The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-11 00:00:00

ZT ICUBILLRINZ AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.

GRAVESEND, Thursday Morning.
Wind E. ; tid• 31 hours' flood ; weather very heavy.
Arrived, Feb. 10 —Sclavonia, from Leghorn.
Arrived, Feb. 11--The Earl of Auckland, from Rotter-
dam ; Concordia, from Calais.
Sailed, Feb. 11—' Jr. Von Thunan Fellow, for Adelaide ;
Lord J. Russell, for Dunkirk,
agAL, Thursday Morning.

Wind calm.
Anchored-10 Veunor, from Ibrail, for Hull.
Sailed--Helen, for Hull; J, F, Hozio, for Sydney.

DR. LIVINGSTONE'S '‘ LAUNCH."

It has been announced that the vessel which is
about to take out Dr. Livingstone to the south-
east coast of Africa would have on board a launch
of very light draught of water, provided by Go-
vernment, to enable the veteran traveller to pro-
secute the important investigation of the Zambesi
river, from the results of which so much is expected.
This launch has been built by Mr. John Laird, at
his now ship building works at Birkenhead, the
material employed being the new homogeneous
metal, commonly calL d " steel plates," manufac-
tured by Messtee Shortridge, Howell, and Jessop,
of Sheffield. The great advantage of using this
description of plates is that the same amount of
strength is obtained as that found in the best iron
plates of double the thickness, so that a vessel of a
much lighter draught of water can be built, to the
removal of the obstacles which have hitherto been
in ;the way of navigating shallow rivers. After
having made a variety of experiments in working
this homogeneous metal Mr. Laird thought it
might be made applicable for this purpose in
the construction of vessels of adequate strength
with light draught of water. The launch
has been built with great despatch, the order
for its construction having been given only
five or six weeks ago. For convenience
of transshipment it has been built in three
sections on a patent taken out by Mr. Macgregor
Laird five or six years ago. The centre section
contains the boiler and a single horizontal high-
pressure engine of 1? horse power, and the two end
sections are fitted up for the accommodation of the
persons engaged in the expedition. Each com-
partment is made secure with watertight bulkheads.
In the aft section is a neat deckhouse, which will
be comfortably furnished, and will have every
necessary appliance for securing ventilation. The
vessel is a paddle steamer, her dimensions being—
length, 75 feet ; bread. h, 8 feet ; and depth, 3 feet.
She will not draw more than 12 or 14 inches, so
that she is expected to be able to navigate the
shallowest parts of the river. The boiler es well
as the hull of the launch is made of these steel
plates, which are only 3-leths of an inch thick.
The boiler has been proved to 1601 b. pressure,
though it will only be necessary to work up to 401 b.
This, we believe, ie the first application of this
cheap steel to boatbuilding purposes. If it should
answer, there can be little doubt that not only
numerous vessels of a similar class will be built for
the navigation of shallow rivers, but that it will
also be applied to the construction of vessels o'
large burden. The trial trip of the little laußch
will be made in the Mersey on Saturday or Monday
next. The expedition is expected to sail from
Liverpool iu a few days.