The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-19 00:00:00

PROGRESS OP THE TRANSIT.

We have been favoured with the following copy
of a letter addressed. by a gentleman on board the
Transit to his father, in London :
• " 11. M. S. Transit, Monday, April 27.
"Eight p.m. 124 miles N.E. of St. Vincent, one of
the Cape de Verde islands.
"My dear Father,—As we hope to be safely an-
chored in the Porte Grand of St. Vincent by 10 a.m.
tomorrow, I venture to begin my second letter to you
since leaving old England. We have, all the way from
Corunna, experienced most beautiful weather. We
sighted Madeira on Tuesday, at 11 a.m., but as it was a
little hazy at the time, and we were full seven leagues
off, you could not discern much; all I cauld make out eas,
that it must be a very loftAsland. We bad the light N.E.
trade winds for two and-a-half days ; they began in lat.
39, and we lost them again a little to the south of
Teneriffe, the peak of which island we did not
sight. Everything has gone on admirably well. The
troops are comfortably settled down, the military officers
are very sociable and pleasant, and the Transit, since
leaving England, has made an average run up to this
hour of 172 miles a day, including all the bad weather
in the Bay of Biscay, and lying iu Corunna harbour 11
hours, to reach which harbour we had to go 100 miles
out of our way ; so, I am sure, no one ought to grumble
at the Transit now, when you come to remember that
she can keep up nine knots au hour, under steam, in
smooth water, with consuming only 22 tons of coal a day,
and it would take 40 to drive the Himalaya at that
speed. I expect we shall find the Himalaya there be-
fore us, as she would have gone the whole way at full
speed, though she left England four days after us. If
she is there, or has even left there, I'll be bound to say
that she has cost the Government at least twice the
sum we have since we left England as regards coals.
Last evening, about seven o'clock, I saw the first whale,
or rather shoal of live whales, in my. life, spouting up
the water to an enormous height. They kept about one
mile off the ship,,and about 8 o'clock we saw the last of
them. We entered the tropics at 9.30 yesterday morning,
but the weather is not nearly so hot as I anticipated.
The thermometer is from 72 0.74 in the heat of the day
(about 1 'p.m.) I hope you received my letter from
Corunna, dated 19th ; it was very short, but was written
in a great hurry. Please mention in your letter if you
received it.

" We expect to lay at St. Vincent for three or four
days coaling. We shall have to take in about 320 tons
to complete, and it will'all have to be towed off by the
ship's boats, as there is no steamer there. After leaving
St. Vincent we go direct to the Cape of Good Hope, and
et.) into false Bay, about 20 miles from Cape Town, but
I must have a try to see that town, and Mr. M'Clear,
the Astronomer. It is now half-past past nine, so I will
shut up for to-night, and turn in, hoping by 7 o'clock to
be in sight of St. Vincent. _

"Tuesday, 28, 2 pm.
"When I was called this morning I was informed
that land was in sight ahead, andtliat it first made itself
seen at daylight, 4 30. The island of St. Antonio (nor-
thernmost one) is an island which if you see once you can
never forget ; it looks so high (12.000 feet), so barren,
and uninhabi' able—only the Custom-hou.e and a few
t-,ages. We sighted St. Vincent about 7, and arrived
here at 10 a.m. ; just the time I anticipated last night,
after an average run of 172 miles a-day from Portsmouth
including all stoppages, the ship going easily nine knots
or 104 miles an hour, at half-speed, with 20. tons of coal
a-day ; and yet going full speed it takes her 40 tons to
drive her three knots faster than the nine. Does not it
seem funny it is those last three knots that break her
back.'. The town looks small, but the bay is deep and
well sheltered from wind and sea.

" I am glad to tell you we have beat the Himalaya.
She bas not made her appearance here yet. Ido not
think I can tell you any more news till I have been on
shore, which I hope to be some time this evening. I be.
lieve there are a good many sharks here, or I should
relish a bathe greatly. The mail steamer is expected to-
day for England ; but when it arrives it remains here 24
hours, so I shall have plenty of time to let you know
what happens between that time. _

"Wednesday, 29.
"I have been on shore for an hour, but I cannot say
I think much of St. Vincent. There are only a few cot-
tages, the custom-house, and the consul's house. The
most remarkable place is the coal wharf, but of course it
is a very small one in comparison with those in England.
The packet from Rio Janeiro came in this morning and
sails again this evening for Southampton, so r hope you
will get this letter this day week. We shall not get
away from here till late to morrow evening, as the mail
packet is obliged to have all hands on shore to supply
her, and we consequently must wait till phe goes. I
think I have told you all, so I will wish you good-bye,
hoping to hear from you at Singapore.—Believe me,
with much love to all, your affectionate son,