The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-13 00:00:00

SCREW STEAMING TO AUSTRALIA.

The Melbourne Argus contains the following in-
teresting letter from the Bev. J. L. Lillie, D.D.,
describing the trip of the screw steam ship Royal
Charter from Liverpool to Melbourne
" The arrival of the Royal Charter, after her
second voyage from England, is an occurrence of
such interest to the Australian colonies that a few
observations from a passenger relative to the in-
cidents of the voyage may not be unacceptable to
your readers.
" We steamed out of the Merseyagainst a westerly
wind on Thursday evening, the 2d Oct. We put
our plot on board the barque Benin, bound for
Liverpool, on the forenoon of the 4th, about 20
miles to the westward of Waterford. We had head-
winds and calms till the 13th, when we passed the
island of Madeira. We got the north-east trade on
the 16th, in lat. 24.52 N., and lost it on the 19th.
We crossed the equator on the 27th, in long. 26.38
W., after being 24 days out.
" During the whole of this first part of the voy-
age the winds were either light or contrary, thus
causing an unexpected demand on our steam power.
The screw propeller was in action every day except
three, and such was the strength of the wind against
which we liad to contend the second day after start-
ing that we only made 108 miles in the 24 hours.
" The importance of the screw as regards the
health of the passengers was very apparent when
passing through the calms to the north of the equa-
tor, with upwards of 600 people crowded, as they
must necessarily be, within the limits of a single
vessel, carrying a large cargo besides. We should
have been in great danger of epidemic disease had
we been detained long in those hot and unhealthy
latitudes ; as it was, only slight symptoms of ill-
ness had time to manifest themselves among the
children, of whom there were upwards of 60 on
board. Two, of very delicate constitution, died
during the hot weather, and one at a later period of
disease caught at the same time. The three were all
very young. We had an excellent run from the
Equator to the Heads, and only required to steam
on four separate days.
"On the 18th Nov. we sailed 325 geographical
miles, allowing 29 minutes for the difference of lon-
gitude ; this gives 383 statute miles in the 24 hours,
or at the rate of 16 miles an hour. In three conse-
cutive days, including the 11th Nov., we ran,
making the same allowance for difference of longi-
tude, 957 nautical miles, which gives about 13i
knots an hour, or 1,108 statute miles, with an
average velocity of 15.4 miles an hour. "
" Our greatest run was on the 3d Dec., which,
after allowing eight miles from 8.12 difference of
longitude, gave 360 nautical miles in the 24 hours,
or exactly 15 knots an hour ; changing it into sta-
tute miles we have no less than 417 as the re-
sult of this day's sailing—a speed of nearly 17i miles
an hour. At one time upwards of 17 knots ran off
Ihe reel, showing a velocity of 20 miles an hour,
the ship all !he while carrying royals and studding
sails, the summer season, too, when the winds are
from lat. 23.30 south, long. 37.6 to Cape Otway.
The distance by the route we followed is 8,964 nau-
tical miles ; this we accomplished in 34 days, and in
light winds. This exceeds the celelar ated run of the
Lightning in the corresponding part of her voyage
in the winter of last year, when she completed
8,146 miles in 33 days, or an average of 247 miles
per day, or 10 knots an hour, whereas the Royal
Charter's average was 2641 nautical miles a day, or
11 knots an hour.
" A remarkable phenomenon presented itself
when running between the parallels of 43.31 and
45.3 south latitude, and 40.27 and 57.32 east lon-
gitude. For three days, and over a space of 700
miles, the sea was quite changed, and had the dull,
turbid appearance which is so well known to mari-
ners when in soundings. Some parts were more
affected in this way than others, but the whole was
manifestly different from the ordinary colour of the
ocean.
"Captain Boyce informs me that he observed
the same change last voyage, but only for 150
miles, and when his course lay about 130 miles
further south, and that, though he has repeatedly
sailed over the same ground, he never saw or beard
of it before. Had circumstances admitted of it, it
would have been highly interesting to ascertain
whether we really were in soundings, a subject of
inquiry peculiarly deserving the attention of future
navigators, as connected with the gealogical ques-
tion of a possible rise of the subjacent laud. The
same arrangement with reference to the compasses
was adopted in this as in the pr ceding voyage,
and with the same highly satisfactory results. The
compass, fixed by copper fastenings at an elevation
of 42 feet to the rnizenmast, we found to act with
the utmost accuracy, and altogether free froze the
disturbing action of the iron ship.
" As a practical proof of this, as well as of the
excellence of our chronometers and the regularity
and precision with which the observations were

,aken., I may mention that the first land we dis•

Itinctly saw was a rock called Gough's Island, rising
precipitously in the midst of the south Atlantic to
the height of 4,000 feet in 40.19 south, 9.41. west.
We sighted this at the very hour that had been pre-
dicted to myself the day before by the captain, and
last night when the loom of the Australian land
began to appear, and, above all, when the beauti-
ful light on Cape Otway first disclosed itself, at the
very time we had been led to expect, a thrill of
emotion passed through all on board, caused not
more by the thought of having at length got within
sight.of our destination than by admiration for the
triumph of science and art which had so strikingly
signalised itself by our arrival at the given hour
and place after a voyage of 13,000 miles through
the tra,:kless ocean.

" The feeling or distrust which, for a consider-
able time and with too much reason, attached itself
to iron ships on account of the irregularity and un-
certainty in the action of the compasses has now
disappeared—a circumstance of no small moment,
when iron is so rapidly displacing wood in the naval
arsenals of Europe.
" The great drawback in the present voyage as
compared with the previous one has been the un-
favourable weather we experienced as far as the
line. We lost six days on this part of the voyage.
Our average speed, chiefly with steam, was rather
under seven knots.

" From the line to Australia, on the other hand,
this voyage bears a decidedly advantageous com-
parison with the last. In the last the run was
made in 41 days ; in this it has been clone in 40
days, with the important difference that we lost
several days by being thrown by adverse winds
more towards the coast of South America, and had
therefore a course fully 1,000 miles longer to de-
scribe.

"The combination of moderate steam power with
first-class Railing qualities is undoubtedly the true
solution of the problem of the Australian voyages,
as alone dispensing with the necessity of calling at
intermediate ports, and at the same time providing
effectually against the inevitable contingencies of
calms and unfavourable winds.

" I cannot conclude this letter without paying a
well-merited compliment to Captain Boyce for the
quiet energy and assiduous attention, as well as
professional skill, with which he discharges his im-
portant and highly responsible duties. Such a
man is undoubtedly in his right place when cam-
manding the Royal Charter."