STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue VI, 22 January 1848, Page 183

STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

[From the New Zealand Spectator, December 25.] A despatch from Lord Grey to the Lieu-tenant-Governor of South Australia relative to this subject, which, with the enclosed correspondence, has been published in the Adelaide papers. From these documents it appears that two chartered companies had been formed for the purpose of communicating by -steam with the Australian colonies ; one called the Indian and Australian Royal Mail Steam Company, which proposed to communicate with Sydney by a junction with the line already established in the East ; the other company intended to communicate with the Australian colonies direct, by steamers furnished with the screw-pro-peller, touching at the Cape, and having a branch packet to the Mauritius. The latter company have undertaken to make immediate arrangements for despatching an experimental ship, on condition of receiving the amount of postage chargeable on letters and newspapers which she may carry, and of taking Government emigrants equal to her capacity ; the Government in the mean time agreeing to wait the issue of this experimental trip, and abstaining from entering into any agreement with any other company for the conveyance of mails to these colonies. These terms were agreed to by the Government. We publish a selection from the correspondence, which explains at length the nature of the proposed arrangements : — To B. Hawks, Esq., M.P., *c, &c. Sir — At a meeting yesterday of the gentlemen of London and from Liverpool, the supporters and advocates of my plan for carrying out the Australian communication, via the Cape of Good Hope, &c., I was requested to again address the Right Honourable Earl Grey, her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, and solicit the honour of an interview for those gentlemen with bis lordship, at any time that maybe most convenient after Monday, the 22d instant, when they will be prepared to lay before his lordship the terms on which the service can be performed. I have the honour to enclose herewith a letter addressed to his lordship on that subject. By advices this morning from Liverpool, I am informed of the arrival at New York of the screw-auxiliary steam-ship Sarah Sands, from Liverpool, after a passage of twenty-one days, and having experienced considerable heavy and contrary weather during the passage. The distance from Liverpool to New York being in a direct line about 4,000 nautical miles, gives the performance of this ship at an average of 190 miles per day, or eight knots per hour ; and as she has strictly an auxiliary power, the nominal horse-power of the engines being only about as one to eight of the measure* ment tonnage, and the voyage from England to America being considered one of the most difficult and tedious, on account of the prevalence of string westerly winds in the. Atlantic, the performance of "this ship is another proof of what may-be expected from the application of the screw-propeller to a perfect sailing-ship, and will still further bear me out in the calculations for speed I have made for the vessels to Australia, which are estimated for a much larger comparative steam power, and to be built expressly with a view to speed ; whereas the Sarah Sand 8 is constructed also to carry a large cargo, having left Liverpool with more than 1,000 tons of goods and over fifty passengers, besides machinery and fuel for the voyage. The measurement tonnage of the ship is about 1,200, and the nominal horse-power about 150. I have, &c, (Signed) C. D. Hays. Meriton's Wharf, Bermondsey, March 13th, 1847. To the Right Hon. Earl Grky, her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies. My Lord — I avail myself of your lordship's permission to submit somewhat more in detail than I have hitherto done the advantages I venture to belie re will attach to the plan I have propounded for the establishment of steam communication with the Australian colonies, via the Cape of Good Hope, with branches to the Mauritius and New Zealand, and which I conceive to be far greater, both in a commercial and polical point of view, than can possibly attend the extension to New South Wales of the existing overland route, whether from Singapore or any other point. In this view I am supported, as your lordship is already aware, by many gentlemen of experience and influence, interested in the trade with the colonies referred to, and I cannot but believe that the colonists themselves will unanimously

prefer a plan affording advantages of so much more comprehensive a character than the mere postal communication with one colony, to which all other plans that have been hitherto proposed, must be practically confined. The plan which I have in view, in conjunction with the gentlemen who recently had the honour of an interview with your lordship on the subject, is the establishment, by means of a public company, of a line of screw steam-packet ships, sufficiently numerous, and of adequate power to insure a regular monthly communication with the colonies referred to, as fully detailed in the pamphlet which accompanies this letter, and to which I respectfully take leave to call your lordship's attention. Inasmuch, however, as an undertaking of this magnitude cannot be carried out without that assistance from her Majesty's Government, which your lordship does not consider could be at present afforded* it has occurred to the gentlemen who are favourable to, and have entire confidence in my plan, with the view of removing the doubts attempted to be instilled into your lordship's mind as to the practicability of the plan — that it is desirable one such vessel as is proposed to be employed in the service contemplated should at once be built and equipped, provided her Majesty's Government are prepared to wait the issue of such experimental voyage, before entering into arrangements with any other parties for the conveyance of mails to the same quarter. By way of meeting the heavy expenses, which must necessarily attend this experiment, it is hoped your lordship will feel justified in so far affording the assistance of her Majesty's Government as to promise that, in the event of the vessel's equipment and despatch during the autumn of the present year, a number of emigrants equal to that ship's capacity shall be embarked on board her at the average rate of passage-money which may have been paid by the Emigration Commissioners in other vessels to the Australian colonies during the preceding six months. In addition to which, it is hoped that the Postmaster-General will consent to pay either a liberal remuneration for the conveyance of a mail, or to give up altogether the amount of postages upon such letters as the public might elect to forward by the vessel in question. I may also add that I am allowed by Captain Ellice, Superintendent of the Steam Department of the Admiralty, to refer yonr lordship to him for a professional opinion upon the merits of my plan. I nave, &c, (Signed) C. D. Hays. Meriton's Wharf, Bermondsey, April 15th, 1847. To B. Hawks, Esq., M.P., Under-Secretary for the Colonies. Sir — "With reference to your letters of the 9lh, 14th, and 27th ultimo, on the subject of the establishment of mail-packet communication between this country and the Australian colonies, I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to request that you will inform Earl Grey that though my lords do not consider Mr. Hays' projected line by the Cape of Good Hope to Australia can equal that by Alexandria and Singapore, in speed and regularity, yet that it would be so advantageous to die national interests as to deserve encouragement and countenance of her Majesty's Government, it will afford the communication so much wanted with the west coasts of Africa, at Ascension, as well as with the Cape of Good Hope and the Mauritius : and it may become of the utmost importance by furnishing a direct line of communication between England and the Indian Ocean by sea, without the necessity of passing through the territories of any foreign nation. If the vessels to be employed should be built under the control of this department, and fitted to carry a proper armament, they might prove a useful addition to the national forces. The experience derived from the packets plying between London and Hamburgh, from the Sarah Sands, and from certain of her Majesty's vessels, shows that the proposed voyage is quite practicable for auxiliary screw steamvessels, and that a considerable portion of it might be ordinarily performed, at a sufficient epeed, without the assistance of steam power. The shortest sea distance from England to Sydney, touching all the projecting points," and moving in great circles, is measured at 12,630 geographical miles, and an addition of 600 miles being made for the necessary deviations of an auxiliary screw-vessel, would give a course of 14,230 miles; and this distance might probably be traversed in sixty- five days each way. Herewith is returned the printed copy of the Report from the Select Committee on Steam Communication, which accompanied your letter of the 14th ultimo. My lords believe the report of Captain King, and the decision of ths Legislative Council of New South Wales to bt fully borne out by the facts of the case, and

consider the advantages of the route recommended by Captain King such as to warrant tho expectation that steamboats must be employed along it at no distant period ; but my lords ara desirous, for the reasons before mentioned, of seeing some assistance and encouragement given to the project of Mr. Hays. I have, &c, j (Signed) H. G. Ward. Admiralty, May 16th, 1847. To C. D. Hays, Esq. Sir — The necessity for communicating with the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury and the Board of Admiralty, on the proposals contained in your letter of the 15th April, has prevented Lord Grey from returning an early I answer to that letter. j I am now directed to acquaint you that her Majesty's Government accede to your proposal, that in consideration of the company whom you represent despatching during the autumn of the present year one vessel fitted with the •crew-propeller, in order to test the practicability of the project of establishing a line of communication by vessels of that description with Mauritius and Australia, via the Cape, the Government should agree to wait the issue of such experimental voyage before entering into any agreement with other associations for the conveyance of mails to the Bame quarter, and should send by the vessel in question a number of emigrants equal to her capacity at the average passage-money which may have been paid by the Emigration Commissioners for the conveyonce of emigrants in vessels proceeding to Australia during the preceding six months. The Lords of the Treasury have also stated their readiness to furnish the Poatmaster<3eneral with the requisite authority for the payment, in aid of the expenses of the undertaking, of the amount received on the letters and newspapers which may be forwarded by the vessel. In making this communication to you, Lord Grey desires that it may be clearly understood, that even if the experiment should prove successful, her Majesty's Government must not be •considered as in any degree pledged to give the preference to that route, as it is a material consideration in favour of the other line proposed, that it affords to Australia a good means of •communication with India and China, with which countries the Australian colonies are (likely to have much commercial intercourse. I have, &c, (Signed) B. Hawes. Downing-street, June 4th, 1847.