The New Clipper Ship Starlight.

This is not only one of the best, but is the most beautiful of all the clippers which the Messrs. Briggs, of South Boston, have yet produced; such, at least, is our humble opinion. She will register about 1100 tons. Her length on deck is 190 feet; extreme breadth of beam, 37, and depth 23 feet. She has very long sharp ends; truly rounded sides, and an easy and graceful sheer, which is graduated her whole length. Her stem rakes boldly outwards; the angular form of the bow is preserved to the rail, and for a head she has the representation of an antediluvian bird of Paradise spliced into a mermaid; the whole bronzed in the most approved style of modern art. The stern is nearly oval in outline, is light and neat, and is finely ornamented with gilded carved work. She is yellow-metalled up to 19 feet draught, is planked smooth to the covering-board, and all her mouldings are graduated parallel her whole length. Like the clergy, she is black outside, and white inside. She has a half poop deck, with a house in front, which contains a large ante-room and other apartments, and protects the entrance to the cabin, which is under the poop. The cabin is finished and furnished in beautiful style, has spacious staterooms, and other arrangements for the accommodation of passengers.

The accommodations for her crew, &c., are in a large house before the main hatchway, and like those of other clippers, are well fitted up, and well ventilated.

She has spacious deck room, low bulwarks, mahogany gangway boards and monkey rail stanchions, and goose-necked ventilators along the planksheer. We do not deem it necessary to say what she is of good materials, and well built, for the established reputation of her builders is guarantee enough for her excellence. In her outfits she is all that a ship of her class ought to be, and is as well fitted aloft as she is unquestionably good and beautiful below. She has been inspected by many of our best ship-fanciers, and so far as we have heard, she is considered a perfect ship to all her details; and one, too, that bids fair to be a very rapid sailor.

She is owned by Messrs. Baker & Merrill, is commanded by Capt. Wm. Baker, and is now loading with rapid despatch in Glidden & Williams' line of California clippers.

Boston Daily Atlas, 1854, March 2.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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