The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-08 00:00:00

NAVIGATION OF THE INDUS.

The first'vessel of a series which is destined and
'expressly constructed for the river traffic of the
Indus between Hyderabad and Mooltan was yes-
terday tried down the river in the presence of a
numerous party of scientific gentlemen and some of
the directors of the Scinde and Punjab Railways'
to whose enterprise it is due that steamers really
fitted for Indian river navigation are at length
being adopted. The difficulties which have hitherto
lain in the way of keeping up continuous commu-
nic.ation along the waterways of the Indian empire
during the dry season have been chiefly, if not en-
tirely, mechanical ones. Steamboats for such ser-
vice, indeed, require the perfect reconcilement of
what at first sight appears to be almost impossible
conditions, such as great power, high speed, and
ample stowage for cargo, with less than two feet
draught of water. The directors, therefore, of the
new flotilla company wanted a vessel, combining in
the best way it could, the many opposite qualities
required for the navigation of the river. The en-
gineer of the company, Mr. Yarrow, being aware
of the peculiar nature of the difficulties to be over-
come, and having obtained all the information
which the limited experience of Indus navigation
would yield, decided that it was necessary that the
steam flotilla for such traffic must be composed 'of
vessels able to pass all bars and shallows by only
drawing two feet of water and that they must
further have a speed of 12 miles an hour—be 200
feet long and 38 feet wide, in order to convey the
goods and passengers, and, above all, that they
must of sufficient power to be able to tow barges
and river boats up the stream with them. Plans
and specifications of the requisites were accordingly
prepared, and the company- invited the competition
of engineers and shipbuilders. Of all the designs
sent in Mr. Scott Russell's was selected, and that
eminent builder was accordingly directed to con-
struct the first vessel of the flotilla, in order that
it might be tested by experience as to, how far,
the mechanical difficulties in its structure bad
been overcome. This vessel, therefore, , was
yesterday for the first time tried down the
Thames, and the result of the trip was in the highest
degree satisfactory, surpassing even the expecta-
tions which had been formed as to speed, powers
&c. The boat in appearance is precisely like the
American river steamers, Oat bottomed, square
shaped, and with a deck-house which almost covers/
the entire vessel. Her length all over is 200 feet,
breadth 38, draught of water 1 foot 10 inches. As,
a passenger boat and with average cargo her speea
is equal to little over 13 miles an hour, and with
boats containing 500 tons cargo in tow she can be
depended on to average eight miles an hour on the
Indus. The bull is constructed in a peculiar manners
in order to carry the weight and sustain the propel-
ling power of large machinery. Two longitudinal
wrought iron girders run the whole length of the
vessel, rising nearly 10 feet above the deck, so as to
form the walls of the deck cabins. The girders
constitute the main strength of the hull, and axe
applied in a manner peculiar to Mr. Scott Russells
and which he has already employed in the construe-
tion of the Great Eastern and other vessels where
great strength and great length are necessary. The
engines of the vessel are nominally of 120 horse
power, and though only constructed to work up to
400, in reality, in the indicator, give more than
600. They are constructed on Mr. Russell's three-
cylinder principle, which bids fair soon to become
the only one in use, whether far paddle or serer
engines. During the whole of the trial yesterdays
though these engines sometimes exerted their full
'power against a head wind and strong tide, they
worked with the most perfect ease, and with very
little of that vibration generally produced by vessels
of large power and light draught of water. Mr.
Scott Russell undertook that the draught of waters
when laden with passengers, and an average cargo
of 350 tons, should not exceed two feet. Yesterdays
however, when in this trim, her draught was almost
under 1 foot 10 inches, and forward scarcely 20
inches. The satisfactory nature of the principles
on which she has been constructed 'was considered
as conclusively proved, and a greater thickness and
strength of hull will be allowed to the other vessel!
of the flotilla which will shortly be constructed and
despatched to India as soon as finished.

RECEPTION al? HER MATESTI'S P. 120

CLANATION IN NEPA UL.

On the 4th December last a full Durbar was held
at Katmandoo by the Maharaj Dheraj (or King) of
Nepaul, to receive through the Assistant Resident,
Capt. Byers, a Khureeta from the Governor-General
enclosing the Queen's proclamation, together with
his mil. The Durbar was unusually crowded with all
the officers of State. When the Assistant Residents
having in a short speech to the King mentioned the
subject of the Khureeta, presented it enclosed in $
case of kimkab or cloth of gold, his Highness e%"
pressed how much he was gratified at the intelligence,
of her Majesty's assumption of the Government of
India, and added, that in a few days a grand
parade of all the troops should be held to do every
honour to the change of rule ; at the same thine
inviting the Assistant-Resident to be present. Ae"
cordingly, on the 7th of the same month the troop*
amounting to 13,500, were assembled on the Toone'
Khel parade-ground. They were disposed in the
form of two parallelograms, the one within the
other, with the exception of the Artillery, wilo,.
were drawn up on one flank with 100 pieces of
cannon ranged in a semicircle. The Assistant'
Resident, who was accompanied by Dr. Oldfield;
honorary-assistant and medical officer, was received
by the troops with the usual honours, and was then
conducted by the Maharajah Jung Bahadoor to the
centre, where the brothers of the Prime Minister,
together with the principal officers, were all drawn
up in a distinct line. His Highness, according to
a Nepaulese custom when paying a military cool'
pliment to an absent personage, now elevated bi°
sheathed sword above his head, to represent her
Most Gracious Majesty; and, having given a short
abstract of the proclamation announcing the trans'
fer of government within the Anglo-Indian ter&
tortes, he directed the officers to explain to their
men the purpose for which they were assembled.
He then drew his sword, and exclaimed, " Salute
the Queen of England !" The trumpets sounded
" the present," the troops presented arms, the
Prime Minister and officers dropped their
swords, and four bands stationed together struck uP,
" God save the Queen." The officers then joined
their regiments, the two lines, as above described,
faced outwards, and each man, being supplied with
ten rounds of blank cartridge, commenced a feu de
joie, which was well maintained, The outer line
fired from right to left, the inner from left to right;
thus the running fires crossed each other like the
smoke of two railway trains as they flash by from
opposite directions, and produced a striking effect.
This having ended, a signal was given, and the
Artillery opened fire in salvos of ten guns each,
which were evntinued until 1,000 rounds had been
expended. Thus ended this demonstration of the
friendly feeling of the Government of Nepaul to-
wards the British Crown.

THE OCCASIONAL FO_RIII OF PRAYER.

It is known that the Queen, acting under the
advice of her Ministers, and prompted by a recent
address of the House of Commons, has issued a pro-
clamation abolishing the " State" services for the
30th of January, the 29th of May, and the sth of
November. A bill has been brought in by Mr.
Secretary Walpole (and was read a second time
last night), repealing all existing enactments for
the observance of the anniversaries of King Charles
L's " Martyrdom," King Charles ll.'s Restoration,
the Gunpowder Plot, and the landing of the great
and good King William 111., of " glorious, pious,
and immortal memory," as the Orangemen, in de-
fiance of Lindley Murray, incorrectly and absurdly
say. The schedule annexed to the bill gives
the titles of these now obsolete acts ; they are
the 3d James 1., cap. 1; the 12th Charles 11.,
cap. 14 and cap. 30 ; the 13th Charles 11., cap-
-7 ; the 13th of Charles 11., cap. 11; and the Act
(of the Parliament of Great Britain) 24th of
George 11., cap. 23, passed for the correction
of the calendar, and the adoption—nearly 200
years after Pope Gregory XIII., and the Church
of Rome—of the " new style" (Anno Dom., 1752)'
Two Acts of the (extinct) Parliament of Ireland
are also repealed ; these are the 14th and 15th of
Charles 11., cap. 1, and the 14th and 15th of Charles
11., cap. 23. The latter act enjoins the keeping
and celebration of the 23d of October as " an anni-
versary thanksgiving's in this kingdom. On tile
23d of October (1642) was fought the memorable
but undecisiveimttle of Edge•hill—the first engage-
ment between the Royalists and the Parliamenta-
rians ; but we cannot undertake to say that this is
the occasion referred to by the Irish act. One of
the English acts is entitled, "An act for the at-
tainder of several persons guilty of the horrid
murther (sic) of his Sacred Majesty King Charles
I." And thus, in future, there will be no ecclesiaf,'

tical " reminders" of the 30th of January, the 29th
of May, or the sth of November, although, so long
as there are boys to be amused, there is little
chanca of poor old " Guy" being consigned to ob-
livion, how little seever people may care for the
lauding of William 111. at Torbay "for the deliver-
ance of our church and nation," as the Prayer-book
hath it in the service for the sth of November.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY ELECTION.—The election
for the seat vacant by the appointment of Mr. G. -A-*
' Hamilton will bo held on either Thursday or Friday nest'
when the Right Hon. the Irish Attornoy-General, who 10
the only candidate, will be elected, in all probability,
out any opposition. •

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