The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-04-26 00:00:00

" THE HINDOSTAN " STEAM-SHIP.

This vessel, which we have before occasionally noticed
during her progress towards completion, will be launched
this day, from the yard of the builders, Messrs. Wilson,
North Shore; and as she is the largest, and certainly one of
the finest ships that was ever constructed at our port, which
has turned out many splendid craft, a brief description,
founded on authentic information, and personal observation,
will, we trust, be acceptable not only to the nautical com-
munity, but to the public at large.
The Hindostan was built for the Peninsular and Oriental
Steam-ship Company, a branch of the City of Dublin Steam-
packet Company, and whose splendid ships the Oriental
(also built by Messrs. Wilson) and the Great Liverpool are
now running as mail-ships between this country and Egypt,
touching at Malta and Gibraltar ; but we believe the present
vessel, which is much larger than either of those named, will
probably be employed in the Indian Seas, nearer the eastern
terminus of the route to our possessions in the east. She is
calculated to carry heavy metal, should she be required for
the purposes of warfare, (though this is not anticipated in the
first instance,)—and may, in the terms of the contract with
the government, be taken up, as well as the others, for that
service, at any moment, should an emergency arise. When
armed, she will carry guns of large calibre-64-pounders,
besides others ; and when so equipped, having great steam-
power, as well as capacity for carrying a large breadth of
canvas, she would prove a " smasher " even with foes far
more formidable than the Chinese, whose weak minds wonld
be more than astonished by a taste of her quality.
The following are her dimensions and steam-power :
Length of keel 220 feet.
Length over all (including taffrail and head) .... 250 „
Beam of the ship, exclusive of the paddle-houses. 39 „
Depth 9f hold from the spar deck
Burthen, about
Engines ....
The Hindostan is built of the very best materials
attainable, whether in wood or metal; and of these both
Europe, Africa, and Asia have contributed their respective
quota. No expense has been spared, either as regards ade-
quate size or dimensions of the several pieces composing the
whole, or the manner in which they are put together ; in
which last particular have been elicited the utmost skill and
greatest fidelity which long experience and the pride of for-
mer excellence can supply. Her timbers are of English
" heart of oak" and African oak ; the latter a remarkably
hard and durable wood—not perhaps inferior for many pur-
poses to our national and royal tree. The flooring timbers are
perfectly solid (or close together) up to the bilges ; dowelled,
and caulked, inside and out, before the vessel is planked, so
that she would not leak even were a plank or any number of
planks in that quarter stripped off. These timbers are 164
inches square in the smallest part amidships, and the quan-
tity of fine choice " monarchs of the wood" that must have
fallen beneath the axe to supply them must have been very
great. The same principle has been adopted in our navy.
but in no vessel yet forming the " wooden walls" has it been
more faithfully carried out than in the Hindostan.
She is further secured by diagonals in the interior of the
frames or timbers ; first by iron straps 54 inches broad and
of an inch thick, in one direction, and countersunk into the
timbers, and over these, as riders, in reverse position, fasten-
ings of English oak, 10 feet by 6 in dimension—all bolted
through the sides, and forming a trellis or net work binding
all the frame of the ship together in a manner that would
seem inpregnable to the rudest buffetting of the ocean wave.
The ceiling is also diagonal, between each compartment
formed by the oak diagonals, which, with the iron diagonals,
form, from the paddle-boxes towards the stem and the stern,
what may be considered analagous to arch-work in ordinary
architecture, supporting the vessel in every point, and pre-
venting all tendency to " hog," or droop at the extremities.
The other fastenings are of corresponding strength. There
are six streaks of heavy oak clamps, and abundance of very
strong lodging and hanging iron knees. The planking is of
great thickness, and, with the exception of the lower planks,
(which are of elm,) of the choicest English and African oak.
The beams are of the same materials, and the two paddle-
beams are immense balks of African oak, 26 inches square.
The vessel has a fine flush spar-deck, the height from the
main-deck to which is 8 feet. The paddle-houses will be
covered in with life-boats on the principle of Captain Smith,
R.N., which was adopted in the vessels employed in the late
African expedition, and which has been found to be highly
advantageous.

In model, and outward appearance the Hindoostan is all
that can be wished by the veriest fancier of the beautiful and
symmetrical. She has a delicacy of entrance and run, which,
without being over fine, give the greatest promise of speed
and safety at sea. She is now seen, in this respect, to some
disadvantage, being somewhat in the rough ; but when she
is finally coppered and equipped, we have no doubt but she
will be one of the handsomest vessels afloat, and prove her-
self. on trial, to be a first-rater. Her sides are formed pre-
cisely similar to those of a sailing ship—without the sponsor-
ing, or flanching, that prevailed universally in the earlier
periods of steam navigation ; and which is still—and we think
erroneously—adhered to in the construction of some steam-
vessels. She will have a handsome figure-head of an Indian
Princess, and her stern and quarter galleries, in the former
of which there are nine windows, will be richly and emblem-
atically carved to correspond.
The engines, now ready to be put on board, are by our
townsmen, Messrs. Fawcett and Preston, whose fame as
constructors of marine steam machinery has spread over the
world. They are, we are informed, wonderful pieces of me-
chanism, designed on ,the most approved principle for sea-
work, and finished in a manner hignly creditable to their
taste and jngdment.

The cabins of the Hindostan will be fitted up in a style at
once chaste and elegant. Of this we have a sufficient gua-
rantee in Mr. J. C. Shaw, the marine superintendent of the
company, who has bad much experience in the outfitting de-
partment, and who was so highly successful in designing and
completing the cabins of the Oriental and other vessls. That
gentleman, we learn, submitted his plans to the Directors in
London, who obtained the opinions of eminent men, nauti-
cal and otherwise, connected with India, to aid them in com-
ing to a decision; and after mature deliberation, the whole of
his suggestions were approved of,land he was empowered to
see them carried out in the entire outfit of the ship. No-
thing, therefore, will be wanting that can conduce to the
comfort or enjoyment of all on board, whether passengers,
officers, or crew.

The Hindostan, in fine, is a specimen of naval architecture,
equally creditable to the liberality and enterprise of her
owners, and to the science and perseverance of her builders.
She is in no point inferior to our best ships of war. " The
Havanna " frigate, built by the late Mr. Wilson (father of
the builders of the present ship), was little more than half
the size. She is considerably larger than the Oriental, and
was constructed on the same site. Her weight is estimated
to be about 1300 tons ; and the launch of so large a vessel
will form a beautiful—we may add, a sublime spectacle. It
is customary in the navy to build ships even under her bulk
in a sort of dock, into which the tide is permitted to Row to
a depth of 8 or 9 feet, when they are completed, so that a
great portion of their weight is reduced by the immersicin of
so much of the hull. In this case, the vessel must take her
chance in the usual way, and the launch will, consequently,
be more interesling. A scaffold is erected for the accom-
modation of the ladies and their friends, and the concourse
of spectators will doubtless be immense. Mrs. Robertson
Gladstone has, we learn, kindly undertaken to " christen "
the Hindostan, and we heartily wish the vessel every suc-
cess.

We shall probably furnish a brief notice of the launch in
our second edition.

JUNIOR CLUB-Honsz.—We understand that in the
course of a few days we shall be enabled to give our readers
an outline of a very desirable institution about to be esta-
blished in this populous town, for the purpose of affording an
agreeable, elegant, and cheap lounge for the middle class of
young men after the business of the day ; we can only add,
that the want of such an institution has been long felt, and
from what we know of the parties connected 'therewith, and
the .advantages likely to be felt, a much greater number
of shares will be applied for than can reasonably be granted.
LATENESS OF THE SEASON.—From the best information
which we can derive, the present season is, throughout Eng-
land, at least three weeks later than it was last spring. A
friend of ours was within the last few days in Covent Garden
market, and4assures us that every production ordinarily fur-
nished to that great mart of the vegetable world, is al least
this period behind its usual appearance.
A CHALLENGE FOR MR. BRAID.—A friend of ours,
whose spelling is auful, especially when he has a bad pen,
is anxious to know whether hypnology, which is so efficacious
in other disorders, would influence this. We suggest it to
the lecturer for consideration.

THE QUEEN V. LADY EMILY PONSONBY AND OTHERS.
—ln the Court of Queen's Bench, on Saturday, an appeal
was heard against a rate which had been made by the paro-
chial authorities of the parish of Hampton upon the inmates
of the Palace of Hampton-court in respect of their beneficial
occupation of the royal mansion. The court unanimously
confirmed the rate.

The Duke of Wellington will complete his 73rd year on
the Ist of next month, but his grace is apparently iu the en-
joyment of excellent health, and takes his daily walks in the
garden attached to Apsley House at the hour of seven a.m.
A Yankee correspondent of the Spirit of the Times,
writing from New• Orleans says, there is this difference be-
tween women and horses—the latter are in-stable, and the
former un-stable.

A SUDDEN RISE IN FORTUNE.—Under the head " What
six years may do for a man," the American Traveller say,,,
that " Burleson, who was recently elected vice-president Of
the republic of Texas, was a boatman on the Champlain
Canal in 1835.

' I3ANKRUPTCY,—Mr. Newton Wigney under-
wentWlGNEY S
Bankruptcy, at Brighton, onwere
nae cleanr' sv
oof
a second
designed. the
His C omt disclosuresmr,tsaski Commissioners
delivered with the air of a man 10
breast of it, and hardly knew the light in which his acts
would be viewed. He stated that they had not struck a ge-
neral balance for years. At the time of his father's death,
the bank was not solvent without the private property, which
was estimated at £90,000 or £lOO,OOO. All the capital which
he and his brother had in the bank was £2,537, until they
put in their shares of the £40,000 accruing from the sale of a
brewery, and divided among four. The bankrupt had taken
shares in a great number of speculations—an India Rubber
Company, to which the last payment was £4,500 in cash ; a
Potato Sugar Company, in which £7,555 had been sunk since
December, 1841; a concern at Glasgow, loss unknown, per-
haps £30,000, but he thought not £73,000, since 1838; an
American Land Company, Gas, Iron, Steam-boat, Tennis
court and Insurance Companies. Since the bankruptcy he
had had about £5OO in cash; of which he had invested .£3OO
in foreign stocks. These bonds, Mrs. Wigney's :10°112:
and £l,lOO in money were surrendered
at the exarnin
The usual protection was than given to the bankrupt.
&clock THE THUNDERSTORM.—ShortIy after three,—
yes-
terday afternoon the inhabitants of Kennington,
hthe sudden
and the adjacent parts, were dreadfully alarmeda , yew,s), which
falling of the steeple of Brixton church (St. 1 in
Atom. For some
had been struck by lightning during theens
entertained for the
time the greatest apprehensions were i Brixton,
sYtastuePPthl
fire; but we are happy in being able to
safety of the church, which was generally
tell upon the top of the
that
supposed
ct,ofnbrethoenr
mischief was sustained. The steepletbat several lives would
have been sacrificed. A boy who
g broken by the fall of a
belfry, otherwise it is very probablewas
'us arm-.
afternoon service had both ringing the bells for
they were •
stone. No sooner were e ._,.oh, than . again
extent of damage done to the fire breaking out (from the
the inhabitants satisfied as to the
alarmed by a most destructive mansions in the occupancy of
same cause) in the exteiT.„iams,
situated at Tulse-hill, Brix-
Mr. W. Poore and Mr- w Iu
ton, within
electric fluid having passed down the
It appears that
firstthe
floor of Mr.Williams's establishment,
a short distance from the House of Correction.
chimney into the
ork round the fireplace, which it complete-
d," passed over the floor, setting it on
It afterwards travelled down the stairs
fire from
alsoend to
set on fire, and thence passed through the
which were
struck
otlihsebsetdo.noe
eiwitld .
d'oining house, belonging to Nir. Poore,
it ise tired different parts. A messenger was
despatched horseback to the different fire engine
wall into the a J in
quickly
others: and upon a
quacid the Waterloo-road brigade and West of England
stations, .
; es arrived, followed in rapid succession
several p
lbe
ny t
itfhuel S
supplyo ti th -
w:nabgrii:
engines arrived,
tadli -aen
sev
of water being obtained, the fire was subdued by 6 o'clock,
but not before property to a considerable amount was des-
troyed. Mr. Williams is fortunately insured, but whether
Mr. Poore is equally fortunate could not be ascertained, as
the family were from home at the time. Several other
houses in the neighbourhood were likewise much damaged.
The bark on a number of trees was completely stripped off,
as were the branches ; and the extent of damage done to the
plantations in the immediate vicinity must be immense.
The roof of a house situate in West-square, Lambeth, sus-
tained considerable damage by being fired by the lightning.—
Times os. Yesterday,

and Practic
of England

trines held b

searching light by the talented re-
are the articles entitled " The
and " The Divine Rule of Faith
r the catholicity of the Church

In the forme

.d by a reference to the identical doc-

Christians of our own land, as ex-

in our own opinion,
opinion that the English nation

by Anglo-Saxon writers, a

succeg

►ed one church and set up another, is far too gene-
ed to be put forth unchallenged. We are conti-
,ted by Roman Catholics and their organs with the
hat the entire wealth of the Church of England,
urches themselves, were derived from Roman Ca-

we, in the present day, are perverting both
ial purposes—the diffusion of the faith of
le to weigh maturely the evidence

Y et it is

glo- Saxon writers, without arriving at the

nclusion maintained by the reviewer, " that the doctrines
fight by our forefathers in the cathedrals which stand where

ey built them, are mainly the vsry same which are now
,ight in these venerable structures." The article on the
vine Rule of Faith and Practice is a notice of a work di-
.ted against the tractarian party by the Rev. W. Goode.
The article on the " Moral and Political Tendency of the

Modern N

contains

class of our literature

which I

devoted

some severe strictures upon this

We must confe,

s, however, we can

xtreme length of the reviewer in the repro-

e bestows upon some of those writers who
iemselves to the production of works of fiction
Upon Mr. Ainsworth, especially, although

from justifying the bad taste evinced by him in
on of his heroes, we think the Quarterly bas been
hard ; and our readers will perhaps agree with us

.m the concluding sentence of the
writer "deliberately records his judg-
orth is a greater delinquent than Mr.
e he looks upon to have spread the
f his opinions through some mad notions of philan-
love of `filthy lucre.' "
" State of the Fine Arts in England" is
It is, in fact, of itself worth the price
The remarks upon the character of
when compared with that of the

Are of the present day, we cannot resist quoting.
wretched turn and diminutive stature, both of the
na-
and architectural genius, of late years, are the
more remarkable when we consider the stupendous and co-
lossal monuments of genius which actually exist amongst us
-1-nartment. Look at our ancient cathedrals, erected
—oth and fourteenth centuries, when Great
not contain an eighth part of its present inhabi-
end certainly not an eightieth part of its present wealth.
r and magnificent is the conception of these noble
-how colossal their proportions !—how graceful and
heir details ! How elevated must have been the
,f a nation, which, in an age of comparative poverty
arism, when general education was unknown, and
,omfort unfelt—when our nobles were living in cham.
wed with rushes, and our peasants sleeping with a
)g for a pillow—could yet conceive and execute such
ous undertakings ! Admitting that it was a race of
artists, the Italian freemasons, who in part conceived
2ctited these sublime edifices, still we can never suf&
admire the grandeur of desire, the solemn feeling of
, the heroic perseverance in purpose. which could lead
,r ancestors, during seven or eight successive generations,
to toil in the construction of these edifices, some of which
took above two hundred years for their completion, and none
if which brought in one farthing of profit, either to their
uthors or their descendants.

he thirte

Britain
tan
How loft
edifices !-

Descend to later times, and we will still find the architec-
tural genius of Britain keeping pace with its great and grow-
ing destinies. Charles 1., whose taste in every branch of the
Fine Arts was of the most exquisite nature, was only pre-
ented by the disastrous civil wars, which terminated in his
1, from constructing a palace worthy of the kings of
and which, if we may judge from the fragment of
vas completed at Whitehall, would have rivalled
St. Mark at Venice, or the palace of Versailles
'he dome of St. Paul's still remans an eternal
t of the taste and genius of Sir Christopher Wren,
.s above the diminutive structures of later times,
ry giant who has survived his race, and fallen into
pigmies. Even the heavy but imposing architec-
anburgh still partook, though in a diminished de-
w grand conceptions of former times; and, strange
) say, our archictectural genius declined in proportion as
;ion grew in stature, and we became dwarfs in build-
len we had become giants in national strength and

t that alon

ixth article, an excellent review of Mont-

"Luther," which we would recommend an attentive
If, as a contrast to the bad taste and scurrility of a
..view of this noble poem which recently appeared in
lon Times. By the way, our contemporary of the
ter Courier made a feeble attempt a few weeks ago to
he vulgar dogmatism of "the thunderer," in a notice

poem. Really we can discover no reason why

reviewers should allow their Popish, or Puseyite, predilec-
tions to influence their judgment of a poem, as in both these
instances they have done. It is, the public will be inclined
linst Luther himself and the Protestant Re-
that their spleen is

to suspect
formation
directed.

id not against Montgomery

The " Conservatives at Work" is an ably-written political
essay ; but 'we think the writer need scarcely have resorted
to the heavy weapon be has used to demolish a leading article
in Fraser's Magazine. The political writings of this monthly
periodical are not so influential as to do great injury when
wrong, which, however, is seldom the case ; and the article
which has drawn forth this notice from the quarterly reviewer
was sufficiently absurd and unreasonable to serve for its own

refutation

The reviews under the head of " General Literature"
appear well considered, and will be read with interest. As a
whole, the present number is equal to any of its predecessors.

he Churchman. April, 1842. London :W. E. Painter,

Strand

The Churchman for the present month is an excellent
We really wish, however, that the editor would
le matter of a more popular nature in this pub-

number

lication

The Liverpool Policeman. No. 5. London : Dolman ;
Liverpool : Booker and Co.
The filth number of this publication is now before us ;
and we are enabled to express a more confident opinion upon
its merits than we have previously felt justified in doing.
There are many things in it which, wd confess, we would
gladly have seen altered. There are, however, great power
of description—great discrimination of character--a keen
on of the ridiculous, and much wit and sarcasm
by its author ; and we think that in its succeeding
, when better warmed in the saddle of his pegasus,
1 contribute even more to our pleasure and profit than
he has hitherto done.

lumbers

We do not, and we are convinced the public do not, like
up full of horrors," or of rascality, as we have been
lied to do in the tale of Messrs. Floss and Mugginson.
cters do no doubt exist in this world of ours ; but
to contemplate them. We are much more pleased
the characters of a Lanrose or an Emmeline,
author of the Policeman writes much more
hat when describing the villainy of Mr. Floss or
?—both rascals, without one redeeming feature.
f " The Sergeant" is, however, powerfully worked
but nevertheless it would bear

and of such tl

ng in its effect ;

me little application of the knife.
Our readers will recognise Mr. Joseph Rattler, who ap-
Tss in all his whimsicality in the present number, as an old
quaintance, and will, we dare say, desire to see more of

im in ti

acceeding numbers

not conclude without expressing our approbation
ellishments of this and indeed of every number
yet appeared. They are, we believe, by a Liver-

; and they do honour, we hesitate not to say, to

SKETCHES OF THE SHANNON.—No. X

Trip by the Upper Shannon
Portumna, and Shannon Harbour; thence by canal to
from Limerick to Killaloe,
Dublin, and return to Liverpool.

ay was windy, with frequent squails and showers,
.hus navigated Lough Derg ) and the passing clouds
natty cast their extended shadows on the dark waters
of tb lake and the mountain sides, which anon gleamed in
the r, of the sun,—producin
same ea
materiel
ocfosneternasetryl:roatmentheee
in the
brigh, sombre,
xtrao i and beautiful. The lough is generally of great
lepth- ame parts 25 fathoms—and like most other
nighs arrounded by elevated land, presents a dark and
nnewh oTeenish appearance, though the water, when
. When under a cloud it appeared
awn, i.
We moved gallantly along by the
' Stygin
ited im of steam and sail, the wind being from the
stward ; ed though our speed denied us the gratification
observing the varied and interesting scenery that every
went presented itself with that minuteness in which lovers
he picturesque and beautiful delight to indulge, a feeling
ride and gratification arose from the impression that we
il our rapid locomotionnrly in a large and commodious vessel
nearly
paters that were
100 feet above the level of the sea,
h our forefathers had for chenetfumrieesderarnresleyiefnuerreoawneddienge_ven
peril, not in interest
ir canoes, to the triump in
Our sail was only secondary
-
traveller, to an ocean Noyage. To the latter upper_
adventurous and sublime in navigation ; to the for_
lacid and beautiful ; anndbfoulthin, ipnrpermoeptoirntgiopnretotittahbelier
vbe deemed equally se
and commerce throughoutthehumeanntfhaemlieltyt.
we
jects in the landscape
the elegant mansion oefGt.ef land.Bigg
Biggs,
of a high and wooded pin
erable and
s, a ven
also on the Tipperary side)
stands, on the
- - ~.Jrnontory, Castle Biagi
anding pile, with a lofty ivy-mantledAded by stately trees. This domain is, .
.I
learned,tower, and sur
-
tine pro-
rty of the brother of the gentleman named. Tbecnoduntthrye
!rice southward is beautifully rich and undulated, a
Lew of the voyager is only circumscribed by
the more distant
.mphitheatre of hills that terminate the vista.
We now passed Tarryglass Bay, on the left shore, on the
Louth side of which is a castle of the same name, at which
:here is also a steam-boat station. Shortly afterwards we
were in sight of Portumna, a considerable town, prettily si-
tuated on the Galway side, on a gentle rise about a milefrorn
the shore, and at the head of the lough. The houses are for
the most part whitewashed and have a lively appearance, and
the tapering spire of the church is a fine object. South of
it, and between it and the lough, stands Portumna Castle,
the property and formerly the residence of the Marquis of
-ClanriCarde. It is a stately Kam edifice, of blue limestone,

lear and pure
blackness..

t the 1
wed B

ine ob.

A. little further o
south side of a t

and of four lofty stories, flanked with embattled projections
at each corner. It is now, however, merely a shell, the in-
terior having been destroyed by fire some years ago, and the
finances of the noble lord not being, it is said, in immediate
condition to renew it. On the opposite shore—for this is
the country for picturesque remains—stands another castle,
a fine old ruin on the slope of a wooded hill, on a peninsular
base. Eastward of it is Belle Isle, the property of Lord
Avonmore, with an old round castle near it. Here I observed
a pleasure yacht at anchor. In a few minutes we reached
Portumna Bridge, at the upper extremity of the lake, where
our voyage in the large steamer terminated—a distance of 23
miles from Killaloe. We were now again in the stream of
the Shannon, which is here of considerable width, probably

neat stone bridges, and finally landed on the crowded guar,
whence, after taking leave of each other, we each took our
several routes into the city as business or pleasure directed.
The day was warm and fine, and I employed it in saunter-
ing through the several streets, and visiting the numerous
objects of interest, in a town second to none in its public
structures, fine situation, and local attractions, on which,
however, it is not here my province to dilate.
On the following morning 1 embarked for Liverpool by the
fine steam-ship Duchess of Kent, the commander of which,
Captain Jones, learning that I had accompanied the Erin-
go-Brag,h to Limerick, kindly invited me to become his guest,
and whose polite attention and agreeable conversation ren-
dered an otherwise pleasant passage, of eleven hours, doubly
I delightful.