The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-09-08 00:00:00

We must, it seems, go abroad to find out the wonderful
things which we have been doing at home ; therefore, we take
from a Brussels paper, the Rind, the following account of
some terrible steam fire-ships which it appears are in readi-
ness in our ports to launch destruction against any enemy
that may appear against Great Britain. The account is stated
to have been supplied by an engineer, who is well acquainted
with the preparations which we have in reserve for the first
maritime warfare. We give it without in the least degree
vouching for the correctness of the foreign engineer's state-
ments :

" Among the formidable war engines which are preparing
at Woolwich, I know of none more terrible than the steam
fire-ship, which, like the Infernal, throws a jet of tire as far
as the most powerful fire-engines throw a jet of water. These
tare-ships have also two conical-shaped tubes ; bound
round with hoops like a cask : these cones are attached to
the two sides of a plank of fir from 80 to 90 feet long ; on
this kind of raft is placed one of those old steam-engines of
from six to fifteen horse power which can be purchased in
any quantity for the price of old iron ! and on the fore part
is placed a single Paixhan cannon, loaded to the muzzle.
This machine is intended to be launched in the night with all
the rapidity it is capable of, against the sides of the enemy's
ships. The iron point of the plank will strike into the ship,
and the concussion will fire the cannon, which will make an
enormous hole below the water mark, which will immediately
sink the ship. The peculiarity of these fire-ships is, that if
they fail to strike the ship against which they are directed,
they continue their course in a straight line, and a steam-ship
may be sent to bring them back, to be launched forth again
after having a flesh supply of fuel.
" A hundred of these machines will he sufficient to destroy
a hundred men of war of the ordinary construction, which
would be unable to escape from their destructive powers.
They do not cost more than from 8000 to 10,000 frs. They
are called sea-javeline. You may depend upon it, that mari-
time warfare will henceforth be completely changed ; that
steam will be the great agent now, and that battles will be
fought by steam engines. The people who possess the great-
est number, and who are most ingenious, will possess pre-
eminence at sea and on land during war, as they now do in
time of peace. Is it not a shame that our government do not
become swage of the necessity of encouraging mechanical
studies anti Ley are forced to admit it by the conflagration
of their shipping and the destruction of their armies; and
that they do not acknowledge, as they ought to do, that an
ingenious mechanical philosopher is of more use.to his country
than all the orators in the world ?"
In another number of the same paper, we find also the fol-
lowing notice of the Infernal: " There is now fitting out with
the greatest secrecy, in the arsenal of Woolwich, a steam-ship
which will be alone enabled to set fire to a whole fleet. This
ship is rendered completely ball-proof by thick bulwarks of
wood. It has no paddle-wheels, but is moved by an Archi-
medes screw under the water. It is furnished with four high-
pressure boilers filled with a wildfire composition, consisting
of naphtha, tar, grease, 2ke., intended to be thrown by power-
ful force pumps through red'hot tubes. This mixture, thus
heated as it is poured out, will inflame in the air, and fall like
a rain of extinguishable fire on the sails, the rigging, and men
of the enemy's ships. When becalmed, an entire fleet might
be destroyed in less than half an hour by the Infernal. All
maritime warfare will, henceforth, be conducted by steam-
ships, and by means of the terrible engines which science has
invented during the last twenty-five years. The ordinary
line of battle ships will only be of use as floating magazines
to convey coals and combustibles ; they will be the store ships
of the steam-boats, and nothing more."

ARRlVED.—Liverpool, and Lorio, from St. Petersburg—Egidius ,
Providentia, and Sirius, from Dordt—Union, from Dordt—Gannett,
Goffery, from Corsica ; sailed 21st June—Ellen Clare, Roberts,
from Leghorn—Courtenay, Brown. from Halifax—ollampt, Molder
and Marmonie, Sehabling, from Rotterdam—Aurora, Mappleder ;
Maria, De Jonge, and Concordia, Eddis, from Dordt—Augusta,
Kirkhoven, and Loochristie, Dotty, trom Ostend—Medium, Kay,
from Archangel—John Scott, Robinson, from Crookhaven—Gezina,
—, from Amsterdam —Margaretha Cornelia, —, from
Boulogne—Margaret, Probet, from Bremen—Egidius, Duitt, from
Ostend—Edward, Moller, from Kiel—Agnes, —, from Monte
Video—Johanna Maria, from Maldon—Harkaway, from Virginia—
Sir John Beresford, from Hambro'—Sarah Jane, from Dungan on
—Nancy, Miller, from Poole—Agnes, Alexander, from Monte Video
—Shakspeare, Angus, and Carroll of Carrollton, Bird, from New
York—and Superb, --, from Virginia.
SAILED.—Tweed. M'Kenzie, for Trieste—Wave, Sculley, for
Bombay—Barbadian, Hughes, for Jamaica—Elizabeth & Mary
Ann, Ball, for Genoa—Argra, Reed, for the Cape of Good Hope—
Silkworth, Meldrew, for Cronstadt—St. Lawrence, Glover, for New
York—Albion, Dooley, for Demerara—Aerial, Robinson, for St.
Petersburgh—and Mary Ann, Gill, for Messina and Palermo.

Hebe, Sharland, hence to Rio Janeiro, was spoken 21st Aug. in
lat. 48, long. 13
Juno, M"l'aggart, hence at St. John, N.B.
Roseway, , hence at Pictou
Limena, Frame, hence at Nassau
Eliza Saunders, Bnlley. from Odessa, at Constantinople, and
sailed 10th Aug. for Liverpool
Pioneer, Cook, and Telemaco, Cafiero, hence at Genoa
Johnstone, , hence for Demerara, off the Saltees 30th Aug.

SATURDAY, S a rra at aE R 3.—Wind W. moderate,

ARRIVED.—Faisca Rebell° 2nd, Rebello, from Oporto—Jane,
Williamson, from Charente—Juliane *Elizabeth, Larsen, from Go-
thenburg—Handelsl ust, Peters, from Embden—Alida, Schohers,
from Groningen—Marie, Looe, from Ostend—Maria Elizabeth,
Bahrer d, from Rochelort.
Swum—Manchester, Butter, for Newfoundland—Denison,
Jones, for Rio Janeiro—Esk, Adamson, for Pernambuco—and
Albion, Dooley, for Demerara.

Isabel, Shaw, from Antigua, at this port; sailed Ist August, in
company with the Derwent, for London, and British Queen, for
Whitehaven. The Essequibo was to sail in about eight days for
Liverpool
W. S. Hamilton, Brown, from London, at Sincapore
Peru, Hughes, sailed from Sincapore for Liverpool 6th May
Lady Rowena, Clayton, from Bombay, at St. Helena, and sailed
18th Juiy for Liverpool '
Parkfield, Whitesides, from Bombay, at St. Helena
James Matheson, Milward, from Sincapore, at London; sailed
12th May, and from St. Helena 18th July
Gilbert Henderson, Tweetiie, from London, at Hobart Town
Margaret Highfield, Johnstone, hence at Barbadoes
Rochdale, Shepherd, hence at St. Vincent
Britannia, Volum, hence at Honduras, and was to sail let Aug.
on her return
Surprise, -, hence at Newfoundland
Elizabeth Ann, Hodge, hence at Havre
Lady Leigh, Stewart, hence for Konigsberg, at Islay
Jessie, -, hence for Quebec, off the Isle of Man 20th Aug.
Helen, --. hence for Quebec, off the Isle of Man 28th Aug.
Louisa, hence for Boston, at Bangor

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6.—Wind West, light.

ARRI VEIL—John Bolton, —, and Leander, —, from
Quebec—Margaretha, —, from Amsterdam—Wm. Fawcett,
Gosson, from Havre—and Delia, M'Norton, from St. John, N.B.
SA ILND.—Catharine, Evans, for Miramichi—Finlater, Stone, and
Aerial. Robinson. for St, Petersburg—Centaur, Fox, for Gibraltar,
&c.—Tweed, M'Kenzie, for Trieste—St. Lawrence, Glover, for New
York—Louisa, Chalker, for Leghorn—Letitia, Black, for Batavia,
&c —Petronella, Schwing, and Akkebooin, Potjer, for Rotterdam
—Wm. flinch, M'Kenzie, for Pictou, N.S.—Eleonore, Ralff, for
Lo• ,(e—Eliza Wood, Crosbie, for Jamaica—Jannette, Olsten, for
Bremen—and Louisa, Snow, for Venice.

Henry Hood, -, from Liverpool for , was spoken
18th Aug. in lat. 45, long. 52
Auguste, Bogge, hence at Blipshaven, and sailed 21st Aug. for
Nestved