Rather more than ordinary interest attaches to the steamer Mee-foo, inasmuch as she is the first steamer thai has been, if not exactly built, atony rate re-constructed, for trade with foreign ports, under the auspi ofa Chinese Company. She was formerly an iron barque called the Benclutha, and was towed down to Shanghai in July of last year, having been bought as a wreck by a Tepresentative of the firm of Messrs. S.C, Farnham & Ao, She then went into the ook belonging to that firm at Tang-ka-doo, and it was decided to convert her into a screw steamer for Chinese passenger trafic, Accordingly on Saturday, the 17th of April, after having been cut through about the contre, the forward part was drawn 67 feot 6 inches away from the other, (a cou-siderable number of visitors witnessing the operation). To this extent she has been lengthened, and fitted with compound direct-acting inverted cylinder engines of 160-horse power nominal, supplied by the firm of Messrs. W. B. Thompson & Ca., Dundee. Her high pressure cylinder is 30 inches in diameter, low pressure, 56; length ofatroke, 36. here are two tubular boilers, constructed by Messrs. S. 0. Farnham &Ov., L1feotG inches in length and 12 feet 4 inches in diameter, and a vertical superheater i attached, feet high and 8 feet in diameter. Bach boiler has three furnaces. the ateamer's shaft will work in a water-tight tunnel 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. Hor dimensions are:—Length of main deck, 271 feet; length over all, 205; beam amidships, 93; depth of upper deck 7 feet G inches. depth between decks, 7 feet 8 inch depth of hold, 12 feet 6 inches; total depth, 26 fect 3 inches. Her tonnage is 1,284 net, and 1,745 gross. She has patent steam' starting year and governor and turning gear, There are four water-tanks, with a capacity of 20,000 gallons, and two condensers that will make 1,000 gallons of fresh water per day. Of the eight boats, tree are life-boats fitted with air tanks, and four of them are provided with patent tripping gear, Sie has been provided with a 12-inch whistle, the largest on the Coast, that ut the©.C.8.N, Co.'s steamer Sin Nanzing coming next, with a diameter 0f,10 inches. Her course will be steered by three American spirit compasses, which we understand are considered by' many nautical men the best now in use. The saloon is aft, on the main deck, and is roomy and tastefully decorated; four state-rooms for foreign passengers lead out of it and a bath-room and other conveniences are close at hand. The store-room, sail-room and pantry are just forward of the saloon, A house 11 feet 4 inches in length, by 13 feet 4 inches in width, with a height of 6 feet 6 inches, has been erected on the upper deck for the special use of Chinese passengers who wish to amoke opium. We have not heard of anything of this kind on a steamer before. On the large steamers that cross the Pacific Ocean, a space is divided off on the main deck for their use, but there is no other provision made, Chinese passengers, with a hospital and doctor's quarters. "The officers' rooms are on the upper deck forward. The galleys are large and fitted with every convenience there is one for the cabin, one for the use of the crew, and another for the Chinese passengers; this latter contains two steam boilers for cooking rice and also tivo ranges.
The carrying capacity of the steamer will be about $0,000 plout We understand that the steamer, whose name was selected for her by H.E. Li Hanzchang, is at present owned by Mr. C. P. Blethen, and will sail under the American flag, the ayonts for the vessel being the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company. She is to run between the Southern ports, Honolulu and San Francisco. Captain Cunningham, Late of the C.MLS.N. Co.'s steamer eli, takes the command, his place on the smaller steamer being taken by Captain Warwick. Mr. Pomquist, recently second officer on board the Haeting, will he chief oticer, and Mr. Banfield, late of the Kiangpiau, has received the appointment of second mate. Mr. Clements, late chief engineer on the Haeting, will' take charge of the engines.
On the 13th instant, the Mec.foo went down to the Inuer Lightship and back for atrial trip. Punctually at eight o'clock in the morning as the gun was fired from the Spanish man-of-war at short distance from where the Mee-foo was lying just above the Oki Dock, the Stars and Stripes were hoisted astern, and the ensign of the China Merchants' Steam Navigation "Company rose to the main, 'A number of ladies and gentlemen, who had been invited to avail themselves of the trip as a pleasure excursion, were on board. Among them were Captain L, Kalgneras of the Russian corvette Nayesduil:, Captain Barton, Government Marine Surveyor at Shanghai, Dr. Mac-awan, and gentlemen from the offices of messrs. Primrose and Ao., and Messrs. Siemssen and Ca., and Captain Pratt of the Kiangteen. The firm of Messrs. S. Farnham and Ca. was represented by Messrs. ©. P. Blethen and F. W. Galles. Mr. Chin' Fai-ting and several Chinese gentlemen connected with the China Merchants' Company arrived about 8.15. The amer east off from the Wharf at 8.30, the tide being flood. The Naval Yard was passed at 8.45; the ' Heaven-sent Barrier" at 9.40; the Red Buoy at 10; the Hellespont at 10.43; the Little Beacon at 11.07; and the Inner Lichtship at 11.40. 'Thus x distance of 28 miles in three hours' and ten minutes. All the awnings were spread, the wind was against her all the way, and the tide als far as Woosung She drew 10 feet 10 forward, and 13 feet 2 inches 4 were about 3,600 pien ust as the Mee-foo arrived ship, the C.M.
used her inva whistles as a salute. "This was retried in a very impressive ima Phe Mee foo wow turned round to return to Shang!
'Just as the vessel's figurehead pointed towards Shanghai, the very welcome nouncement was uiade that tiffin was randy After tifin in the saloon, Dr. Macgo rose and said he must congratulate Mr. ©. P. Blethen and the Eh Merchants' Steam Navigation Company on the success of their enterprise with-regard to this vessel. They had induced the "Mountain of Clyde" (Benclutha), like a coy maiden to change her name; she had given a silent assent, as coy maidens sometimes do, All the Indies then in the saloon, he felt convinced, had derived considerable advantage from a similar alteration. He had no doubt that the vessel's now name, which si poetically "Wealth and Beauty, prosaically, America and Wealth," waa an auspicious one, There could be no doubt as to the fact of the vessel possessing beauty, and he confidently anticipated that the owners would find their riches increased in the future by means of her exertions. She had formerly borne "the flag that braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze," and the present company sat under the spangled flag on which Heaven had cast its sunshine for more than a hundred years, He supposed that a time would come when she would carry the dragon flag into distant porta. He hoped that the vessel would live toa ripe old age; and that she would never be sent to sea after she had ceased to be fully able to contend successfully with the elements, but that in some quiet harbour she would terminate her career peacefully, Referring to the Hochung, the doctor remarked that the Chinese might have received an impression from the published. reports of the case, that the United States Government had been unjust and harsh in its action, but news had been received, dated the 24th of August, that the President was about to issue a proclamation. by which the Hochung would be admitted to the port of San Francisco on the sate footing as the vessels of the most favoured nation. The Chinese Government now knew, and the Japanese Government would soon know, that the American people did not wish to have a dollar in their Treasury that had not been legally and honourably acquired. He then proposed the health of the owner, that of the officers of the vessel, and success to the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, expressing the hope that the ship would always be commanded by as skilful, faithful and fearless men as her present set of officers, The speech was received with enthusiasm, and as there were no alcoholic beverages on the table, their places were supplied by soda, water, lemonade, tea and coffee, As the steamer approached the Woosung Bar, it was evident nits there was not sufficient water to allow her to cross it, a0 that, as one gentleman facetiously remarked, the Tomperance steamer was detained at the Bar for want of water after all." An opportunity was afforded by the anchor being cast at 1.40, to exhibit the mode of working the steam windlass, which is worke by a high pressure double cylinder engine, which can be worked up to 50-horse power. This engine is placed below, it being much better to have it there than on deck, as it is more easily kept clean, The windlass was supplied by Messrs, Matthew Paul and Ca., of Dumbarton, and we are informed that the only one like it on the coast is that on board the Hankwang. It is so constructed that one man can control its action, and can let out one anchor, and heave in on the other; or pay out or haul in both simultaneously, as desired.
The anchor was w Mee-tuo passed the Red Buoy Marks at 4.53.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.