of men-of-war quietly repose, and from tilt
sandy shallows of which the long, high-prowed war canoes 01
the Zealanders are being launched. Inward the bay seems 1°
retire amongst the hills : outward, it gradually expands to 116
entrance, which is guarded by Alpine promontories. The
holidays will bring many an ardent admirer to this land of 0°
antipodes.

LADIES' BEST GOLD CHAINS'
The weight is given by comparison with the weight of Sovereigns,
being more easily referred to than if stated in ounces and dvits,j
The quality of the gold is warranted equal to any that is worked
into articles of this description.
Price of the Cable Pattern,
£ s. d.
Same weight as 3 sovs. 4 4 0
Ditto • as 4 sovs. 5 5 0
Ditto as 5 sovs. 6 6 0
Price of the above Patterns, wit
every ,
£ s. d. X 9-j'
Q 0
Same weight as 3 sovs. 55 0 Same weight as 6 sovs. 8 0
Ditto as 4 sovs. 6 6 0 Ditto as 7 sovs. 9 9
Ditto as 5 sovs. 7 7 0 Ditto as 8 sovs.lo 10
THE NEW FLAT GOLD WATCHES. 7 0
The price in gold cases, with vertical movements ...£7
Ditto, with well-finished horizontal movements, in double-
bottomed engine-turned case, jewelled, silver dial, 0
warranted

or Matted Ring Pattern.
£ s• d.
•
Same weight as 6 sovs. 7 7 0
0
Ditto as 7 sovs. 8 S
Ditto as 8 sovs. 9 9
h bright star ornaments cut on
link.

. -
T. COX SAVORY'S,
Working Silversmith and Jeweller, 47, Cornhill, London. dea
N.B. The Horizontal Construction is particularly recommend
for its superior accuracy.

BIRTHS. 14
On the 21st inst., at Tor Castle, Devonshire, Mrs. AYs--"°
Wise, of Clayton, of a daughter. s,
On the 18th inst., at Leamington, Lady Townsend Farqub
of a son.
On the 18th inst., at Sutton Montis, Somerset, the lady of the
Rev. Morden Bennett, of a son.
On the 10th inst., at Lausanne, the lady of T. C. Parr, Esq.'
of a daughter.
On the 18th inst., in Hinde-street, Manchester-square, the lad/
of A. Akers, Esq., of a son.
(in the 18th inst., in Finsbury-place, the lady of Mr. A. Salo-
mons, of a daughter.
On the Bth inst., at Colneyhatch, Muswell-hill, Mrs. Atyle°4
Risley, of a daughter.
On the 18th inst., in New Broad-street, the lady of F•
Ramsbotham, of a son.

. o ha,
On the 21st inst., at St.MARRIED
Pancras N w Ad e Church, Mr. jPgr.
Balls, of Vale Cottage, Woolwich, to Matilda, only daughter 0
George Jackson, of Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square.►
On the 19th inst., at Lewisham Church, Samuel Travers, n:
to Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the late L. R. MackiPtc
Esq., of Dalmunzie, Perthshire. 1, vet'
On the 19th inst., Lewis C. Hertslet, Esq., of Gree."'Ejt,
Soho square, to Mary Anne, eldest daughter of G. Finchasn'
of Spring-gardens. ; JO"
On the 18th inst., at St. John's, HoXton, Mr. Edo.-11 econd
Bennett, of the Commercial-road, surgeon, to Emily Julia' city'
daughter of P. I. T. Pearse, Esq., of Westmoreland-placet
road. Kerr,
On the 19th inst., at St. James's Church, William Scott seat
Esq., of Chatto, Roxburghshire, to Hannah Charlotte Lady
Douglas, of Belford.l lq"
On the 24th ult., at St. Petersburgh, Captain de Ba-c-k te'late
to Annabella Cope, second daughter of his Excellency
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Candler, K.S.A., of the RussinuL_""i-

LytheneaAAnrelt:stfrtorhhhifueiiessnrsoesdasutgai;e: nee of his bropthlerE,Ddeneral Post-office, Dublifit,.o.l.o
b t his son:'s, Colonel C. H. Godby, Royal Artillery, in the 561'
On
shin
pl9atrhadien,stc.,blllsactail.da, the eldest daughter of Charles
in Warvvickshire, W. Z. L. Ward, Esq., of 6'l°l-
- Northamptonshire.
On the 7th inst., at Headley Hants, Christiana Matilda, eldest
daughter of the late Rev. John 'Purdon, aged 27. -r; of
On the 20th inst., in Brompton-row, Michael BentleY,
the Middle Temple, aged 82. sq..• Miss
At Sevenoaks, at her brother-in-law's, A. Peat, 4
Sophia Sanders, aged 63. Theo;
On the 11th ult., at Constantina, of his wounds, Captain
dorc Le Blftnc, Knight of the Order of the Saviour of Greece .
recces
of the Legion of Honour. Henry Field, Esq.,
late of Christ's Hospital.
of Othne tßheev9.th.f.inusstb.o,rantethe Rectory, Angmering, Sussex, the wife
the.
death of
th
her•
elibbal thusiisotd.,):itchßaerdlofotrted: aged 56,
u(s.ixc.woeeillesbaraft,eErsi_
of Crawley House, Bedfordshire.
On the 10th inst., at Uxbridge, Mrs. Jane Lewis, wide°, in
her 78th year.
quiOsndethTeaulb6atthe,iangsto.d
3in6 the Rue St. Florentine, pars,
On the Mar-

London: Printed and Published by M O URD YOUNG, •f
112, Strand, at The Sun Office,
837.
No. 112, Strand, in the or'uatl
of Middlesex.—Friday, December, 22, 1

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