The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-21 00:00:00

31 R. W. S. WOODIN'S OLIO of ODDITIES.
TO-NIGPIT and every evening, at S. Box-office open from II
till 5. The above entertainment has received novel additions, Vocal
and Visual, including a New Loco-Joko-Motive Lyric, rntitled OFF
BY. THE 'RAIN, illustrated by numerous changes, facial, lingual,
and corxreal. Mr. W. S. Woodin es Mrs. Florence, in the "Yankee
Girl," with the songs of " Bobbing around," and " Polly, won't you
try me, oh!"—Polygraphic-hall, King William-street, Charing-cross.

THE ROYAL CHARTER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—Conceiving that your readers may feel interested
to learn further particulars of the late run of the Royal
Charter to Melbourne, I have the honour to enclose a
short abstract of the log and a letter from the Rev. Dr.
Scoresby to myself. I shall feel obliged and gratified if
you can find room for Dr. Scoresby's letter in your
columns.—l remain, sir, your most obedient servant,
SAML. BRIGHT,
Chairman of the Liverpool and Australian Company.
Liverpool, July 17.

"Royal Charter, Hobson's.bay, Port Philip,
April 23, 1856.
"My dear Sir,—Though Capt. Boyce will have com-
municated to you officially the interesting and gratifying
results, under the Divine blessing, of this first passage
of the Royal Charter to Australia, yet I hope it will not
be without satisfaction to you in hearing from another
source something of the performance and behaviour of
this admirable ship.
"As to the speed and progress of the ship you will
be abundantly informed by the perusal of the captain's
abstract of the log. It, however, may be noted as some-
thing remarkable in nautical history, because, in most
particulars to which I refer, unprecedented (so far as my
information enables me to judge), that in 29 days from
Plymouth we bad passed through the tropics and trade
winds, and reached the latitude of 35 deg. south ; that
in 40 days we had made a distance (notwithstanding
unusually light and short trades) of about 8,000 miles,
or 200 miles a day ;—that in 50 days out we had made
good, in the usual and best track of progress, a distance
of above 11,000 miles, or more than half the circum-
ference of the globe. At the conclusion of the 58th day
the wind failed us, and became scant, or considerably
against us, but our auxiliary steam then came into ad-
mirable play, enabling us to reach this port within a
period nnprecedentedly short.
"In one part of our voyage, in a period of 12 days
consecutively, the Royal Charter made 3,522 miles of
distance by the 10:1, or 292 miles per day ; or, taking
strictly the extent of longitude accomplished within th e
time, the distance in geographical miles came out as
3,430 or 226 miles a day. In the particular run re-
ferred to we had to contend with the disadvantage of
gale after gale of no ordinary severity (a cyclone of hur-
ricane fury), and with the difficulty from the extra-
ordinary prevalence of cross seas and waves of 30 to 40
feet in height and upwards, which rendered the com-
passes so unsteady that steering with any precision was
utterly impracticable.
"The qualities of the Royal Charter under the se-
verest of all trials—ennountering the transit of an Indian
Ocean cyclone while scudding before it, and the tremen-
dous seas referred to—have been proved to be of the
highest order; her buoyancy, liveliness, ease of action in
the crossest and most tremendous seas, while the pos-
session of that extraordinary quality of all but intelligent
efforts and yieldings for the avoidance of the assaults
of the lofty breaking peaks of the'sea, were as astonish-
ing as they were admirable. I may aid that the capa-
bilities have not yet been fully developed.
" As to my magnetical objects— a particular account
of my compass experiments having been made to the
Compass Committee--it may suffice here to state in gene-
ral terms that while, for a considerable period, the
adjusted compasses performed remarkably well,
and subsequently did not change (because of their
central position in the ship, the wooden masts, and
other favourable arrangements) so much as usual ;
yet they followed the general course, especially
the binnacle compass, which deviated first easterly,
on a southerly course, and then westerly, on a north-
easterly course, about one and a half points.
"In regard to the adoption of the principle of auxili-
ary steam power in the Royal Charter the experience of
this passage has been most satisfactory—l may say con-
clusively favourable ; and, while it aided us in our first
outset in passing the equinoctial belt of cams, the calms
and light variables elsewhere, and in our approach to
and entrance of Port Philip in the most admirable and
effective manner, the small consumption of coal renders
it evident that this appliance and power are obtained at
a cost of space so moderate as to render the principle at
once satisfactory and compensating.
" Congratulating you and the Liverpool and Austra-
lian Navigation Company on this first great, success of
their plan and enterprise, and trusting that, under a
continuance of tho Divine blessing, the return voyage
may be propitious and satisfactory, I remain, dear sirs,
yours very faithfully,
" Mr. Bright."

" W3I. SOORESBY.

present week the surveyors, under the direction of the
METE:POLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.—During the past and
superintending architect of the Metropolitan Board of
Works, have been actively engaged in preparing surveys
for the new lines of streets projected to be carried into
effect from places adjacent to the terminus of the South-
Western Railway to the Town-hall in the Borough, and
from Leicester-square to King-street, in order to open a
better approach into and through Covent-garden-market
which, among the series of improvements intended forth-
with to be carried into effect by the commissioners, ap-
pear to be the first most likely now to be brought into
execution. The Southwark line, as originally proposed,
was an extension of Stamford-street, through Great
Guildford-street, Sumner-street, to Castle-street, at which
point an opening will be formed into the Borough High-
street, adjacent to the Town-hall. Although this course
is nearly parallel with the river, it will now most probably
be abandoned on account of its interference with the valu-
able properties of Messrs. Barclay and Messrs. Potts, the
Borough-market, &c., which, by this route, could not pos-
sibly be avoided ; therefore a line in another direction
has been projected, which is now under survey. The
altered plan will commence nearly opposite to the ter-
minus of the South-Western Railway, and passing John-
street, the open ground by Brad-street, Waterloo-road,
will cross Jane-street and the Blackfriara-bridge-road
opposite George-street, passing down that street to
Dyer's-buildings and the Grove, Guildford-street, which
will be crossed near New-street, and, continuing by
Castle-street, will enter the Borough High-street near
the Town hall, at the point as originally proposed. By
this course Messrs. Potts' vinegar-grounds and Messrs.
Barclay'a brewery will be altogether avoided, and much
of the low neighbourhood which now exists near Water-
loo-road and adjacent to the Grove in Great Guildford-
street and Gravel-lane will be entirely cleared away. In
relation to the new street leading from Covent-garden-
market, from the direction which the surveyors have
adopted, it will appear that the course proposed will ex-
tend in a straight line from K;ng-street to the corner of
Leicester-square, taking down the north side of New-
street and St. Martin's.court, passing Bear-street, and
entering Leicester-square by pulling down the tavern at
the end on the eastern side and the adjoining houses,
but leaving the entrance to Cranbourn-street unaltered
and exactly as it stands at present. This line will have
eventually to be regarded comparatively with the diago-
nal line which is proposed, with a like object in view,
to proceed from the corner of King-street, through Rose-
street, to the corner of St. Martin's-lane and Long-acre,
opposite the eastern end of Cranbourn anti Newport
streets. The direct line will interfere very considerably
with the property of the Marquis of Salisbury, who has
always opposed the measure, and will be by far the most
costly and expensive, on account of the description of
the property interfered with, as well as of the width of
40 feet required for the new street, in pursuance of the
order of the commissioners, whereas the diagonal line
will remove all that property dilapidated near Rose-
and likewise be considerably the least expensive
i
street, which is now only a nuisance to the neighbour-
hexecution. The formation of this line of street
will
in
be further aided and facilitated by the fact that his
the Duke of Bedford has agreed to advance and
contribute no 'less a sum than 15,0002. should the last'
described lino bo ultimately adoptocl.—.Buildins Nos.
Girolialtdes

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