Correspondence. To THE EDITOR OF THE 'NELSON EXAMINER.'

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 24, 24 March 1860, Page 3

Correspondence.

To THE EDITOR OF THE 'NELSON EXAMINER.'

To the Editor op the ' Nelson Examinee.'

Sie — What would be the effect on men's minds if they heard that the Great Eastern, the " Big Ship," was positively destined to run from England to Australia and New Zealand ; would not all manner of good be predicted as likely to arise ? and, in truth, would not incalculable benefit to the country and all in it, be the immediate consequence P

Being desirous of promoting the welfare and onward progress of New Zealand interests, I venture to express my ideas on the subject of steam navigation. The Big Ship has achieved one very great step towards a>new era in shipbuilding ; she has established a general belief in the publio mind that very large ships are safe, economical, and more speedy tlian lesser vessels. The subject of building large ships is not new to me ; but is one to which I devoted much time and thought so long ago as about 1837 : I had perfected plans and drawings of a ship of 400 feet long, and had intended making the same public ; but before doing so, I consulted a Mr. Holmes, an engineer, on the subject, when he, on seeing the plans, exclaimed, " why this is precisely my patent ! " then incomplete ; and immediately showed me his drawings and specifications, which, true enough, were in the main feature identical. I therefore did not pursue the subject. Mr. Holmes subsequently formed a company in London, to build ships on his plans ; but, from some disagreement, it was not carried out. I do not think it is at all probable you will ever hear of the Great Eastern being in New Zealand waterß ; but lam quite sure you may have a much better skip, if you like it. I look upon the Great Eastern as a great failure ; I think she has already shown herself that she could not (did not) work her engines at the required number of revolutions of the paddle-wheels, to enable her to perform the speed predicted ; it was proved her boilers did not generate sufficient steam, and more boilers are to be added. Her paddle-wheels were not worked at their full diameter, but were constantly "reefed" the whole run she made ; and although she was vei'y light in the water, it was necessary, to drive her at the speed she did attain, to consume such a large extra amount of coal over the calculated quantity, as to annihilate the hope that she can carry coal enough to work her to Australia and back : if she does not achieve success herself, she may show others how to do it, by avoiding her mistakes. She has, however, proved, and established the belief, that very largo ships are highly beneficial in many situations. It must be in the recollection of many residents in Nelson, that about October, 1851, 1 stated at a public meeting that I thought it quite possible to construct vessels that should enable a person to. make the trip to England and back, in four months, and was very generally laughed at for the suggestion ; yet we have lived to see a gentleman now in our town, who lately arrived from England in fifty-eight days j and can now write letters, and receive replies pretty regularly in four months. Since 1851 science has done much to advance our knowledge and justify well .grounded expectations of still better tbings, and tha«t in more ways than one. Glad as we all are at the improvements that have taken place, it is admitted the present state of affairs do not fulfil our requirements* At (bo pre-

sent moment, great efforts are being made in Australia to obtain an additional amount of steam service, and there is a species of rivalry between the Panama route and the Suez route. I do not take part in a question wherein I think both are wrong, simply because they are wrong. The Suez route requires (if you adopt the speediest time) leaving London by rail, crossing to Prance by sea, travelling across France by rail to Marseilles, thence by sea to Alexandria, across Egypt by rail to Suez, thence by sea to Australia, and ultimately, if you journey to New Zealand, transhipped again in Australia ; so here you have three land spells and four sea spells. Via Pamama, you would have, possibly, two sea trips, and one over land ; but in either case the transhipment would amount to a prohibition of the conveyance of heavy goods ; therefore the present prospects only relate to Postal communication, personal convenience (or inconvenience) and the transport of very light or veiy valuable goods, aud this at a very high rate of charge, and at some sixty days' expenditure of time. Now, what I have a desire to show is, that all this may be greatly improved upon, and, if taken up by New Zealand and Australian interests, there is no reason on earth why it may not bo easily accomplished. It is a matter that affects all the colonies in the South Seas alike, without giving or attempting to give an advantage to one over another. The plan I propose is to build steamers, such vessels as can and shall run from England to Australia in 30 days, and on to New Zealand in five days more, including stoppages. J^this can be done via the Cape of Good Hope, both out and home, what is it worth to all the South Sea colonies ? By this route you satisfy all demands, postal communication, personal ease and comfort, and every other particular embraced in what is called the overland route, with this incalculable additional advantage, of transporting heavy goods, which no overland route can afford, and all this in a space of time and with economy that defies overland route competition.

As a tangible proposition, provided the South Sea colonies will jointly guarantee £300,000, 1 will undertake to produce a vessel 1,000 feet in length by 100 feet wide, that shall run from England to Australia, via the Cape of Good Hope, in thirty days, and on to New Zealand in the same proportion of time, and return to England by the same route in the same time.

The present is not the proper time to go into the details of such a vessel ; I will only remark lam confident it can be accomplished ; neither will I occupy your valuable space by dilating on the advantages that must of necessity accrue to all concerned, because my friend Mr. Wiseacre admits that if it can be done it would be, as he says, "first-rate ;" and may be shortly summed up thus — a great saving of time, greater safety, greater comfort, and a great saving in expense.

I am, &c, W. L. Weey, Mineral Surveyor.

Sir — The last issue of the Colonist contains a letter Bigned «AB C," the final paragraph of which is devoted to my unworthy self, and I beg the favour of your inserting a few lines in observation, not in answer.

Passing over the flattery, in imputing to me the embodiment of the "fond objects" of the several other correspondents to your columns on this subject, I must take leave to object to the interpretation given to my former letter.

I did not ask that Mr. Saunders should say he told an mtruth about Mr. Traverß : the real meaning of the word as hereused,is shown lower down hi AB C.'s letter, where the word " liar " is put in a position of paraphrase, in respect to "untruth." Now, sir, I certainly did suggest the idea, that if Mr. Saunders had used the calumnious exj>ression, believing it to be true, but had afterwards discovered it to be false, it would have been his consistent course to have avowed this, and that such an avowal would have gone far to compensate for the mischief contained in the publication j that suggestion, I confess, I do not see any reason to withdraw, nor, if true, do I consider that Mr. Saunders would, in complying with it, in the least degree have compromised his truthfulness, or shown a disposition to any thing "mean or dastardly."

It has been 60inew here put forcibly, that it ia a high exercise of probity as well as courage to confess a fault. I did not go the length of suggesting this, for to confessthat a statement made in the full belief of its accuracy, had afterwards been discovered to be unfounded, is not so much a fault in the narrator, as in the evidence on which the statement was grounded. I did not suggest any 6ort of admission from Mr. Saunders as to the fairness of Ins trial, and I shall pass over that part of the letter as not being necessary here to refer to ; nor has ABC said anything to show that such admission is called for.

But, sir, the concluding requirement which ABC has imputed to me, is too absurd j by that, Mr. Saunders should undertake not to tell the truth of the great men of Nelson, if now pardoned ; I have never thought of asking this : my letter inquired whether Mr. Saunders had said he would not be guilty of a repetition of the offence.

What was this offence ? A false and scandalous libel, as we were informed by the Jurors. And is it to be supposed that the resolution not again to be guilty of this offence, is mean and dastardly ? I think there is more good sense in the people of Nelson, more just appreciation of what is due, not only from one man to his fellow, but from each man to the community in which he lives.

Let ABC show where the great men of Nelson are open to castigation for admitted or proved malversation in their public capacity, and he shall have my concurrence, through all the letters of alphabet, even down to X V Z

To the Editor or the ' Nelson Examinee.' " 'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill, Appears in writiug, or in judging ill."

Sib — In your journal of the 7th instant, I find some severe strictures and remarks with regard to a statement made by me of the conflagration which destroyed Mr. Bow's house and other valuable property ; in reply to which I beg to Btate, that so soon as I was in receipt of information touching the fire, I went to the spot, and saw Mr. Bow busily engaged collecting a few things saved from the fire. I did not, through delicacy, wish to put any questions to him relative to his losses, more particularly as I knew him to be of a rather taciturn disposition. However, I made some inquiries of a friend on the spot, who stated that he had heard from one of the Messrs. Bow that £500 would not cover their loss in goods alone, not speaking of the building, which was a neatly-finished one, with recent additions. A few days after, I had another conversation with a friend of Mr. A. Bow's, from Nelson ; the topio of conversation was the serious loss sustained by the Messrs. Bow, and his opinion was, that £1,000 would not cover then* loss, in addition to the drawback and inconvenience which would arise from the catastrophe.

With regard to the subscription, which was declined, I gleaned that information from one of the committee, and, if incorrect, surely I should not be held responsible for the inadvertencies of others.

The paragraphs in my letters touching the fire contain nothing but expressions of a sympathizing and respectful nature. However, as it is not my intention to occupy too much of your valuable space upon so frivolous a subject, I shall close this with the hope that Mr. A. Bow will find something more flagrant than an expression of sympathy on which to pour Ins auger in future. YOUB OWN COBBESPONDENT.

James Coutts Crawford, Esq., has been appointed a member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand.

A boy at St. Louis, named, John Durk, committed suicide, because his parents would not let him go to church.

A generally received rumour is circulating in home fashionable circles, that the Princess Mary of Cambridge is about to marry a German Prince of the house of Baden •