Chapter 5

On the arrival of the British packet at Barbadoes, a fast-sailing schooner should be despatched, as at present, with the outward (p. 040) mails from Great Britain for St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadaloupe, Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, and St. Kitts. The boat need proceed no further westward than St. Kitts, because the steamer from Barbadoes had carried forward the Tortola mails. From St. Kitts it will return to Barbadoes, calling at all the islands just enumerated, for the return Colonial mails. The route of this boat would be,--Barbadoes to St. Kitts, calling at the places mentioned, 370 miles, four days; and back to Barbadoes, six days; together, ten days.

On the eighth day after the arrival of the packet at Barbadoes (the despatch of this boat must always be so as to secure its arrival at St. Kitts _before_ the packet), a schooner to be despatched with the return mails and passengers from that island, to pick up for the homeward-bound packet mails and passengers at St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadaloupe, Antigua, Montserrat, and Nevis, and give to or leave these for the packet at St. Kitts. From St. Kitts this boat returns to Barbadoes, calling at all the islands enumerated for the return Colonial mails. This boat will be the same time out as the one which carried the outward mails, namely, ten days.[5]

[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.]

Two schooners will do the work on both the courses here pointed out as necessary, with two spare ones at Barbadoes, in case of the arrival of sailing packets on the heels of each other from Britain, to forward the mails for all the places mentioned, and for Laguayra, making in all eight schooners for this station. There are at present ten, or more.

Instead of remaining at Barbadoes nine days, as at present, doing nothing, the packet herself (whether steamer or sailing vessel) should, on the day after her arrival at that island, proceed with the outward mails to Tobago and Trinidad, delivering those for the former island, and proceeding thence direct to Trinidad, in two days, 230 miles. At Trinidad remain six days, thence with the return mails from it proceed to Grenada, where she will meet the return mails for Europe, brought there by the steamer from British Guiana, Tobago, and St Vincent's. With these collected, proceed on the tenth day from (p. 041) Grenada to St. Kitts, 330 miles, two and a half days. At that island pick up the European mails from the islands formerly enumerated, and thence with the whole proceed to St. Thomas, by Tortola, 140 miles, one and a half day more; in all, fourteen days from her arrival at Barbadoes to St. Thomas.

At St. Thomas, having all the mails from the Windward and Leeward Islands on board, and having there got the European mail from Laguayra, &c., the packet will proceed, on the fourteenth day, to the westward, calling at St John's, Porto Rico, for the return mail, and thence go on to Cape Nichola Mole, Hayti, 480 miles, three days. At this latter place receive all the European mails from the Bahamas, from Jamaica, Cuba, &c. &c., and thence, with the whole, on the seventeenth day, proceed direct, according as may be determined, to Fayal or to Falmouth, calling at Crooked Island to pick up the return mails from the Bahamas, if it shall be found that those cannot be got up in time by the sailing schooners to Cape Nichola Mole.[6]

[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, 2250_l._ yearly) would be required, being the time taken between Jamaica and Cape Nichola Mole.]

THE SECOND PACKET of the month, and all the steamers and schooners, to proceed exactly in a similar manner.

According to the proposed arrangement, these steam-boats would be actively employed thus:--

1008 days, yearly--Jamaica station 192 " " Demerara ditto. ---- In all 1200 days, yearly. Coals, 30,000 tons.

_Advantages._ (p. 042)

I. There would, by these arrangements, be two mails each month to Great Britain from all places in the western Tropical Archipelago, or connected with it, which at present there are not.

II. Jamaica, with the requisite alterations in her internal mail communications, would have in all her western division seven and eight days, and in all her eastern division eight and nine days, to return answers by the packet with which she receives her European, &c. correspondence, of which she at present is deprived; Kingston and Spanish Town alone being able, under the present regulations, to do so.

III. Porto Rico, All Cuba, the more important parts of Hayti, and all the western coasts of South America, would, by these arrangements, be brought immediately and completely within the range of the British Post-office, most of which places at present are not.

IV. By this arrangement all British Guiana would be enabled to reply to all its European and Colonial correspondence by the same packet, but which at present they have it not in their power to do.

V. The inhabitants of Trinidad would get sufficient time to receive and to reply to their letters by the same packet. From the Naparima and other distant quarters they cannot at present do so.

VI. The whole of the British Windward and Leeward Island Colonies (p. 043) would have regularly, and nearly every week, post communications with each other and with Barbadoes, instead of being, as at present, weeks together without such communications.

VII. This arrangement would be more agreeable, convenient, and advantageous to passengers from Demerara, &c. for the packet for England, and also amongst the Colonies, and consequently more advantageous to all interested in the packets.

VIII. The same may be said with regard to passengers in every part of the Western Archipelago. The frequency and regularity of the conveyances would greatly add to the number of travellers, and also greatly increase the number of letters sent and received, and consequently augment the Post-office revenue to an amount greatly beyond what it now is.

IX. By this arrangement the packet itself would always be out of any danger, which, it is well known, she incurs by laying at Barbadoes, an unsheltered place at all times, but peculiarly dangerous in the hurricane months. In the route pointed out she would be nearly free from the sphere of all such dangers and tempests.

X. By this arrangement the communications, both to the Government and to individuals, would be more safe, and regular, and frequent than they now are with every quarter of the Western World; an object of great importance to all, but more especially to the British Government.

XI. By this arrangement six Mexican packets, which cost Government, say 4200_l._ each (25,200_l._ per annum), would be wholly saved.

XII. Departing from Cape Nichola Mole, instead of St. Thomas, for Falmouth, does not increase the distance in the voyage to England above 310 miles,--about two days' sail; moreover, it may be remarked, the packet at present scarcely ever leaves St. Thomas for England earlier than on the nineteenth day, and sometimes even longer. Thus,--Steam-boat to Jamaica, eight days, four days there, and seven to St. Thomas even in favourable voyages.

XIII. Great Britain, by thus possessing all the channels of communication in the Western Archipelago, would thereby secure the principal political influence therein; but which will otherwise, and in a very short period hence, go into the hands of the United States, now earnestly looking about and proceeding to acquire and to (p. 044) extend the same in that quarter of the world.

XIV. The expenses as regards this plan, would, for the West Indies, not be greater than for the present establishment in that quarter, the Mexican packets included; while the communications with several places would be doubled.

XV. The whole correspondence of the United States, with every quarter of America, to the south of these States, would be brought by the General Plan within the range of the Post Office of Great Britain. There would, moreover, be two mails each month between Great Britain and the eastern coast of South America.

XVI. A great and useful commercial correspondence, between the United States, British North America, and all the West Indies, would be opened up, but which at present does not exist.

RECAPITULATION.

In order to obtain a view of the Plan, brought into the narrowest possible compass, without wading through the minute and multifarious details, it is necessary to particularize the different stations and departments, to which the numbers affixed immediately and only relate, thus:--

No. 1. Falmouth to Terceira or Fayal. 2. Fayal to Halifax. 3. Halifax by New York to Havannah. 4. Fayal to Rio de Janeiro by Pernambuco, &c. 5. Fayal to Madeira and Teneriffe. 6. Fayal to Barbadoes. 7. West India Department, from Demerara to Vera Cruz, including Chagres, &c. 8. Expenses, depôts for coals, and repair boats.

_Cost of Plan by Steam._ (p. 045)

+-------+-------+-------+--------+-------+--------+------+------- | |Provi- | | | | | |Number Number | Fixed | sions |Tons of|Price of|Cost of| Total |Number| of of |Capital|Wages, | Coals | Coals | Coals |Expendi-| of |Sailing Station.| re- | &c. |Yearly.|per ton.|Yearly.| ture |Steam-| Ves- |quired.|Yearly.| | | | Yearly.| ers. | sels. --------+-------+-------+-------+--------+-------+--------+------+------- | £ | £ | | _s._ | £ | £ | | 1 | 48,000| 12,400| 8,400| 20 | 8,400| 20,800 | 2 | " 2 | 48,000| 12,400| 12,000| 25 | 15,000| 27,400 | 2 | " 3 | 48,000| 12,400| 12,000| " | 15,000| 27,400 | 2 | " 4 | 72,000| 18,600| 23,400| " | 29,250| 47,850 | 3 | " 5 | 7,000| 3,600| " | " | " | 3,600 | " | 4 6 | 96,000| 24,800| 22,200| " | 27,750| 52,550 | 4 | " 7 |157,500| 44,400| 30,000| " | 37,500| 81,900 | 6 | 9 8 | " | " | " | " | " | 11,350 | " | " |-------+-------+-------| |-------+--------+------+------- [7] |476,500|128,600|108,000| |132,900|272,850 | 19 | 13 Sub. |335,500|115,000| 38,400| | 45,900|168,500 | 8 | 26 |-------+-------+-------| |-------+--------+------+------- Diff. |141,000| 13,600| 69,600| | 87,000|104,350 | 11 | 13 --------+-------+-------+-------+--------+-------+--------+------+-------

N.B.--The latter sum shows the difference of capital and expenditure betwixt the work done by steam, and partly by steam and partly by sailing packets. The reduction in coals by the preceding estimate will be 33,250_l._; and, allowing 10 per cent. wastage on the _whole quantity_, the real reduction in the expenditure will be 20,000_l._

[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 28,000_l._ to 29,000_l._ In the latter case, 750_l._ 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.]

_Cost, partly by Steamers and partly by Sailing Packets_. (p. 046)

+-------+-------+-------+--------+-------+--------+------+------- | |Provi- | | | | | |Number Number | Fixed | sions |Tons of|Price of|Cost of| Total |Number| of of |Capital|Wages, | Coals | Coals | Coals |Expendi-| of |Sailing Station.| re- | &c. |Yearly.|per ton.|Yearly.| ture |Steam-| Pack- |quired.|Yearly.| | | | Yearly.| ers. | ets. --------+-------+-------+-------+--------+-------+--------+------+------- | £ | £ | | _s._ | £ | £ | | 1 | 48,000| 12,400| 8,400| 20 | 8,400| 20,800| 2 | " 2 | 19,000| 8,400| " | " | " | 8,400| " | 2 3 | 19,000| 8,400| " | " | " | 8,400| " | 2 4 | 47,500| 21,000| " | " | " | 21,000| " | 5 5 | 7,000| 3,600| " | " | " | 3,600| " | 4 6 | 38,000| 16,800| " | " | " | 16,800| " | 4 7 |157,000| 44,400| 30,000| 25 | 37,500| 81,900| 6 | 9 8 | " | " | " | " | " | 7,600| " | " |-------+-------+-------| |-------+--------+------+------- |335,500|115,000| 38,400| | 45,900| 168,500| 8 | 26 --------+-------+-------+-------+--------+-------+--------+------+-------

Subject on the total expenditure to reduction in coals to the amount of 11,475_l._; less, however, 10 percent, or 4,590_l._ for wastage; giving the real reduction to be 6,885_l._

GENERAL REMARKS.

The mails conveyed from Great Britain by steam to the quarters mentioned would in their courses be due:--

London to Halifax, Quebec, and New York, forty-six days; from Halifax to West Indies, according to the distance of the island or place; Havannah, twenty-two days; Jamaica, thirty-one days; Barbadoes, fifty days, &c., &c. London to Rio de Janeiro, sixty-five days, and Buenos Ayres, fifteen days more; London to Madeira and Teneriffe, thirty-four days; London to Barbadoes, and all the West Indies, from Demerara to Havannah, and Chagres inclusive, sixty-five days, and to Honduras, Vera Cruz, and Tampico, fifteen days more. If the mails are conveyed by sailing packets on the four great lines from Fayal, then the time for all would be fifteen days additional.

Large as the above-mentioned sums are, still the revenues of Great Britain and Ireland, and their Colonial dependencies in the Western World (p. 047) (say 55,000,000_l._ yearly), ought to defray the cost without feeling any embarrassment. The cost, however, is nothing, when compared to the benefits and the advantages which the nation and individuals would derive from it. Time saved and actively employed is every thing. It is capital, which, if not employed at the moment, can never be again employed--a capital which, if suffered or forced to remain unemployed, or to escape unemployed, can never again be found or replaced. The exports of Great Britain amount at the declared value, and including freights and charges, to 75,000,000_l._ per annum. By employing steam-packets on even a portion of the present work, instead of sailing-packets, _fifteen_ days would be gained in every line of communication. Remittances arriving fifteen days earlier would be a profit to the commercial interests of the country of 167,793_l._, independent of the additional advantages which every merchant would gain when, instead of his funds wandering on the Atlantic, or lying idle and unproductive on the other side of it, he had these in hand, to lay out to good account as opportunity might offer. Even Government itself, from the want of regularity and frequency of transmission, lose, in their money transactions in the West Indies, above 8000_l._ yearly, and much more in not being able to learn quickly and regularly the state of the exchanges in the great money marts in the Western World.

Moreover, the Plan above recommended, conducted judiciously, and carried into effect to the extent pointed out, would amply repay either the Government or the individuals who may undertake it. Travelling would be prodigiously increased. Some of the wealth of foreign countries would be drawn by it to this country and her dependencies. Everywhere activity and industry would be encouraged and increased. The Post-office revenue would be greatly augmented,--perhaps doubled. The expenditure also would all be on British materials and labour.

_Cost of the New System and the Present System._

In order to understand the subject fairly, it becomes necessary to contrast the capital and the expenditure required under the (p. 048) NEW PLAN with the capital and the expenditure required for the _Present System_; and also, from data, which, though these in some points may not be perfectly accurate, are at any rate sufficiently so, to show the income which may reasonably be expected under the working of the Plan recommended. Every one practically acquainted with the subject, with the countries and combinations, with the objects alluded to and brought forward, will acknowledge the general accuracy of the data, and the great superiority and advantages in every way, and in every thing, of the new plan over the present system.

I.

The portion relating to the West Indian Department, shall separately and first be taken as a comparison.

Yearly cost by the proposed plan £81,900 Yearly cost by present system:-- Six Mexican packets at £4,200[8] £25,200 Four steamers and coals, say 39,000 Hire ten mail-boats, West Indies 6,000 Ditto mail-vessels, Nassau, Chagres, &c., say 4,000 Assistance navy,[9] equal to, say 3,000 ------- 77,200 ------ Apparent increase £4,700

But against this there is to be placed, the proportion of saving in coals 5,635 ------- Difference _gained_ £935 -------

[Footnote 8: See Appendix No. 1., Calculation of Expenses of Steamers and Sailing Packets.]

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

_Capital._ (p. 049)

Capital required by new plan £157,000 By present system:-- Six Mexican packets, at £9500 £57,000 Four steamers, _above_ £20,000, say 86,000 Ten mail-vessels, Windward Islands, £1500 15,000 Mail-vessels, Nassau, St. Martha, &c. 5,000 Aid men-of-war,[10] equal to 7,500 ------- 170,500 ------- Difference: decrease £13,500 -------

[Footnote 10: This assistance is worth more in capital than this sum.]

Under the present system, all Demerara, Jamaica (Kingston and Spanish Town excepted), and a large portion of Trinidad, cannot reply to their letters by the same packet by which they receive them. Also Nassau, Havannah, Tampico, Vera Cruz, Honduras, Chagres, Carthagena, Santa Martha, and Laguayra, have only ONE mail each month; while all Porto Rico, all the north side (the most important part) of Hayti, and all the south side of Cuba, are wholly left out; while in all parts the system is imperfect, irregular, and uncertain.

By the new plan, Nassau, Havannah, Tampico, Vera Cruz, Honduras, Chagres, Santa Martha, and Laguayra, would have two mails each month; all Porto Rico, the north side of Hayti, and the south side of Cuba, would be included, and have two mails each month also; and all Jamaica, Trinidad, and Demerara, would have time to reply to their letters by the same packet which brought them. Time would everywhere be saved, and the whole system would be regular and certain, and properly combined.

II. (p. 050)

The General Plan for the Western World:--