STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH AUSTEALIA, NEW ZEALAND, &c.

Otago Witness, Issue 246, 16 August 1856, Page 5

STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH AUSTEALIA, NEW ZEALAND, &c.

It will be seen from our Parliamentary reports that the Admiralty have received six tenders for the conveyance of the mails to Australia by steamers, and that no decision has yet been arrived at by the Government with respect to the acceptance of the tenders. The minute of the Treasury directing tenders to be called for did not, it may be remembered, specify any particular route to be taken by the steamers, but directed that the tenders to be sent in should specify the route and the maximum number of days between the departure of the mail from Southampton and its arrival at Melbourne, Sydney, and King George's Sound respectively, and also the number of days on the homeward voyage ; and the contractors were to be bound to the fulfilment of their terms by the penalty of £100 a day for delay in starting, and £30 a day for any time consumed in the voyage beyond the allowed maximum. The only specification as to route was, that the vessels were to call at King George's Sound, Melbourne, and Sydney, and branch services were to be established to Adelaide, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Immediately upon the publication of the minute, the General Association for the Australian colonies called the attention of the Government to a plan very similar to one which had been suggested several years previously, for the conveyance of the mails via Suez and Diego Garcia, that route being 3019 miles shorter than the passage by the Cape of Good Hope, and 2338 shorter than that via Panama. In coming to a final decision upon a matter of such grave importance to Jhe Anstralian colonies, it was highly desirable that the Government should have brought under its consideration the advantage of every route, and the General Association of the Australian colonies deserve great credit for the energetic manner in which they acted on the occasion, and for the ability with which they drew up a memorial to the Treasury on the subject. Sir John Pakington gave notice of his intention to bring the subject of this memorial before the House of Commons. On Tuesday evening the Right Hon. Bart, inquired whether her Majesty's Government would have any objection to lay a copy of this memorial on the table, but as the Secretary of the Treasury intimated that the whole subject was under the consideration of the Government, that there was no objection to laying the memorial before the House, and that it would not affect the decision of the Government on the question, Sir J ohn Pakington announced his intention of not proceeding with his motion. With respect to this Diego Garcia route proposed by the General Association, and also a somewhat I similar route proposed in 1846 by Mr. Sharp, for making use of the India and China line as far as Point de Galle in Ceylon, and then to cross the Indian Ocean, by way of the Keelings, or Cocos Islands, on to Swan River and King George's Sound, the opinion of the late Hydrographer of the Admiralty is decidedly unfavourable. The opinion of the late Sir F. Beaufort was given, it is true, seven years since, when our knowledge of the power of steam vessels and the skill with which they may be navigated was much more limited than it is at present. Many of the difficulties, however, to which Sir F. Beaufort alludes still exist, and it is not less true now than in 1848 that the steam vessels, " from the moment they left Point de Galle, would avoid all collateral aid in feeding their line ; they would have to run direct for those miserable coral reefs called the Keelings and Cocos, which can scarcely be said to be inhabited, and which are so low and small that there would be a constant difficulty in finding them, and where the continual surf would much impede the business of coaling. From thence to Australia they would cross an open sea, where the heavy western swell is notorious, and peculiarly unsuited to steam navigation, and throughout which they would, during the winter season, be sure of tempestuous weather ; and finally, by this process, Sydney, the seat of government, would be the last place to receive her Majesty's mails." The line which Sir F. Beaufort viewed with special favour was one via Singapore, Batavia, and Torres Straits, where the steamers " would traverse smooth-water seas — where a passage is certain at all seasons." Other advantages connected with this route were stated to be that our vessels would supersede the steamer which the Dutch then ran from Java to meet our packets, and " they would likewise produce direct communication between Australia and China, as well as the three presidencies of India which would be as beneficial to all these places as they would be lucrative to the carriers." Captain Chilcott, a most experienced naval officer, who has had many years' experience of the navigation between Sydney and Singapore, via Torres Straits, also most strongly recommends the adoption of the inner passage of these Straits, and states, in a letter published in our Gazette last week, that in this part " the sea is so smooth that the speed of a steamer

is not likely to be retarded by the opposing monsoon which must occur to a certain extent on the outer- route." There are, however, even in this route, many disadvantages. For instance, one portion of the line from Cape Grafton to Cape York, a distance of five hundred miles, can only be traI versed with safety in daylight, so that, allowing a vessel to steam ten knots in the hour, she would be required in making this part of the voyage, to anchor for three nights, causing a delay of thirty hours. The outer route is an exceedingly dangerous one; thick squally weather prevails, and perplexing currents, shallows, and reefs, add greatly to the difficulties of successfully navigating through the multitude of small islands. The Eastern route, therefore, whether via Diego Garcia, the Keelings, or Cocos Islands, or Torres Straits, has various drawbacks •which tell most seriously against its efficiency in other respects. The voyages by the Cape of Good Hope or by Cape Horn are altogether out of the question so far as regards that speedy passage which is essential for the conveyance of mails, lighter descriptions of merchandise, and passengers, to whom time is money. Of the great results to be achieved by the monster ship of the Eastern Steam Navigation Company, we are yet unable to speak. The builders are sanguine in their expectations that when completed the gigantic vessel will carry 500 first class, 600 second class, and 1,000 third class passengers, with 6,000 tons of merchandise, and coal sufficient for the outward and homeward voyage, accomplishisng the whole voyage to Australia in thirty or thirtythree days. If these results are obtained, then the superiority of the voyage by the Cape, over both the Eastern or Western Overland routes, will be fully established. At present, however the Government can only decide the question upon the merits of the different schemes which may be brought before it. We incline to the opinion that the claims of the Royal West India Mail Packet Company, which we believe is one of the parties who have tendered for the conveyance of the Australian mails, are well deserving of the most attentive consideration. Some of the vessels of the Royal Mail Company are of the highest character, and their efficiency and speed are unsurpassed. In a recent voyage to St. Thomas, the Atrato, one of the Company's new vessels, made the distance at an average rate of 14£ knots per hour, the highest speed which has we believe, been obtained for a run of such distance by any other vessel. The railway across the isthmus is now completed, and will no doubt, as it gets more fully developed, increase in its efficiency, and accelerate its speed. Only one transhipment will be necessary by this route, while by the Eastern route other transhipments, after leaving Suez, would be necessary, and would lend to increase the amount of delay. The Royal Mail packets, as at present organised, are compelled to call at many of the West India Islands in addition to St. Thomas. This arrangement is one which would not, of course be permitted in the conveyance of the Australian mails ; and the steamer from Southampton would no doubt be required to make direct for the Isthmus of Panama. The voyage across the Pacific to Sydney is one which would not be exposed to so many difficulties as that across the Indian ocean, while the Society Islands, the Gallipegos, and others are well suited for coaling purposes, should such depots be found necessary. A class of vessels of the same dimensions and power as those which traverse the Atlantic, if placed on the Pacific station, would perform the voyage within such a period as would satisfy the requirements of the colony, and justify the expenditure of the large subsidy which it will be necessary to grant. The distance to Australia via Panama, is stated by the General Association to be 2,338 miles longer than is that by the Diego Garcia route. This, of course refers only to the extreme point of Western Australia, the first to be touched by steamers from Diego Garcia ; but the distance to Sydney, by the Panama route, even if somewhat greater than by Suez, is more than counterbalanced by the directness of the voyage across the Pacific, as compared with the additional delays and the difficulties of the navigation by Torres Straits. We would earneslyjtrust that should the Panama route be adopted by the Government, no unworthy jealousies on the part of the colonies of Victoria or South Australia, will be excited by the apparent preference shown to Sydney ; but that the various colonies will cordially receive the long delayed boon, and endeavour to make as efficient as possible the system of steam Postal Communication which wlil then be established.— Australian and New Zealand Gazette.

The British German Legion.— lt is understood that this splendid force, which has been raised by Baron Stutterheim to meet the exigencies of the war, will be sent, now that peace has been concluded, to the Cape of Good Hope. At the Cape they will garrison the colony, and officers and men will receive grants of land for their military services. Colonel Worldridge's brigade will return from Scutari and form part of the force at Aldershott camp before embarkation for the Cape. The strength of the force will muster by about the 10th of April, when all the recruits en route will be delivered, about 9,000 men. The justice and liberality of thus disposing of the Germans is unquestionable.^ Most of the officers have thrown up their commissions and their prospects of advancement in the Austrian, Prussian, Hanoverian, and Bavarian armies for the purpose of serving England ; and: having got away with great difficulty, they wouldi never be received back again into their former service. And as for the men, if they were disbanded, thousands of them would not be allowed to return to their homes ; and if they attempted to go back they would be persecuted, if not imprisoned. It is a matter of good policy, also, to provide for and 1 keep the German Legion in our service, for on any future emergency, east or west, they would be available ; and the fact of their having been so liI berally dealt with will have the very best effect throughout Germany, from which, should another war arise, treble the number of men might be easily recruited. Freedom of the Press in Nicaragua.— We learn from a California paper that on one occasion recently the Walker troops did not receive their usual weekly literary pabulum — El Nicarauguenstfor the excellent reason that it was not issued— the corps editorial and typographical having been overcome either by the climate or aguardiente. WhereI upon General Walker sent word to the office that, in case the paper was not issued by sunset the next day, he should send a file of soldiers to arrest the editors, printers, and all. Great activity prevailed in the office after the reception of this hint, and the paper was " rushed up" just in time. The file of soldiers arrived just in season to see the forms locked up. This is a regular Napoleonic feat, with the difference that the French Emperor sends files of soldiers to stop the press, while the dictator of Central America uses his force to set it agoing. Great country, that Nicaragua. Thermometer at eighty all the time. Nothing but peace, plenty, orange groves, volcanoes, and pretty women. — New York Herald.