The first French steamer ever built in Shanghai waslaunchedon Tuesday afternoon from the yard of her constructors, Messrs. Boyd & Ca. A platform, carpeted, and Aecorated with greenery and flowers and flags, had been erected at the head of the worl, and was approached by along incline lined with flags, Here Molle, Brunat, the steamer's fair godmother, took her stand, accompanied by M. Wagner, French Conaul-General, with Mme. and Molle, Wagner, M., Mme., and Molle, Suzame Brunat, M. Chapsul, agent of the Messageries Maritimes, for whom the steamer has been built," and other representatives of the French and English comnnnity. A tem-altar had been erected on the platform, and when all was ready, Pere aris, the assumption of whose rol crowds of Chinese below noisy awe, performed the appropriate religious service, leusing the vessel and pri i holy water. The servi Brunat took the bottle of champagne, decorated with flowers, in her hand. "The signal was given dashed the bottle against the vessel with the words, poo!" the new French mail tender glided mostgracefully into the river whose name she dears, An adjournment was then made tothe moulding loft verandah, where a large com-Pony of dies and genllomen soon assem Champagne and cake were handed round, and the healths of the Whangpoo, of Bach the builders Messrs. Boyd & Ca., of the ladies and Molle, Brunat, and of Mr. Prentice, the designer of the steamer, were enthusinstically drunk, and then the active little steam-launches took the company back in dotachtnents to Shanghai, undaunted by the rain. The new steamer is No. 31 on Messrs, Hoya & Co,'s list. Her dimensions are, length overall, 111 feet 4 inches; between perpendiculars, 105 feet 6 inches; breadth moulded, 19 feet 5 inches; depth moulded, 10 feet 8 inches. She is to be fitted with a Pair of inverted surface-condensing compound engines with cylinders of 20 and 38 inches, and 97 inches stroke. Her boiler in of steel, 12 feet in diameter, and 10 feet 3 inches long; and her indicated horse-owe, will be about 700, She is tobe for passengers, like the P. & 0. Co.'s tender Gutloff.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.