_Fayal and North America._
The rising importance of British America renders it highly desirable,
nay, absolutely necessary, that a more frequent and regular post
communication should be established with it. This might be done so as
to secure all the Post-office revenue derivable from the letters to
and from that quarter of the empire with Great Britain; and not only
so, but to draw from the United States unto England some of that
postage and some of those passengers which belong specifically to
those States. To carry this into effect, it must be done by
steam-boats, and Fayal made the point of communication from which the
mails are to diverge, and to which they are again to return. The point
of communication with Fayal should be either by Halifax to New York,
or to Halifax alone; from which place the steamer to run to the West
Indies could carry the European mails to and from New York. In each
way the details will be as follow:--
_Fayal to New York, by Halifax._
From Fayal to New York direct is 2020 miles; and from Fayal to New
York, by Halifax, is 2160 miles. If this course is adopted, there
would be no need for any stoppages at Halifax, except to land the
outward mails, &c., and pick up the inward, or homeward-bound European
mails, &c. The steamers, with the outward mails on board, would
proceed from Fayal on the 10th and 25th of each month, and reach New
York, by Halifax, on the 7th and 23d of each month, or in thirteen
days. Leaving New York on the evening of the 9th or 10th, and the 25th
or 26th of the month, with the return mails from the States, and
calling at Halifax for all those from British America, the steamer
would reach Fayal in thirteen days, or on the 8th and 23d of each
month, exactly in time, as will by-and-by be shown, for the
homeward-bound West Indian and Brazil mails coming up to the same
place; and two days previous to the arrival of the outward packet (p. 016)
from Falmouth, after allowing two days to stop at New York, and having
one day to spare, in the event of severe weather on the voyage. The
course and time will be:--
Geo. Miles. Days.
Fayal to Halifax 1640 10
Halifax to New York 520 3
Stop at New York " 2
New York to Fayal, by Halifax 2160 13
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Totals 4320 28
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Two steam-boats would perform this work, giving two mails each month,
prime cost 48,000_l._; wages, provisions, &c. &c. 6200_l._ each,
12,400_l._ Each boat would be at sea 26 and 26 = 52 days, monthly =
624 yearly; 25 tons of coals daily = 15,000 yearly, at 25_s._ per ton,
19,500_l._
This would, however, be close work for two boats, in the event of
accidents; and therefore a spare boat would be required, at an
additional expense of 24,000_l._ capital, and 6200_l._ yearly charges.
But two may be rendered quite sufficient by making Halifax, instead of
New York, the point of communication between Fayal and British North
America; the communication with New York to be taken up, and carried
on, by the steamers proposed to run between North America and the West
Indies, as explained and stated under the next head. Fixing the
communications in this way, the details, or the course and time, would
be:--
Geo. Miles. Days.
Fayal to Halifax 1640 10
Rest there, say " 8
Halifax to Fayal 1640 10
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Totals 3280 28
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Two boats would be quite sufficient to perform this service, and the
advantage would be gained of having a British port as the port for
trans-shipment. Each boat would be at sea 10 and 10 = 20 days each
voyage = 40 monthly = 480 yearly; coals, 25 tons daily = 12,000 (p. 017)
tons yearly, at 25_s._ = 15,000_l._ The periods for the arrivals and
departures of these Halifax and Fayal steamers will be found to agree
well with the arrivals and departures of the steamers to run between
Halifax and the West Indies, by way of New York, as minutely
particularized under the next head.
Halifax ought to be made the point from which, and to which, all the
British North American, foreign, that is, transmarine correspondence,
ought to converge and diverge. It can be made to do so readily, and
with advantage, as the following distances will show:--
Distance. Geo. Miles.
New York to Quebec N. 19° East. 390
New York to Montreal N. 4° E. 305
Halifax to St. John's, by Annapolis N. 71° W. 111
St. John's to Quebec N. 66° W. 230
Quebec to Montreal S. 58° W. 116
Thus it is obvious that Halifax is nearer England three and a half
days each way than New York; that much time would, by the above course
of post, between the mother country and all her North American
possessions, be saved, while all the advantages of carrying these
mails and passengers, &c. would be gained by British shipping and
British subjects.
The communications could be carried on between Fayal and Halifax, &c.
by sailing packets instead of steam vessels; but then these sailing
packets, on account of the number of passengers which it is almost
certain would travel by them, would require to be packets of the
largest size, or first class. Their average voyages may be taken at
sixteen days each, with six or eight to stop at Halifax, which would
bring the full voyage to forty days. This would throw the return
letters always one mail, or fifteen days, later for Europe, than if
steamers were employed; but, at the same time, it would bring their
arrival at Fayal to be regular, and in sufficient time for the
succeeding homeward packet from Fayal; for, if they go beyond thirty
days, their return within forty-five days, _in this or in any other
station_, would meet the central point at Fayal equally well, as to
dates; but such a detention would not only occasion so much loss (p. 018)
of time to the course of correspondence, but give letters a chance of
reaching Europe sooner from New York direct. Two sailing packets would
perform this work in the unavoidably extended time mentioned, giving
two mails each month; first cost 9,500_l._ = 19,000_l._; yearly
charges 4200_l._ each = 8400_l._