The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-12 00:00:00

TRIAL TRIP OF T-HE STEAMER "IrOPE.'''

A trial trip of the African Mail Steam Company's ship
Hope, recently launched from the building yard' of Mr
-
John Laird, at Birkenhead, was made on Saturday,
through the new channel, beyond the Bell-buoy, and
realised the most sanguine anticipations.
The Hope is the third of the African Steamship-Com-
pany's vessels that has been built and fitted out at this'
port. She is a sister vessel to the Faith, Captain Parsons,
is 922 tons, builder's measurement, and has direct-acting
engines, of 200 horse-power, by Messrs. Geo. Forrester'
and Co. The peculiar nature of the service for wiaich
these vessels are intended, requiring great capacity, com-
bined with light draught of water, and well-ventilated
berths for passengers, oniCers, and crew, has Leen, pro-
vided for by constructing the vessels of greater beam
than usual with screw steam-ships, and the erecting of a'
deck-house eight feet high,_almost the whole length of*
the ship, and fitted with slate-rooms for the officers and
passengers, and a handsome dining-saloon and elegant'
ladies' cabin—a plan which for tropical climates has great
antages over any other. The dining-room, s' eward'e-
pantry, and cook's department are en suite, : nd r s nearly.
the centre of the vessel as possible, which is another
favourable peculiarity in the arrangements of the Hope.
The Hope, which is commanded by Captain W. IL;
Bowen, who has had considerable experience in steam-
ships; proceeded on her trip.a little before noon; and at'
the time the screw-steamer Osmanli was steaming out on
her passage to Australia. She soon passed the latter
vessel, which was deeply laden, and was consequently not'
in a condition to compete with her. During the whole
of tho trip she had more steam than she required, " the
engineer's pennant" being exhibited throughout the day.
Her smart man-of-war appearance made her the object of
gene-.:al admiration, owing in a considerable degree to her'
neat rig, which has been executed under the superin-
tendence of Captain Henderson, formerly of the barqUe
Shakspere, of Liverpool.
She passed the Rock Lisithbat /2 7, p.m., with a slight'
flood tide and a stiff head wind' against, her, and made the
Crosby Lightship at 12 . p.m. ; the Formby-lights at
12 53, p.m.; and the Bell-buoy at 1101, p.m., being an
average speed of about twelve miles an hour against the
wind, .

During the return trip, which was most satisfactorily
performed under a considerable pressure of canvass, in
addition to steam, Mr. Macgregor Laird, the originator
and principal contractor of the line, entertained a number
of gentlemen to an elegant dejeuner, served in the saloon. •
Mr. Macgregor Laird occupied the chair ' • Mr. Hamilton
Laird, Captain Birch, 3:N..,, and Mr. Henry Parsons,
brother of Captain Parsons, of the Faith, filled the vice-
chairs- ; besides whom were Mr. Hadfield, secretary of the
South American Steam Navigation Company; Ifr. C.:
Hislop (W". A. G. Maxwell and Co.) ; Mr-Douglas
(Stewart and Douglas;), Captain Ward; Mr. Hughes,
Admiralty engineer ; Captain Green, of the South Ame-
rican, steamer now being built at Mr. John Laird's ' • and
Messrs. Norman, Jackson, F. B. Jones, R. Rayner, Dou-
glas Hobson, John Holme (Holme, Slater and. Crook),,,
J. Andrew, John Conway, &c.—The usual loyal toasts
having been given from the chair, Mr. CONWAX in a few
appropriate observations, gave " Success to the Hope."
--" The Army and Navy,' coupled with the name of Capt.
Birch, having been given from the chair, Mr. HENRY
PARSONS gave "The-health of the originator-of the cam-
panp."—Mr.MACSaZGORLAIRD, in responding,acknow-
ledged that he experienced great pride in having originated
the African Mail Screw Steam-ship Company, which, he•
trusted, would be of great service to this country in deve-
loping the trade of the coast of Africa. He had been:
criticised by some of. his friends for not starting.the line front
Liverpool. He knew, however, that Liverpool was not the
place at which to a new steam navigation company
and.this was evident in the fact that, out of the 240 share-
holders of this company, the only support-they had found-
in Liverpool was one gentleman whose interest watt-
represented by. £lOO. He did not blame Liverpool for
this, because its.inhabitants had greater opportunities_of
losing their money. (Laughter.) la, London, if any
promising speculation was originated, there were plenty.
of rich people ready to employ their money ; but the trier-.
cantilo and commercial community of-Liverpool were• so
energetic and pushing that they could employ their money
to greater advantage. He might, however, state that he
never intended this scheme to apply exclusively, to Lon-
don. Liverpool was naturally the, great seaport,of the
African trade, four-fifths of which belonged to her. ihEter
getting in the small edge of the wedge, he proposed that
Liverpool should have a share of the African Mail:Serevi
Steam Company's trade. And he was now in a, position to
state that. on the 10th of October, they woula start E, vessel
from Liverpool, which would be able to carry sufficient '
palm oil in her bottom to pay har,own expenses, irrespective
of the Government contract. The CHAIRAIAX next gave •
"The African trade from Liverpool, which had,been carried
on with such signal energy, and success," coupled with
the names of Mr. Douglas and Captain Wand, who briefly
returned thanks. The health of Captain Bowen wag
drunk and duly responded to. " The Builders of the Hope"
was given by Mr. R. RAYNER, and Mr. W. LAIRD, jun.,
responded. Among the other toasts were " Mr. Hamiltoiat
Laird;" " The Ladies;" " The Press," which was responded
to by Mr. BLAKE, of the Liverpool Standa:4 ;
Messrs.
.
Forrester and Co. ;" " Mr. Hebsou, the chief engineer ,1
" The Palm Oil Trade ;" " The Timber Trade." re-
sponded to by Mr.,JoRN HOLMIZ, &c. in giving " The
Palm Oil Trade," the CHAIRDAAX eXPreseed an opinion
that, in twenty years hence, when commerce had been
extended to 154 miles in the interior of Africa, the paint
oil trade, great as it now was,, would be exceeded by the
trade in vegetable butter, which would become the great
article of export from Africa. By means of these steam
vessels the coast
become
c Africatonnagemethe
was
s now
brought within three
principal staple article of
export.—Mr. W
Mr. STEART, ill responding to the toast, ob..
served that twenty years ago, when the palm oil trade
pwraosd
first
owpoeunl
eed
, the
of ships engaged in. it wag
5000 ; it was now 20,000. Yet he was persuaded that
the trade was still in its infancy, and that it weuld in'
crease to 100,000 tons.
The Rope went into the half-tide dock yesterday, ill'
weeks' sail of England, and they would find that this
order to receive the final inspection, and is oxpected to
leave the port this day (Tuesday).
The Charity, the fourth steamer of the company, ie to
be launched from Mr. John Laird's building-yard on the
23rd. Her engines are rapidly progressing at Messrs.
Forrester and Co.'s. The Northern Light, the steam-shiP
intended to open the line between this port and the Coast,
on the 10th of October next, is in a forward state, along;
side the Charity. She will be 1400 tons register, and
calculated to carry 1000 tons weight of palm oil. The
Southern Cross and Pleiades, which will be of larger ton-
nage, will complete the Liverpool line. It is probable
that the line will be extended to St. Paul de Loanda,
Ceil-
ing at Gaboon, River Congo, A.mbrez, and other inter`
mediate ports, in the course of the ensuing summer.

ANTI-REFORMATION SERVICE BOOKS. -- An attempt
is made in certain quarters to reveve the use of Service'
books anterior to the Reformation. A new Companion
to Confession and Communion, translated and arrangtl
from the Ancient English Offices of Sarum Use," br,,,
been published, and it has been laid down that it is '`iP:
duty of clergymen who receive formal confessions P.;
adhere to the Sarum Manual, " till some further order
be taken in the matter."—John Bull.

A RUNAWAY " RANTER."—Last Friday morning=
John John Bayliss, an itinerant Primitive Methodist preacPl:,
and class leader, at Loughborough, absconded with a largosum of money. On Saturday he was found by tie
Loughborough ministers at Derby station about to tp
his " departure to the north, ' and from thence to his solo
uP
in America. The money, he. had upon him was elven
to his pursuers, and they and he returned to Louoboreugve
together the same afternoon. Bayliss had been Priti
dbeen
Methodist tp,i-ny years, and for several years Ofit hats
treasurer treasurer nt " the eags.e" At Loughborough.— dot
journol;