New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-12


and they rather served TO steady the snip 'nAn 70
aid her progress while for days together s"'PPea
to her naked spars, she was compelled 20 push
her bowsprit into the winds very eye oy 'ue
force OF her engines alone. And that wind though
no hurricane. had 4 will of its own; while 'ne
waves, rolled perPetualy against her bow oy 80
long succession of eastery winds, were deci-
ded impeachment to ess;erly progress. l douos
whether there is another steamship which could
have made the passage safely and without extra
effort in less time than the Baltic did.
Our weather was not all bad, though we had
no thoroughly fair day-no day entirely free from
rain-none In which the decks were dry through
out In fact, the spray often kept them to orougn
" drenched, especially aft, when there was no
rain at all. During four or FIVE OF the twelve
days we had some hour or more Of semlsunsnine
either st morning midday or toward night Ine
only gales Of much account were those OF our hrss
night off Long Island aud our last before seeing
land Saturday. when on coming into soundlngs
off the coast Of Ireland, We had very decided
blow and the ship having become very Light by
the consumption of most Of her coal,l the wors'
kind Of asea. 1t gave me my sickest hour, though
not my worst day.
Our dreariest days were Wednesday and
Thursday 23d and 24th when we were little
more than half way across. With the wind pre-
cisely ahead and very strong, the skies black and
lowering, a pretty constant rain and driving,
binding spray which drenched everything above
the decks, themselves ankle deep in water, can
not well imagine how two hundred fellow sssen'
GERS driven down and kept down in the cabins
and state-rooms OF steamship, could well be
treated to more dismal prospect. thought the
philosophy even Of the card players who were by
far the most industrious and least miserable class
among u.s. was tried by it. Spacious as the Baltic
is. two hundred passengers with fifty or sixty at
tendsnts confined for days together to her cabins
fill her quite full enough. For those who are tho
roughly well, there are society, reading, eating
play and other pastimes, but for the sick and
helpless, who can neither read nor play, whom
even conversation fatigues, and to whom the I'M
derdeck smell, especially in connection with food
is intensely revolving, can imagine no heavier
hours short of absolute torture. Having endured
these, had nothing beyond them to dread, and
it was rather satisfaction, on reaching the Irish
coast, 10 be greeted with q succession OF hail
squalls-to work up the Channel against wet
North Easter, and be landed in Liverpool after
tedious detention for lack Of water on the bar a.
the mouth Of the Mersey) under sullen skies and
in dripping rain. l wanted to see the thing
out, and would have taken amss any deceitful
smiles Of Fortune after had learned to dispense
with her favors.
There yet remains the grateful duty OF speak
ing of the mitgatons OF our trials And In the
first place, the Baltic herself is unquestionably
one Of the safest and most commodious sea-boats
in the world. She is probably not the fastest, es
pecially with a strong mead wind and sea, be-
cause Of her great bulk and the Of resistance
she presents both above and below the waterne
but for strength and excellence Of construction
steAdneGs Of movement and perfection Of accom-
modations, she can have no superior Her
wheels never missed revolution from the time
she discharged her NewYork pilot till the time
she stopped them to take on board his Liverpool
counterpart, of Holyhead and her sailing quail
ties, tested under the most unfavorabIe auspices
are also admirable. She needs but good weather
to make the run in ten days from dock TO dock
she would have done it this time had the winds
been exactly the reverse of what they were or
as the Asia had them before her. The luck can.
not always be against her.
Praise Of commanders and officers Of steam.
ships has become so common that it has
lost all emphasis, all force. presume this 10 for
the most part deserved Tor it is not likely that the
great responsibility OF sailing these ships would
be entrusted to any other than the very f:test
hands; ind this is matter wherein mistakes
may by care be avoided. The qualities Of sea
man, a commander, do not lie dormant the
ocean tries and proves its men while in this ser
vice the whole travelling public are the observers
and judges. But such voyage as we have just
made tries the temper as well as the capacity it
calls into exercise every faculty, and lays bare
defects if such there be. To sweep gaily on beefor
fresh, fair breeze is comparatively easy but few
landimen can realize the patient assiduity and
nautical skill required to extract propelling pow
or from winds determined to be dead ahead. How
nicely the sails must be set at the shsrpest angle
with the course OF the vessel, and sometimes that
course itself varied point or two 10 make them
draw at all how often they must be shifted, or
reeied, or furled how much labor and skill must
be put in requisition to secure a very slight addi
.ion TO the speed Of the ship-all this l am not
heAmAn enough 70 uescriDe, tnough can ADMIRE
And during the entire voyage with its many Vi
cisstudes, did not hear one harsh or profane
word from an officer, one sulky or uncivil response
rom subordinate. And the perfection Of Capt
ComstockS commAndership in my eyes was that
though always on the alert and giving direction
to every movement, he did not need 70 command
half SO much nor to make himself anything like
SO conspicuous as an ordinary man would. vii
ingy believe that some share Of the merit Of this
is due to the admirable qualities ofhiE assistants
especially Lieuts. Duncan and Hunter, OF the U.
s. Navy.
In the way Of food and attendance, nothing