Chapter 13

Falmouth to Barbadoes, 43 voyages, 20 each, at 40_l._ £38,000 Falmouth to Rio de Janeiro, 48 voyages, 10 each, at 55_l._ 26,200 Falmouth to Halifax, 48 voyages, 20 each, 960 yearly, average 35_l._ 33,600 Halifax to West Indies, by New York, 48 voyages, 20 each, is 960, at 26_l._ 24,960 Falmouth to Madeira and Teneriffe, 200 yearly, at 20_l._ 4,000 Rio do Janeiro to Buenos Ayres, 240 yearly, at 15_l._ 3,600 Pernambuco to Maranham, 120 yearly, at 12_l._ 1,440 West India Islands to Bermuda, Nassau, &c. &c. 280 yearly, at 12_l._ 3,360 _______ 135,160 _______ Total £198,410 Deduct expense, finding one-third 66,136 _______ Amount gained £132,274

The cost of finding passengers is here estimated at 4 dollars per day. In the House of Commons Report about Steam Communications with India, the cost of finding passengers to that quarter of the world is estimated by experienced captains of ships at 10_s._ sterling per day. The charge made in steamers in the West Indies for cabin passage money, by orders of the Admiralty, is 17_l._ sterling, Barbadoes to Jamaica; 10_l._ sterling, Jamaica to St. Thomas; and 10_l._ sterling, St. Thomas to Barbadoes.

_Income:--Parcels, Packages, and Fine Goods. Steamers to be (p. 125) restricted to 40 tons Weight in all._

240 voyages on the four great lines yearly, 20 tons each, at the rate of 10_l._ per ton over all £48,000 Second Class Lines, Barbadoes to Havannah, Havannah to Vera Cruz; Jamaica to Chagre, &c; Barbadoes to Demerara, 192 voyages yearly, 20 tons each, average 10_l._ 38,400 Suppose Third Class Lines by Sailing-vessels everywhere--388 voyages, average 8 tons 31,040 _______ Total £117,440 -------- But Port Dues remain to be deducted--uncertain, say, 15,000_l._

APPENDIX, No. II.--EASTERN WORLD.

Places. Latitudes. Longitudes.

Falmouth 50° 8' N. 5° 1' W. Lisbon 38° 24' -- 9° 12' -- Cadiz 36° 31' -- 6° 18' -- Gibraltar 36° 6' 20" -- 5° 20' 53" -- Malta 35° 53' -- 14° 30' E. Zante 37° 47' -- 20° 54' -- Athens 37° 57' -- 23° 43' -- Smyrna 38° 25' -- 27° 6' 45" -- Constantinople 41° 12' -- 28° 59' -- Alexandria (light) Egypt 31° 12' -- 29° 52' -- Cairo 30° 3' -- 31° 18' -- Suez 30° 0' -- 32° 28' -- Mocha 13° 20' -- 43° 20' -- Babelmandel, Isle 12° 38' -- 43° 20' -- Cape Guardafui 11° 41' 4" -- 51° 12' 24" -- Socotora, Galanscea road 12° 43' -- 53° 18' -- Cape Aden 12° 46' -- 45° 10' 30" -- Bombay 18° 55' -- 72° 54' -- Colombo, Ceylon 6° 57' -- 79° 57' -- Point de Galle, Ceylon 6° 1' -- 80° 18' -- (p. 126) Trincomalee, ditto 8° 33' 30" -- 81° 20' 15" -- Madras 13° 4' 10" -- 80° 21' -- Calcutta 22° 34' -- 88° 26' -- Cape Comorin 8° 4' -- 77° 41' 30" -- Mauritius, Port Louis 20° 9' S. 57° 28' -- Bourbon, St. Dennis 20° 52' -- 55° 26' -- Madagascar, Cape St. Mary 25° 38' 54" -- 45° 1' 42" -- Ditto Tamatave, E. C. 18° 10' 6" -- 19° 23' 18" -- Amsterdam Isle 37° 52' 0" -- 77° 52' -- St. Paul's, ditto 34° 42' -- 77° 52' -- Great Nicobar Isle 6° 45' -- 94° 0' -- Singapore 1° 12' N. 103° 30' -- Batavia 6° 0' S. 106° 51' 45" -- Canton 23° 7' 10" N. 113° 14' -- Swan River 32° 4' 31" S. 115° 6' 43" -- Hobart Town 42° 53' 35" -- 147° 28' -- Sydney 33° 50' 40" -- 151° 14' -- Madeira, Funchall 32° 47' 42" N. 16° 55' 30" W. Cape de Verde, Port Praya 14° 53' 40" -- 23° 34' -- Ascension Isle 7° 55' 56" S. 14° 23' 50" -- St. Helena Isle 15° 54' 48" -- 5° 45' 20" -- Cape of Good Hope 34° 22' -- 18° 24' 24" E. Rio de Janeiro 22° 54' 15" -- 43° 15' 50" W. Pernambuco 8° 4' -- 34° 51' --

_Distances and Bearings of Places._

Geo. Miles. Falmouth to Gibraltar S. 4° W. 820 Ditto to Madeira S. 27° W. 1170 Madeira to Cape Verde S. 19° W. 1130 Gibraltar to Malta, direct S. 1° E. 770 Malta to Zante N. 69° E. 320 Zante to Athens, round Cape 260 Athens to Constantinople N. 51° E. 310 Malta to Alexandria S. 70° E. 825 Suez to Babelmandel 1205 Babelmandel to Bombay 1630 Cape Verde to Ascension S. 22° W. 1530 Ascension to St. Helena S. 47° E. 655 St. Helena to Cape of Good Hope S. 50° E. 1720 Rio de Janeiro to ditto ditto S. 78° E. 3250 Cape of Good Hope to Mauritius N. 38° E. 2280 Mauritius to Swan River S. 77° E. 3150 Mauritius to Colombo, Ceylon N. 38° E. 2100 (p. 127) Ditto to Point de Galle N. 49° E. 2080 Point de Galle to Bombay N. 29° W. 880 Madras to Calcutta N. 39° E. 735 Trincomalee to Car Nicobar S. 82° E. 775 Nicobar to Singapore S. 60° E. 665 Singapore to Batavia S. 25° E. 475 Singapore to Canton N. 24° E. 1440 Batavia to Canton N. 18° E. 1830 Trincomalee to Batavia S. 60° E. 1750 Batavia to Swan River S. 18° E. 1745 1645/100 Swan River to Hobart Town S. 66-1/2° E. 1770 1620/150 Hobart Town to Sydney N. 18° E. 570 Cape of Good Hope to Hobart Town S. 85° E. 6000 Pernambuco to Cape of Good Hope S. 62° E. 3300 Fayal to Pernambuco S. 7° W. 2800 Sydney to Canton N. 33° W. 4100 Canton to Swan River, by E. Coast Borneo 3300 Fayal to Cape Verde, Port Praya S. 11° E. 1545

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 3411_l._, 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 47,000_l._ 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 (p. 128) of 14,216_l._ 19_s._ 11_d._ 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 4000_l._ to the capital, and 2000_l._ 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 350,000_l._, 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 106,000_l._ and in direct yearly charges 45,000_l._; 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 (p. 129) 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._

Places. Lat. Long. River St. Juan, mouth of 10° 53' N. 83° 40' W. Kingston, Jamaica 17° 57' 57" -- 76° 46' 10" -- Port Culebra 10° 42' -- 85° 37' -- Leon 12° 20' -- 86° 45' -- Rialejo 12° 29' 50" -- 87° 6' -- Colombia River 46° 19' -- 123° 50' -- Port Illuluk Oonoolashka 53° 52' -- 166° 32' -- Nootka Sound 49° 34' -- 126° 28' 30" -- Icy Cape 70° 17' -- 161° 40' -- Christmas Isle, Pacific 1° 58' -- 157° 32' -- Owhyhee 19° 43' 51" -- 155° 7' 10" -- Otaheite 17° 29' 12" S. 149° 28' 46" -- Melville Island, Port Dundas 12° 13' -- 136° 46' E. Sydney, New South Wales 33° 50' 40" -- 151° 14' 10" -- Canton, China 23° 7' 10" N. 113° 14' -- Pekin 39° 54' -- 116° 26' -- Jeddo, Japan 35° 40' -- 139° 50' -- Kamschatka 56° 15' -- 162° -- Manilla 14° 36' -- 121° 2' -- Chagre 9° 21' -- 80° 4' 5" -- Panama 8° 57' 30" -- 79° 29' 20" -- Point Mala 7° 25' -- 79° 54' -- Port Damas, Quibo 7° 26' -- 81° 31' -- Acapulco 16° 50' 29" -- 99° 53' 47" -- St. Blas 21° 32' 24" -- 105° 18' 27" -- Cape St. Lucas, California 22° 52' 28" -- 109° 50' 23" -- Guayaquil 2° 12' 12" S. 79° 39' 46" -- Lima 12° 2' 34" -- 77° 8' 30" -- Callao 12° 3' 45" -- 77° 14' 10" -- Arica 18° 28' 35" -- 70° 16' -- Coquimbo 29° 53' 43" -- 71° 18' 40" -- Valparaiso 33° 1' 55" -- 71° 40' 25" -- Fort St. Carlos, Chiloe 41° 51' 50" -- 73° 53' 50" --

_Bearings and Distances of Places._ (p. 130)

Places. Miles

Falmouth to Sydney, direct westward S. 66° W. 12,400 London to Icy Cape 3,775, add circle 100 N. & S. 3,875 Icy Cape to Canton S. 48° W. 4,200 Ditto to Sydney, New South Wales S. 19° W. 6,600 Ditto to Port Illuluk, Oonoolashka S. 8° W. 995 Port Illuluk to Colombia River S. 75° E. 1,750 Christmas Isle to Sydney, New South Wales S. 54° W. 3,650 Ditto to Canton N. 76° W. 5,250 Owhyhee to Otaheite S. 8-1/2° E. 2,250 Falmouth to Panama direct S. 56° W. 4,450 Ditto ditto by Barbadoes and Jamaica 5,285 Port Culebra to Manilla N. 89-1/2° W. 9,022 Cape of Good Hope to Batavia N. 71° E. 5,200 Batavia to Canton N. 18° E. 1,830 Canton to Pekin 1,440 Batavia to Manilla N. 35° E. 1,510 Canton to Kamschatka N. 47° E. 2,900 Ditto to Jeddo N. 62° E. 1,610 Kingston, Jamaica, to Port Culebra S. 50° W. 680 Ditto to River St. Juan S. 44° W. 585 River St. Juan to Rialejo N. 66° W. 235 Falmouth to Port Culebra, direct S. 60° W. 4,650 Ditto to ditto by Barbadoes, Jamaica, &c. 5,345 Jamaica to Chagre S. 21° W. 550 Chagre to Panama S. 52° E. 33 Panama to Point Mala S. 15° W. 95 Point Mala to Port Damas, Quibo S. 89° W. 97 Port Damas to Rialejo N. 48° W. 450 Rialejo to Acapulco N. 62° W. 1,180 Acapulco to St. Blas N. 48° W. 420 St. Blas to Cape St. Lucas N. 73° W. 274 Panama to Guayaquil S. 30° W. 670 Guayaquil to Lima S. 15° E. 610 Lima to Arica S. 45° E. 570 Arica to Coquimbo S. 5° W. 690 Coquimbo to Valparaiso S. 5° W. 190 Valparaiso to Fort Carlos, Chiloe S. 16° W. 555 Rialejo, direct, to Sydney, New South Wales S. 68° W. 7,400 Panama to Sydney S. 71° W. 7,850 Ditto to Canton N. 85° W. 9,700 Ditto to Owhyhee N. 82° W. 4,650 Ditto to Otaheite S. 69° W. 4,450 Rialejo to Canton N. 86° W. 9,170 (p. 131) Ditto to Owhyhee N. 84° W. 4,100 Ditto to Otaheite S. 64-1/2° W. 4,150 Ditto to Christmas Isle S. 81° W. 4,000 Christmas Isle to Otaheite S. 22° E. 1,190 Owhyhee to Canton N. 88° W. 5,200 Ditto to Sydney S. 46° W. 4,500 Otaheite to Sydney S. 79° W. 3,400 Rialejo to Manilla N. 89° W. 8,860 Ditto to St. Peter and St. Paul, Kamschatka N. 66° W. 6,000 Ditto to Pekin N. 79° W. 8,600 Ditto to Jeddo, Japan N. 79° W. 7,300 Colombia River to Canton S. 77° W. 6,200 Icy Cape to Kamschatka S. 49° W. 1,280 Rialejo to Port Illuluk, Oonoolashka S. 57° W. 4,550 Rialejo to Colombia River S. 47° W. 3,000 Jeddo to Canton S. 62° W. 1,610 Manilla to Canton N. 41° W. 680 Batavia to Jeddo N. 53° E. 3,100 Cape of Good Hope to Hobart Town S. 85° E. 6,000

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._ (p. 132)

Long. Chagre, according to Capt. Forster, from Greenwich, in time, 5h 19' 49.27" Observatory of Panama, East of Fort Lorenzo, Chagre, according to Capt. Belcher, in time 1' 52.8" Gorgona, East of Chagre 1' 8.7" Panama, East of Gorgona 43.7" Porto Bello, according to Capt. Forster, from Greenwich, West, in time 5h 18'

THE END.