The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-23 00:00:00

21/E NAVY.

The Himalaya, troopship, Capt. J. Seccombe, at
Portsmouth, is expected to proceed next to Canada
with the remainder of the wives and families of the
troops sent out to the colony during the recent
alarm. As Capt. Seccombe is about to relinquish
the command of this celebrated troopship, and as
considerable discussion has within the past few
years taken place in Parliament relative to the cost
of the transport of troops, which discussion resulted
in the appointment of a select committee to receive
evidence on the subject, and whose compendious re-
port was printed and laid on the table of the House
of Commons in 1861, it is interesting to note the
manner in which the Himalaya has performed her
duties, and more especially their cost as compared
with the price paid by Government for the transport
of troops by hired steamships_ Our space will only
permit us to give the bare results, but it is necessary
to observe that in the debtor and creditor account
which has been kept against the Himalaya through-
out
the whole period of het commission the credit
given to her for the conveyance of troops between
England and any port has in no one case exceeded,
and in most instances has been less than the price paid
to private owners of steamships for the same work.
In the debtor account against the ship every possible
item has been charged against her, including pay and
provisions for her officers and crew ; repairs to hull
and machinery, and deterioration ; consumption of
fuel, oil, &c., for the engine department ; interest of
the original purchase-money, and insurance, wear
and tear of rigging, &c. In fact nothing has been
left unconsidered that could be fairly placed to the
debtor of the account. For the year ending June,
1862, after allowing for all expenses, and taking
credit in the way stated for the work done, the
Himalaya's account shows a balance in her favour
of £47,614 15s, This would give an average gain
of £190,459 by the ship, as compared with private
transport of the same number of troops during the
four years that Capt. Seccombe has commanded the
ship. Deducting from this sum the cost of the
ship, £120,000, and £15,000 for new cylinders, the
ship will be found to have cleared her original cost,
paid all expenses, and, reckoning in her last ser-
vice to and from Corfu, Malta, and Gibraltar, to
now show a balance in her favour of no less a sum
than £64,183. The account for the four years' work,
not including her last voyage, would stand, as nearly
as possible, as under :—Her total receipts for four
years were £330,526 155., and total expenses for
ditto, £140,067 13s. Bd. The Himalaya's gain would
thus be £190,459 ls. 4d. If we deduct for the ship's
first cost, £120,000, and for the cost of new cylin-
ders, £15,000, the balance in favour of the Hima-
laya to present date, exclusive of the last voyage,
is £55,459 ls. 4d.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. the Hon. Chas. D. Tracey,
to the Shannon, for gunnery duties; John C. Paget,
midshipman, to the Severn ; John Jack, Burg.-
superintendent, to the Ironside, convict ship ; Wm.
Vawdrey, Josh Milne, William Stretton, and
William T. Searle, acting second-class assist.-en-
gineers, to the Cumberland, as supernumeraries ;
John H. Woolward and John F. Barns, masters'
assistants, to the Liffey; Edwin G. W. Hilliard,
master's assistant, to the Lizard ; Henry E. Roy,
assist-paymaster, to the Severn; Alex. G. Young,
assist.-paymaster, to the Edinburgh ; Lewis G.
Hodder, clerk, to the Severn ; and Stanley Wolfer-
ston, assist.-clerk, to the Severn. Mr. John L. E.
de Whatteville and Mr. Arthur O'B. Ternan have
been nominated to naval cadets.