The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-24 00:00:00

THE PRINCE'S DOCK.

This dock, whether as regards the size of the vessels gene-
rally that enter, or the value of their exports and imports, is
the most important belonging to the port. It was .com-
menced in May, 1816, and was opened by a splendid proces-
sion of the corporation and the trades' societies, &c., on the
coronation of George IV. on the 19th July, 1821. A beauti-
fully-rigged ship, built by a mechanic, of about a yard long,
was the first received within its walls, and its sails being ad-
justed, it crossed it in admirable style,—a miniature and inte-
resting emblem of the future utility of this fine dock, the area
of which, with its locks is nearly 12 acres. On the east, or
townward side, lie nearly all the large line packet-ships of
the United States, those of New York being the largest, and
for the most part the most elegantly fitted up in cabin ac-
commodations. The larger class of these is the " dramatic
line," and amongst the ships are the Roscius, the Garrick,
the Sheridan, and the Siddons, &c. They are all most
beautiful vessels, and are upwards of one thousand tons
burthen, and commanded by men who have earned them-
selves "golden opinions" from all classes. The other line
ships are- equal to them in almost every respect, but a little
smaller, though still large vessels. A stranger is hem ildered
on entering one of their spacious cabins, in which the most
beautiful and valuable wood, marble, and metal in the world
are wrought up with surpassing richness and effect. The
furniture is of corresponding magnificence, and all is " costly
though not gaudy." A visit to any of the dramatic line, or
to the " Patrick Henry," now in port, will bear me out in
my opinion. I would not, however, be understood to show
a preference to American over English ships. Though the
first are tine in workmanship, the latter, I think, are superior
in durability of materials ; and those who doubt the fact may,
at the same side of the dock, step on board of the " Thomas
Sparks," a handsome vessel of upwards of 500 tons, recently
built at Workington. The produce landed at the quays of
the Prince's Dock comprises the products, vegetable, mineral,
and " animal," of the whole world, and particularly of the
regions within the tropics—including the major articles of
cotton, sugar, rum, rice, dyewoods, copper ore, ivory, hides,
horns, palm oil, gums, and drugs. There are, besides the
New York line ships, a line to the same metropolis of the
ivest, called " The Merchants' Despatch Line," and many
other private vessels, all of the best construction, and of
large tonnage. Similar packets sail to Philadelphia, Balti-
more, and other parts of the Union. As at most of the other
large docks, there are excellent large sheds on the east and
west side of this dock. Amongst the interesting yet somewhat
painful scenes of yesterday, was the departure of an emigrant
ship from this dock, with her deck crowded with men and
women, young and old, girls, boys, and infants. They were
for the most part Irish, the remainder being chiefly from the
interior of this county and Yorkshire. The anxiety of many
of those poor creatures, who had been delayed to the last
moment, to get their few shattered boxes, probably contain-
ing their all, and their bags of potatoes, and smaller quanti-
ties of other provisions on board, as the vessel hauled out,—
together with the ill-suppressed sorrow of many of them even
during the bustle in taking leave, probably for ever, of their
humble friends, was generously sympathized with by the nu-
merous spectators on the quays, not the rudest of whom of-
fered the slightest jeering remark on the woe-begone looks,
or quaint attire of these poor emigrants.
While this vessel was hauling out, in came into the gut,
just arrived, the Oxford packet-ship, from New York,—her
crew, while at the capstan warping her in, singing a peculiar
song ; the ship Sandbach, from Demerara ; the Montezuma,
from Philadelphia; the Patriot Queen, from Calcutta, and
some others.

Several fine ships were towed out of the gut by steamers,
Including the emigrant ship named, and the arrivals and sail-
ings of large vessels at the other docks were, from the appear-
ance of the river, numerous. Proceeding northward I soon
reached