MELBOURNE POSTAL CONFERENCE.

7

E.—No. 2.

Looking to the relative importance of the two places, it is probable that the branch from Locce to Grallipoli (which is twenty kilometres long), from its probable junction with the Otranto line, will be made before the portion to Otranto; but the studies have not been definitely made for the Grallipoli branch. The port of Otranto (the ancient Hydruntum), of which I enclose a diagram with soundings marked upon it, contains 420,000 superficial metres, of water, with depths varying from two to thirteen metres. But it possesses no protection for bad weather from a north-easterly direction, and no accommodation or facilities for a mail paclcet station. It could only be fitted for that purpose by the expenditure of a largo sum of money, and the Italian Government have no idea of devoting money to its improvement. I did not even consider it worth while to visit Otrauto, though I made a personal inspection of all the other Italian ports to which I have referred, as well as those of Naples and Genoa. The port of Grallipoli has greater natural advantages, and is more used for purposes of commerce. Oil is shipped here in great quantities. The promontory on which the town is built affords shelter on either side of it according to the direction of the wind. But little money has yet been expended to turn its natural advantages to account, and the only project for its imjjrovement is indicated in the accompanying diagram, on which also the soundings are shown. The existing mole is to be extended to a total length of 300 metres, and this will afford, a superficial area in the northern harbour of 90,000 metres of water, varying in depth from one and a half to eleven fathoms. In the direction of Taranto, the Meridional Eailway has not yet been opened for traffic fnrther than Grioja, which is fifty-three kilometres from the main line at Bari; but the portion between Gioja and Taranto (sixty-three kilometres long) is under construction, and is expected to bo ready for traffic in two years, The town of Taranto (the ancient Tarentum) separates the outer harbour, which contains 3(5,000,000 superficial metres of water, from the mare piccolo (little sea) or seno interim (internal bay), containing 19,000,000; the depth of water varying in the greater part of the former from eight to thirty-sis metres, and of the latter from six to thirteen metres. There is at present no means of communication by large vessels from one to the other, as will be seen by the enclosed diagram. The northern channel is spanned by a masonry viaduct, which forms the principal means of communication with the town, and the southern channel (also crossed by a masonry bridge) is very shallow, having, in fact, been excavated originally by Ferdinand the First of Arragon, as a ditch only to the fortress which it bounds. There are projects for widening and deepening this south channel, to allow of the passage of the largest vessels into what will then become the internal harbour; but no money has yet been voted for the purpose, or indeed for any works for the improvement of the harbour, although it is much used for the Italian men of war, and is indeed the chief naval station of the south of Italy.* Considering the extent of the harbour, its great natural advantages in a military as well as in a naval point of view, and the extent and position of the seno interno, it is no matter of surprise that Taranto should have been selected for a military port; and, looking to their relative situations, the Italian Government appear to have wisely determined upon making Taranto their principal military, and Brindisi their principal commercial southern port. I may here add that they would not be willing, if for this reason alone, to see the Egyptian mail steamers running to Taranto. There are however other reasons against the adoption of Taranto as a mail station. The distance indeed by sea from Alexandria to Taranto is, as I have stated, nearly equal to that to Brindisi, and the distance by land is only five kilometres longer by Taranto than by Brindisi, while the anchorage is good at both ports; but the weather is frequently bad, and the sea rough at the entrance (sixty-six miles across) to the Gulf of Taranto, much of the land is low at the sides of the gulf, a misty atmosphere is frequently experienced with southerly winds in winter, the lights are not at present so good as those at Brindisi, and generally in bad weather Brindisi is an easier port to make than Taranto —considerations which are of great importance in the case of mail packets timed to run at high speed, and expected as far as possible to be punctual in all weathers. Besides the want of a railway, there is no dock or landing pier at Taranto, and the hotel accommodation in the town is very limited and indifferent. The railway from Taranto to Eeggio, 448 kilometres (278 English miles) in length has been commenced ; but the works are now suspended, and there appears to be little probability of its completion for some time to come. The total distance from London to Eeggio would be 453 kilometres (281 English miles) further than from London to Brindisi. Eeggio has the advantage of being on the straight course of a steamer proceeding by the Straits of Bonifacio and the Straits of Messina from Marseilles to Alexandria, but it is merely an open roadstead without protection, particularly from southerly gales ; and though the anchorage is good, the postal steamers of the Italian Government are frequently unable to communicate with the shore during the winter, aud are obliged to take the mails into the harbour of Messina. There have been four projects for forming a port at Eeggio: (1) opposite the town for small craft now abandoned; (2) north of the town by diverting the course of a small river; (3) south of the town. k by excavation, which would involve a considerable outlay, and does not meet with approval; (4) 300 metres long by 150 metres wide at Pentimele, 2000 metres north of Eeggio, to bo connected with the railway station ; but as the station is on the south of the town, and the town is situated on a hill sloping abruptly to the sea, this connection would not be easily made. The Government is bound to provide a port by the time that the railway is completed, and proposes to expend 4,200,000 francs for the purpose; but many years will probably elapse before it is carried out. There is no idea of forming a dry dock at Eeggio, there being one in course of construction at Messina, 100 metres long, which is to be completed in five years. The width of the Straits of Messina is hero about 13,000 yards, and the numerous currents through them, which, with the liability to heavy gusts of wind, were so alarming to the ancients, have formed an interesting subject of study and report by an Italian commission, as well as by Admiral Smyth and others. Their effect upon the largo steamers of the present day is, however, comparatively unimportant. * The construction of some magazines on the shore of the mare interno has, however, been authorized.