Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-02
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER,
THE LEANDER.

The following criticism appears IN good-tem'
pered account of visit to this ship, published
few days ago in the Home Journal
"This solid Of the wooden walls OF Old
England is rgate considerably larger than any in the
American navy She carries fifty guns and her compile
men of men is five hundred II is only four years since
she launched we are assured py one Oh her ON
cers bnt 10 udpe from her model and build should
conclude that she have been the stocks since the
battle of Trafalgar Her bows are very broad and round
and her stern broad and bulgy There is nothing Of
symmetry in her compostion nor have her sides that
finished and clean look to which the American eye is
accustomed The not straight and the tmbers
are not smooth. We have compared her chunk but
the captain and Of the boat Catherine Hayes by
whose got board the Leander expressed
his opinion Of her model by shorter word and that word
was tub In justice to the Leandey we add that
the captain and Of the Catherine Hayes consisted only
of boy II is also to be borne in mind that the Lean
der in spite of her alleged tubbtude made the
from England in thirty days. which is shorter than the
average"
We can well understand that in the proportions
presented by this "chunk of the wooden walls of
Old England there is much to displease the eve
accustomed to dwell on the graceful lines of our
river craft or the more ful-blown beauties of our
world-renowned clippers. But we think it probable
that the intelligent officer directed by the Head of
the Navy Department to look at the "chunk'' found
those same broad and bulgy' forms most elo-
quent speaking a language not only worth report
ing, but to be pondered. We imagine they may
have addressed him thus ssThis sbroad round
bow, you understand, not only gives to the chunk
a fine roomy forecastle for fighting pivot gun and
handling her steering sails, but in the chase-and
she's no SLOUGH, as her bottom and her run from
England clearly show-she has the advantage of a
line of fire directly ahead nay, she cam at the dis
lance of two cables length, cross her fire and the
beauty of her broad and bulgy' stern will be best
appreciated the first time waspsh steamer takes
up raking position under it, in the hope of having
a quiet time while she batters in the dead lights
and cripples the rudder'" And, since the
character of our visitor is questioned, we think it
would be ungenerous in not to say that at home
she considered highly respectable, and that we
have seen her in good society
Notwithstanding the great attention given in Eng
land to the perfection of their steamers, the Gov
eminent has of late years pursued with the utmost
ardor every means of developing the highest sailing
qualities OF their frgates and the results have been
most interesting and advantageous
To this end, the British Admiralty body of
men only less well-abused than our own Bureau
ofhcers-with an ever-watchful eye to British int
rests, and never-sumbering devotion to the eff
cheney of their feet, assembled at Lisbon in 1851
under Commodore MARTIN, an experimental squad
ron, composed of some of their finest and newest
ships And here it may be well to state fact little
known appreciated, that upon the shores of this
bay, so close to Plymouth SO central as point of
rendezvous so convenient for descent upon the
French coast, and favorable for reinforcing the
Mediterranean West India stations, the British
have established depots and erected workshops and
for ten twelve years past have avaied themselves
of its placid waters and blue Skies so favorable for
all sorts of naval evolution and gunpractce, to cul-
tivate to the very highest degree of perfection a
large squadron.
But our pen has almost run us out of sight of the
squadron of Commodore MARTIN, to which we now
return. 1t was composed as follows: