The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-01 00:00:00

SEA STEAMERS.

THE GREAT WESTERN AND LA VELOCE.
The Great Western has cleared a profit of 9 per
cent. in the first year, and on going into dock has proved
the excellence of her structure by not having a wrinkle
in her copper, notwithstanding the rough weather she
has experienced. The French have successfully made a
voyage with a much smaller vessel. La Veloce, of 220-
horse power, and, we have heard, of only 600 or 700 tons,
from Rochefort to the Havannah, 5,550 sea miles, in 29
days 16 hours, or, subducting two stoppages of 18 and
12 hours to take in a pilot, and for time lose to enter the
Havannah in daylight, i❑ 28 days 10 hours. This at
at the mean rate of 64 marine leagues per day. In com-
paring the Great Western, our ingenious neighbours
make the Great Western of necessity to stop at New
York, and lose 8 days to take in a fresh supply of coal,
one half of which they allow her to consume in the rest
of the voyage. By this means they make out the voyage,
including 1 day 6 hours for loss of time as before, 31 da3 s
6 hours, instead of 29 days 10 hours, and the consump-
tion of coal 900 tons for the Great Western to 200 for
La Veloce. Now we admit all this, except the data and
conclusions. First of all, the Great Western does not
consume 40 tons of coal a-day, but somewhere, we ap-
prehend, under 30, or about 25. Secondly, we do not
see why she must stop 8 days, or even at all, at New York,
as our belief is, that she would carry quite fuel enough
for the whole distance. Thirdly, instead of 500-horse
power, she is only 450. The comparison then stands
thus :—To take about twice the tons 215 miles (her
mean rate per day), the Great Western consumes about
double the fuel which the La Veloce does for 192
miles, her mean rate. We presume this turns the tables.
However, the La Velocc, by what we have since
heard from a private quarter, is most ingeniously con-
trived for the purposes of combining a sailing and
steaming vessel. She is provided with the means of
carrying almost any quantity of sail at pleasure, from
that of a first-rate ship downwards. Her masts are
iron cylinders one sliding within the other like the
tubes of a telescope. When there are fine light winds
she slides out all the tubes, and spreads every stitch
of canvass before them. In stronger winds she slides
down her top masts and carries less, and so on. When
a-sailing-vessel, she discontinues her steam and lifts up
her paddles. Her yards too, we understand, have a
joint in the middle, so that, their ends can be clroprd
down to any angle by the side of the masts, by which
the surface of exposed canvas can also be diminished at
pleasure to actually nothing. On the whole, we under-
stand, she is a complete combination of a sailing vessel
and steamer, and can assume the character of either or
both combined to perfection.—Railway Magazine for
April.

BRUSSELS AND DUTCH MAIL

BRUSSELS, Manx 27.—Mr. Van Buren, son of the
President of the Unitt d States of North America, set out
this morning fi3r London, accompanied by Mr. Macxy.
The Amsterdam Handelsblad publishes, on the accep-
tance of the treaty, an article written in very conciliating.
terms. It rcjuices at the prospect of the speedy restora-
tion of peace and friendship between Holland and Bel-
gium, and calls on its countrymen to throw a veil over the
past.