One powerful steam-boat (240-horse power) to leave Barbadoes
immediately on the arrival of the outward British packet, for Demerara
and Berbice, with the British and Colonial mails, and from the latter
return to Barbadoes, having first carried the return mails to the
packet at Grenada; thus:--Barbadoes to Berbice, 450 miles, landing
mail at Demerara, three days; (the mail for Berbice might be forwarded
from George Town, Demerara, by land;) stop at Berbice two days; to
Grenada, calling at Demerara, Tobago, and St. Vincent's, for return
mail, 490 miles, four days; back to Barbadoes, 150 miles, two days; in
all, eleven days: taking with her the return mails from the Colonies
at which she had called for Barbadoes, and having delivered the return
European mails, and others, to the packet at Grenada.
On the arrival of the British packet at Barbadoes, a fast-sailing
schooner to be despatched with the outward mails for Laguayra
(dropping at St. Vincent's and Grenada the outward mails for these
islands, which would be little trouble to it), and from Laguayra to
proceed to St. Thomas, with the return mails for the packet, as at
present, and thence return to Barbadoes direct. The route of this boat
would be,--Barbadoes to Laguayra, calling first at St. Vincent's and
Grenada, 510 miles, four days; stop there three days; and to St.
Thomas, 490 miles, six days; to Barbadoes, eight days; in all,
twenty-one days. Two schooners would do this work, giving two mails
each month.
On the arrival of the British packet at Barbadoes, a fast-sailing
schooner should be despatched, as at present, with the outward (p. 040)
mails from Great Britain for St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica,
Guadaloupe, Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, and St. Kitts. The boat need
proceed no further westward than St. Kitts, because the steamer from
Barbadoes had carried forward the Tortola mails. From St. Kitts it
will return to Barbadoes, calling at all the islands just enumerated,
for the return Colonial mails. The route of this boat would
be,--Barbadoes to St. Kitts, calling at the places mentioned, 370
miles, four days; and back to Barbadoes, six days; together, ten days.
On the eighth day after the arrival of the packet at Barbadoes (the
despatch of this boat must always be so as to secure its arrival at
St. Kitts _before_ the packet), a schooner to be despatched with the
return mails and passengers from that island, to pick up for the
homeward-bound packet mails and passengers at St. Lucia, Martinique,
Dominica, Guadaloupe, Antigua, Montserrat, and Nevis, and give to or
leave these for the packet at St. Kitts. From St. Kitts this boat
returns to Barbadoes, calling at all the islands enumerated for the
return Colonial mails. This boat will be the same time out as the one
which carried the outward mails, namely, ten days.[5]
[Footnote 5: If the packet is a steamer, these
boats will be saved, because the steamer would save
so much time as to enable it to call at all the
islands northwards, to pick up the return mails.]
Two schooners will do the work on both the courses here pointed out as
necessary, with two spare ones at Barbadoes, in case of the arrival of
sailing packets on the heels of each other from Britain, to forward
the mails for all the places mentioned, and for Laguayra, making in
all eight schooners for this station. There are at present ten, or
more.
Instead of remaining at Barbadoes nine days, as at present, doing
nothing, the packet herself (whether steamer or sailing vessel)
should, on the day after her arrival at that island, proceed with the
outward mails to Tobago and Trinidad, delivering those for the former
island, and proceeding thence direct to Trinidad, in two days, 230
miles. At Trinidad remain six days, thence with the return mails from
it proceed to Grenada, where she will meet the return mails for
Europe, brought there by the steamer from British Guiana, Tobago, and
St Vincent's. With these collected, proceed on the tenth day from (p. 041)
Grenada to St. Kitts, 330 miles, two and a half days. At that island
pick up the European mails from the islands formerly enumerated, and
thence with the whole proceed to St. Thomas, by Tortola, 140 miles,
one and a half day more; in all, fourteen days from her arrival at
Barbadoes to St. Thomas.
At St. Thomas, having all the mails from the Windward and Leeward
Islands on board, and having there got the European mail from
Laguayra, &c., the packet will proceed, on the fourteenth day, to the
westward, calling at St John's, Porto Rico, for the return mail, and
thence go on to Cape Nichola Mole, Hayti, 480 miles, three days. At
this latter place receive all the European mails from the Bahamas,
from Jamaica, Cuba, &c. &c., and thence, with the whole, on the
seventeenth day, proceed direct, according as may be determined, to
Fayal or to Falmouth, calling at Crooked Island to pick up the return
mails from the Bahamas, if it shall be found that those cannot be got
up in time by the sailing schooners to Cape Nichola Mole.[6]
[Footnote 6: Whenever steamers are appointed to
carry the mails from Falmouth to Barbadoes, the
arrival of the packet at that island will be so
regular, that Jamaica _might_ be made (should this
be considered advantageous) the headquarters, as it
were, for the steamers in that quarter of the
world. Four would then be sufficient for the work
between Barbadoes and Vera Cruz; two to run between
Jamaica and Vera Cruz, by the Havannah, and two
between Jamaica and Barbadoes, by St. Thomas. The
latter two would be each fifteen days at sea
monthly, and the former two seventeen days,
exclusive of partial stoppages; so that there would
be abundance of time for rest and repairs. Further,
under such circumstances, the packet with the
European return mails would have time to run
through the islands and pick up all the mails;
meeting, on the second day after her departure from
Trinidad, and on the ninth after reaching
Barbadoes, at St. Lucia, the steamer from Guiana,
with the Guiana, Tobago, and Barbadoes return
mails; and proceeding onward through all the
islands, to the northward and westward, St. Thomas
and Porto Rico included, pass from that island
through the Mona Passage, and call at Jacmel for a
mail, reaching Jamaica in fourteen days. From
thence starting without delay, and going by St.
Jago de Cuba and Cape Nichola, leave the latter
place on the seventeenth day for Fayal, exactly in
the same time that it is calculated it could do
under the other arrangement. But such an
arrangement would render it difficult, perhaps
impracticable, to get up the Laguayra mail to St.
Thomas in time, it having only ten days for that
purpose; and at the same time an additional expense
for coals, at least for three days each packet or
voyage (1800 tons, 2250_l._ yearly) would be
required, being the time taken between Jamaica and
Cape Nichola Mole.]
THE SECOND PACKET of the month, and all the steamers and schooners, to
proceed exactly in a similar manner.
According to the proposed arrangement, these steam-boats would be
actively employed thus:--
1008 days, yearly--Jamaica station
192 " " Demerara ditto.
----
In all 1200 days, yearly. Coals, 30,000 tons.
_Advantages._ (p. 042)
I. There would, by these arrangements, be two mails each month to
Great Britain from all places in the western Tropical Archipelago, or
connected with it, which at present there are not.
II. Jamaica, with the requisite alterations in her internal mail
communications, would have in all her western division seven and eight
days, and in all her eastern division eight and nine days, to return
answers by the packet with which she receives her European, &c.
correspondence, of which she at present is deprived; Kingston and
Spanish Town alone being able, under the present regulations, to do
so.
III. Porto Rico, All Cuba, the more important parts of Hayti, and all
the western coasts of South America, would, by these arrangements, be
brought immediately and completely within the range of the British
Post-office, most of which places at present are not.
IV. By this arrangement all British Guiana would be enabled to reply
to all its European and Colonial correspondence by the same packet,
but which at present they have it not in their power to do.
V. The inhabitants of Trinidad would get sufficient time to receive
and to reply to their letters by the same packet. From the Naparima
and other distant quarters they cannot at present do so.
VI. The whole of the British Windward and Leeward Island Colonies (p. 043)
would have regularly, and nearly every week, post communications with
each other and with Barbadoes, instead of being, as at present, weeks
together without such communications.
VII. This arrangement would be more agreeable, convenient, and
advantageous to passengers from Demerara, &c. for the packet for
England, and also amongst the Colonies, and consequently more
advantageous to all interested in the packets.
VIII. The same may be said with regard to passengers in every part of
the Western Archipelago. The frequency and regularity of the
conveyances would greatly add to the number of travellers, and also
greatly increase the number of letters sent and received, and
consequently augment the Post-office revenue to an amount greatly
beyond what it now is.
IX. By this arrangement the packet itself would always be out of any
danger, which, it is well known, she incurs by laying at Barbadoes, an
unsheltered place at all times, but peculiarly dangerous in the
hurricane months. In the route pointed out she would be nearly free
from the sphere of all such dangers and tempests.
X. By this arrangement the communications, both to the Government and
to individuals, would be more safe, and regular, and frequent than
they now are with every quarter of the Western World; an object of
great importance to all, but more especially to the British
Government.
XI. By this arrangement six Mexican packets, which cost Government,
say 4200_l._ each (25,200_l._ per annum), would be wholly saved.
XII. Departing from Cape Nichola Mole, instead of St. Thomas, for
Falmouth, does not increase the distance in the voyage to England
above 310 miles,--about two days' sail; moreover, it may be remarked,
the packet at present scarcely ever leaves St. Thomas for England
earlier than on the nineteenth day, and sometimes even longer.
Thus,--Steam-boat to Jamaica, eight days, four days there, and seven
to St. Thomas even in favourable voyages.
XIII. Great Britain, by thus possessing all the channels of
communication in the Western Archipelago, would thereby secure the
principal political influence therein; but which will otherwise, and
in a very short period hence, go into the hands of the United States,
now earnestly looking about and proceeding to acquire and to (p. 044)
extend the same in that quarter of the world.
XIV. The expenses as regards this plan, would, for the West Indies,
not be greater than for the present establishment in that quarter, the
Mexican packets included; while the communications with several places
would be doubled.
XV. The whole correspondence of the United States, with every quarter
of America, to the south of these States, would be brought by the
General Plan within the range of the Post Office of Great Britain.
There would, moreover, be two mails each month between Great Britain
and the eastern coast of South America.
XVI. A great and useful commercial correspondence, between the United
States, British North America, and all the West Indies, would be
opened up, but which at present does not exist.