The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-20
OFFICIAL.

" " i "A L.
Extract Of letter from oLesr Of the u. s. ship 81.
.Ma'y's, TO Tie Secretary eflhe Mary.
IT, s. SHIp ST. MAYS,
PENSACOLA, Nov. 7, l845.
SIR I have the honor to report the result Of my
observations on the qualities Of this ship. This
report might have been expected beforei but
have delayed II until opportunity had been afforded
10 test the vessel at all points We sailed from Nor
folk in company with the Princeton, the Saratoga,
and the Porpose The ST. Mary's beat all three
with ease, at every point of sailing. Notwithsand-
| ing, however that the Saratoga might reasonably
have been considered high standard of compari.
son, was anxious to avoid the error of exaggera-
ting the speed Of the ST. Mary's by hasty decis-
ion, on single trial. Nor was over sanguine OF
her being uncommonly fast, from the fact that she
was able to spare her most important sails to all ves-
sells whatever that we had sailed with. suspended
my decision, in hopes Of having fair trial of speed
with some ship Of whose superiority there could be
no doubt. Such vessel, | supposed was the
"Enrydice," double-decked British corvette of 26
guns, built by Admiral Elliott, and commanded by
his son The Eurydice, like the ST. Mary's, is an
experimental ship. Sire has sailed with, and beaten,
some Of the fastest vessels in the British navy. She
il a thorough man-of-war with all her resources
well developed, and her stowage trim, and points Of
sailing ascerained by careful experiments We
found her at anchor lately at the island Of Sacri-
6cios, where had an opportunity Of hearing the
reports Of her officers. Captain Elliott himself told
that the Eurydice sailed ten aud half knobs an
hour within fps points of The wind; thst she had
logged trepe aud half kaots going free, for two
successive hours, and overrun that ratio when the
wind freshened in squalls. | confess that, when
heard these statements from officer the accuracy
of whose observations could not be questioned, an
ticpated signal defeat il ever the ST. Mary's made
a trial of speed with the Eurydice; and, although |
was not informed that any such trial was contem-
IL 49,
portunity OF making some experiments on the trim
Of the St. Mary's, by keeping us in company in
the two ships should happen TO sail together. On
the 26th Of October, the Eurydice got under way
with the land breeze, and stood to sea through the
passage north of Green Island. | was ordered to
sail soon after. BY the time we got under way,
however, the wind grew light and battling; and, just
reached the northern end Of the Pajaros reef,
il fell calm, and l was obliged to let 60 anchor
within ships length Of the surf The boats of the
squadron came 10 our assistance, and lowed us of
the reef and then took light air from the north
ward and westward, and went out to the souihscGrd
Of Green Island. In the mean time, the Eurydce
had got ofing beyond the heavy ground-swsll len
by recent norther and she also enjoyed the sea-
breeze some time before it reached us. In spite
Of all this, however, the ST. Mrry's gained on
her sensibly. The Eurydice then went about, and
stood to the northward and westward, close hauled
on the starboard tack. The st. Marys was obliged,
in order Ia weather the inner Anegada, to keep her
larboard acks aboard for nearly an hour Afterwards
AT B. 30 p. m. we went about. The Eurydce was
then distant at least seven miles, on our weather
how. During the afternoon and night, the wind
hauled, so az to bring us more astern of her, but
still keeping her to windward. At nghtfaH we
hosted light, to signify our desire TO keep compa-
ny. The Eurydce was then four points on our
weather bow, distant about three miles. She did
not answer our light. At9 p. m, we had her in
plain view, ahead to, and to windward, under oil
sail. AT 10, we were on her lee quarter She then
kept away, apparently to bring the wind two points
free, which her officers had told us was her best
point of sailing At this time it would have been
easy for us TO have lufed across her wake; but we
preferred to follow her notions and give her the adj
vantages of wind Accordingly, at 10. 80 the St.
Mary's kept away parallel with the track of the
Eurydice, under her lee passed her rapidly, and
hauled up across her bow. The Eurydce appeared
to haul her wind at the same time; and we took in
royals, to let her come up But she continued to
her; so the royals were set again, and we shaped
our course for Pensacola. At sunrise the next
morning. the Eurydice was hull down, from deck J
on our lee quarter. During the day, she seemed TO
| be making the same course with us, {NNE.) At S
D. m she could barely be discovered from the main
| top-galant-yard. In this trial Of speed with the
Eurydice, our ship was just in the trim in which the
signal for sailing found her. She had less than two
months provisions aboard, and half her tanks emp
| y. Not a shot, or even man, was shifted TO
change her trlm, AT any Time, before or during the
race. We did not even trim sails we passed under
her lee. Our average of sailing. by log did not
| exceed five knots; so we beat the Eurydice at the
rate of mile in every FIVE, during the first after
noon; and allowing her to be (as she certainly was
at least fifteen miles off when last saw her. mere
speck on the horizon, to leeward we had preserved
the same difference all the second day have thus
infinitely detailed the circumstances of our trial of
speed with the Eurydce--not, hope, in the spirit
Of boasting but because consider due to the rep
| utation of our own navy. The Eurydice was just
ly esteemed high standard of speed; and from the
accounts heard of her in all quarters and particu-
larly from her own ofices, had little hopes Of
holding way with her. II is, therefore, a matter of
great satisfaction to me to be able 10 state that the
superiority Of the ST. Mary's too manifest even
for the most preiudiced doubt and too great to be
accounted for id any way, but by the difference of
model.
Notwithstanding all this however, ! should NOT
consider myself justified yet, in concluding that the
ST. Mnry's was uncommonly fast ship. By COM
parison of our sailing with that of the Saratoga
and the Saraoga's afterwards with the "Somers," il
is my belief that either Of these vessels would have
beaten the Eurydce
The qualities Of this ship, asppr,aned by six
months' experience Of her al sea, might he summed
up in the brief phrase that she is perfect sea-boat
in every particular. She proves to be buoyant,
der heavy battery; dry, weatherly, easy in all her
motions, and stiff though without ballast. She lays
to well in gale; steers easily; and what is remark
able is not appreciably affected by the utmost differ
ence of draugh or of trim that has ever yet occurred
in her.
lrThe st, Marya WAC built in the navy-yard
at Neutrality-suspicious..
WlsTAR's BALsAM OF WILD CHERRY.