The conveyance of mails and despatches from one place to another is of
the utmost possible importance to individuals, and to a country. The
rapidity and regularity with which such communications can be made,
gives to every nation an influence, a command, and advantages such as
scarcely any thing else can give, and frequently extends even beyond
the sphere of that influence and that command which the direct
application of mere physical power can obtain to any government or
people.
Much as Great Britain has already done, in this respect, to connect
and to communicate with her very extensive, valuable, and important
foreign dependencies, still much more remains to be done, to give her
those advantages, and that influence, and that command which she might
have, which she ought to have, which all her great interests require
she should have; and which the power of steam, together with the late
great improvements in machinery, can and ought, in a special manner,
to secure unto her, her commerce, her power, and her people.
In no quarters of the world could the application of the power and the
improvements alluded to prove so advantageous to the commercial (p. 002)
and the political interests of Great Britain as in the East Indies, in
the West Indies, and in those places connected with these quarters;
and also in all those countries and places which afford the safest and
the speediest means of connecting the chain closely which tends to
enable her to communicate more frequently, more rapidly, and more
regularly with these places; and, at the same time, all these
quarters, and her own possessions, with the parent State.
The object being a national one, it ought to be carried into effect by
the nation, without reference to the mere question of pounds shillings
and pence; that is, whether it is to become a directly remunerating
concern or not. While the important subject ought to be taken up in
this manner by the Government of Great Britain, it may be observed
that the plan requisite, carried into effect in the most extensive
manner, will certainly remunerate fully the Government or the
individuals who may undertake the work, either on the general or on
the more limited scale; but the higher, the more the scale is
extended.
In fact, unless the plan is carried into effect on an extensive scale,
it will not prove a concern so remunerating as it would otherwise be,
because it is only by connecting different places in the line, or
within the sphere of communication, that a greater number, or rather a
sufficient number, of letters and passengers can be obtained; and
unless the communications are sufficiently frequent and regular, both
letters and travellers will continue to find private traders and ships
in general the quickest mode of proceeding on and getting to the end
of their journey, or the place of their destination.
The position of the United States, in the western world, and the very
extensive trade which these States carry on with every part of that
quarter of the world, and indeed with every quarter of the world,
gives the merchants of these States, constituted as the packet
arrangements and communications of Great Britain with foreign parts
now are, an opportunity of receiving earlier intelligence regarding
the state of many important foreign markets than British merchants in
general enjoy, except such as are immediately connected with
establishments in the United States, and by which means both obtain
decided advantages over the rest of the commercial community. (p. 003)
This ought not to be the case in a great commercial country like Great
Britain. It is a fact quite notorious, that from almost every quarter
of the western world the earliest intelligence is almost uniformly
received through the United States. The whole correspondence of the
important British Provinces, the Canadas, comes through these States.
It is also notorious, that, by means of our own commercial marine,
intelligence is generally received from many foreign countries earlier
than by Government Packets. Indeed, it is not uncommon among merchants
to return, unopened, to the Post-office many letters in originals,
they having previously received the duplicates by private merchant
ships. Besides, it is well known that vast numbers of letters from
Great Britain to Foreign States are sent through the United States,
because these go earlier to their place of destination. In these
various ways a great Post-office revenue is cut off, while the
mercantile world are put to a great inconvenience and uncertainty. It
is not befitting that the first commercial country in the world should
remain dependent upon the private ships of another commercial and
rival state for the transmission of commercial correspondence. If such
a deficient system is persevered in, the result will most infallibly
be, that that country which obtains, and which can obtain, the
earliest commercial information, will, in time, become the greatest
and most prosperous commercial country.
It is, in fact, quite impossible that the commercial interests of any
country can ever compete with the commercial interests of another
country, unless the one have equally rapid, frequent, and regular
opportunities and means of correspondence and conveyance with the
other. If the merchants of other countries have quicker and more
frequent communications with any particular quarter of the world, than
the merchants of the United Kingdom have, it is obvious that the
former will obtain a decided advantage over the latter, in regulating
and directing all commercial transactions.
The foreign trade of Great Britain, besides forming an immense moving
power for giving activity to every branch of internal industry, trade,
and commerce, becomes also, from the correspondence to which it (p. 004)
gives rise, and by which it can alone be carried on, an immense and
direct source of Post-office revenue: but the direct postage derived
from the correspondence required in the foreign trade, great as it is,
is small when compared to the addition which the correspondence in the
foreign trade directly and immediately gives to the internal postages
of the kingdom. If it is examined narrowly, it will, it is not
doubted, be found that almost every letter of the moiety of those
which come from the British transmarine possessions, and from other
foreign parts, whether by packets or by merchant ships, (of the
latter, it may be said, a number equal to the whole which pay postage
do, because the very great number of letters directed to consignees
come free,) produces, perhaps, _ten letters_, on which the largest
single internal postages are charged and paid. This arises from orders
sent to different places to tradesmen, mechanical and manufacturing
establishments for goods; orders for insurance; invoices sent;
payments, in consequence, by bills or orders, and in bills transmitted
for acceptances, &c. &c.
In all mail communications, such as those which are about to be
considered, the point to be kept steadily in view, and one which is
absolutely indispensable, is to connect and to bring the return mails
and the outward together, in such a manner as that every intermediate
place shall have the full benefit of both, without trenching upon the
general interests, or occasioning any unnecessary detention or delay.
This great and essential point is more particularly necessary to be
attended to in the conveyance of mails by sea to distant parts,
especially if conveyed by steam. In the quarters about to be noticed,
the point alluded to will be shown to be more than in any other
quarter necessary. Without this is effected, nothing beneficial is, in
fact, effected; and to secure the object, a commanding power is
obviously and indispensably necessary. For various reasons, which it
is considered unnecessary here to state, steamers of 250-horse power
each, will be found to be the best and most economical class of
vessels to employ in the service contemplated.
The next and a still more important point to attend to, and to (p. 005)
keep in mind, is to have always in readiness, and at well-selected
stations, a sufficient quantity of coals to supply each boat: without
such are at command, no movement can take place; and unless the supply
is ample, and always at hand, no regular communication can ever be
carried on. Wood, indeed, may be procured in some stations in the West
Indies, but not in all; while even where it can be obtained, it will
be found to be dearer than coal. The quantity also necessary for a
vessel of large power, and for a voyage of any considerable length,
would far exceed the room that could be afforded, in a vessel of
properly regulated tonnage. A supply of coals, moreover, could be had
at all the places to be brought into notice by care, and foresight, at
moderate rates, and at the rates taken in the subsequent calculations.
Merchant vessels, bound to all quarters, so soon as they perceived
that they were sure of a market, would take a proportion of coals as
ballast; and others would be glad to take a portion even beyond that,
to aid them in completing their cargoes, instead of remaining, as
vessels both at Liverpool, Glasgow, &c. frequently do, some time, till
they can obtain a sufficient quantity of goods to enable them to do
so: while such vessels could at all times furnish in this way a
sufficient supply of coals, at moderate rates, and still afford to
them a fair profit; such assistance in loading, by enabling vessels to
sail at short and regularly stated periods, would become of the most
essential service to the commercial interests of this country.
The time hitherto occupied by steamers in taking in coals, in almost
every place, has constituted of itself a considerable drawback on
steam navigation: it may, to a great extent, be avoided. Let
carriages, such as are used on the railroads for carrying coals at
Newcastle, &c. be constructed with iron handles. These may be made to
hold one and a half, or two tons of coals (either of these weights, it
is supposed, might be hoisted into a vessel without difficulty), and
be all filled and placed on a raft or punt ready at each depôt, thirty
to sixty in number, according to its importance, awaiting the arrival
of the packet steamer. The moment she comes into port, the punt will
be alongside, and the whole will be hoisted in in a few hours, the
place for receiving them being always, and during the voyage, (p. 006)
prepared for them. In this way 120 tons of coals may be taken in
within a very short space of time; the buckets first emptied,
refilled, and emptied again, to a considerable extent, in a period of
no great additional time. At smaller depôts and ports, the steamer
might hoist in thirty or forty tons of coals during her shorter time
of stoppage; and thus steamers, without any material delay, would
always have a sufficient and certain supply of fuel. The coals at all
the depôts should be well covered and protected from the sun.
Further, on this head, most of the small coal (the best) which goes to
waste at the depôts, may be saved by the following simple
process:--Let it be mixed with a little clay, considerably diluted,
then made into small balls, and afterwards dried in the sun (a rapid
process within the tropics), and then taken on board with the others
when wanted. It burns with great force. It is so used on estates in
the West Indies for Stills. The saving is great, and the labour of
making it up exceedingly light. A child may almost perform it.
It is necessary to observe, that steam-boats for the torrid zone must
be fitted up and out in a manner considerably different, more
especially in their hatches, from the best and most splendid boats in
this country. For the convenience and health of both the passengers
and crews, those for the torrid zone must, in every part, be more
roomy and airy, yet so constructed as to be closed in the speediest
and securest manner in the event of a hurricane; consequently they
will require less expense in building, and fitting up of cabins, &c.
than the crack boats in this country, in order to make them so.
In all the distances stated, there are, be it observed, included in
the time allowed, three or four hours to land and take in mails and
passengers at every place where the steamers may have to touch; and at
the more important stations, at least six hours beyond the longer
periods allowed for stoppages for coals and mails, &c. It will be
necessary to give six or eight hours at Barbadoes before the departure
of the steamer, that Government despatches may be forwarded. In fact,
the steamer should always, and only leave that island at sun-rise on
the day following that whereon the packet arrived from England, (p. 007)
because by doing so, it would reach St. Thomas at daybreak on the
second morning (the navigation at that island is rather dangerous
during the night), clear it, and reach St. John's, Porto Rico, with
daylight, and in consequence Cape Nichola in daylight also, on the
second day thereafter.
The old _Galatea_ frigate might be carried up from Jamaica and moored
at Cape Nichola Mole, on board of which those mails and specie may be
deposited, that require to be disembarked from such steamers, &c., as
cannot be detained till the packet arrives to receive them. This,
however, will seldom be the case, nor to any great extent; as the
homeward-bound packet, whether steamer or sailing-vessel, will almost
always be at Cape Nichola before the steamer gets up from the leeward.
She may also be used to hold coals for a supply for the steamer to a
certain extent.
Let the fact be urged in the strongest manner, that a communication
once a month, to any given place, will never pay, nor answer any great
or good purpose. Mails, or rather letters and passengers, will not
wait for such a length of time, especially when these could, as for
example from the Havannah, almost be in England, by way of New York,
in the interval that would elapse between the departure of one packet
and another, when there was only one packet in the month; but give two
each month, and neither could ever be so.
The arrangements, and the extent of the internal Post-office
establishments of Great Britain, are upon the most splendid and
efficient footing. There is nothing of a similar kind in any other
country, either in management, or combination, or regularity, that can
equal or even be compared to them. It is, however, much otherwise with
all her transmarine mail communications. They are all particularly
deficient in combination, limited in their operations, and inefficient
as regards the machinery employed to carry the mails. This, in a more
particular manner, is the case with the West Indies: the small sailing
vessels there employed are generally very unfit for such a service,
and the steamers sent out to work them, with the exception of the _Flamer_,
being only of 100-horse power, and besides badly constructed, are (p. 008)
wholly unfit for the service in any way; and even the vessel named,
which is 140-horse power, though much superior to any of the other
three, the _Carron_, the _Echo_, and the _Albyn_, is still too small
to perform her work in proper and reasonable time, or to stem the
currents and trade winds, to say nothing of tempests, which, as
regards the two former, constantly prevail in the seas in that quarter
of the world.
It may also be remarked, that to extend or to add to the number of
post communications, does not add proportionally to the machinery
necessary for the conveyance of these: in other words, if the
communications are doubled in number, the machinery used for
conveyance is not necessarily doubled, nor the expense consequently
doubled. Take, for example, the station between Barbadoes and Jamaica:
with two mails each month, this could not be effected with fewer than
three steam-boats; but the same number of steamers will, without
inconvenience, extend the communication to Havannah, and take in, at
the same time, several important places extra. A judicious and proper
combination and regularity in all movements can, with the same
machinery, and with but little additional expense, perform, in some
instances double, and in many instances nearly double work.
The objects for making Fayal, in the Western Islands, a central point
of communication, are as follow:--First, it is directly in the course
for the West Indies; so nearly so for Rio de Janeiro in the outward
voyage (in the homeward it is the best course), that if not actually
the best course, as it is believed it really is, the deviation, as
will afterwards more clearly appear, is not worth taking into account.
It is also the proper course for New York, and even not much out of
the way from the direct line to Halifax; while, considering the winds
and currents, the Gulf stream, for example, which prevail in the
Atlantic, steamers or sailing packets will make the voyage from
Falmouth to Halifax by this route as speedily, on an average, as if
they were to take the direct course. It is well known, that vessels
bound to the northern ports of the United States, go much to the southward
of the Western Islands. Secondly, it will save two steam-boats on (p. 009)
the North American line, and two more on the South American line, for
that distance (not fewer than two would do for each line); which, with
coals, yearly, would cost 41,600_l._ This, alone, ought to determine
the point.
These steam-packets should be allowed to carry parcels, packages, and
light and fine goods, which could afford to pay a considerable
freight. This ought to be limited, however, not to exceed forty tons
in each vessel on each of the great lines (except Falmouth to Fayal,
which may be 120); and the small sailing vessels in proportion. These
things, without retarding the speed materially, would produce a
considerable return, but from which must come port charges, &c. If the
steamers are allowed to become mere vessels of freight, or for
carriage of goods, no regularity in their voyages could be expected.
To avoid delay, these articles could be landed and taken to the
Custom-house in every island and place, and delivered thence, under
the Revenue laws, to each owner.
The greater extent to which combination can be carried on in the mail
circle, and the wider that that circle can be extended, so much
cheaper the labour of conveyance becomes, and the greater the returns
therefrom. Further, not merely the greatest possible speed, but the
greatest possible regularity, is the desiderata in the conveyance of
mails in any country: the latter, in particular, is more essentially
necessary than the former, and is, in fact, the life-spring of all
commercial communication.
The work to be performed, in every quarter, must not only be well
done, but done within a limited time, in order to render it beneficial
and effective. Powerful boats, that can overcome the distance and the
natural obstacles that present themselves, can alone do this.
Small-power boats can never accomplish the work. Numbers will not
overcome the difficulties, nor come, as regards time, within the
limits required.
Each packet steamer on each of the great lines, could and should return
unto Falmouth alternately, and the boats from Falmouth be prepared
to take the longer voyage in their stead. The time each will have
to stop at Falmouth will always allow of time for any material (p. 010)
examination and the repairs that may be necessary.
Without actual experience it is impossible to place before the public,
in a correct point of view, the whole appearance and state of steamers
employed in the West Indian mail service, as seen last year--when the
whole extent of their voyages was travelled over in more than one of
them:--imagine a small ill-contrived boat, an old 10-gun brig, as the
_Carron_ is, for example, of 100-horse power, and thirty to forty tons
of coals on her deck; with a cabin about thirteen feet by ten, and an
after-cabin still smaller, both without any means of ventilation,
except what two ill-planned, narrow and miserable hatches, when open,
afford. Imagine a vessel like this starting from Jamaica, with ten or
fifteen passengers, and a crew of thirty-seven people, still more
miserably provided with room and quarters, to stem the currents, the
trade winds--(not to speak of storms,)--which blow, and the heavy seas
which roll, between that island and St. Thomas, especially in the
channel between the former and St. Domingo, and indeed in all the West
Indies: having the boiler immediately adjoining the cabin and sleeping
berths, and without any place to stow the luggage belonging to the
passengers,--and with the numerous mail bags crammed into the small
sleeping berths, or under the table,--and the public will have a faint
idea of a Government steam-boat; wherein, under a tropical sun and a
tropical rain, the passengers and crews are, with the hatches closed,
reduced to the choice, while choked with coal-dust, of being broiled
or suffocated. No human constitution can long stand this. Without
meaning any offence, truth must declare, that such a state of things
is a disgrace to England.
The most urgent haste and necessity can alone bring individuals to
travel by such conveyances, and none will do so whose time will allow
them to look for other modes of conveyance and transport. Female
passengers, in particular, without female attendants, or room for
them, will never willingly undertake, certainly never repeat, a voyage
under such circumstances. It would seem that, in this respect, the
vessels belonging to the most powerful, enlightened, and civilized
Government in the world, are to be placed far below the level of (p. 011)
vessels belonging to their own subjects, and those of other nations;
although such vessels are expressly appointed to convey passengers.
With these preliminary observations, it is proposed to consider the
details of a plan for the more extended conveyance of mails by
steam-boats, first to the WESTERN WORLD, under the separate heads into
which such a plan, necessarily and properly divides itself. In doing
this, it will satisfactorily appear that the more the plan is
extended, the less in proportion will the expenses attending the same
be, and the greater the returns be therefrom.