The vessel which has carried us so rapidly and safely round the globe
claims a brief description. She was designed by Mr. St. Clare Byrne,
of Liverpool, and may be technically defined as a composite
three-masted topsail-yard screw schooner. The engines, by Messrs.
Laird, are of 70 nominal or 350 indicated horse-power, and developed a
speed of 10.13 knots on the measured mile. The bunkers contain 80 tons
of coal. The average daily consumption is four tons, and the speed
eight knots in fine weather. The principal dimensions of the hull
are;--Length for tonnage, 157 ft.; beam, extreme, 27 ft. 6 in.;
displacement tonnage, 531 tons; area of midship section, 202 square
feet.

With an addition of 20 ft. to the length, and more engine power, the
'Sunbeam' presents a type which might be found efficient for naval
services in distant waters, where good sailing qualities are
essential, and large ships are not required.

On looking back, and contrasting the anticipated difficulties with the
actual experiences of the voyage, the ease and certainty with which
every passage has been made are truly surprising. Our track has been
for the most part within the Tropics. The storms off the Cape of Good
Hope and Cape Horn have been avoided in the inland passages of the
Straits of Magellan and the Suez Canal. We have encountered no
continuous stormy weather, except during the four days preceding our
arrival at Yokohama. We have suffered discomfort from heat and
detention in calms, but storms have disturbed us seldom, and they have
not lasted long.

Our experience of gales include a north-east gale off Cape Finisterre,
on the outward voyage; a northerly gale between Rio and the River
Plate, a westerly gale off the east coast of Patagonia, short but
severe gales on each of the four days preceding our arrival at
Yokohama, a severe gale from the north-west in the Inland Sea, a
north-east gale in the Formosa Channel, a northerly gale in the
Straits of Jubal, a westerly gale off Port Said, and an easterly gale
on the south coast of Candia. On the passage homewards from Gibraltar
we met strong northerly winds on the coast of Portugal, and a
north-east gale off Cape Finisterre.

The navigation has presented few difficulties. All the coasts that we
have visited have been surveyed. Lighthouses are now as numerous and
efficient on the coasts of China and Japan as on the shores of Europe.
Such is the perfection of the modern chronometer, that lunar