'Whilst all this was going on, suddenly there was seen over Governor's Island a dense black cloud of smoke spreading itself upward, and betokening another arrival. On it came with great rapidity, and about three o'clock in the afternoon its cause was made fully manifest to the accumulated multitudes at the Battery. It was the steamship _Great Western_, of about 1600 tons burden (_sic_) [the difference probably lies between the net and the gross tonnage], under the command of Lieutenant Hoskins, R.N. She had left Bristol on the 8th inst., and on the 23d was making her triumphant entry into the port of New York. This immense moving mass was propelled at a rapid rate through the waters of the Bay; she passed swiftly and gracefully round the _Sirius_, exchanging salutes with her, and then proceeded to her destined anchorage in the East River. If the public mind was stimulated by the arrival of the _Sirius_, it became almost intoxicated with delight upon view of the superb _Great Western_. The latter vessel was only fourteen clear days out; and neither vessel had sustained a damage worth mentioning, notwithstanding that both had to encounter very heavy weather. The _Sirius_ was spoken with on the 14th of April in latitude 45° north, longitude 37° west. The _Great Western_ was spoken on the 15th of April in latitude 46° 26´ north, longitude 37° west. At these respective dates the _Great Western_ had run 1305 miles in seven days from King Road; and the _Sirius_ 1305 miles in ten days from Cork. The _Great Western_ averaged 186-1/2 miles per day, and the _Sirius_ 130-1/2 miles; _Great Western_ gained on the _Sirius_ fifty-six miles per day. The _Great Western_ averaged seven and three-quarter miles per hour; the _Sirius_ barely averaged five and a half miles per hour.' Such was the first voyage made across the Atlantic by these two early steamships, and there is something of the true philosophy of history to be found in the interest which their advent created. It is worthy of passing note to learn what ultimately became of these celebrated vessels. The _Sirius_, not proving staunch enough for the Atlantic surges, was sent to open steam-communication between London and St Petersburg, in which trade she was for several years successfully employed. The _Great Western_ plied regularly from Bristol to New York until the year 1847, when she was sold to the Royal Mail Company, and ran as one of their crack ships until 1857, in which year she was broken up at Vauxhall as being obsolete and unable profitably to compete with the new class of steamers being built.