The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-07-11 00:00:00

THE STEAM-SHIP " BENTINCK."

We have again to notice—and we do so with pride—the
turning out, at our port, of one of the finest and largest
steam-ships that has yet floated in any sea, the " Ben-
thick," built by our celebrated townsman Mr. Thomas
Wilson, and owned by the enterprising Peninsular and
Oriental Company. She was launched (as we recorded
at the time) on the 19th of January last. She is destined
to ply, conjointly with her sister ship the Hindostan,
(built by the same parties,) between Calcutta, Madras,
and Bombay at one terminus, and Suez at the other, car-
rying the mails, passengers, &c., to meet the mail ships
of the same company running between Southampton and
Egypt, and thus maintain the rapid steam communication
between this country and India.

The Bentinck is niecisely similar in dimensions, model,
and in steam power, to the Hindostan, with some very
slight difference in depth. There are, too, some varia-
tions in her cabin accommodations. She is built of the
best materials that wealth can command, from, we may
add, every quarter of the world. The following are her
dimensions, burthen, and steam-power :
Length of keel 220 feet
Length aloft (over all)
Beam, within paddle-boxes 39 „
Depth from spar deck
Burthen, including spar deck .2020
Engines, (two of 260) 520 horse power.
Diameter of cylinders .... 781 inches.
Stroke . .

She has a handsome bust figure-head of Lord William
Bentinck (whose name she bears) in his robes of office:
a bold and striking likeness. The trail boards below are
carved with the coat of arms of that distinguished noble-
man on an heraldric shield. in the middle of groupings of
armour, banners, &c. The same coat of arms is embla-
zoned in the centre, with, on one side a naval, and on the
other a military officer, (emblematic of the two services)
in a reclining position, as supporters. There are also
carved decorations, pendant between the windows, and on
the quarter galleries. The mouldings and other portions
are gilded ; and the whole of the carved work has a very
chaste and pleasing appearance. It was executed by our
townsmen, Messrs. J. and H. Hammond. The vessel is
rigged in the usual manner of large steam-ships, as a
three-masted schooner, and her standing rigging is of
patent wire rope. The spar deck forms a fine and unin-
terrupted promenade ; and on each side the quarter deck
there are broad seats, with arms, and covered with maho-
gany, resembling ranges of sofas.
The engines are by our townsmen Messrs. Fawcett:and
Preston, and the interior arrangements and accommoda-
tions are of the first order. The general plan of dividing
out the ship much resembles that adopted in the Hindus-
tan, but with rather fewer, and, consequently, larger state
rooms, many of which will accommodate a considerable
family, each having a separate bed place. The main en-
trance from the quarter deck is similar to that in the
other ship—roomy and airy, and terminates in a well
lighted and elegant corridore leading to the dining-room
or saloon, and from which diverge private cabins, with
handsomely pannelled doors, having venetian blinds, be-
tween each of which is a polished pilaster, in imitation of
veined marble, topped by a foliated capital of papier
macho, gilded on a sky-blue ground. The cornicing is of
corresponding richness, and the ceiling in light blue
panels, with French white on the styles and mouldings of
the beams.

The saloon is a spacious and gorgeous apartment nearly
square, and cheerfully lighted from the deck—and also
from 7 stern and other port windows on each side. It is
elegantly panelled in satin-wood styles, between which are
pilasters of slabs of slate in perfect imitation of veined
marble. These are surrounded by composite gilded ca-
pitals. The trusses, or brackets, under the beams are of
a rich foliated pattern, gilded on a blue ground. On both
sides there are handsome sofa seats, with cane bottoms
and backs, and over these, forming the panels, beautiful
paintings, also on slate, illustrative of the recent war in
Affg,hanistan—the several difficult passes in that remark-
able country, with the troops passing through them, and
a variety of the romantic scenery. They have a fine effect,
but, we must say, are not quite equal in merit to the views
we have seen from the manufactory of Messrs. Jennins
and Betteridge. They were furnished by our townsman,
Mr. Bielefeld, and the painter is a Mr. Steedman. They
are each decorated at the top by a pendant wreath of
flowers in projection, richly gilded, and suspended by alter-
nate
heads of the Lion of England and of Neptune. There
are four dining tables in this splendid apartment, running
fore and aft. The wizen-mast is cased, and formrsit deco-
rative
ornamented with a mirror in front,•and on eta id
Round
emblematic groups in relief splendidly exec°
• is a broad band of beautiful flo-
the stern windows thersate
resembling 'the .fi nest porcelain.
fluted Doric column. The rudder-case
.eriwchitlhy
riated paint-work, on xi each side of the en-
At the end opposite the stern; on