The Columbus.
The Times, 1824-11-09T00:00:00

This so-much-tlke-of vessel has at length aarived in the river. She was towed up yesterday morning- from Gravesend, by the JamSs Watt, Tou~rist, and Solw steam- boats, and at. two oclock -in- the afternoon was moored along side the Elast lidia hulk off Blackwall. Like many other wonders ef which so much has been said while-at a distance, the Columbus loses much of her marvellous cha- racter, on a nearer approach. Those who visit her - in the expectation of seeing a stupentdous structure, " to which one of our seventy-fours would appear as a cock-boat," will find themselves seriously disappointed. They who expect to see the larest ship in the world, will na- turally picture to themselves a vessel, to which the bulk of one of our first rates would be comparatively small, but in this also they will be deceived. The Columbus is un- questionably the longest ship ever seen in England,. but her appearance in every ether respect is far inferior to that of one of our large Indiamen: her censtruction is q;uite new for a very large vessel; she is fiat-bottomed, and her bottom two feet wider than her deck; her planks and tirn- bers throughout, are on a scale of thickness proportioned to her groat length, and fastened together with a strength approaehing nearly to that of a solid mass. It is not true, as was stated in seine accounts of her, that her cargo (red and wlhite pine) was fastened into her timbers in the building. It is stowed away in the same manner as on board other ships timber-laden. Neither is it a fact that she is to be broken up as soon as her cargo is dis- charged; at least that is not the present intention of her proprietors. In her inasts, spars, and rigging, the Colombas presents anr appearance not at all proportioned to her rate of tonnage ; they are not larger than those used il a small frigate. On inquiry we learned that she sailed much better than was expected-taclked and wore extremely well, (wlhich is very rare vith flatbottomed vetsels), and made but very little lee-way. In the course of her passage to Europe, she encountered very rough weather, and shipped seas so frequently, that the crew on deck could seldom keep themselves dry. The greatest danger to which she was exposed was from this circumstance; and, in anti- cipation of it, and of the chance of her be.oming water- logged, her round-honse (under which vere stowed her water and p.-ovisions) was ;aade water-tight. About a month before her arrival on this coast, she sprang a leak, and made a foot of water per hour, and it required the constant exertions of the whole crew to keep her free. Neveitheless, en her arrival in the Downs she had I I feet of water in her hold. The crowds of persons who went to see her yesterday were very great. Some contented themselves with a view of her from the shore; those who chose to pay the higlh price of the boatmen Sot a nearer view, and they who were content tO pay two shillings additional were allowed to go on board. (This last demand, it is but justice to the officers on board, was, we believe, without their knowledge; or if they were aware of it, it must have been demanded with the view of preventing the vessel from becornmg inconveniently crowd- ed, which it would be if all who sought admission were al- lowed onl board.) The account which already appeared in this paper of the size and tonnage of the Columbus was correct. She is S00 feet in length, 60 feet 6 inches wide, anid 30 feet deep in the hold; registcrs 3,900 tons, and has on board 6,300 tons of timber. Another vessel, belonging to the same proprietors, who, as well as tire builder, are Englishmen, is now on the stocks at Quebec, which will be of the same length, but 10 feet wi(ler, and 5 feet deeper in the hold. . TP-E COLUMBUS.