Our Auckland correspondent telegraphed, on Wednesday :—: — Captain JFairehild, of the Lviii), has copies of the plans of two steamers for the Government, to replace the Luna. The plans have been forwarded to Dr Featheratooe in London. The larger B* earner of the two is estimated to cost £20,000, and will be of the following dimen sions : Length between perpendiculars, ISB feet; length over all, 210 feet; beam, 24 feet 6 inches ; depth of hold, 13 feet 6 inches ; draught when in commission, 10 feet 6 inches ; tonnage, about 300 re gister. Her engines to be on the com pound principle, with all the latest improve ments, and of 110 linrne-power (nominal), thus capable of indicating on trial 600. . The rig will be barquentine, and the rate of steam ing 11 knots, on a daily consumption of 12 tons of coal, with 14 or 15 knots tit full pressure speed. The bunkers are large enough to take fuel for a jf.urney of .500 miles. The saloon is amidships, and is 40 feeb long and 20 fe< t wide. The fore and main mi^ts are of iron, and the mizen mast of steel. The bottom will be of Lowmoore iron, plated to the water-line, and the vessel will be divided into five water-tight com partments. She will be propelled by a serew — Hirsch'H patent. The smaller steamer measures a hundred and twenty tons register, and will be built on the same model as the other. She will be employed princi pally on light-houae and harbour works, for which purpose she will be furnished with a crane capable of lift'ng forty tons. This machine will be most useful in clearing entrances to harbours, rivers, &c , on the coast. The larger boat will carry His Ex cellency or the Ministers, and run the Suez and San Francisco mails between the North ern and Southern ports of the Colony. Both steamers are expi-cted out by (Jhristruas. The boats together will cost £32,000.
