THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1864.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 96, 4 March 1864, Page 3

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO.

AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1864.

" (Jive pv>>rr innii thine car, but few thy TolecTrilw M..-ii msn's ecnsuix, lmt reserve thy Judgment. Tills tbovoaU.—Totliluooni'.ojlriie trues Aii.l it uiut follow, as the night ths 6:r, ' Tli«!i t-KEst not than &■> f:J.-*3 to any Eiii."

Some (weitly yct'.r« oinoe, wlicn tlie ti\crnge ol posjlal couiiiiutiication and I rnflie bi-ltrcpn yiul _A ti;?it'tilia wtts larely under a hundred days—in those cnrlii r limes, when neither tlie yold of Cali-i'oi-niit nor yet of Victoria ]i;td "ittslonishcd a dazzled wrrlil — when emigration wan earned on ihnmtih iloatiner boxc.s of tub-like constmelioji ami snail like j:o\ve)'of proi^rcf-s

—))t ojn'silions were put forth with reference to the et-!ahllyhinent o( kiearncomnmnieation, ami thi-'.-e rival routes were projjoundetl, each clair.iiiio io l e lrcie ui serving than the other o! ('(.lottitil c<:>itis".de.ra;ion. Asi'aras memory server ns, those router) were by fSuez as at pie-ieiit',—fi'oin India by way of Torres' ytrait,-- ami iiom Loudon direct, ly the Ciijjo of Good Hope. Tlie ;;ro[ioisitionri wen; vigorously debated at the litne. IN'ew "Walcs'had a kimllv feeling for the Torres" [Strait line, which Kite thought would exercifie a lietiefieiitl itiIhiciia 1 iijum !:cr tr:nh; with Jutlia—Victoria projiotmccd einphinically it, declaring in favour of tht! Suez line, in which opinion South Auntvr.Via te.ul Tusmania corclially concnrrL'tl. I-'cw bad a word to ofi'ev in ad\o-f.-icv of I'iie r»}-o route, tmi \Vp-y V;\vk tht* hnriY>);t>od. 10 do so. -tvc.re iitiouiatized «» nrrmi\ or hvyti(Vurt u. Time wore, and neither of (he rhive routes were established; lint to acceleralo postal couimuiuc'.'.iiott, and to expedite and improve passenger traiV.c, sbip owners, ship buildeia. and ship brokers directed their attention to the construct ion of ;i i-hi.tt* of iVinr and powerful vessels, of which "Marco Polo.'' ' ]\ed Jacket.' ' and other renowned (i'.J '.»H\ 7 \ v.V\\\ v\\y\iv\s.v!f vl\« l>(\vvk V(ute fSiitr. an d iSlacliwafl Jine were the brilliant vcsuhn. These ships, though no longer itmii c;)/'j'icjs, are still fast and favourite passen-tiL-r packets, are servhi™ \hoiv tiuie, but like their chhubuHgie precursors are assutedly destined, at no very disisiul- date, io puss nwtiy.

\rv,w, l'vom bttoyivticv, tint! ! p!;i~iiciir Ji.'is been ];u'o-o]y e-mpioyt.'d in the J euiic-tnicl iuti of stcimi mid eOipper stiilitiy I nhi\<* —liner line* ;ircmore rvnailv p/in)iicc). ; slv.wpcr mid ele'.vncv ttitraitees aud depttrtures | aw jjjixrij oitsiVy ollVt-ltnl; with tlurlr ivovt I walcv yvw.y.wY\vv\v\ws. iu\«l( needn't y nuainst sinking in cant: of rupture of) any division .ire obfriiaeA; imrt a- .strong,' ijr.-tirful, wlioiesoitie ship is the rrsult. But. '.villi a\\ Uicw dccidcd tlu'ic is one oitjcfti'oii to iron Bhi'ps, for Iony; voy.iycf, whit.'li lias to be overcome. Tlit-ir bottoms fowl, with and barnacles, with astonnding vapi-.Uty. Nostrums in prevenf ion tii' lliii? p-ievuUij injury have been plentiful aa lilaclvberriea, but no really permanent preventivo litis vet, been discovered ; conseqwutly the ship which at the commoncemencement of her voyage star<3 on her comae sny at a ten knot apced is reduced to probably eight knots, or leas, before she reaches her destined haven. Here, in Auckland. we have had many splendid iron ships. None, however, ('Portland' jierhapH excepted) have made even a i'air average passage ; and ' Scimitar,' a brau new iron whip of hitch reputation, although now 100 days from the .Downs, has ntill to show hci number. Remedies for fouling are stili engaging the attention of the scientific. Wc hear that it has been proposed io subject the bottoms of iron ships to a process simiiat to thsil of japanning—and, again, fLat kauri gum has been selected as a trial coating lot one side of a frigate. The material and the method of constructing ships of war and of commerce are at this moment in a transition slate. All American is experimenting largely upon a ph>n of his own invention which, of course, hnsuotbeeii made public. In Jinglaml, one of the latest systems is to cover a frame of iron with plunking <>f teak, and then to sheathe the bottom with copper or j'clluw metal. Ships so built are costly, but as far as experience goes, they have answered every expectation. Teak, unlike other timber, does not corrode through coming in contact or beino fastened with iron. A model of equal sharpi ness, strength, and speed, as that obtainable by an entirely iron constructed ship is accomplished; her bottom, by means of her copper slieating, does not to tii; and whether under steam or under sail, her speed relaxes onh ! according to the pressure of the viiid or the oi Ler csgiiiijt. Tjivhj coaibiuaiioii

tihip we consider are destined to work a wonderful revolution on long sea passages, and now that the Black Ball, liable, and (■probably) "White St fir lines are directing tlieir attention and considering the propriety ot placing steam ships between England and Australasia on the long sea route bv the Cape, the construction of combination ships can sea rely be overlooked.

As yet passenger ships by that course have been merely experimental. Clippers have doue wonders :—- auxiliary steamers litt le or nothing, because their power has been nothing, and riie amount of steaming small. But with stiGicient, full powered steamers ot combiuat ion structure, what is there to prevent the passage from the Downs to Melbourne being reduced fn.ni 70 to -10 or -io days r—and with such a .speed what passenger would pay the price of .Suez, or incur the transit of Panama'; 1 It is only oilicials, or people of fortune who can encounter the heavy disbursements of Suez. It is not every one who wouid be billing to risk the sickliness of Panama. But with the rapidity of transit, under a new order of sbips, the. moderate rate of fare, and the absence of successive movements from ships to railways, and from railways to ships, who would hesitate embarking in a fitting Cape ot (mod Hope line of si-cam packets—and what; bettor mode l of communication' could possibly be devised r Give me." said Captain Pinell, of the ' Sea Kiiig,' of IUI-S gross tonnage, ~>X) hor.se power, which, with only IS days under steam, made the passage from Woolwich to Auckland in 77 days,—" give me a ship of double this ship's size and power, and 1 will deliver your mails aud passengers in Auckland from Southamptoin in iive-and-forty da ?'f ! " ® The practicability of such performance.'* is a matter of the deepest consequence to every colony of Australia which pays lavishly for its mails, receives but a sprinkling of passengers, and can never be votoniscd bv way of Suez. To Auckland, Olago, and Southland, thrown out ol the pale of (lie coiilcinpluted Panama route, and to the proprietors of the Black Ball, Eagle, and White Star lines, about to commence a monthly Cape communication, rho performance of the ' Sea King' is suggestive of an entirely new order of things, whilst 1o Northern and Southern New Zealand such an improved line would render Suez and Panama- matter* of i-om-p.'-rative inditierence. Willi an outward passage of-if) days by way of the Cape ol Good .[Tope, (the small iuw steamer "Dingo," ol 530 tons register, 150 horse power, inadi the run to iielliouruo in oL days), and with 1 a lorty days' passage to England, nw Cape lloin, what more ccuhl passenger:; or postal communication require'■