The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-27 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

At Sea, Jan. 17, 1853.
Sir,—We the undersigned passengers on board the
General Screw Steam Shipping Company's vessel the
Mauritius, feeling ourselves deeply aggrieved, and consider-
ing we have just cause of complaint against that company,
desire to place on record the following circumstances :-
1. That the Mauritius was advertised in the Times to
sail from London on the 10th of November, and from
Plymouth on the 16th of the samdnionth, on the strength
of which announcement most of us secured berths. Bat on
the 11th of Nov. an advertisement appeared for the first
time also in the Times, stating, that with the permission of
the Admiralty, her departure from Plymouth was postponed
to the 25th of November, when it was too late for the In-
dian passengers to secure berths in the Overland Mail of
that month. We accordingly assembled at Plymouth on
or previous to the morning of the 25th, but found the ship
had not arrived, and she did not reach the sound until
midnight of that day. We were next morning assured her
detention in the channel, was caused by stress of weather,
and the same reason coupled with " coaling ?" was as-
signed for her further detention at Plymouth, until the
afternoon of the 29th, when she proceeded to sea—thus
entailing on the passengers the heavy expense of living at
hotels for several days.
2. That we were assured, both by advertisements in
the public journals and by the company's officials, the
passage to the Cape would occupy 30 days, to Madras 54,
and to Calcutta 60, and on our expressing anxiety, that
these periods would not be exceeded, and stating the
serious loss both of time and money, any delay would oc-
casion us, we were further informed, that in consequence of
complete arrangements of the company, that the pe-
riods named would, as nearly as possible, be those of
arrival at the several places .—the fact, that the con-
tract to carry H. M.'s Mails, Lowed the Company no less
than 74 days to Calcutta, was carefully suppressed. For,
had that circumstance been known to the Indian passen-
gers, scarcely one of them would have ventured to incur the
loss of service and emolument so tedious a passage would
have involved.

3. That a few days after our departure from Plymouth
it became apparent that the machinery was not in an effi-
cient state, and the engine pumps having ceased to act, the
engine room was completely flooded, causing numerous
stoppages, and defying the utmost exertions of the engin-
eers. In this state the crew laboured at the pumps day and
night for several days, until our arrival-.at St. Vincent on
December 11, when immediately a strong body of negroes
were employed to pump out the remaining water,
and relieve the exhausted crew. Here we were de-
tained six days repairing defects in the machinery, during
five of which we were enveloped in clouds of coal dust.
On the 17th we left St. Vincent, and progressed favour-
ably till the morning of tho 24th, when a part of the ma-
chinery in connexion with the screw was found to be
broken; in consequence, we were delayed five days, dur-
ing nearly the whole of which period the massive ma-
chinery of the screw, weighing upwards of seven tons,
was repeatedly raised and lowered by means of an immense
pair of sheers erected for the purpose, and a chain worked
by the windlass on the fOrecastle, and at three different
times, portions of one of the fans were cut off. Ascension
was reached on the 31st of December, being 32 days from
Plymouth, and 40 from London: On the evening of same
day, we left Ascension, and up to the 11th of January, we
experienced delays, amounting in the whole to 52 hours,
when the engines again stopping for several hours, it was
suddenly discovered, that there was not so much as three
days' consumption of coal on board; in consequence of
which, the fires were extinguished, and the ship put under
sail.

4. That the provisioning on board this' vessel, is of an
inferior, and the cooking of a very uninviting description.
The attendants are inexperienced, and there being only one
stewardess, the ladies' cabins are arranged by men.
5. That in consequence of the usual baggage room not
being provided, our luggage has been most seriously and
irreparably damaged by being buried beneath many tons
of coal ; that many boxes of apparel, essential to the com-
fort of the passengers, have only been procured after several
weeks of deprivation.
6. That it is our deliberate opinion, that the detention
and delays to which we have been subjected, entailing
on many of us serious loss both of service and emolu-
ments, are not the result of ordinary accident, but have
been caused by utter neglect, and the reckless manner in
which the vessel was hurried to sea without any trial, or
test of the fitness of the machinery ; unless, indeed, the
protracted passage from London to Plymouth may be con-
strued into a trial trip ;—the result of which, as proving
the inefficiency of the vessel for sea, in being obliged to
anchor twice on her passage round to, and undergoing
repairs at, Plymouth, ought surely to have deterred
those in authority from despatching us on a- voyage
of upwards of 12,000 miles. To this absence of the
usual trial trip (a matter of vital importance to the safety
of an ocean steamer), we attribute the original of our mis-
fortunes, and which omission might have been most dis-
astrous to us, to the really noble ship and her valable cargo,
had we encountered anything but the calm and delightful
weather we have had throughout, which would not have
endangered the safety of a boat. It may be argued on be-
half of the company that the Naval Superintendent of
Mail Steam Vessels at Plymouth inspected and passed the
Mauritius as fit for sea ; but in answer to this defence, we
would remind you, Sir, that the same functionary paid a
similar compliment to the unfortunate Melbourne.
In conclusion, we desire to bear testimony to the ur-
banity and gentlemanly conduct of Captain Elder and his
officers, whose zeal and energy, aided by the exertions of
his crew (more especially those of the engineers and their
men) we cannot praise too highly.—We bog to subscribe
ourselves, Sir, your obedient servants,
Charles Taylor, Cape Town.
Wm. P. W. Norsworthy, Cape Town.
Hermann Mosenthal, Cape Town.
E. N. Edwards, from Hamburg to Cape Town.
Arthur O. Tysons, Madras.
Charles Fricke, Delhi, Bandmaster, 26th Regi-
ment.
J. Gifford, Major Bengal Army.
Alfred Wrench, Captain, Bengal cavalry.
John Sharkey, Chaplain, Bengal Establishment.
Francis Fleming, Military Chaplain, Cape of
Good Hope.
W. D. Fleischer, Government Chaplain, Banis
Kloof, Cape of Good Hope.
G. G. Holmes, Assistant-Surgeon, Madras Army.
W. L. Halliday, Lieut., Bengal Army.
W. Hilton, Lieut., Begal Army.
George B. Tod, Madras Civil Service.
Dugald. Lattey, Calcutta.

P.S.—Cape Town. January 19, 1853, 10 o'clock a.m.,
anchored in Table Bay, making in all 50 days from Ply-
mouth, and 58 from London.—Engines only working the
last six hours of the voyage.

NEW WAY OF RAISING THE WIND.—An incident of a
ludicrous nature has come under notice, which occurred
two or three weeks ago. Two individuals of Bacchana-
lian notoriety had been drinking together at a public-
house in Horncastle, when, finding they were minus the
needful, they bethought themselves of an expedient for
" raising the wind." In an instant a , striking idea
nearly overwhelmed one of our heroes, and having asked
his companion whether he had made his will, and being
answered in the negative, he exclaimed with rapture, " I
have it, listen to me—you must be suddenly taken ill, I'll
see you home, make out your will, and charge your wife
for it: you must,then gradually get better and rejoin me."
Accordingly, the poor fellow was taken suddenly very
ill, and his companion like a kind-hearted man, took him
home, acquainted his wife with the sad occurrence,- and
threw in some dark surmises about him not surviving the
night. At length the will was made in favour of the side
man's wife, and the "professional"gentleman was about to
depart, when the invalid called him back, and requested his
spouse "to pay the gentleman before he quitted this
mortal world." The "professional" gentleman's usual
charge was a half-sovereign, but Mr. being a friend
of his, he would only accept of three half-crowns. The
money was paid, and away went the lawyer to the
White Hart. Presently he was joined by his friend,
who, after the money was paid, suddenly bad become
restored. They quickly metamorphosed some of the
cash into liquor, which they swallowed with gusto, and
were laughing to themselves how they had cheated
" the old woman." She herself, however, at length
entered, and knocked her husband out of his chair.
While in the act of falling he shouted to the "profes-
sional " gentleman, " Alter the will, alter the will ; I'll I
cut her off with a shilling. —Stamford Mercury.