One steam-boat would carry all the mails for the East Indies, &c. from
Suez to Bombay; and from thence another steam-boat would proceed to
Calcutta by Trincomalee, calling at Mangalore, and other places in the
west coast of Hindostan, and dropping at Trincomalee the mails for all
places more to the eastward. Going by Bombay, instead of going direct
from Babelmandel to Ceylon, only increases the distance about 270
miles, while the vast expense of having additional and separate boats
is saved. From Trincomalee, the steamer, both in going to and
returning from Calcutta, could, without inconvenience or delay, call
at Pondicherry and Madras. Should the time occupied by the steamers
from Bombay to Calcutta by this route exceed the time occupied by the
post to travel from the former to the latter by land, then in that
case the European mails from Calcutta could be forwarded by land, (p. 069)
while the passengers, parcels, &c. could go round by the steamer, the
difference, in point of time, being not above a day or two at most.
The route, time, and distance from Bombay to Calcutta, would be
thus:--
Geo. miles. Days.
Bombay to Trincomalee 1258 7
Stop at Trincomalee 2
Trincomalee to Calcutta, by Madras, &c. 1010 5
Stop at Calcutta 2
Calcutta to Bombay, same route 2268 12
---- --
Totals 4536 28
---- --
Two powerful boats would perform this work, giving two mails each
month. Each would be at sea 24 days each voyage = 48 monthly = 576
yearly: 25 tons coals daily = 14,400 tons yearly, 28,800_l._ Cost of
boats, 48,000_l._; yearly expenses, 6820_l._ each, 13,640_l._;
together with coals, 42,440_l._