The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-11 00:00:00

THE GREAT EASTERN.

The Great Eastern left Queenstown Harbour on
Sunday, the 6th, at 6.30 p.m., arrived off St. Ann's
Lights next morning at 5.30. It would seem that
the pilots in this quarter, like most other classes of
the people, are devoid of the spirit and enterprise
so essential to their own welfare and to the protec-
tion of the shipping bound up the very dangerous
Irish Channel, and the mercantile body are preven-
ted getting latest colonial and foreign intelligence
which might be got, as well as the passengers
brought ashore from the homeward bound ships ;
yet these so-called pilots do not scruple to demand
what they call their dues without having earned
them.

The big ship is lying right abreast the town of
Milford, about half a mile from the shore. She con-
trasts very forcibly with the numerous barques and
other vessels in the part of the harbour wherein
she lies, and if the Secretary to the Society of
Naval Architects, who lately wrote so disparagingly
of Milford Haven, were here, he would see there is
very abundant space for more than a hundred Great
Easterns to lie at ease in these capacious waters.
In writing as this secretary did he gave evidence
to all who know the facts that he was totally
unacquainted with the facts he pretended to demon-
strate.

The ship has 5,000 tons of coal and a quantity of
goods on board, which are to be discharged here, and
then she will be moved to the grid opposite the Royal
Dockyard. From top of the paddle-box to water's
edge is about 55 feet ; she lies 27 feet aft and 23
feet forward above her water line. She made the
voyage from Cork to Milford Haven at 101 knots
per hour with her screw only. Except that the
floats of the paddles are gone and some damage
done to the rudder, there is little sign of
mischief outside; and upon visiting the interior I
had some difficulty in being convinced that any
very material damage had been done either to the
furniture or fittings. A table striking against a
large mirror starred it considerably, and a gentle-
man walking into it completed its destruction.
Large sheets of ground glass were placed in parts
of flooring of deck to give light below, and were
railed round. One of these was in front of the
" Bridal Chamber." A visitor at Cork, with more
of a prying curiosity than discretion, got across the
rail to peep behind the muslin and crimson and gold
curtain—the glass was smashed, and in lieu of find-
ing himself in the presence of the bridal party
tete-a-tete, he was precipitated a considerable depth
below, where but for the collection of sails he would
have received his just reward. The attendants
being absent, this honourable gentleman contrived
to slink away, without reporting or paying for the
mischief he had done.

Captain the Hon. S. T. Carnegie, and other direc-
tors of the ship, are here ; also a French gentleman,
who, they say, is accredited by the French Go-
vernment for the purchase of her. The weather
here is remarkably fine and mild, and the South
Wales directors would do wisely to run trains fre-
quently between this and Swansea and the populous
towns lying between them. But persons who come
to see the ship should not be deluded by the Milford
Junction into the supposition that there is any
means of getting on from thence to Milford; they
would find it a very great mistake, and should come
on to New Milford, or, as better known, Neyland,
the ancient name of the place ; and here, at the
South Wales Hotel, they will find every comfort
and attention, and inducements to remain. A small
steamer runs several times a day from this pier and
Hobb's Point to the "Big Ship" and Milford, and
people would find it an
_agreeable and healthful
recreation.