The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-16 00:00:00

TO THE EDTTOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—l have taken some pains to examine the American
pavers in order to find what the probable course of the Pre-
sident would be, should no material accident have happened
to her during the storms which we know she must have
encountered. I send you the notices of the first gale, cut
from the New Fork Express, and which agree with other
accounts.

By these it is certain that the first storm commenced on
Friday night, March 12th, and probably the President's speed
had previously been much impeded by the heavy sea from
the eastward, which usually precedes a gale from that
quarter, "so that she was not eastward of the meridian of
New Bedford when she met the gale. The wind was from
the N.E., and continued with violence all of Saturday,
the 13th. As the next gale commenced on the 16th, and is
reported to have lasted three days, probably the head sea con-
tinued ; so that, when she encountered the second gale on
Wednesday, the 16th, in all probability she was not eastward
of where, with usual moderate weather, or a fair wind, she
would have been in three days of a common passage. Find-
ing the gale continuing on the 17th, with every probability
of its lasting some days longer ; having then expended at least
one-third of his coals, and seeing that at the close of the gale,
even should it cease the next day, he would at the end of eight
days be only two, or, at most, three days' sail east of New
York, it appears to me, as a prudent man, the captain would
at once determine, if safe on the 17th, to use the remainder of
the N.E. gale to reach a port where he could be sure of re-
plenishing his coal, and also of repairing any damage he might
have sustained • and, as he then was probably S. E. from New
York, he would with a heavy N.E. gale rim for Bermuda, if
he could not aim for the Chesaitake.
1 have been fully of opinion that something like the above
would prove to he the ease, and, since seeing the high cha-
racter Captain Fayrer gives of the qualities of the President,
and that jus opinion agrees with my own, I venture to ex-
press it, as I should certainly entertain it had I friends on
board. The danger mentioned of her having "broached to"
in the first gale—of her having struck on the eastern coast,
or encountered the ice. are all idle, as she must have been
hundreds of mile!, g. W. of all such dangers up to the 18th
ult. I 'fibula be unwilling to encourage unwarranted hopes,
but It arst;liears to me there is nothing to fear above the
°r"..mary danger to, ti good strong ship lying to inal
heavy gale, he
t•
far as her machinery, or •
Wing telproperly loaded, might have increased
mad'asedthstaa that,
start
wg,oeora.
Ail 'unlucky sea in a hes.l feipett, it is t
'clad, and 'send a shqi to ine uottom ; tut seamen agree that
&re rig position of less danger during such a gale than lying
to, and it is very seldom that any heavy accident happens in
such a position. If the steam could be used it would enable
her to keep the sea more steadily, and thus be more safe than
a sailing ship. The great length of time that has elapsed since
the President sailed is certainly rather discouraging ; but I
should by no means despair until after receiving dates to the
28th from Bermuda and the West India islands.
Wednesday, April 14. OBSERVER.
P.

R/V.ATE BILLS, &c.—A list of the petitions
for private bills and the progress therein in the present
se.sian is now before us, frcm which it appears that the
number of private bills on which petitions have been pre-
sented, amounts to 233 or thereabouts. Out of there
bills, 13 have already received the Royal assent, and
several of the others are in an advanced state of progress.
These bills embracebrace
enterprise. most every description of private