2. The route by the Pacific Ocean to Japan, China, and Australia.
3. The route by the Atlantic Ocean down the east coast of South America, and around Cape Horn, to western America and Australasia; and
4. The route down the Atlantic and the west coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope, to East Africa, Australasia, and the East. The number of steamers traversing these grand routes, and those tributary to them, is estimated to be more than 11,000. In order to emphasize the importance of ocean navigation, the appended table[20] of the number of steam vessels, their money value, and the value of the merchandise they carry, is given for the five greatest nations of the globe:
| Number of Steam Vessels. | Gross Tons. | Value of Vessels. | Value of Trade carried in Vessels. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 6,403 | 8,235,854 | $550,000,000 | $3,476,500,000 |
| Germany | 741 | 928,911 | 63,500,000 | 1,624,000,000 |
| France | 526 | 809,598 | 48,500,000 | 1,471,000,000 |
| United States | 416 | 517,394 | 42,000,000 | 1,462,500,000 |
| Italy | 212 | 300,625 | 22,000,000 | 415,000,000 |
| Russia | 236 | 106,155 | 12,500,000 | 60,000,000 |
CHART OF THE WORLD
SHOWING THE
Principal Steamship Routes.
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Owing to the various lines of communication which have been opened up, the traveller is now offered the choice of a number of routes, each vying with the other in attractiveness and interest. For instance, the whole journey from London to Constantinople can be performed with no more than 17 hours of sea-passage; or, if a more leisurely way be preferred, the whole journey can be made by water. Therefore the first thing to be done is to determine the route to be followed, and the time to be given the trip. Then the dates of sailing should be settled. These preliminaries concluded, there comes the question of the selection of steamers. If England is to be visited, passage must be booked on some line bound to that country. If, however, the objective point be on the Continent, a room should be engaged on some line bound for Germany, France, Spain, or the Mediterranean.
The number of steamers engaged in the regular passenger service between the Eastern seaboard of the United States and the Old World is probably greater than most travellers imagine. At the present time there are upward of thirty-five distinct lines, each with a larger or smaller fleet of steamers regularly engaged in Atlantic transport. Six of these, the Cunard, the White Star, the Anchor, the Guion, the National, and the Inman, sail between New York and Liverpool. Four others, the Norddeutscher Lloyd, the Hamburg-American Packet Company, the Union line, and the Baltic line, trade between New York and German ports. The National line, the Hill line, and the Wilson line go to London; two others, the Allan-State and the Anchor, to Glasgow. Two French lines, the General Transatlantic and the French Commercial Steamship Company sail for Havre and Marseilles. Two lines communicate with Dutch ports, the Netherlands-American Steam Navigation Company, and the Royal Netherlands Steamship Company; two more, the Red Star and the White Cross lines, leave for Antwerp; one line, the Thingvalla, steams to Copenhagen, and the General Italian Navigation Company, and the Anchor line, make Italian ports.