The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-26
Our Naval Correspondence.
u. 8. STEAM FRIGATE N ssIssrPPI,
CAPE Town q. q. IL Oct "a lgb

u. y. STEAM FRIGATE saISSIPPI, |
CAFE Town, C. q. H., Oct. "A, 1871
Arrival Of the Steam Frigute Mississippi at Cape
Toscn-Her Run to that Port Quantity Of Coal
Consumed Entertainment Of the Officers by the
authorities at Cape 7o,cn, &C., &c.
As our letterbag for the United States will leave
this port tomorrow, hasten to inform You that we
arrived here three days ago, having made the pas
sage from st. Helena in eleven days. We had
very strong southeast winds all the passage. Pre-
vious to leaving the latter port we sent down all Of
our yards and housed our topmasts, so as to ease
our engines as much as possible. We have
averaged between eight and nine knots
during the passage, and have had both
boilers and twelve fires in use. We
shall remain in this port about two weeks, during
which time we shall scale our boilers, take in our
coal and water, &c. When we leave here we shall
make the best of our way to Hong Kong, stopping
at the Isle of France We expect to arrive at Hong
Kong in about sixty days from this date. We are
now sixty-two days out from the United States,
thirteen and half days Of which we have spent in
the islands of Madeira and st. Helena deducting
this from sxtytwo, and it leaves forty-eight and
a half days on the passage from New York TO this
port-a pretty fair passage for this ship. To
reach this port we have sailed seven thousand
nine hundred and ninety miles, and have consumed
the following amount of coal, to wit: six hundred
and fifty tons taken on board at Brooklyn, three
hundred and fifty do. at Madeira and two hundred
| at st. Helena; costing the government follows
SO per ton at home, and at Madeira and st. Helena
SIS per ton-making total cost for coal up TO this
place of s12 $50. This is small item in the compa
rison to all the other expenses of frgate of
class Every officer, man and boy in the ship is al
lowed one ration, which costs government twenty
five cents per ration. We have on board two hun
dred and nnety-one souls whose total amount Of
tons amounts to seventy-two dollars and seventy
five cents per day and twentysix thousand five hun
bred and fftysiX dollars and forty cents for year,
or seventy-nne thousand six hundred and sxty-nine
dollars and twenty cents for three years cruise
The total amount that will be required to defray the
expenses of this ship for three years cruise nclu
ding officers and crews wages, will not fall much
short of half million of dollars. am happy TO say
that peace and happiness continue to reign with u.s.
| our most worthy captain continues to enjoy most
excellent health he is real working man; he never
suffers the sun to rise before him. he looks hale and
hearty and bids fair to 60 many cruises after this 1t
the wish Of all hands that he will continue to enjoy
his present good health that he may have the honor
and pleasure of remaining and returning to the
United States with us, should he become il is ex-
pected he will be, commander-inchief of the East
India squadron II is rumored that he will not leave,
but hoist his broad pennant on board of this ship
am happy TO state that all hands continue to enjoy
| remarkable good health, having only two on the
sick report with slight bruises. One remarkable in
cdent connected with our passage is, that we have
not encountered gale squat since we left New
! York. The United States steam frgate Min
nesota, Captain S. +. Dupont, was sixty days
from Norfolk to this port; consequently we
have beaten her on the passage; eleven and half
days. The drilling of marines and men, both at
the guns and small arms is vigorously prosecuted
and by the time reach China every man and boy
in the ship will be thoroughly drilled in the arts of
- IL
China we shall be able to perform our part in such
manner will he credit To ourselves and the noble
country we have the honor TO represent. The only
American vessel in port Is the clipper ship Game
cock, Of Boston This is the ship that brought coal
out here for us. There are confined in prison on
shore two men who deserted from the rigaie Mime
sofa; we shall take them on board of us and deliver
them up to that ship There are about thirty vessels
of all nations lying here They have here as pri-
soners about three hundred men, taken by the Eng
lish at Bombay and sent to this port here they
waiting the orders of government at home. Bust
ness is quite brisk Everything is quiet all around
the Cape. There are but very few troops here most
of them having been transferred to Bombay. An
English steam transport, The Queen Of the South
with one thousand troops on board, bound to India,
arrived here yesterday from England. The freedom
Of the place has been given to Capt. Nicholson and
his officers by the Governor. They have already
received large numbers of invitations 70
balls and dinners. Before we leave a grand
dinner party will be given in honor of
Captain Nicholson, by the military and civil officers
of the place. Immediately after we came to anchor
we hosted the English flag at fore and saluted it
with twenty.onc guns, which was promptly returned
from the fort. We also sauted the American Con.
sui. c. s Holmes. Esq, with nine guns, when he
came over side. Since this was commenced
have been informed that the ship Gamecock, above
spoken Of has been chartered by the English govern
ment for 1000 to take troops from here to India.
She j. 10 take those Just arrived in the Queen Of the
Sonth. In regard 10 the war in India seems TO he
the opinion q majority Of the people here that
England viii have long and hard fight TO
put the rebels down in that quarter. The
latest news here is to the effect that over
three hundred thousand of the rebels under arms
n majority Of which are the MIME rifles, furnished
by the English government IL Is positively re-
ported that the English land force now In China
will be Immediately transferred to Bombay. All the
fighting that il done In China IL TO be done by the
naval forces alone. There Is some little uneasness
felt here among the English for fear (although eve
rything is quiet) that the Kaffes may take the
| advantage Of the troubles In the East-knowing,
rs they do that most Of the remaining troops here
To be sent of 20 join the troops in the East-and
renew their attacks upon Cape Town and the sur
| rounding country. Surely enough, as | heard an
English gentleman remark on shore, Queen Victoria
| and Lord Pamerston have got their hands full to
look after India without troubling Mr.. John China
| man.
The United States ship Germantown, bound to
| Bombay and Hong Kong, which left Madeira IN COM
pany with the 10th of September last, has not
yet arrived al Simons bay, forty miles distance from
here 10 which place she IL bound. She probably fell
| in with the strong southeast wind which we have
had since we left the Cape de yerdes. Surprising that
10 he the case she would have 10 stand well to-
wards the coast Of Brazil and therefore will naturally
| make q long passage between the two ports. We
| commenced taking in our coal yesterday. We have
six hundred tons 10 take board. After this is on
board the men will all have liberty for fortyeight
| hours: this being over we shall ill up with water.
steam up, and make our exit.
| City Intelligence.