Polynesian., 1853-09-24

These two ships are certainly par mobile,
but the great days performance of each
does not prove the Sovereign Of the Seas to
be faster ship than the Flying Cloud.
The Sovereign of the Seas had in her ia
vor that long rolling swell from the westward
that Is peculiar to high southern ATTITUDES,
and which helped nightly to heave her
along. All seamen who have doubled Cape
Horn know what it is, and / need not de-
scribe it.
1t is true the Flying Cloud, on her great
day, had during the " latter part strong gales
were not like that long rolling Cape Horn
swell that comes from the westward with
such heaving force, and which had been
chasing the Sovereign Of the Seas steadily
for ten days.
On the other hand, It may be Urged in "a
vor Of the latter that she was short-handed,
with foretopmast disabled. and jury topgal-
lantmast. Her abstract log, it should also
be mentioned, says nothing as to the force OF
the wind, the heave of the sea, or the sails
set; while that of the Flying Cloud is quite
full upon these points.
Though am unwilling therefore to decide
against the Flying Cloud as to the greatest
days run ever made, it is clear that her
competitor has borne off the palm as to the
length of time for which she has kept up her
great speed. Her log stops March I'd, lati-
tude 33 deg. Is min. north, 432 nautical
miles in straight line from Sandy Hook.
Taking it, therefore, for the seventy-nine
days for which she gives it, and stating the
distance by straight line from her place at
noon of one day to the noon of the next, it
appears that her daily average was 222. z
statute miles, making the whole distance
sailed during the interval to be IL, ,597 stat
ute miles; which gives for canvas the re-
markable achievement of accomplishing a
distance more than two-thirds of that which
it requires to encircle the earth, at the aver
age rate of nine miles and upwards the hour
for ,S96 consecutive hours.
As write this, the abstract Of another
ship, the Comet, E. C. Gardiner, from San
Francisco to New York, is received. She,
too, has made an extraordinary run. She
made the passage in S31 days, sailing during
the interval II, ,496 statute miles, and averas-
ing 2lO miles day. She, however, except
merely by doubling Cape Horn, did not run
through the region Of the trade-like winds
and heaving swels of the South Pacific,
which favored the Sovereign of the Seas to
such an extent, and therefore no fair COM
parison can be made as to the relative sailing
qualities of these two ships.
There is another circumstance, however,
connected with this voyage of the Sovereign
of the Seas which is worthy of attention, for
it is significant, and fact illustrative Of the
revolutions IN the way of business which are
being quietly wrought by the time-saving de-
vices of the age.
This splendid ship, after unloading her
cargo in California, was sent to CLEAN after
our whaemen, and she came home with oil
gathered from them at the Sandwich Islands.
This adventurous class Of our fellow citi-
zens resort there in such numbers, that the
fees annually paid by the government for the
relief of the sick and disabled seamen there
amount to upwards of $50, 900.
Now, if the Pacific Railway were built,
the thousands of American seamen and the
fleets of American whaleships thas annually
resort to those islands for refreshment and
repairs, would resort to California. There
they would be in their own country, the oil
would probably be sent home on railway in
stead Of by clipper ships, and all the advan-
tage Of refitt,ng 80 many ships, OF treating
and recruiting so many men, would lnure to
the benefit Of our own citizens.
M. +. MAuRY, Lieutenant U. S. N.
To the Hon. Jas. G. DoBBIN, Sec. of Navy,
Washington.