ENGINEERS OF STEAM-VESSELS. 13 



we arrived at Milford. A few hours later, the 

 Alburkah came into the harbour ; and her com- 

 mander Captain Hill fully corroborated by his 

 testimony my good opinion of his vessel. The 

 Columbine not being able to get round Holy 

 Head the day she sailed, was forty-eight hours 

 longer on the passage. 



During our stay at Milford, where we were 

 detained until the 219th, waiting the arrival of 

 Mr. Lander, we discharged one of the engineers, 

 and entered another from one of the post-office 

 packets. The great demand for this description 

 of men, and the high rate of wages they can get 

 on shore, render it very difficult for vessels engag- 

 ed on foreign service to obtain them : we were ob- 

 liged to pay 16/. per month for men who on shore 

 would not have earned more than 30^. per week. 

 This is a great drawback on the introduction of 

 steam-vessels generally abroad ; and until the pro- 

 fession of mechanical engineering is considered a 

 fit pursuit for respectable young men, it must 

 remain so. On board a steam-vessel every officer 

 should be perfectly independent of the engineer ; 

 each should be capable of working the engines, 

 and of judging whether the different parts of the 

 machinery are kept in proper order or not. The 



