The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-26 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR Or THE TIMES.

Sir,—As I understand the Government is about 9 to
order the construction of a number of gUn-boats to be
used in the Baltic and elsewhere, and as the subject is of
some interest to the public, I venture to offer to your
notice my animadversions on the Wrangler gun-boat, of
which honourable mention is made in a paragraph of
your paper of the 21st inst. I cannot but advert to the
enormous depth of water drawn by this vessel.
The dimensions given in your article are as follows :---
Length between perpendiculars 160 feet, breadth 25 feet
-4 inches, horse-power 160, draught of water 11 feet 6
inches.

May I be allowed to inquire of what use is a vessel of
such a draught in the Baltic ?
We have at this moment several small craft attendant
on our fleet which certainly do not draw much more, if
so much, water. Our steam frigates can sail into Revel,
our ships of the line can safely anchor in the Bay of
Helsingfors, and can sail into Cronstadt harbour.
This gun-boat can do no more ; she can neither navi-
gate amor, the Aland Isles, nor safely among any of
the Finnish " scheam ;" neither can she enter Abo
Creek, nor approach St. Petersburg, as the draught re-
quired for either of these navigations is seven feet.
It is credibly reported in St. Petersburg that the Rus-
sian Government has given orders at several times -ta
English shipbuilders and engineers to build steamvessels
of certain dimensions and specified tonnage and power,
having a small draught of water, and that these gentle-
men have entered into engagements with the Govern-
ment on such terms, which they have not been able to
fulfil ; and when the vessels built under such contracts
have arrived in Constradt, they have been either rejected
or taken at a depreciated value. This is a singular fact.
Our shipbuilders seem to want, and to insist upon
wanting, a knowledge of flat lines.
Not so the Dutch shipwrights and engineers. In the
construction of vessels of this character they seem to
excel. I am cognisant of several orders which have
been given to the Finjord works, near Rotterdam, for
steamers of light draught, which have been executed
very satisfactorily. I believe there are no less than five
iron vessels, made at that establishment, now afloat in
the waters of the Black Sea, of about the Sarno length as
the Wrangler, lmt drawing, with armament complete,
not more than seven feet six inches of water.
There nro tug-boats now running on the Volga, built at
the same works, the largest of which are of 500 horse
power, and drawing no more than five feet six inches of
water. They can be driven in still water at the rate of
15 miles per hour.
The Messrs. Roentgen, of this firm, were the first to
establish steamers on the Rhine and the Danube ; and
it would seem that up to the present time they have
been the only sucoessful constructors of fast vessels of
large tonnage in proportion to draught. The firm, how-
ever, exists no longer, as both the Messrs. Roentgen
are dead.
In conclusion, I venture to assert that seven feat is
the useful draught for a gun-boat to be employed in the
Baltic, and, unless vessels of such a draught are built Ler
that navigation, it would seem that our Govetnen t
incurring
a useless exp rn
ense in construcAtinwg alanyD.-I:xna.m,
sir, your obedient servant,
'Y I _

The Dauntless, 33 guns, screw steam-frigate, Captain
Alfred P. Ryder, arrived at Sheerness on Saturday last,
the 24th inst., at 9.10 a.m., from Rao Sound, in the
Gulf of Finland. On the morning of the 9th she arrived
in llango Bay, and found the Penelope there. The
Alban came in on the same day. She left at 10 a.m,
and at 6 p.m. sighted and communicated with Admiral
Corry's squadron, off Dago Ort, consisting of nine
sail of the line, &e., as follows : Neptune flagship,
Boscawen, Cumberland, James Watt, Nile, Royal
George, St. George, Prince Regent, Monarch, Eurya-
lus, and Rosamond. At midday she passed by the
French fleet between Dago Ort and Gotska Sandoe. At
nine a.m. the following dayshe anchored in Faro Sound ;
found the Majestic and Magicienne in harbour. The
Majestic sailed the same day, completely loaded with
oxen of a first-rate quality for the use of the fleet. She
found nine prizes there taken by the Amphion, and re-
mained there three days eoaling and fitting out the nine
prizes referred to, all of which were detained under sus-
picious circumstances, breaking the blockade. The Gor-
gon and Desperate arrived on the 12th, and left on
the 14th, with two colliers in two for the fleet. Five
prizes also left the same day for England. The Daunt-
less sailed on the 15th for Copenhagen with four galliots
in tow, all captured by other ships. On the same das
she fell in with the Swedish and Norwegian fleet at one
p.m., consisting of eight sail, as follows, two line-of-
battle ships, ono bearing the flag of a Rear-Admiral, four
frigates, one corvettee, and a brig. She exchanged Prince Albert, accompanied by the Prince of Wales,
salutes with the fleet. On the 16th she communicated rode on horseback on Saturday morning, attended by
with the Cuckoo, steam gun-boat, Lieutenant-Com- his Equerry
ii. Waiting. His Royal Highness left
mander Murray, off the north end of Bornholm, After Buckinghame place at ten minutes past three o'clock in
passing through the Cattegat, it blowing heavy gales from
tionth afternoone to attend a meeting of the Royal Associa-
the south-west, she was obliged to cast off the vessels,
__
.f Windsor for Improving the Condition of the
and send tho prize crews on board to convey them to Working Classes. The Prince was attended by Colonel
and n the Hon. Dudley
C ptai
Ca
England. She arrived at Copenhagen on the 18th, and the Hon. C. B.
Phipps
found the Zephyr steam gun-boat there, which vessel de Res, and travelled to Windsor by the South-Western
left for the fleet the same day. She sent on shore 23 Railway. His Royal Highness returned at half art
Russian merchant seamen, taken out of the prizes. 27 six o'clock, and afterwards accompanied the Queen and
others, including masters, mates, and seamen, are coming Prince Arthur in a drive in an open Landau and four.
home in their respective vessels. The Dauntless has Major-General Buckley attendeuisa took as on horbac
drive in an
k.
brought home 16 invalids, all of whom have been sent The Princess Helena and
Lo
to Melville Hospital in the steam tender Wildfire, a.ccorn- open carriage and four.
panied by the assistant-surgeon, W. S. Roche, Mr. The Queen and Preach Albert, with the Prince of
Doyle, assistant-engineer of the first-class, who is eh. Wales and Prince onourd the Royal Italian
perseded at his own request ; and Mr. Boxer, late second- Opera with their presence in the evening. The royal
master of the AmPhi°n' to join a gun-boat to which he suite consisted of the Duchess of Athol', the Hon. Ma
is appointed Mr. George K. Keeton, chief en- tilda Paget, Lord Waterpark, Major-General Buckley,
gineer, has received orders to join one of the steam and Captain the Hon. Dudley de Ros.
re- .
sub-
serve ships at Devonport. His leaving the ' Messrs. Leggatt and Hayward had the honour of
Dauntless
is sincerely regretted by her officers. reitting to her Majesty and Prince Albert F. Jones
Lieutenant Charles Woodman, of this ship, Barker's painting of Napoleon at Bassano
, on the Bth
of April lost, in the act of unhookin thelptacklefall of Her Majesty's private band was in attendance in the
one of the quarter boats (which wasgb ' 1 veered for Palace on Friday evening, and performed the following
auSleiyoleirrb.
ear.
the purpose of saving a buysel.n o Winney, selection
named William
who fell out of the head, and aas unfortunetely drofiwn,ed)e, Overture, " Jessonda"
Clecour and couplets " L'Etc.iile du Nord"
got his right hand lammed, and two of his fingers Selection, " Eurktithe"
broken and most severely crushed.
of Oporto at-
The Dauntless has been employed during the last ten The King of Portugal and the Duke
weeks in cruising between Hango and Sveeaborg, re- tended the service in the Chapel of the French Embassy
connoitering the Russian fleet, which consists of ten at King-street, Portman-square.
sail of the line, one frigate, and two steam-vessels of ! The Duchess of Kent visited the Duchess of Gloucester
war. The ten sail of the line are all moored in the , yesterday at Gloucester House.
harbour in such a position as to be able to concentrate Yesterday the Queen and Prince Albert, with the
their broadsides on the entrance of the' harbour., into : Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal the Princess Alice,
which only one ship can pass at a time. Frequently and the Duchess of Kent, attended Divine service in the
during her cruising within from a mile and a half to two Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace. The Hon. and
miles of the batteries of Sweaborg, the Russian officers Very Rev. the Dean of Windsor officiated. The Ladies
and soldiers could be clearly seen at their guns, while the and Gentlemen of the Court and the Domestic House-
officers of the Dauntless were quietly taking the sound- hold also attended the service.

COURT CIRCULAR.