A General Plan for a Mail Communication by Steam, Between Great Britain and the Eastern and Western Parts of the World

J >> James MacQueen >> A General Plan for a Mail Communication by Steam, Between Great Britain and the Eastern and Western Parts of the World

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A GENERAL PLAN

FOR

A MAIL

COMMUNICATION BY STEAM,

BETWEEN

GREAT BRITAIN

AND THE

EASTERN AND WESTERN PARTS OF THE WORLD;

ALSO, TO

CANTON AND SYDNEY, WESTWARD BY THE PACIFIC;

TO WHICH ARE ADDED,

GEOGRAPHICAL NOTICES

OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA, NICARAGUA, &c.

With Charts.

By JAMES M'QUEEN, Esq.

LONDON;
B. FELLOWES, LUDGATE STREET.
1838.

Startling as the subject of connecting China and New South Wales (p. vi)
with Great Britain, through the West Indies, may at first sight
appear, both as regards time and expense, still few things are more
practicable. The labour and expense of crossing the Isthmus of
America, either by Panama or by Lake Nicaragua, by a land conveyance,
is trifling. With eight steam-boats, ONLY FOUR ADDITIONAL to the
number already in the West Indies, added to the present sailing-packet
establishment, the whole Plan for the Western World, extending it
westward to China and New South Wales, can, in the mean time, as the
following pages will show you, be put into execution to the fullest
extent, with a very great saving in time, and with very great
regularity. A water communication moreover will, I feel convinced, and
at no distant day, be carried through the American Isthmus--say by
Lake Nicaragua--when the sailing packets for the Pacific may run
direct between Jamaica and Sydney, New South Wales, and Canton-China.

In the estimate for the cost of steam-boats to be employed in the
service proposed, I have been chiefly guided by, and adhere to, the
statement made by that able and practical engineer Mr. Napier, of
Glasgow, in his evidence to the Post-office Commissioners in 1836,
that steam-boats of 240-horse power, and 620 tons burthen, could be
furnished at from 24,000_l._ to 25,000_l._ At this rate the total
yearly cost of mail communications by the aid of steam, to every
quarter which has been adverted to in the subsequent pages, will (p. vii)
be as stated in the following brief summary. Reference No. 1, shows
the expenditure, keeping the Red Sea route confined to India only, and
extending the communication to China and Sydney by the Pacific, from
Panama or Rialejo. No. 2, the expense, confining the communication by
the Cape of Good Hope to India only, and extending the communication
to Canton, &c. across the Pacific as before. No. 3, shows the
expenditure for the Western World, the work performed by steam in the
West Indies, and steam from Falmouth to Fayal, with sailing-packets
for the remainder of the work; and the whole expense, by extending
sailing-packets to China and Sydney westward across the Pacific, but
limiting the communication by the Red Sea to India only. Lastly, No.
4, shows the expenditure of the communications made in a way similar
to No. 3, limiting the conveyance by the Cape of Good Hope to India
only: (see also Appendix No. 2, p. 128.)

No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4.
Western World L279,250 L279,250 L161,615 L161,615
East Indies, &c. 128,850 187,978 128,850 187,978
Pacific 63,000 63,000 63,000 63,000
-------- -------- -------- --------
L471,100 L530,228 L353,465 L412,593
-------- -------- -------- --------

It is, however, to that portion connected with the Western World that
the immediate and particular attention of yourself and the other
members of Her Majesty's Government is particularly requested. The
other parts, above alluded to, may hereafter not be deemed (p. viii)
unworthy of your consideration, and the consideration of the Public.
Carried into effect in a decided manner, and as speedily as the nature
and extent of the machinery required will admit, it would produce
great and lasting advantages to the British empire, and confer great
honour upon the British Government and the splendid Post-office
establishment of this country.

Permit me to observe, that the speedy conveyance of mails outwards, to
any place, is but a _minor_ point gained, unless the returns are made
regular and equally rapid, and so combined, that while every place
possible can be embraced in the line, no place shall obtain any undue
advantage over another. These points can never be lost sight of in
planning or arranging any mail communication, but more especially a
communication like that at present proposed.

No narrow or parsimonious views on the part of this great country
ought to throw aside the plan particularly alluded to, or leave it to
be taken up and split into divisions by parties, perhaps foreigners,
who will then not only command the channels of British intelligence,
but be enabled to demand what price they please for carrying a large
and important portion of the commercial correspondence of this
country. The Public, moreover, can only repose implicit confidence in
a mail conveyance under the direction and the responsibility of
Government. Further, it is scarcely necessary to point out, or to (p. ix)
advert to, the immense advantages which the Government of Great
Britain would possess, in the event of hostilities, by having the
command and the direction of such a mighty and extensive steam power
and communication, which would enable them to forward, to any point
within its vast range, despatches, troops, and warlike stores. From
Falmouth, letters might be at Sydney, New South Wales, in
seventy-five, and at Canton-China in seventy-eight days, by employing
sailing packets only, to cross the Pacific from the Isthmus of
America. Letters from Falmouth, by way of Barbadoes, Jamaica, and
Chagre, could be at Lima in thirty-five days.

To give greater security to the mails, and comfort and accommodation
to passengers, &c. a class of sailing-vessels rather larger than the
generality of those at present employed in the West Indies, ought to
be engaged; and for this purpose, a larger sum annually must be
allowed to defray the expense. Some of those at present employed, such
as the Charib, may do, but sloops are too small for the service.

It is only within these few months that a mail communication, and that
very uncertain and irregular, has been commenced with the British
Empire in Hindostan, containing 100,000,000 of people. With the
rapidly rising colonies in British America, containing 1,700,000
enterprising inhabitants, there is still but one ill-regulated mail
conveyance, by a sailing-packet, each month. Such a state of things (p. x)
is neither creditable nor safe to a country like Great Britain.
The population of these colonies must be left far behind their
neighbours in the United States in all commercial intelligence, and
the interests of the former must consequently suffer greatly.

The steam-boats to be employed in the service contemplated, although
of the high power mentioned, need not be of the same tonnage as
vessels of an equal power which are built for the sole purpose of
carrying goods. Consequently, a considerable expense in building the
former will be saved. Mails never can be carried either with
regularity or certainty in vessels, the chief object and dependence of
which is to carry merchandize. The time which such vessels would
require to procure, take in, and discharge cargoes, would render
punctuality and regularity, two things indispensably necessary in all
mail communications, quite impracticable. Any attempt to resort to
such a system, more especially in a quarter where steamers would have
so many places to call at as these will have in the West Indies, would
throw every thing into inextricable confusion. Steam-boats carrying
mails and passengers should be the mail-coaches of the ocean, limited
as mail-coaches on land are to cargoes, and as near as possible to the
tonnage pointed out in the following pages. The steamers to be
employed in the service contemplated should also be built broad in the
beam, of a light draught of water, and in speed, accommodation, and (p. xi)
security, must be such that no others of equal powers can surpass them.

The liberality of MR. JOHN ARROWSMITH, so well known for his
geographical knowledge and geographical accuracy, has enabled me,
without the labour of constructing it, to present to you and to the
public the Chart of the World, between 70 deg. N. lat. and 60 deg. S. lat., on
Mercator's projection, which accompanies the present sheets. On it I
have laid down all the routes of both steamers and sailing-packets, to
every quarter of the world that has been adverted to; and further
added a Chart of the West Indies, and of the Isthmus of America, drawn
by myself, and corrected by the latest authorities.

The timid and the interested will throw every doubt upon the success
of such an undertaking. What is going on in the world is the best
answer to doubts and fears on this subject. What takes place in other
quarters will take place in the quarters alluded to, namely, success
where failure was anticipated.

In a vast undertaking like the plan proposed, the interests of the
Government and the general interests of the public must be specially
kept in view and particularly attended to. By attending closely to
these interests, the Government will find that it best and most
effectually consults the interests of individuals, places and
communities. No partial or local interest or opposition (such may (p. xii)
in this, as in most other concerns, appear) ought to be listened to.
Any such opposition can only proceed from prejudice, or ignorance, or
self-interest; and a little experience will satisfy the public, and
convince even such opposition, that the fact is so; and, moreover,
that in the arrangements proposed, no interest in any quarter has been
neglected.

I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,

JAMES M'QUEEN.

London, 14th Feb. 1838.

A GENERAL PLAN FOR CONVEYANCE OF MAILS BY STEAM, &c. &c. (p. 001)

INTRODUCTION.

The conveyance of mails and despatches from one place to another is of
the utmost possible importance to individuals, and to a country. The
rapidity and regularity with which such communications can be made,
gives to every nation an influence, a command, and advantages such as
scarcely any thing else can give, and frequently extends even beyond
the sphere of that influence and that command which the direct
application of mere physical power can obtain to any government or
people.

Much as Great Britain has already done, in this respect, to connect
and to communicate with her very extensive, valuable, and important
foreign dependencies, still much more remains to be done, to give her
those advantages, and that influence, and that command which she might
have, which she ought to have, which all her great interests require
she should have; and which the power of steam, together with the late
great improvements in machinery, can and ought, in a special manner,
to secure unto her, her commerce, her power, and her people.

In no quarters of the world could the application of the power and the
improvements alluded to prove so advantageous to the commercial (p. 002)
and the political interests of Great Britain as in the East Indies, in
the West Indies, and in those places connected with these quarters;
and also in all those countries and places which afford the safest and
the speediest means of connecting the chain closely which tends to
enable her to communicate more frequently, more rapidly, and more
regularly with these places; and, at the same time, all these
quarters, and her own possessions, with the parent State.

The object being a national one, it ought to be carried into effect by
the nation, without reference to the mere question of pounds shillings
and pence; that is, whether it is to become a directly remunerating
concern or not. While the important subject ought to be taken up in
this manner by the Government of Great Britain, it may be observed
that the plan requisite, carried into effect in the most extensive
manner, will certainly remunerate fully the Government or the
individuals who may undertake the work, either on the general or on
the more limited scale; but the higher, the more the scale is
extended.

In fact, unless the plan is carried into effect on an extensive scale,
it will not prove a concern so remunerating as it would otherwise be,
because it is only by connecting different places in the line, or
within the sphere of communication, that a greater number, or rather a
sufficient number, of letters and passengers can be obtained; and
unless the communications are sufficiently frequent and regular, both
letters and travellers will continue to find private traders and ships
in general the quickest mode of proceeding on and getting to the end
of their journey, or the place of their destination.

The position of the United States, in the western world, and the very
extensive trade which these States carry on with every part of that
quarter of the world, and indeed with every quarter of the world,
gives the merchants of these States, constituted as the packet
arrangements and communications of Great Britain with foreign parts
now are, an opportunity of receiving earlier intelligence regarding
the state of many important foreign markets than British merchants in
general enjoy, except such as are immediately connected with
establishments in the United States, and by which means both obtain
decided advantages over the rest of the commercial community. (p. 003)
This ought not to be the case in a great commercial country like Great
Britain. It is a fact quite notorious, that from almost every quarter
of the western world the earliest intelligence is almost uniformly
received through the United States. The whole correspondence of the
important British Provinces, the Canadas, comes through these States.
It is also notorious, that, by means of our own commercial marine,
intelligence is generally received from many foreign countries earlier
than by Government Packets. Indeed, it is not uncommon among merchants
to return, unopened, to the Post-office many letters in originals,
they having previously received the duplicates by private merchant
ships. Besides, it is well known that vast numbers of letters from
Great Britain to Foreign States are sent through the United States,
because these go earlier to their place of destination. In these
various ways a great Post-office revenue is cut off, while the
mercantile world are put to a great inconvenience and uncertainty. It
is not befitting that the first commercial country in the world should
remain dependent upon the private ships of another commercial and
rival state for the transmission of commercial correspondence. If such
a deficient system is persevered in, the result will most infallibly
be, that that country which obtains, and which can obtain, the
earliest commercial information, will, in time, become the greatest
and most prosperous commercial country.

It is, in fact, quite impossible that the commercial interests of any
country can ever compete with the commercial interests of another
country, unless the one have equally rapid, frequent, and regular
opportunities and means of correspondence and conveyance with the
other. If the merchants of other countries have quicker and more
frequent communications with any particular quarter of the world, than
the merchants of the United Kingdom have, it is obvious that the
former will obtain a decided advantage over the latter, in regulating
and directing all commercial transactions.

The foreign trade of Great Britain, besides forming an immense moving
power for giving activity to every branch of internal industry, trade,
and commerce, becomes also, from the correspondence to which it (p. 004)
gives rise, and by which it can alone be carried on, an immense and
direct source of Post-office revenue: but the direct postage derived
from the correspondence required in the foreign trade, great as it is,
is small when compared to the addition which the correspondence in the
foreign trade directly and immediately gives to the internal postages
of the kingdom. If it is examined narrowly, it will, it is not
doubted, be found that almost every letter of the moiety of those
which come from the British transmarine possessions, and from other
foreign parts, whether by packets or by merchant ships, (of the
latter, it may be said, a number equal to the whole which pay postage
do, because the very great number of letters directed to consignees
come free,) produces, perhaps, _ten letters_, on which the largest
single internal postages are charged and paid. This arises from orders
sent to different places to tradesmen, mechanical and manufacturing
establishments for goods; orders for insurance; invoices sent;
payments, in consequence, by bills or orders, and in bills transmitted
for acceptances, &c. &c.

In all mail communications, such as those which are about to be
considered, the point to be kept steadily in view, and one which is
absolutely indispensable, is to connect and to bring the return mails
and the outward together, in such a manner as that every intermediate
place shall have the full benefit of both, without trenching upon the
general interests, or occasioning any unnecessary detention or delay.
This great and essential point is more particularly necessary to be
attended to in the conveyance of mails by sea to distant parts,
especially if conveyed by steam. In the quarters about to be noticed,
the point alluded to will be shown to be more than in any other
quarter necessary. Without this is effected, nothing beneficial is, in
fact, effected; and to secure the object, a commanding power is
obviously and indispensably necessary. For various reasons, which it
is considered unnecessary here to state, steamers of 250-horse power
each, will be found to be the best and most economical class of
vessels to employ in the service contemplated.

The next and a still more important point to attend to, and to (p. 005)
keep in mind, is to have always in readiness, and at well-selected
stations, a sufficient quantity of coals to supply each boat: without
such are at command, no movement can take place; and unless the supply
is ample, and always at hand, no regular communication can ever be
carried on. Wood, indeed, may be procured in some stations in the West
Indies, but not in all; while even where it can be obtained, it will
be found to be dearer than coal. The quantity also necessary for a
vessel of large power, and for a voyage of any considerable length,
would far exceed the room that could be afforded, in a vessel of
properly regulated tonnage. A supply of coals, moreover, could be had
at all the places to be brought into notice by care, and foresight, at
moderate rates, and at the rates taken in the subsequent calculations.
Merchant vessels, bound to all quarters, so soon as they perceived
that they were sure of a market, would take a proportion of coals as
ballast; and others would be glad to take a portion even beyond that,
to aid them in completing their cargoes, instead of remaining, as
vessels both at Liverpool, Glasgow, &c. frequently do, some time, till
they can obtain a sufficient quantity of goods to enable them to do
so: while such vessels could at all times furnish in this way a
sufficient supply of coals, at moderate rates, and still afford to
them a fair profit; such assistance in loading, by enabling vessels to
sail at short and regularly stated periods, would become of the most
essential service to the commercial interests of this country.

The time hitherto occupied by steamers in taking in coals, in almost
every place, has constituted of itself a considerable drawback on
steam navigation: it may, to a great extent, be avoided. Let
carriages, such as are used on the railroads for carrying coals at
Newcastle, &c. be constructed with iron handles. These may be made to
hold one and a half, or two tons of coals (either of these weights, it
is supposed, might be hoisted into a vessel without difficulty), and
be all filled and placed on a raft or punt ready at each depot, thirty
to sixty in number, according to its importance, awaiting the arrival
of the packet steamer. The moment she comes into port, the punt will
be alongside, and the whole will be hoisted in in a few hours, the
place for receiving them being always, and during the voyage, (p. 006)
prepared for them. In this way 120 tons of coals may be taken in
within a very short space of time; the buckets first emptied,
refilled, and emptied again, to a considerable extent, in a period of
no great additional time. At smaller depots and ports, the steamer
might hoist in thirty or forty tons of coals during her shorter time
of stoppage; and thus steamers, without any material delay, would
always have a sufficient and certain supply of fuel. The coals at all
the depots should be well covered and protected from the sun.

Further, on this head, most of the small coal (the best) which goes to
waste at the depots, may be saved by the following simple
process:--Let it be mixed with a little clay, considerably diluted,
then made into small balls, and afterwards dried in the sun (a rapid
process within the tropics), and then taken on board with the others
when wanted. It burns with great force. It is so used on estates in
the West Indies for Stills. The saving is great, and the labour of
making it up exceedingly light. A child may almost perform it.

It is necessary to observe, that steam-boats for the torrid zone must
be fitted up and out in a manner considerably different, more
especially in their hatches, from the best and most splendid boats in
this country. For the convenience and health of both the passengers
and crews, those for the torrid zone must, in every part, be more
roomy and airy, yet so constructed as to be closed in the speediest
and securest manner in the event of a hurricane; consequently they
will require less expense in building, and fitting up of cabins, &c.
than the crack boats in this country, in order to make them so.

In all the distances stated, there are, be it observed, included in
the time allowed, three or four hours to land and take in mails and
passengers at every place where the steamers may have to touch; and at
the more important stations, at least six hours beyond the longer
periods allowed for stoppages for coals and mails, &c. It will be
necessary to give six or eight hours at Barbadoes before the departure
of the steamer, that Government despatches may be forwarded. In fact,
the steamer should always, and only leave that island at sun-rise on
the day following that whereon the packet arrived from England, (p. 007)
because by doing so, it would reach St. Thomas at daybreak on the
second morning (the navigation at that island is rather dangerous
during the night), clear it, and reach St. John's, Porto Rico, with
daylight, and in consequence Cape Nichola in daylight also, on the
second day thereafter.

The old _Galatea_ frigate might be carried up from Jamaica and moored
at Cape Nichola Mole, on board of which those mails and specie may be
deposited, that require to be disembarked from such steamers, &c., as
cannot be detained till the packet arrives to receive them. This,
however, will seldom be the case, nor to any great extent; as the
homeward-bound packet, whether steamer or sailing-vessel, will almost
always be at Cape Nichola before the steamer gets up from the leeward.
She may also be used to hold coals for a supply for the steamer to a
certain extent.

Let the fact be urged in the strongest manner, that a communication
once a month, to any given place, will never pay, nor answer any great
or good purpose. Mails, or rather letters and passengers, will not
wait for such a length of time, especially when these could, as for
example from the Havannah, almost be in England, by way of New York,
in the interval that would elapse between the departure of one packet
and another, when there was only one packet in the month; but give two
each month, and neither could ever be so.

The arrangements, and the extent of the internal Post-office
establishments of Great Britain, are upon the most splendid and
efficient footing. There is nothing of a similar kind in any other
country, either in management, or combination, or regularity, that can
equal or even be compared to them. It is, however, much otherwise with
all her transmarine mail communications. They are all particularly
deficient in combination, limited in their operations, and inefficient
as regards the machinery employed to carry the mails. This, in a more
particular manner, is the case with the West Indies: the small sailing
vessels there employed are generally very unfit for such a service,
and the steamers sent out to work them, with the exception of the _Flamer_,
being only of 100-horse power, and besides badly constructed, are (p. 008)
wholly unfit for the service in any way; and even the vessel named,
which is 140-horse power, though much superior to any of the other
three, the _Carron_, the _Echo_, and the _Albyn_, is still too small
to perform her work in proper and reasonable time, or to stem the
currents and trade winds, to say nothing of tempests, which, as
regards the two former, constantly prevail in the seas in that quarter
of the world.

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