Racer, 16, Com. A. Reed, part. serv., Ireland. Redwing, st. v. Com. T. Bevis, Liverpool. Resistance, st. v. Com. E. G. E. Patey, part. serv. Rhadamanthus, 2, st. troop-ship, Master-com. T. Lean, part. serv. Ireland. Rodney, 92, Capt. R. Maunsell, c.B., on passage to Cape of Good Hope. Rose, 16, sloop, Com. H. R. Sturt, part. serv. Ireland. Royal Sovereign, yacht, Capt. Sir W. O, Pell, c.â., Pembroke. Royalist, Lieut, com. P. Chetwode, East Indies. St. Vincent, 120, flag-ship, of Admiral Sir. C. Rowley, Captain R. F. Rowley, C.B., Portsmouth. Salamander, 4, st. v. Com. A. S. Hammond, Rio de Janeiro. Samarang, Capt. Sir E. Belcher, C.B., East Indes. San Josef, 110, Rear Admiral Sir S. Pym, K.C.B.; Capt. F. W. Burgoyne, guard-ship, Plymouth. Sappho, 16, Com. the Hon. G. Hope, Cape of Good Hope. Sapphire, troop-ship, Master Com, G. H. Cole, part serv. Savage, 10, brig, Lieut.-com. J. H. Bowker, Mediterranean. Seaflower, 4, cutter, Com. N. Robilliard, Portsmouth. Shearwater, 2, st. v. Capt. J. Washington, Woolwich. Siren, 10, brig, captain, W. Smith, (b) China. Skylark, 6, brig, Lieut.- J. A. Wright. Chatham. Snake, 16, sloop, Com. Hon. W. B. Devereux, Mediterranean. Snipe, Lieut. G. Raymond, Portsmouth. Soudan, iron st. v. Ascension. Spartan, 26, Capt. Hon. C. G. J. B. Elliot, N. America and West Indies. Spider, 6, sch. Lieut.-com. R. E. Pym, South America. Spiteful, 6. st. v. Com. W. Maitland, East Indies. Sprightly, 1, st. v. Master-com. J. P. Moon, (act), Holyhead. Spy, 3, Lieut.-com. G. Raymond, Cape of Good Hope. Starling, cutter surveying vessel, Capt. H. Kellett, c.B., China. Sulphur, Com. G. Smith, engineer depot, Woolwich. Swift, 6, brig, Lieut.-com. J. Douglas, Brazils. Sydenham, st. v. Lieut.-com. Crozier, Lakes of Canada. Sylvia, 6, Lieut.-com. E. E. Turnour, Portsmouth. Talbot, 26, Sir R. T. Thompson, bart., South America. Tartarus, st. v. Capt. F. Bullock, survey, Ramsgate, &c. Terror, 10, discovery vessel, Com. F. R. M. Crozier, part. serv. Thalia, 42, Capt. C. Hope, East Indies. Thunder, 6, surveying vessel, Com. E. Barnet, North America and West Indies. Thunderbolt, 6, st. v. Com. G. M. Broke, Cape of Good Hope. Thunderer, 84, Capt. D. Pring, Cape of Good Hope. Tortoise, 2, store ship, Master-com. J. Wood, New South Wales. Tweed, 20, Com. H. C. D. Douglas, North America and West Indies. Tyne, 26, Capt. W. Glasscock, part. serv. Ireland. Vanguard, 80, Capt. Sir D. Dunn, Kt. к.c.H. Mediterranean. Vesuvius, 4, steam frigate, Com. E. Ommanney, Mediterranean. Victoria, and Albert, st. v. Capt. Lord A. Fitz-clarence, K.C. B. Woolwich. Victory, 104, Rear Admiral H. Parker, c.B. Capt. W. H. Henderson, C.B., K.H. Woolwich. Vindictive, 50, Rear Admiral Sir T. J. Cochrane, Kt. Capt. J. T. Nicolas, C.B.K.H., China. Viper, 6, brigantine, Lieut.-com. J. Carter, South America. Virago, st. v. 6, Com. E. Otway, Chatham. Vixen, steam frigate. Com. G. Giffard, East Indies. Volage, 26, Capt. Sir W. Dickson, bart. North America and West Indies. Volcano, st. v. Lieut.-com. J. Featherstone, part. serv. Wanderer, 16, sloop, Com. G. H. Seymour, East Indies. Warspite, 50, captain Lord J. Hay, c. B., West Indies. Wasp, 16, Com. A. Drew, West Indies. Waterwitch, 10, brig, Lieut.-com. H. J. Matson, Cape of Good Hope. Widgeon, 1, st. v. Master-com. T. Swain Scriven, Dover. Wilberforce, st. v. (iron) Com. H. F. Seagram, Woolwich. Wildfire, 1, st. v. Lieut.-com. C. A. Petch. Deptford. William and Mary, yacht, Captain Sir F. Augustus Collier, Kt., c.B., K.C.H., Woolwich. Winchester, 50, flag-ship of Rear Admiral the Hon.Jocelyn Percy, Captain Eden, Cape of Good Hope. Wolf, 18, Com. C. O. Hayes, China. Wolverine, 17, T. S. W. Johnson, China. Zephyr, 1, st. v. Lieut.-com. J, Smail, Holyhead! H.M.S. PENELOPE.-The attention of the nautical world is at this moment especially directed to the experiment that has been made upon the Penelope, in converting her from a sailing frigate to a first class war steamer. If the result should prove satisfactory, and of that there does not now appear to be the least doubt, two very important advantages will be gained. In the first place, a steamer of a novel class, and of greater magnitude than any now in the service, will be introduced into the navy, which will be enabled to carry what none of the present war steamers can, a powerful armament on her main deck as well as on her quarter-deck and forecastle. She will have engines of 700 horse power, whereas the largest engines now in use are under 500 horse power. In addition to which she will be rigged in the same manner, and carry as great a spread of canvas, as when she was only a sailing frigate. But the more important part of this experiment is the fact that we shall be enabled to obtain a powerful steam frigate at a saving of upwards of £40,000, for, from a calculation that has been made, it appears that the conversion of this vessel into a steamer, notwithstanding all its greater capabilities, does not cost so much by the above sum as the building and equipping one of the present first class steamers. The Penelope was of a class of the old school of frigates, of which there are at present lying in ordinary in the river and at the outports, somewhere about forty sail, all in good preservation, but all, nevertheless, useless as sailing ships, owing to their inferior qualities. The Penelope steam frigate was commissioned on Wednesday by Captain William Jones, who formerly commanded the Vestal. The attention of the naval word has of late been directed to this vessel, recently converted from a sailing frigate, of a useless class, to a powerful war steamer, 245 feet long, and fitted with engines of a power surpassing anything hitherto made, either for land or sea purposes, the cylinder being 92 inches in diameter. The Penelope is one of the old class 46 gun ships, built on the lines of the French Hebe, at Chatham, in 1830. There are nearly forty of this class of vessels lying in ordinary at the several ports, none of which are, from their comparative dimensions, suited to cope with the frigates of foreign navies, either in size, capability of armament, or equipment, and have, therefore, become nothing more than blanks in the list of the British navy, although they could not have been built at a less cost than £2,000,000 sterling. The Lords of the Admiralty, with the commendable view of rendering these vessels serviceable to the country, have caused the Penelope to be converted, as an experiment, into a steam frigate, in order to ascertain if they can be made available to the service as war-steamers. If the experiment should prove successful, and of that there is now hardly a doubt, these ships can be converted into a steam-fleet of enormous power, and at a cost of less than one quarter of the amount it would require to build them. The Penelope can stow fuel to last her sixteen days with full steaming power; and by husbanding the consumption of coals by working at the full, half, or quarter stroke in cutting off the steam, the capabilities can be increased to twenty-four days' steaming, which, with the aid of sail, will take the ship to the Cape of Good Hope in about a month from England, with a regiment of 800 soldiers, in addition to her crew of 300 men, giving ample accommodation to all. She will be furnished with an armament that is astounding to all who are acquainted with the power of naval gunnery—namely, 2 10-inch pivot guns of 84 cwt. each, 8 68-pounders (all shell guns), and 14 32-pounders on the spar and main-decks, making in all twenty-four guns of a description that will enable her, having the power from her steam of taking a commanding position, to bid defiance to any two ships of the line. She is to be fitted with her masts, yards, and spars at Chatham, to which port she will proceed, having yesterday been inspected by the Lords of the Adiniralty.-Naval and Military Gazette. NEW BOOKS. THE CLOSING EVENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN IN CHINA; the operations in the Yangtse-Kiang.-By Capt. Granville G. Loch, R.N.-London: Murray, 1842. This is the work of an officer and a gentleman. Capt. Loch sees passing events and scenes with the eye of an officer of experience and judgment, and relates them with the tone and expression of an English gentleman. We are indebted for this account of the closing events of a war, which will be memorable in history as the first ever effectually waged against the Chinese by any European power, and which humbled the pride of the celestials, let us hope to their improvement, and to the advantage of this country. All the principal events of this war, have been successively placed before our readers, in the public despatches, but the journal of Capt. Loch, before us, supplies many an interesting anecdote of personal adventure, attending those events which throws considerable light on this extraordinary people, and their country. We shall therefore turn at once to the main object of the expedition, the capture of Nanking, which produced the celebrated treaty, the first interview leading to which is thus related :-" Operations would have commenced at daylight, but Mandarins," says Capt. Loch, "came off at midnight beseeching that another interview might be arranged for the following day, when the Imperial commission would be produced. "14th, after breakfast I accompanied Major Malcolm and Messrs. Morrison and Thom, on shore to the interview, which was to decide whether the Chinese would yield to our demands. "It took place in a large temple situated in the suburbs under the south wall, and a short distance from the canal up which we proceeded in the Queen's ENLARGED SERIES.-NO. 8.-voL FOR 1843, 4 D cutter, by an opening cut through heavy rafts of timber drawn across its entrance to block up the passage. Several large junks full of stones had also been sunk athwartships, but these were burst and broken up into various portions by the strength of the current, leaving ample room for an unobstructed onward progress to the largest boat. "We landed on a rickety bamboo pier constructed for our accommodation, and were instantly surrounded by a crowd composed of the lowest order, who appeared eager to see specimens of the formidable barbarians,' and the sight to men, who judge by size and muscle, must have been humiliating to their self love, as we were all of slight build, and moreover, had come quite unprepared for the show. Linen, clean I hope, but for weeks unacquainted with iron or mangle; shoes that would have done good service on the moors, and coats of modest cut and old acquaintance, with the exception of the gallant Secretary's gaily braided affair, which by the by, was most unhappily contrasted with his nether garments. "Two of the party, if not all four, were under thirty,—an age in a Chinaman's eyes undeserving of respect. "We were received at the entrance of the spacious court of the temple, by a levy of mandarins, from the blue to the brass button. Different from us, they rustled in embroidered silks and flowered muslin of a design and beauty of texture, worthy even to deck the forms of our own fair dames. They marshalled us with many obsequious bows, and really much graceful courtesy into the great hall of audience, where Mr. Secretary Whang,' and the Tartar General Chin,' were standing to receive us. After Mr. Morrison had severally introduced us, we sat down in chairs that would have held two Daniel Lamberts, round a square table. Whang opposite Malcolm, I next to Chin, and Mr. Thom opposite to me. Mr. Morrison retired to another table to translate some papers. 66 Whang, a man of seven or eight and thirty, is considered one of the most rising statesmen in China, and his manners and conversation marked him a perfect gentleman. I do not remember ever having met, even in my own country a person of more gentle and polished manner or courteous breeding than this Chinese, so different from the majority of his countrymen in their intercourse with foreigners. The General was a portly old veteran of about sixty, wearing a little grey tufted beard, a plain dress, crystal ball and peacock's feather. His red ball had been taken away for some offence shortly before our arrival. "The other mandarins stood round among the servants, and listened, as is the universal custom to all that was discussed. "At the door were a few peacekeepers or police, wearing red felt conical caps, each topped with a peacock's feather, which traversed round upon a swivel. They were armed with cow-hide whips, which they kept in pretty frequent use upon the shoulders of the pressing and chattering rabble outside. "While Mr. Morrison was transcribing copies of his papers, tea was handed round by the attendants, and whether drank or not, a hot cup every two or three minutes superseded the colder beverage. "When the writing was finished Malcolm produced the patent from Her Majesty, appointing him Secretary of Legation; this was to shew that he was the accredited and proper person to negociate on the part of the Envoy. After this was looked at he displayed Sir Henry Pottinger's, which was translated verbatim by Mr. Thom, and the Queen's seal and signature pointed out to the deputies. Major Malcolm then demanded to see the Emperor's commission, which, after some little delay and great ceremony, was brought forth from a chest by a mandarin under whose special charge it appeared to be. He carried the roll of yellow in both his hands, and proceeded, his eyes reverentially fixed upon it, with slow and solemn steps towards the table, and placed it in the hands of Whang with tenderness and forced resignation. The produce of the silk wrap per was a little shabby yellow box, badly made and worse painted, containing the power, which Morrison on examination pronounced, as far as he was able to judge, authentic. "I was greatly amused watching the anxious and horrified faces of the various Chinese, when Mr. Morrison touched the commission, and I thought the old keeper would have fainted on the spot when he, for an instant, held it in his hand. "In China the same respect is paid to an imperial edict, or the mark of the vermillion pencil, that with us, the sovereign only receives in person. There are many powers delegated by sign manual throughout the empire, and in these cases the same homage is bestowed upon the written name of the emperor, that is, in other countries, only yielded to the prince himself. "After our skeleton treaty was satisfactorily arranged, and written both in Chinese and English, one copy being kept by the Mandarins, the other by Malcolm, for Sir Henry's inspection, we rose to depart, and the old general laughingly remarked that the conditions were hard, but after all, were only what they would have demanded under similar circumstances; that a war between nations might be likened to a game of chance, in which the loser must pay the winner; that this time they were the unfortunates, from having neglected the art of war during centuries of peace and prosperity; that our ships were our stronghold and glory, and had proved their curse." The Chinese general will prove wrong in the course of time, and could he live long enough, would gladly acknowledge it. The time has arrived, when the exclusive policy of the Chinese, forbidding the approach of all external benefits, must cease. With the outline of their treaty the party repaired to the ships to prepare for the subsequent ceremony, which our space tells us must be reserved for our next number. THE SHIP OWNERS' AND SHIPMasters' DirectoRY to the Port Charges, and all the depths of water, at the varions places for loading and discharging vessels in Great Britain and Ireland; together with similar information respecting many of the principal Foreign Ports, &c.-By James Daniel.-Taylor, 103, Minories; and Daniel & Co., Aberdeen. A valuable collection of important facts, which every one having an interest in shipping affairs should possess for reference. The conception of such a work was excellent, and here is a good beginning to what must hereafter become another standard work for mariners; but it can only become so by constant watchfulness on the part of the compiler, to enhance its value by the particulars of each new port as they become known. We recommend the author to follow it up with another series as soon as possible, there are many important ports such as Funchal, the Cape, Callao, &c., and scores of minor ones which should not be neglected. A TREATISE ON ARITHMETIC IN THEORY AND PRACTICE; with an appendix, containing an introduction to Mensuration.-By James Thompson, L.L.D., Professor of Mathematics in the University of Glasgow.-London, Simms and McIntyre. We can commend this as a concise treatise on arithmetic, to those of our readers on shore or afloat, engaged in, or entering on, the subject. The different terms of arithmetic are well explained, the rules for the various branches clearly laid down, and the examples explicit and satisfactory. The rules for brief or mental calculation are given in an appendix, which may be consulted with advantage, and a note is also added on Horner's Method of Resolving Equations. To these commendations we must not omit to add that the work before us is the twenty-third edition, in itself no unimportant mark of its value. ELEMENTS OF PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY, with the first principles of Analytic Geometry-By James Thompson, L.L.D. &c., 3rd. edition. -Belfast, Simms and McIntyre. It will be sufficient to state here, that the author's aim has been, "throughout |
