'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎196] (215/622)

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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYT,
evinced every feeling of thankfulness and gratitude for their
deliverance."
Commander Young* proceeded in the 'Auckland, in the
following year, to Singapore and the newly established colony
of Labuan, of the progress of which he brought satisfactory
accounts.
During the year 1846, an addition was made to the strength
of the Indian Navy, by the arrival of a new steam-frigate, and
the Service also sustained a loss by the stranding of a sloop-of-
war. The former was the ' Moozuffera word signifying
" Victorious "—a fine ship, 256 feet in length, and 1,440 tons
measurement, which was built at Messrs. 1 letcher s j'aid, at
Limehouse, and was launched on the 27th of January, 1846, in
the presence of the Chairman and Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. , who were
afterwards present at the customary lunch. Ihe MoozufFci
had engines of 500 horse-power, made by the Messrs. Seaward
and Capel, and was constructed to carry eight heavy guns, (cora-
monly called 68-pounders), throwing hollow 561b. shot, and
having a calibre of 8-inch. That fine officer. Commander R.
Ethersey was appointed to the command of the 4 Moozuffer,'
which left England under steam and sail on the 25th of October,
1846, but did not arrive at Bombay until the 21st of February
in the following year, having thus been one hundred and nine
teen days on the passage, during sixty of which, however, she
was becalmed near the line. „ , , ,
Commander Ethersey commanded the ' Moozuffer lor nearly
three years, during which time, among other duties, he brought
Lord Dalhonsie from Suez to Calcutta, and took thence his pie-
decessor, Lord Hardinge, on his return to England. He was
succeeded by Commander Harry Heald Hewett, an equally tine
officer, who, in 1849, made the passage to Aden by the direct
route in eleven davs and nine hours, thus eclipsing the teat oi
Commander J. W. Young, who, in the preceding year, was con
sidered to have done wonders by getting to Aden in twelve
days and four hours. Hitherto, the steamers of the Indian
Navy, owing to their small steam power, were forced, during
the monsoon, to make the south-west passage, which frequently
occupied from eighteen to twenty days, and it used to be a jo e
that the gallant officers went down " to see how their mend
equator was getting on." The feat of Commander Hewe i
the ' Moozuffer' remained unrivalled by any steam vessel, an
when, in July, 1855,.acting on the advice of Lieutenant Jer-
gusson, the Indian Navy draughtsman, conveyed to Mr. Kite ,
the Peninsular and Oriental Company's Superintendent at
bay, their steamer, the' Cadiz,' Captain Oldham, made the ire,
or north-west, passage, in twelve days and nine hours, tne
* His eommission as Commander was dated the 13th of September, 1847.