Distances and Bearings of Places.
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.