The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-17 00:00:00

THE NEW YACHT FOR TIIE QUEEN.

Of whatever material the new Victoria and Albert is
to be constructed, it is well understood that she wlu be
designed, and all her drawings completed, and calcula-
tions made at Somerset-house, under the Surveyor of
the Navy, who will alone be responsible for the ship.
If it be finally arranged that she is to be constructed of
wood, she will be built at a Royal dockyard ; but if of
iron, a more wholesome and safer material, then inas-
much as the Royal dockyards build only 'wooden ships,
the construction of the new yacht, from the designs of
the Surveyor of the Navy's department, will be confided
to a firm of unquestionaLle character for expedition and
first-rate work.

Under all or any circumstances, we repeat that the
new yacht will be the production of those in the Royal
service, and it is due to the Surveyor of the Navy to
state that the success that has attended the design and
construction of the new class of screw-ships—St. Jean
d'Acre, Agamemnon, Imperieuse, Tribune, &c., afford
most satisfactory proofs of progress and efficiency in
Royal naval architecture.
We understand that the dimensions of the proposed
new yacht for the Queen will be increased from those
originally suggested. She will be at least 300 feet in
length, with 40 feet beam. An additional 30 feet in
length with G inches additional breadth, with machinery
of 800-horse power, as in the Pacha of Egypt's yacht,
would ensure a better speed—say 18 miles au hour. We
perceive that a contemporary has reflected on the old
yacht as having been badly built. In justice to Mr.
Edye, the master shipwright of Plymouth dockyard, and
under whose superintendence the Victoria and Albert
was built, at Pembroke, we feel bound to state that no
vessel could have been more strongly or more faithfully
put together. The workmanship was indeed first-rate,
too good, indeed, for her. The fault was in the design
and not in the construction.—Herald.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert is expected to visit
the Navy-office of the Admiralty department of Somerset-
house, on Monday, previous to the decision whether the
new royal yacht shall be built of iron or wood, or be a
screw or a paddle-wheel steamer. The subject is still
much discussed in naval circles, and the general wish of
both officers and men is that her Majesty should have a
91-gun ship for a royal yacht, and that the vessel should
be fitted with a screw propeller, as the nearest approach
to their favourite sailing ships. They say they have never
relished paddle-wheel steamers, but they have no objec-
tion to the screw-propelled vessels or their machinery,
being stowed in the hold. All they want is clear decks
under any circumstances. A 91-gun ship, finely rigged
and manned for service, would have a fine appearance
stationed off the Isle of Wight, and be an appropriate
sea castle for a naval body-guard for her Majesty, the
crew being composed of leading seamen, appointed to the
royal yacht for superior abilities, meritorious services, or
good conduct. An arrangement of that kind would do
much to make the service popular, and the country
would have a ship efficient to take her position with the
royal standard at the mast-head when naval reviews take
place, or on other occasions ; and also to take her place on
any emergency as a ship of war for the defence of the
country. The necessary expense of 'fitting a vessel of the
91-gun class would be comparatively little when con-
trasted with the expense of a yacht with a separate
establishment, iequired only for a short period every
year, and the officers, engineers, and crew, it may be
be said, unavailable for any other purpose. In a vessel
of the above class there would be ample room for her
Majesty, Prince Albert, and the whole of the Royal
family, and such royal and distinguished visitors as
might be present, with their attendants ; an extent of
accommodation which cannot be obtained in the best
constructed paddle-wheel steam-vessel, whether built of
iron or wood. A 91-gun ship is also the safest for sea-
, going voyages, and well suited for the depth of water on
the coasts of this country. The tenders Fairy and
Elfin would always be available for landing at any port
when the royal 91-gun yacht anchored in deep water.
It would be truly splendid to witness, at a review of the
fleet, her Majesty passing down between two lines of
war steamers, all fitted with screw propellers (which
will be the case with every vessel in the royal navy
within a few years, in a fine screw-propelled steam-ship,
fitted up for royal accommodation, compared with the
appearance of a paddle-wheel steam-vessel passing down
the lines under similar circumstances. On the whole,
the officers and men of the navy—and it is believed the
country e.enerally are anxious that her Majesty should
have a fine screw steam-ship for her aquatic excursions,
and to be stationed off the Isle of Wight.—Chronicle.

FEARFUL CA SP OP MUTINY-MURDER AND

SUICIDE ON THE HIGH SEAS.

The details were on Saturday received at Lloyd's of a
most dreadful tragedy which took place on board the
barque Countess of Winton, of Liverpool, while on her
homeward voyage from Shanghai. The following are
the circumstances as taken from the log :—" On the 17th
of May, when the ship was near the Indian coast, the
late captain, Mr. James Crangle, ordered all hands on
deck. The chief mate, William liTiflen, did not seem.
inclined to perform his duty, and the master sent two
men to look after him. He was found in the store-
room under the cabin, and the captain dispatched
the second mate to bring him up for disobeying orders.
M'Fillen was met approaching the cabin, and the
unfortunate master ordered the seamen away, in order
that he might have some conversation with him pri-
vately. A cutlass was lying on the table in the cabin
at the time. Angry words were heard passing between
them. Shortly aftewards the second mate heard a noise
and some heavy groans. lie looked through the sky-
' light, but could not observe anything. However, he en-
tertained a suspicion that som e thing serious had happened.
He called the crew, and arming himself with a log of
wood, went down to the cabin, where to his horror he
saw the lifeless body of the captain stretched upon the
floor, and 111‘Fillen thrusting at him with the cutlass.
The carpenter, by a dexterous movement, drove the
drmcd murderer on one side. He made an effort to
escape by running up the rigging; the second mate,
however, pursued him, and managed to hold him until
he was secured and chained down in his cabin. About
a week afterwards, while he was being conducted to the
water-closet, duly guarded, lie by some means managed
to slip from their attention for a moment, and, making
a sudden spring, bounded overboard. A rope was
thrown towards him, and the boats lowered, with a view
of saving him. He made net the least effort to seize
theai, and in a few minutes disappeared and perished.
The catastrophe is greatly attributed to a free use of ar-
dent spirits on board. The deceased master is said to
have been often in liquor, and while in that condition
treated M'Fillen in a most severe manner. The second
mate took command of the ship and brought her safely
home. She was freighted with a valuable cargo."