The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-25 00:00:00

The Trial Trip of the Italia.

The trial trip of the Italia, the first ship of the
reorganised London and Mediterranean Steam Na-
vigation Compa:Ay, took place yesterday afternoon
in the Lower ',lope. The day beinc fine, and great
interest ma',iifested in the success of -the new corn-
patty by 'she Greek and Italian City firms, an un-
usually large number of influential persons assem-
bled at Blackwall towards 11 o'clock, and were
rowed in small boats to the Italia in the stream.
Among those present were the members of the fol-
lowing firms—Messrs. Cahlman Brothers, Skwar-
con, and Co., D. Georgiades, Leonim, Pana, ere-
mida, and Co., D, and F. Rasseili, D. Navone, No-
velli and Co., Mager, Benporath, Cotterell, Ham-
ber, Loverdo,W. C. Laming and Co., Maclin, Field,
Sereombe, Ullathorne, Whetham, Puseley, &c,
These are familiar and influential names—names
seldom appearing in connection with steamship
trial trips, and the inference they necessarily sug-
gest is that the Italian and Greek trades are hence-
forth to assume an importance worthy of the two
new kingdoms. England, Italy, and Greece are
an future to cultivate more intimate and profitable
relationship ; and, all things considered there
is no reason why the trade between London
and the Mediterranean should not very soon
assume really large proportions. London is
both the largest and the bcst market for
every article of Italian and Greek produce ; and
Greece and Italy, for those reasons, ought to be
good markets, notwithstanding that they may
neither be the largest nor the best markets for
those commadities that London can supply. Then
those who have endured the misery of a railway
:trip from Calais—first to Paris, and next to Mar-
seilles, before the shores of the Mediterranean are
reached—will see no reason NI by a large amount of
foreign travel to Genoa, Leghorn, Naples, Mes-
sina, and Palmero should not at once be diverted
seaward the moment the ships of the London and
Mediterranean Steam Navigation Company com-
mence running. With all the unpleasantness of a
day or two's sickness there is comfort, pure air,
variety, and good living on board a steam boat, and
these all offered at a low price must necessarily
prove attractive. In addition to the representatives
of so many of the leading Greek and Italian firms
present, the proprietors and directors of the com-
pany were represented by Mr. Margetson (Welch
and Margetson), chairman; Mr. Laming (London
and County Bank), director ; Mr. Grant, secretary;
and Mr. Alfred Laming, broker.

The last expected visitor and pleasure seeker
being on board the Italia shortly after 12 o'clock,
the preliminary warping head down stream was
proceeded with. For this a short time sufficed, and
the down-river trip began. The fine engines by
Messrs. Mandalay, Sons, and Field, of the same
pattern as those of the Royal Oak, which did their
work so well the other day, commenced their
revolutions, and it was at once apparent that all the
river craft encountered were to be left hopelessly
behind. The engines did their work better than
even the skilful makers counted on, and up and
down stream the same superiority was
displayed. Only one noteworthy incident
occurred in the running up stream. In the
going down the Italia passed an Admiralty
yacht or dispatch boat making way to Wool-
wich, and after the measured mile had been run in
the Lower Hope it was resolved to overhaul the
despatch boat, then some two or three miles away.
Mr. Bowman, the superintending engineer of the
London and Mediterranean Company, stood by the
engines, and Capt. Suckling (Lieut. Suckling, Royal
Naval Reserve), and the pilot, were at their stations
on the bridge. Away went the Italia in chase of the
Admiralty yacht, and although the bridge of the
yacht was thronged with officers, doing their best
to get ahead, the Italia passed the yacht a good
mile below Woolwich. A more incontestable
proof of the goodness of Messrs. Maudslay, Sons,
and Field's work, and of the fine sailing quali-
ties of the Italia, could not possibly have oc-
curred. The Greeks on board were so much pleased
that one of them volunteered to supply the
whole outward cargo of the Italia on his own
account, and another volunteered a large lump
sum, were a cargo of new currants brought on his
account to London. Both offers were as speedily
declined as offered ; the Italia and the sister ships
being in the market as regular packets only, to sail
on stated days, full or not fall, and pay or not pay.
In the wisdom of the determination the enterprising
Greeks, of course, concurred.
After the satisfactory run at the measured mile,
giving an average speed of 111 knots, or about 14
statute miles, a sumptuous dejeuner was spread on
the poop, and Mr. Margetson, in giving the toast of I
the afternoon, briefly reviewed the history of the
first London and Mediterranean Steam Navigation
Company, and stated the determination of the new
company, of which he is the chief. The old com-
pany unfortunately began the world with two
steamers only, and these had the misfortune to he
fitted with fuel and space-saving machinery, which
in a sense altogether failed. Not that the machinery
or the boilers could not do their work, but that no
metal could be found of sufficient durability to resist
the rapid corrosion of the distilled water in the tubes
employed. The result was that the tubes gave way
and discredit fastened on the company in conse-
quence of delay. The new company had got rid of
the old machinery, and placed their ships in the
hands of Messrs. Maudslay, Sons, and Field, to re-
ceive the best boilers and machinery that capital
could purchase and English skill supply. What-
ever, therefore, the shortcomings of the old company,
the new company came before the public equal to
their work, and prepared to do it. His determina-
tion, and the determination of his coileegues is, that
the ships shall sail on the appointed days, namely,
on the Ist and 15th of each month, and at the ap-
pointed hours, no matter whether they are full or not,
or whether the cargoes will pay or not. Of the com-
mercial success of the company he has no doubt, both
on account of the now happily settled condition of
Greece and Italy, and by reason of the patronage
extended to the old company, of which Colonel
Sykes was the head. The Justitia will follow the
Italia, and the Justitia will be followed by the Alex-
andra and the Clotilda, new steamers.