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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6899, 10 February 1894, Page 3

A London correspondent writes : — The Gothic is an exceedingly fine and spacious vessel, and will m many respects bear comparison with the greyhounds of the Atlantic and the new boats of the Australian service. Her strong points are, however, her refrigerating apparatus and her frozen meat capacity. She will carry 80,000 carcases of mutton, and her cool chambers are so fitced that the engineer, Mr Reid, promises that if New Zealanders will only agree as to tha exact temperature at which they would like their butter carried, he will keep within a range of five degrees. I may mention, era parentliene, that Mr Henry Reynolds, who has for the past five years made the temperature question his particular study, urges that the best possible range for butter is between 26 and 30deg. However, to get back to the Gothic. Over all she is 513 feet m length, and has a beam of 53 feet, and has three decks out of water. The topmoßt is the promenade deck ; aft is the smoke-room, with bar and lavatory adjacent. The smokeroom is a most comfortably fitted up snuggery, a perfect haven of rest. Here are most luxrious lounges and chairs upholstered m a dark crocodile leather. The floor is covered with thick linoleum, or similar substance, of a pretty pattern, whilst quaint pictures hang upon the walls, and the roof is a replica m miniature of the dome of Henry Vll. 's chapel, through the stained glass of which the electric light shines with beautiful effect. Forward of the smoke room and separated therefrom by the main hatchway, are cabins, and then comes the library. This room is beautifully decorated m oak and gold, and contains plenty of comfortable seats, 500 volumes, and a piano. It is roofed m with a glass dome, and is a picture of what an up-to-date ship's library should be. Forward again, and beyond the magnificent oak staircase leading into the saloon, are cabins, including three bridal chambers, beautifully fitted up and decorated m white and gold. For these special cabins, the Company want 85 guineas per adult. The remaining cabins on this deck can be secured at from 70 to 75 guineas. The upper deck is rather longer than the promenade deck Aft are the quarters of the ship's officers, a large lavatory, the barber's shop, and adjacent to the saloon, the purser's office on the one side, and a two- berth cabin on the other. The saloon, which seats about 100 persons, is wainscotted and pannelled m light oak, and the four rows of pillars, the panels of the walls, the beams and the ceiling are all beautifully carved and decorated. The windows are glazed with stained glass, having the figures and ornaments outlined and shaved m with fillings-in of pale yellow. The main table seats 24 people, and the side tables, ten m number, will seat eight a-piece. of the saloon are more cabins, furnished as those on the promenade deck and similarly decorated. On the main deck are the bulk of the cabins and the appertaining offices. The Gothic carries no second-class passengers, but, as a matter of fact, her steerage accommodation is equal m most respects to the second class of many boats. The third-class passengers are berthed aft, right over the screw on the upper deck. In the berths the bed frames pre of iron, permanently fixed, and the berths are roomy and well ventilated. There is also a flue dining room, with a special larder adjoining, and the electric light has been brought into this portion. Time will not allow of a fuller description of the magnificent boat, but she is well worth inspection.