There never having been heretofore any regular packet conveyance to and from India, there are consequently no accurate returns of the postage received, or letters that are conveyed backwards and forwards between England and the vast countries to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope. The number, however, from the extent of the trade, must be very great; and not a doubt can remain, that if regular and speedy conveyances were established, the numbers would be very much increased. In a communication from Col. Maberly, Secretary to the General Post Office, printed by order of the House of Commons last year, along with the Evidence taken before the Committee appointed to consider the propriety of establishing a Steam Communication with India, that gentleman gives the whole amount of postage outwards for 1836 to Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malta, and Corfu, at 3411l., and reckons the amount inwards at the same sum. He estimates the whole postage outwards and inwards, including sea postage between England, Ceylon, India, and the Mediterranean, at 47,000l. Even this sum, which certainly by no means includes every letter to and from the places mentioned, would, under the arrangements proposed, be doubled, independently of all the postages which would be obtained from the New South Wales, China, and Batavia, &c. &c. trade. The coasting or internal postages of Hindostan would certainly be greatly increased.

In the Finance Accounts of 1837, p. 55, there is charged the sum of 14,216l. 19s. 11d. for transit postage through foreign countries. Much of this is doubtless from letters which come through France, &c. from the Mediterranean, and countries near that sea. Under the proposed regular and frequent packet arrangement, the letters from which much of this sum is obtained would come directly through the British Post Office.

The amount of postage to be obtained through the vast range of countries which the New Plan proposes to embrace, can only be conjectured by considering the immense trade which is carried on with them and by them. As it is very great, so must the correspondence to which it gives rise be.

Mauritius and Socotora.

An error has been committed in stating the expense on this station (see page 68.) Three sailing-vessels, instead of two, will be required; thus adding 4000l. to the capital, and 2000l. to the yearly expenditure.

Including the Mediterranean, the yearly cost of the present Foreign Packet conveyances, limited, uncertain, and irregular as the whole is, cannot be less than 350,000l., exclusive of any sum set apart to replace the capital engaged in it.

If the East Indian communication is amalgamated with the plan for the Western World to Pernambuco by Fayal, as it may readily be, then a considerable further reduction of expenditure in the former can be made (including the sailing-vessels between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Ayres) in capital 106,000l. and in direct yearly charges 45,000l.; and nevertheless extend the steam conveyance to Buenos Ayres by Rio de Janeiro from Pernambuco. This desirable object could be effected with the saving mentioned, and without creating any additional delay in the communication; because, if the communication by this route between Falmouth and the Cape of Good Hope can be effected, as it may be, within 75 days, then no delay in the course of the mails takes place, while a considerable expense is saved, and important additional accommodation is afforded to the public, and to the commercial world. The distance from Falmouth to the Cape of Good Hope by Fayal and Pernambuco, is 7330 geographical miles. This could be run in 75 days: thus—36 days outwards, and 34 days inwards: 215 geographical miles per day in the latter, and 203 geographical miles in the former.

APPENDIX, No. III.—PACIFIC OCEAN.

Longitudes and Latitudes, Places, &c.

Bearings and Distances of Places.

The course of mails from Falmouth to Canton, by Isthmus of America, by Rialejo, will be 173 days; and to Sydney, by the same route, 158 days.

Isthmus of America.

The appearance of the Isthmus of America, from Darien to the borders of Mexico, indicates, in a very forcible manner, that this portion of the earth is a fragment of a larger portion, which had, at some important epoch, been to a great extent submerged around it, and that the present Isthmus is the remains of a wider continental tract. In several places within the limits mentioned, the ridges are broken, and the country abounds—in fact, is studded—with high peaks, isolated, yet greatly elevated. To the southward of Lake Nicaragua, between 9° and 10° North latitude, about Cortago or Carthage, the land, or rather ridge, is so elevated, that although within thirty miles of the Pacific on the one hand, and forty miles of the Atlantic on the other hand, yet during the winter months, from November to March, frost and ice abound. The climate everywhere, in the interior parts, is represented as being very healthy, and the country fruitful and pleasant.

Chagre and Panama.

THE END.

Footnote 1: The Island of Fayal is chosen as the point of communication in preference to Terceira, &c. because during the few months when one side is exposed to storms, the other side is well sheltered, and the distance is very short from the one side to the anchorage on the other. As each of the steamers from the westward and southward will proceed to Falmouth in her turn, so if all the mails are up at Fayal before the outward steamer arrives from Falmouth, the steamer whose turn it is to proceed on to Falmouth, will go forward with the mails without any delay, except to take in coals.(Back)

Footnote 2: Should the Colombian Government obstinately and ignorantly oppose the transmission of mails across the isthmus from Chagres to Panama, or propose to shackle this point of communication with unreasonable and inadmissible restrictions, then in that case there remains a point, it is believed, more practicable, safer, and more eligible, where the communication could be effected, namely, in the State of Guatemala, or Central America, by the River St. Juan's and Lake Nicaragua, both of which are navigable for vessels of any size. The south-west shores of the lake in question approach to within fourteen or fifteen miles of the Pacific, and this distance, in one place, through a valley nearly level throughout, and at but little elevation above the level of the sea. From Lake Managua, or Leon, the distance to the sea is still shorter, being, in one place, according to good maps, not more than eight to ten miles. From this lake also, and the capital, Leon, the distance north-west to Rialejo, a fine port on the Pacific, is twenty-three miles, and through an accessible, if not very easy country. The Government of the Republic of Guatemala, or Central America, would doubtless be ready to afford every facility to open such a communication, which would prove the greatest and most certain means of improving their country. Moreover, if a ready communication is once afforded, from any point on the east coast of America, in the places alluded to, it would speedily become the object and the interest of the Chilian, the Peruvian, and the Mexican Governments to watch and to see that the communication with the world to the eastward should not only be rendered secure, but be maintained. Also, with a communication opened in this quarter, such as it is believed can be opened, the commerce and communications between North America and Europe, and New South Wales, China, and all Eastern Asia, would most certainly, as it could most advantageously and expeditiously, be carried on by it.(Back)

Footnote 3: See also Appendix, No. 1.(Back)

Footnote 4: To touch at Savannah la Mar would scarcely take up one hour, while doing so would be a very great accommodation to the western part of Jamaica.(Back)

Footnote 5: If the packet is a steamer, these boats will be saved, because the steamer would save so much time as to enable it to call at all the islands northwards, to pick up the return mails.(Back)

Footnote 6: Whenever steamers are appointed to carry the mails from Falmouth to Barbadoes, the arrival of the packet at that island will be so regular, that Jamaica might be made (should this be considered advantageous) the headquarters, as it were, for the steamers in that quarter of the world. Four would then be sufficient for the work between Barbadoes and Vera Cruz; two to run between Jamaica and Vera Cruz, by the Havannah, and two between Jamaica and Barbadoes, by St. Thomas. The latter two would be each fifteen days at sea monthly, and the former two seventeen days, exclusive of partial stoppages; so that there would be abundance of time for rest and repairs. Further, under such circumstances, the packet with the European return mails would have time to run through the islands and pick up all the mails; meeting, on the second day after her departure from Trinidad, and on the ninth after reaching Barbadoes, at St. Lucia, the steamer from Guiana, with the Guiana, Tobago, and Barbadoes return mails; and proceeding onward through all the islands, to the northward and westward, St. Thomas and Porto Rico included, pass from that island through the Mona Passage, and call at Jacmel for a mail, reaching Jamaica in fourteen days. From thence starting without delay, and going by St. Jago de Cuba and Cape Nichola, leave the latter place on the seventeenth day for Fayal, exactly in the same time that it is calculated it could do under the other arrangement. But such an arrangement would render it difficult, perhaps impracticable, to get up the Laguayra mail to St. Thomas in time, it having only ten days for that purpose; and at the same time an additional expense for coals, at least for three days each packet or voyage (1800 tons, 2250l. yearly) would be required, being the time taken between Jamaica and Cape Nichola Mole.(Back)

Footnote 7: The cost of these steamers will, to a considerable degree, depend on the tonnage which it is considered most proper to adopt. The utmost quantity of coals which any of them will require to carry, will be (Fayal to Barbadoes, and Fayal to Pernambuco) 300 tons. Airy accommodation for from fifty to sixty cabin passengers, and twenty-five to thirty steerage ditto, with the crew, will be all that is requisite, leaving a room for specie and the mails, and space for from forty to one hundred tons of goods. Since the present calculation was made, the price of machinery has risen considerably. Boats of the size necessary may now, perhaps, cost 28,000l. to 29,000l. In the latter case, 750l. per annum (five per cent. insurance, five per cent. interest, and five per cent. ordinary tear and wear) must be added to the yearly outlay, as here stated. The wages and provisions will remain the same. Iron boats can be had one-fourth cheaper than those built of wood; moreover, engines now made on the EXPANSIVE system, require fully one-third fewer coals, by which so much expense will be saved.(Back)

Footnote 8: See Appendix No. 1., Calculation of Expenses of Steamers and Sailing Packets.(Back)

Footnote 9: Men-of-war frequently carry the mails from Barbadoes to Jamaica; also in other places.(Back)

Footnote 10: This assistance is worth more in capital than this sum.(Back)

Footnote 15: By making the four steamers on the route between the Cape of Good Hope and Ceylon, run—two from the Cape to Mauritius, and two from Mauritius to Point de Galle, the boats on the eastern side of the Mauritius would regularly have eight days, and those on the western side six days each month to rest; and furthermore, be always prepared to start whenever a steamer from either quarter with mails came up. In a similar manner, the boats which are to run between Falmouth and the Cape of Good Hope could be divided; by which means, besides being always ready when wanted, they also would have more time to rest. Two may run from Falmouth to Cape Verde, 2300 miles; three from Cape Verde to the Cape of Good Hope, 3850 miles; with one, the fourth, to take by turns a voyage from Cape Verde to the Cape of Good Hope, and a voyage from Cape Verde to Falmouth, in order to relieve the others. Sufficient time for rest would thus be obtained. Moreover, by combining the East Indian Department with the Plan for the Western World by Fayal to Pernambuco, three steamers would be saved. The Indian steamers to branch off at the latter place for the Cape. The distance would, in this way, be increased about 1000 miles; but considering the winds and currents in the course which these steamers would take, it would not make three days more, if so much, in the outward voyage, and in the homeward voyage probably not so much; while the advantages would be considerable, and the saving great.(Back)