[371] The Queen Margaret, 3138 tons register, belonging to the Queen Steam Shipping Company (Limited), has just (Sept. 1875) made the passage from London to Calcutta under 30 days, including 40 hours’ detention in the Suez Canal (or, 28 days and 8 hours), which, as yet, is, I believe, the fastest passage on record.
[372] The dimensions of this vessel are 350 feet in length, 37 feet in breadth, and 27 feet 5 inches extreme depth of hold. She has three decks, her engines are 300 nominal horse-power, and her crew consists of fifty persons all told.
[373] All the ships of Messrs. George Smith and Sons are named after different cities.
Calcutta.
We despatched to Calcutta viâ the Cape of Good Hope, in 1871, twenty-four sailing ships:
| Shortest passage out | 79 days. |
| Shortest passage home | 93 days. |
| Shortest round voyage, Pilot to Pilot | 6 months and 9 days. |
| Average passage out | 95 days. |
| Average passage home | 108 days. |
Five of the voyages were completed under seven months. A few of these vessels loaded out from London. The others were all from the Clyde.
Bombay.
We despatched to Bombay, in 1871, sixteen sailing-ships completing the same number of voyages: