The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-22 00:00:00

1853.

OUTSTANDING CLAIMS ON AMERICA.—The commis-
sioners held their first meeting on the 15th instant. Per-
sons having claims upon the government of the United
States should forthwith transmit the particulars of the
same to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Claims not
presented before the 15th of Jane, 1854, will be barred
and thenceforth inadmissible.

THE AUSTRA.LIAN EMIGRANT SHIP IDA, belonging to
Messrs. David Cannon and Sons, and Messrs. Nicholson
and Whittle, of this town, which sailed with upwards of
600 government emigrants from Birkenhead, in March
last, has arrived safely in Melbourne, and, from an address
presented to the captain, it appears that the passengers
were exceedingly pleased with both the vessel and her
commander. The government emigration agent has also
written a letter to the owners of the Ida, in which he
speaks most highly of the arrangements made for the
comfort of the passengers.
LANCASHIRE ENTERPRISE.—Last week, a very beau-
tiful ship was launched from the yard of Mr. George Cox,
of Bideford, and named the Jane Leech. Her dimensions
are :—Length, 180 feet; depth of hold, 21 feet; beam, 32
feet ; builder's measurement, 871 tons. The chief materials
in her construction are East India teak, green heart, and
mahogany. She is thoroughly copper-fastened, and will
class A 1 at Lloyd's for thirteen years. The owner is Mr.
John Leech, of Stalybridge and Manchester, and the vesseel
is destined for the Eastern trade from Liverpool, under
the agency of Messrs. Leech, Harrison, and Co.

THE STEAMER VA LDIVIA.—A smart-looking screw-
steamer arrived here from the Clyde on Thursday, named
the Valdivia. She has been entirely constructed by
Messrs. Caird and Co., of Greenock, for the Pacific Steam
Navigation Company. She is intended to carry he mails
and passengers on the west coast of South erica,
between Valparaiso and Panama, in conjunction *th the
paddle-steamers Lima, Santiago, Bogota, and oth r fine
vessels. She is commanded by Captain J. H. Bolt. The
Valdivia is built of iron, and the following are her prin-
cipal dimensions :—Length over-all, 198 feet ; beam, 284
feet ; depth of hold, 15 feet ; tonnage, about 800. She
has geared machinery of 130 horse-power, the cylinders
oscillating, and has a three-bladed screw.

NEW ARCTIC EXPEDITION.-It is not intended at pre-
sent to send out any more expeditions in search of Sir
John Franklin and his missing companions in a north-
west direction, although further supplies will, if found
requisite, be sent to Beechey Island for Sir Edward Bel-
cher's expedition. The new Arctic expedition is intended
to proceed in quite a contrary direction to any of those
previously sent out from this country in search of Sir
John Franklin and the officers and crews of the Erebus
and Terror discovery ships, now upwards of eight years
absent from England. The Phoenix screw steam-sloop
will be again commissioned by Captain Edward Ingle-
field, F.R.S., who was presented with a gold medal by the
Geographical Society at the last meeting, and he will pro-
ceed to the Arctic regions in her, and endeavour to make a
passage into the Polar Sea to the north-east of Spitzbergen.
THE CHRYSOLITE.-A short time ago intelligence was
received at this port that four British ships had left China
for England about the same time ; namely, the Chrysolite,
471 tons, from Whampoa, July 30th, and Celestial, 388
tons, from Hongkong, August Ist, both for this port • the
Caingorm, 958:tons, and Hannibal, 600 tons, from Wham-
poa, August 2nd, both for London. The Chrysolite, Capt.
Enright, a Liverpool ship , belonging to Messrs. Taylor,
Potter, and Co., was the first to arrive in this country,
having entered the Mersey on Wednesday morning. The
Chrysolite left Hongkong on the Ist August, and passed
Anjer Ist September. From thence she made an excllent
run to the Cape of Good Hope, which she rounded on the
28th September ; made her number off St. Helena, but
did not call there, October 7th ; passed Ascension October
11th, and made the Western Isles November 2nd. From
that date to the sth she encountered very strong gales
from N. to N.N.W., accompanied by a tremendous sea,
In the course of the hurricane she had her deck swept
repeatedly, and her paint-house and other erections washed
away. The Chrysolite sighted the first land on Sunday
week, being then off Irvine Head Light, on the south
coast of Ireland, from which time she had to contend
against unfavourable winds in making her way up the
Channel. She sailed from this port on the 16th of April,
and has thus made the run out and home again in pre-
cisely seven months. The greatest number of miles run
in a single day on the outward voyage was 278, and on the
return 290.

PRESENTATION OF PLATE TO CAPT.
WILSON, OF THE SHIP PHILAN-
THROPIST.

OUR readers are already aware that the fine American
ship Continent, Captain E. B. Drummond, suffered, in
common with many of the merchant fleet crossing the
Atlantic between this and the United States, in the severe
gales that raged about the 20th ultimo ; and, in conse-
quence of the shifting of her cargo and the choking of her
pumps with grain, was in imminent danger of sinking,
when the British ship Philanthropist hove in sight, and
immediately responded to the signals of distress hoisted by
Captain Drummond. To the confidence and animation
inspired in the crew and passengers, by Captain Wilson's
generous assurance that he would remain in company until
the Continent was out of danger or safe in port, Captain
Drummond mainly ascribes (under Providence) the pre-
servation of the ship and cargo ; and we are glad to hear
and to record that, in gratitude for so noble an example of
humanity and generosity, the agents for the Continent
(W. Tapscott and Co.) have presented to Captain Wilson
a handsome silver tea service, the coffee-pot bearing a
suitable inscription, and accompanied by the folio', iii
letter :
TO CA PTA!** wiFLSON• au:. ZWIT A.TfTrlnOri3l.•

Bm—On behalf of the captain and owners of the
American ship Continent, we feel much pleasure in present-
ing you the accompanying silver tea service, as a memento of
your humane and most praiseworthy conduct in keeping
your ship near the Continent, and rendering all possible aid
during the disabled state and sinking condition of that ship,
on the 23d, 24th, and 25th October last, on her passage from
New York, when the lives of over 200 persons were in immi-
nent danger, a portion of whom you generously took on
board your noble ship, and had expressed your readiness to
receive the whole, when it pleased Providence to bless the
efforts of her able commander, and enable the Continent to
prosecute her voyage in safety.

We have also to gender onr best thaks to your first officer,
Mr. R. Allen, for the prompt and energetic manner in which
he seconded your humane efforts, and beg his acceptance of
a marine telescope as a small token of our approbation of
his whole conduct.

To the owners of your noble ship, Messrs. J. and W.
Robinson, we beg to express our most sincere thanks for their
kindness and liberality in refusing to be compensated for
damage to your boats, and the expense•of bringing a portion
of the Continent's passengers to this port.
With best wishes for the success of the Philanthropist, for
the happiness and prosperity of her owners, and for your
own long-continued health and welfare,
We remain, dear Sir, yours very sincerely,
Liverpool, 16th Nov., 1853. W. TA PSCOTT and CO.
The tea service is now in the window of Messrs. R. Jones
and Son, the manufacturers.

We notice' this presentation the more readily, as the
gallant conduct of Captain Wilson stands in noble contrast
to-that of the master of another large ship, which is said
to have passed the Continent at the time of her greatest
danger, without taking the slightest notice of her signals
of distress.