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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 277, 20 June 1868, Page 3

We read in the New York Ileralcl: —The following extract from Farragut's report on the performance of Her Britannic Majesty's ironclad, Water Witch, 700 tons, IGO horse power, will interest those of our readers who are interested in marine affairs. The vessel referred to is driven by what is called the Ruthveii hydraulic propeller, which is claimed to be far superior to anything hitherto used. A company has been organised in this city to bring out this invention : " From the Excellent we went an board the Water Witch. This vessel is an ironclad of about 700 tons, carries two 8-inch rifled guns, and is propelled in a most novel manner. The water rises from below into the box, whence the rotatory pump worked by steam throws it with great violence into two square boxes placed on the outside of the_ vessel, one on each side, nearly amidships, and about the water line. These boxes or square tubes, ten or twelve feet long and twelve inches in diameter, open at both ends. Near the centre is a valve, under the control of the officer of the deck, and as he turns in the water is thrown with great force, either fore or aft, thus propelling the vessel ahead or astern at his will. So soou as we got on board we proceeded out of the harbor, and to my amazement, she went ahead at a speed of seven or eight miles per hour, against a fresh breeze and quite a sea. _ The machinery, when once put in motion, had no interruption until we were alongside the wharf again The movements of the vessel are entirely controlled,by the officer of the deck, who by manoeuvring the valves above spoken of, can go ahead, back astern, or turn the vessel upon her centre, all of which was done with great ease, and whilst I was on board. On her return from Spithead to the wharf she made quite as much as nine knots her hour up to within fifty or sixty yards of the wharf, when she was suddenly checked and brought to the wharf with infinitely more ease than any steamer I ever saw, notwithstanding she is a heavy vessel, plated with Minches of iron." It will be observed that the AVater Witch has neither paddles, screw or rudder, all those offices being performed by the hydraulic moters, under the easy control of the oflicer of the deck. The 'Army and Navy Gazette' states that the relations between the Commodore on the Australian station and the Captain of the Galatea (for in that light we must regard his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh) were uot conducted in a very regular manner during the time that the G-alatea was within the bounds of Captain Lambert's command. The senior officer on ore occasion is said to have communicated to his junior the orders he had received from the Admiralty, and the latter, by way of answer, replied by telegraph that he had late orders in his possesion which rendered him independent, and much more to the same effect. If His Koyal Highness is in charge of the property of the public merely for his own gratification or for state reasons, the fact should have been intimated to the officers on the different stations which he has visited, and is about to visit, so that no contretemps should have been permitted to exist; but if lie is visiting different quarters of her Majesty's dominions as a Captain of the lloyal Navy, ho should be prepared to act as any other officer of uis rank would on meeting with a superior.