74 APPENDIX. 



vessel, the advantages of such economy is not felt ; the more particularly- as passengers are 

 chiefly what is conveyed, the competition of other vessels renders speed of such value, as to 

 be obtained at any cost. On the contrary, with vessels destined for long voyages as that of 

 America, the greater portion of the vessel must be devoted to coals, and the less mer- 

 chandise can be carried, when it will probably form a more important consideration. The 

 speed will be bought at greater expense, although less valuable ; and when it becomes the 

 interests of commanders to increase the capability of their vessels for distance, instead of 

 giving them the greatest possible speed, much will be effected by the management of the 

 working power of the engine, combined with the use of sails in the varied circumstances 

 a vessel must have to contend with, in a voyage of such length. 



The above calculations of the length of voyage, that may be performed by a vessel of 

 large power and tonnage, are founded upon the performances of Her Majesty's ship Medea, 

 which I have preferred, from this vessel being of the largest class, and from its speed, 

 consumption of fuel, &c. being accurately recorded, but more particularly from its having 

 been employed by Dr. Lardner as data in similar calculations ; by which he appears to 

 demonstrate the impracticability of making a longer voyage than 2000 miles. 



The more recent private vessels built expressly for the purpose of making a long voyage, 

 give results completely superior to the Medea, as may be seen particularly in the voyages 

 of the Honourable East India Company's steamers Atalanta and Berenice to Bombay, by 

 the Cape of Good Hope. 



Th Atalanta is of 630 tonnage and 210 horse power ; she made the voyage from Falmouth 

 to the Cape of Good Hope, a distance by the log of 6935 miles, having much adverse 

 weather to contend with, in 37 days 16 hours, steaming, at an average speed of 7'67 miles 

 per hour ; her consumption of coals being 14 tons 1 1 cwt. per day, or at the rate of less 

 than 6^ Ibs. per horse power per hour : she performed the voyage from Fernandez Po to the 

 Cape of Good Hope, a distance by log of 2373 miles, in one stage in 14 days 10 hours, 

 with a consumption of 213 tons of coals. 



The Berenice, which is of 680 tons and 230 horse power, made the voyage from Falmouth 

 to Fernandez Po, 4796 miles in 22 days 22 hours, or at an average rate of 8'72 miles per 

 hour, and at an average consumption of coals of 16 tons 3 cwt. per day, or 6'56 Ibs. per horse 

 power per hour. She is able to carry 330 tons of coals, and therefore, if steaming, a distance 

 of 4290 miles. In fact she performed the voyage from Bonavista to Fernandez Po, a distance 

 by log of 2272 miles, and consumed less than half her cargo of coals. 



The results of these voyages are indeed so favourable, as to set the question at rest as to 

 the practicability of the American voyage : the consumption of fuel has been so reduced 

 by the superior construction of manner of working the engines, that these vessels, although 

 comparatively small, are enabled to perform a voyage much exceeding that to New York ; 

 and consequently the American Steam Company's vessels, whose capabilities for distance 

 are greater in the ratio of 7 to 9, from the superior tonnage and power, must perform the 

 voyage under any circumstances, with the greatest facility. 



ON IRON STEAM BOATS. 



It is necessary to mention, among the improvements which are likely to add to the capa- 

 bilities of steam vessels for making long voyages, the introduction of iron as the material 



