The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-28 00:00:00

PRIM; 4D. sw
ED, sr.

the pilot come on board was to, be the winner of
the fund, some £25. The holders of the periods
2 and 4 p.m. were thought to have the best chances,
so straightway their tickets went to a premium,
and some business was transacted, with a rising
market. The weather for the remainder of the
trip was remarkably pleasant—a sea just crisped
under the influence of the westerly breeze, a
bracing air, and a temperature which left no-
thing to be desired. Running like a racehorse,
with the screw making 41 revolutions and the
paddles 121 per minute, daybreak of Sunday,
August 26, showed us the Fastnct Rock Lighthouse
looming up grandly in the morning mist 'on our
port bow. By 5.10 a.m. we were abreast of Cape
Clear. Thence, coasting along past the rich undu-
lations and bold headlands of the south of Ireland,
the old Head of Kinsale was reached at 7.45. The
tall white lighthouse, with its long surrounding
wall, stood a prominent landmark in the bright
beams of the morning sun, as we stood out across
the mouth of the Irish Channel towards the noble
haven to which we were bound. A short time
sufficed, however, to sink, it below the horizon. At
noon we were in 'lat. 51 deg. 28 min. N., long. 7
deg. 21 min. W. ; distance made since noon yester-
day 341 miles. This left 73 knots to St. Ann's
Head, or about five hours' steaming. Many were
the anxious gazers for the first view of the Welsh
coast as we sped rapidly on our way in the smooth
water. At 3.30 p.m. some of the watchers from
the paddlebox made 'out the Smalls lighthouse on
the cloudy horizon, standing isolated several miles
from the shore. bbn after the Bishop light was
seen further to the :north, and by degrees the bold
headlands and mountains of Wales became well
defined, with the rocky islands on its western face
standing out like the outworks to a giant citadel.
At five p.m. we hove to, and took a pilot from a
small cutter that ran out to intercept us. Running
in for the entrance to the Haven, at 5.25 we were
met by a beautiful little iron steamer—one of a line
from Milford to Waterford—with many people on
board. With an amount of enthusiasm for which
we were hardly prepared, they gave round after
round of cheers, which our passengers returned
mach more heartily than they would have done had
they known the demand that was soon to be made
upon them for that exhaustive vocal performance.
We were informed by the Queen's pilot and Mr.
Bereton, the company's engineer, who boarded
us from the steamer, that the Channel fleet (or a
part of it) was lying at Milford. We anticipated,
therefore, a very agreeable sight, but not the mag-
nificent spectacle that was presented to us. As
we rounded the fortified rocks at the entrance
of the bay, the noble ships were discovered moored
in a double line, with several attendant gunboats
and steam tenders surrounding them. With our
smart sailing little consort close on our starboard
quarter, dressed in the gayest bunting from deck to
truck, we glided up the harbour at the rate of 12
knots an hour, and were soon close astern of a fine
frigate, the Diadem. As we neared them, the crew
sprang into the rigging, and, mounting with the
activity of cats, were soon clustering on every yard,
mast, and spar, to get a good sight of the great
ship that was now dwarfing their own magnificent
craft to the proportions of a cockboat. Topsail, top-
gallantsail, and royal yards were quickly crowded
with fine active fellows, who seemed to feel as much
at home standin..° on those giddy elevations as we on
the broad deck beneath us. Even this was not
enough ; three of the smartest topmen shinned up
the slender-looking royal-masts and gained the
trucks, where they sat very coolly watching the
exciting scene below them. The hammock nettings,
the forecastle, the bowsprit, jibboom, and flying
jibboom were hidden by the dense crowd of blue
Jackets, which were relieved in the safe parts of the
ship by the sprinkling of red-coated marines. The
quarter-deck was crowded by the officers, who,
glasses in hand, were watching the ship's approach.
As our graceful bows glided past the frigate's
quarter, by one impulse every man of her crew
joined in a cheer that had something electrical in
its effect on our own crew and passengers. As the
noble volume of sound swept over us like the first
rush of a hurricane, it seemed to stir the bleed of
every Englishman like the blast of a trumpbt.
Three times our ears tingled with their manly greet-
ings, and our breasts swelledwith pardonable pride
that we could claim the brave men before us for
brethren. The return we made may have been weak
and scattering, but at least it was heartfelt. The
same scene was repeated as we passed each vessel.
Cheer after cheer filled the calm evening air, and
the declining sun shone on the round weatherbeaten
faces of the gallant tars as they waved their
caps in true seamanlike appreciation of the noble
ship they were welcoming. On board the enthu-
siasm excited amongst us became contagious.
The first two ships we passed, the Diadem and the
Mars, our worthy captain, and the grave old pilot
on the paddle-box together maintained their cool-
ness pretty well. The third, the noble steam frigate
the Mersey, evidently shook their resolution ; and
the fourth, the Algiers two-decker, swept it away
entirely. Off came their caps, and they contributed
a quota to the " Hip, hip, hip, hurrah," worth that
of any other six men there, from their being more
in the habit of raising up their voice aloud in the
open air. A somewhat similar effect was produced
on our American brethren. In passing the first ship
or two, though they enjoyed the sight immensely,
they did not seem to think replying much business
of theirs, but by the time they had passed two more,
they began to think, like their gallant countryman
in China, that " blood is thicker than water," and
their voices swelled the faint return that we were
able to make to the cheers of ten thousand of Eng-
land's bravest men. Cheering till we were hoarse,
and waving caps till our arms ached, we swept
past the Trafalgar, the Edgar, the Conqueror, the
Centurion, the Aboukir, the oyal Albert, and the
Donegal. In each and all men crowded every mast
and spar, and hid the deck from view. On every
truck a man was either sitting at his ease, or, appa-
rently with no less ease, standing bold upright.
From the quarter and stern galleries of several of
the ships ladies waved a welcome, and evinced their
admiration of their gigantic visitor. When we had
fairly passed, and had time to reflect a moment, we
beeame conscious that we were all speaking as if
we were labouring under frightful colds, and that
we had just witnessed a scene that does not gene-
rally occur more than once in a person's life-time.
Running up abreast of Pembroke Dockyard, we saw
that the hill at the back of it was covered with
soldiers and citizens, all crowding together to the
highest point to see our entrance to the best advan-
tage. We felt grateful that we were not within
earshot of them, or the consequences to some of our
lungs might have been serious. Our attention had
been so much engrossed by the exciting spectacle
we had witnessed, that the noble Haven we had
entered received no portion of the attention it
deserved. At 6.30 p.m. we were on our anchoring
ground. The anchor was not let go until some
minutes later, for some reasons best known to the
pilot.
So ended the first voyage of the Big Ship. She
has deservedly received more notice than ever ship
did before, but from this time forward her commer-
cial career commences. As an effort of engineering
skill she is a triumphant success. She has fulfilled
every essential condition to ests.blish her reputation
on a durable basis, and it. now remains for the
genius of the men who called her into being to de-
vise for her some profitable employment.
The following is the official report of the log and
performance of the engines :

Lat. N.

Date.

Distance by
Long. W. observation.
60.2 238
43.42
335
August 17
43.53 64.17
18
62.55 73
44.34
19 )7 55.45 318
45.57
20
21 48. 49. 306
22 50.10
44.44 320
32.45 340
f,
23
51.
24 50.58
24.25 320
16.3 316
, 7
25 51.6
77
26 51.28 7.21 341
73*

2,980 miles.

* To St. Ann's-head.
REltAnx...--Left pilot at Sandyhook at 6.40 p.m., Aug.
18; pilot arrived3.3o, Aug. 19Halif ; ax 4.45 p.m., Aug.
20 ; left Halifax tzt 8.50 asn., left pilot 9.50' a.m., Aug. 21;
eased engines for six hours off the Cape, and stopped four
times to sound, Aug. 22.

Knots. Time.
Distance run by ship from Savdyhook h. nl.
to Halifax
From Halifax to St. Ann's-head (en-
trance of Milford Haven) ......• 2,357 .. 173 0

2,980 in 217 50
4 55

Total ..........

212 5