Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company—Its founders and
origin—Messrs. Willcox and Anderson—Mr. James Allan—How the
Peninsular mails were originally conveyed—Proposal of Peninsular
Company for their conveyance—Contract concluded August 29th,
1837—Conveyance of mails to India previously to 1839—Government
applies to the Peninsular Company and accepts their proposals, though
reluctantly—Proposed direct line from Falmouth to Calcutta—First
vessels hence, on Indian postal service to Alexandria—Original
postal service from Suez to Bombay—Contract for mails between Suez
and Calcutta, September 1842—Further proposals made by the East
India Company and Government, but finally rejected by the East
India Company—Further contracts for mail service to China and
Singapore—Peninsular and Oriental Company undertake the line between
Bombay and Suez, 1854—House of Commons Committee on Australian mail
service, 1849—Eastern Steam Navigation Company and Peninsular and
Oriental Company tender for it, but the Peninsular and Oriental
succeed—The _Himalaya_ built—New contract with Peninsular and
Oriental Company, January 1853—Failure of Service during the Crimean
War—Proposals for an independent Australian mail service—Tender of
European and Australian Company accepted—Their entire failure—Speech
of Lord Overstone, March 24th, 1859—Royal Mail Company undertakes
the Australian service and fails—New tenders invited—That of
Peninsular and Oriental Company accepted, 1859—Consolidation of
services in the Peninsular and Oriental Company—Its present condition
and fleet of ships—Terms of the contract now in force—Revenue and
expenditure—Coals required—Descriptions of vessels—Screw steamer
_Khedive_—Particulars of this ship—Uniform and regulations of the
Company