Clippers Romance of the Sea and David Brown.

It is not a matter of much interest to the public as to the particular sailing qualities of any one ship, and yet there has been quite an interest manifested in regard to the comparative sailing of the Romance of the Sea, belonging to Boston, and the David Brown, belonging to New York, in their recent voyages from their respective ports to San Francisco and thence to China.

An article in the Placier Times, published at San Francisco, and which came to hand by the last California mail, has been republished on this side. That article seems, at least, to have a leaning towards the merits of the sailing of the David Brown, not justified by the facts, and we therefore correct it for the purpose preventing a wrong statement becoming history, for the want of being corrected.

The article commences by saying that the Romance of the Sea made the passage from Boston to San Francisco in 96 days, and the David Brown, from New York, in 98 days. Now the fact is that the David Brown sailed from the port of New York 3 days and some hours in advance of the Romance of the Sea from Boston, and the latter ship arrived out, anchored, and had her sails furled before the David Brown came to anchor. There is no truth, therefore, in saying that there was out 2 days difference out, when in fact the difference was nearly 3½ days in favor of the Romance of the Sea.

The article goes on and states that the David Brown discharged 2500 tons merchandise, and theRomance of the Seas about 2000 tons. Now the fact is, the David Brown carried over to China about 700 tons of her outward cargo, discharging, therefore, only about 1800 tons, while the Romance of the Seas discharged her whole cargo of 2000 tons. The David Brown retained 700 tons of her outward cargo, which took the place of so much ballast across to China, whereas the Romance had to take in her entire ballast.

It will not perhaps be necessary to follow the article much farther in its details, -- and it may be sufficient to say that the general misstatement offact pervades it in other respects. The ships left the harbor of San Francisco together, and the Romance of the Sea, according to the letter received from Capt. Dumaresq, anchored at Hong Kong about an hour first.

It could hardly, by nautical men, be considered much of a race across, the Romance of the Sea never having taken in her main skysail from the time of leaving San Francisco to her arrival at Hong Kong, and as every one knows who is conversant with the winds, the course was nearly dead before them, which to say the least, is not the class of sailing which her owners or builder intended her for.

Boston Daily Atlas, 1854, Wednesday, September 6.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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