The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-27 00:00:00

SPOONS AND FORKS, 7s. 2d. PEE 01.J.NCE.

el M. HORTON and CO. (Late AVERY),
'kit • Silversmiths and Jewellers, No. 36, L UDGATE-
STREET, ST. PAUL'S (opposite Messrs. Everington and
Co.'s), offer their elegantly-finished SILVER FIDDLE
SPOONS and FORKS at 7s. 2d. per Oz.; the King's Pat-
tern 7s. 4d. ; the Victoria and other Patterns, as also Tea and
Coffee Sets, and other articles, equally moderate. A very
great variety of Dessert Knives and Forks in cases of Sets.
N. B. An immense Stock of splendid Fancy Goods and
Jewellery at 25 to 30 per cent. below the usual London Charges

THE PRESIDENT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Si> —Anxious, as the generality of our countrymen feel,
for the safety of the President, perhaps you will be good enough
to offer a few conjectures. That this fine vessel can have
foundered seems by all opinions to be out of the question.
The next supposition which occurs is, that if she is lost, it
must be by collision either with ice or with another vessel.
The British Queen, which put into Halifax with damage, was
said to have encountered ice ; but this was afterwards con-
tradicted. Then it is reported that the Caledonia fell in with
a large field of ice in let. 44.54, long. 57.59 (just to the
southward of the Gulf of St. Lawrence). Who ever heard
of field ice in that direction in February or early in March ?
If a field of ice were really seen as reported, it was a most un-
usual circumstance. As for icebergs (and fields of ice also).
they are most commonly seen in May and June, having floated
from Baffin's Bay with the southerly curl ent : the same ice
never remains to a second year. A more likely conjecture,
and one which it is devoutly hoped may prove correct, is, that
in the heavy gale the President encountered, her steam-ma-
chinery was damaged so as to become useless ; the wind blow-
ing hard at N. or N.E., she bore up for Bermuda, perhaps
missed the island (not an unusual occurrence), and made
the best of her way to the West Indies. Should this, hap-
pily, be the case, there may scarcely be time yet to hear of her.
With regard to Atlantic steamers. From the velocity of
these fine vessels, and their having often to pass through thick
weather at a great rate, collision with ice in the summer, and
with other vessels at all times, is the greatest danger to be
apprehended. Could not this danger in a certain degree be
counteracted by strong bulk-heads dividing the vessels into
compartments, upon the plan of the large iron steamer now
building at Bristol? Chips in thick weather have often run upon
icebergs with little more loss than their bowsprits ; had they
been going as fast as a steamer, they might have had
more serious injury, their head and stem destroyed, and
wooden ends laid open, and nothing could then have
saved them except upon the water coming into the hold
meeting a bulk-head, which would completely keep the
water from going further. Again another bulk-head,
a certain distance from aft, might be a security from water in
that direction ; and if the centre received damage, the other
compartments might keep the vessel up, and at any rate there
would be less water to pump out.
These suggestions are offered, if you think them worth in-
serting in your valuable columns, by y2ur obedient servant,
April 21. 1841. PALINURUS.
P.S. The late Admiral the Hon. Sir Charles Paget, after
a dangerous illness, determined to go to Bermuda in a steamer
from Jamaica ; she unfortunately missed the island, and was
obliged up• for the West Indies, which, in his weak
state, occasioned the Admiral's sleath.