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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The communication might still, however, be from St. Thomas, the boat
destined for Bermuda stopping at that island, when this was necessary,
one day, until the boat from Jamaica came up; taking particular care
always to be back at St. Thomas, from Bermuda, before the steamers
with the outward mails from Europe came down from Barbadoes, in order
that the letters from Bermuda for Jamaica, and all places to the
westward of St. Thomas, may go forward by the steamer in question.
This department, however, for Bermuda may, it is conceived, be best
amalgamated and interwoven with the Cape Nichola Mole, Nassau, and
Crooked Island (_the Bermuda mail vessels going and returning by
Crooked Island_) department; as the practical working of the whole
scheme may point out to be most advisable.

In the event of packets arriving from England at Barbadoes within a
day or two of each other, as is sometimes the case under the existing
arrangements, then on the Barbadoes and Demerara stations, let a good
sailing vessel, on the arrival of such packet, take the place of the
steamer for the voyage. Unless, in case of calm weather, this sailing
vessel could do the work thus:--Barbadoes to Demerara, four days; stop
there two days, forwarding the mails for Berbice by land; thence with
the return mails proceed on by Tobago and St. Vincents in five days,
to the packet at Grenada, found, in such a case, either waiting one
day longer at Grenada, or else beating up to St. Vincents, there to
meet the Guiana and the Tobago mails, and which the packet has time to
do. This would occasion little irregularity or delay, because the
cause of the detention, should detention occur, would always be known.
Moreover, the season of the year when the outward packets arrive at
Barbadoes the most irregularly, is during the winter months, from (p. 033)
November to March, and in which period the calms--the greatest
obstructions, in many cases, to sailing vessels amongst the Windward
Islands--are almost unknown.

The same temporary substitute could be applied, under similar
circumstances, on the stations between Jamaica and Chagres, and
between Cuba and Vera Cruz. Even if these places were once or twice in
the year to miss a return mail to Europe, it would not be of such
great importance, because each place having then two mails every
month, the detained mail would go forward by the next opportunity,
while it would save to Government, or to a contracting company, a very
serious expense, which would otherwise be incurred if they were
obliged to have additional steamers for this _probable_ part of the
service.

Further, in the event of any accident happening to any steam-boat on
the great line from Barbadoes to Jamaica, &c., a sailing vessel could
always carry the outward mails westward, when breezes hold, with
almost the same rapidity as steamers; and in her course westward, such
a sailing vessel could scarcely fail to meet a return or a spare
steamer at some of the stations, to relieve it from proceeding
further.

Moreover, it may be observed here, once for all, that by the
conveyance of the mails from Falmouth to Barbadoes by steam, or even
only so far as from Falmouth to Fayal by this power, the irregularity
of the arrival of the mails at Barbadoes, which at present takes
place, would be nearly done away, and consequently no such assistance
as that alluded to would be necessary. Hence, the advantages either
way over the present system are clear and obvious.

Before entering upon the particular details of the West Indian
department, it is proper to observe here, that the point of
communication for the return mails from the West Indies for Europe, so
long as sailing packets are employed to the West Indies, cannot be
altered or removed from Cape Nichola Mole, because, by the general
plan, the outward mails from Great Britain, by steamers, would reach
Fayal on the 10th and 25th of each month, and the return mails to that
place would reach, from Rio de Janeiro, on the 9th and 24th; from New
York and Halifax on the 7th or 8th, or 22d or 23d; and from Barbadoes,
&c., allowing only sixteen days in the Colonies, on the 10th and (p. 034)
25th (App. No. 1.); if brought by sailing packets on dates to
correspond; so that there is not time to spare, the West Indian mail
being the last to reach the central point, and it would be very
detrimental to have any detention of the general mails at this point.
To make Jamaica the central point for the European mails, would
require several days additional; for once at Jamaica the packet would
take eight or ten days to get up and through the windward passage,
which to a sailing packet, notwithstanding this difficulty, is still
the best. In fact, if the mails from Havannah to Demerara are detained
in the West Indies more than sixteen, or at most seventeen days,
beyond the time that these could, by care and exertion, be easily
despatched from thence, the transmission of letters by private ships
to every quarter will most unquestionably be resorted to; and thus the
Post-office revenue suffer severely.

The capital and expenditure in the West Indian department under the
combination and regulations just mentioned will be:--

Capital. Yearly Charges.

Six Steamers, at 24,000_l._ L144,000 L37,200
Nine Sailing Schooners, at 1500_l._ 13,500 7,200
Coals for Steamers, 30,000 tons, at 25_s._ 37,500
------- ------
L157,500 81,900
------- ------

It is necessary here to observe, that the calculation taken for the
consumption of coals is founded upon the basis that the coals are of
the very best quality, and also that the machinery is of the best and
most economical description and construction, and for a vessel of
240-horse power. The time that the steamers are considered to be
engaged in actual work is calculated to include the time passed in
getting up the steam in each voyage, and also to cover all temporary
stoppages. The time allowed on every route and station is, on the
average, more than will be required. Steamers of the force mentioned
will, in good weather and light breezes and seas, even when contrary,
run ten geographical miles per hour; and, within the tropics, with
trade-winds and currents in their favour, at a still greater
speed: but the average performance may be fairly taken at 200 (p. 035)
geographical miles each twenty-four hours, although in all the
climates within the variable winds, and in the tropics when going
against the winds and currents, the speed made good will be, and is
taken at, much less. Moreover it is proper to observe, on the point of
outlay for coals, that the work is everywhere, as regards the quantity
to be used, calculated as if wholly done by steam, while it is obvious
that the assistance of sails may be had recourse to with advantage.
For this purpose, those steamers which have to go into the torrid zone
ought to be provided with large square fore-sails. The assistance to
be obtained by the use of sails would save a considerable quantity of
coals; or what is the same thing, using them would expedite the
steamer proportionally more on her voyage, and bring it so much sooner
to a close. Sails may fairly be calculated to impel a vessel at the
rate of 2-1/2 miles per hour on a voyage, and which will save either
directly _one-fourth_ the quantity of coals, or impel the steamer so
much sooner to the end of her journey than the time calculated, where
time is taken as if it were impelled by steam alone, and thereby a
proportional saving of fuel will be effected. The saving effected on
this ratio will, on the General Plan, be 27,000 tons, 33,250_l._; on
the West Indian portion thereof 7500 tons, 9375_l._; and on the West
Indian and the Falmouth and Fayal department, 9600 tons, 11,475_l._;
subject to 10 per cent. deduction, being allowance for wastage.

As regards the calculations made concerning the progress of steamers
in the voyages to be made, it is satisfactory to find, from
intelligence lately received, that the _Berenice_ steamer, of
230-horse power, made the passage from Falmouth, by the Cape Verdes,
Fernando Po, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Mauritius, to Bombay, in
eighty-eight days; _sixty-three at sea_. The course taken, and
distance run, is about 12,200 geographical miles, or at the average
rate of 194 geographical miles per day. Her average consumption of
coals was fifteen tons per day. The _Atalanta_ of 210-horse power, ran
the same distance in 106 days; sixty-eight of which at sea, under
steam. Consumption of coals, seventeen tons per day. The _Flamer_
steamer, of 140-horse power, now in the West Indies, two voyages (p. 036)
in succession, last autumn, made the voyage from Barbadoes to Jamaica,
by Jacmel, Hayti, in five days; which is fully nine geographical miles
per hour; and in returning she ran in one voyage from St. Lucia to
Barbadoes in twelve hours, distance 100 geographical miles, with winds
and current unfavourable. Adverting to these facts, it is obvious that
sufficient time is allowed for the progress of the steam-boats, in
every station, under the General Plan now recommended to be adopted,
in order to communicate with the different places in the Western
World. The _Berenice's_ greatest run was 256 miles in twenty-four
hours.[3]

[Footnote 3: See also Appendix, No. 1.]

_West Indian Station._--_Details._

This is a complicated and important department, and the working
details thereof must be planned as follows:--

1.--_First Packet for the Month_.

Immediately on the arrival of this packet at Barbadoes, a steamer of
240-horse power should start for St. Thomas direct (430 miles), with
the mails from England, &c. for that island, Santa Cruz and Tortola,
and for Porto Rico, St. Domingo, the Bahamas, All Cuba, Jamaica,
Carthagena, Chagres, Panama, Honduras, Vera Cruz, and Tampico. This
boat could reach and clear St. Thomas in two days.

The steamer alluded to having landed the mails for St. Thomas, St.
Cruz, and Tortola, should then proceed to St. John's, Porto Rico, and
there land the British and Colonial mails; to Cape Nichola Mole
(Hayti), and there land the British, the Colonial, and the Bahama
mails; to St. Jago de Cuba, and there land the British and Colonial
mails; to Kingston, Jamaica, and there land the British, the Colonial,
the Chagres and Carthagena mails; to Savannah la Mar, Jamaica, and
there land the British and Colonial mails for all the western parts
of Jamaica,[4] for Trinidad de Cuba and Honduras; and thence to (p. 037)
Havannah, with the mails for that place, and Vera Cruz, &c.

[Footnote 4: To touch at Savannah la Mar would
scarcely take up one hour, while doing so would be
a very great accommodation to the western part of
Jamaica.]

At the end of the second day this steamer may start on her return,
with the return mails from the Havannah, and the return mails from the
preceding packet from Vera Cruz and Tampico, forwarded and brought up
as after mentioned, and, proceeding, call at Savannah la Mar for the
same, from the western parts of Jamaica, Trinidad de Cuba, and
Honduras; at Kingston for the general Jamaica mails, and those from
Santa Martha, Carthagena, and Chagres from the same packet, and from
Panama, &c. from the preceding packet; at St. Jago de Cuba for the
return mails, and thence to Cape Nichola Mole, where it will deliver
the whole European mails to the packet arrived there, as will
presently be pointed out; from Cape Nichola Mole the steamer will
proceed to St. Thomas, calling at St. John's, Porto Rico, with and for
Colonial mails, and thence to Barbadoes (calling at all the Islands
going up, and carrying up the British mail for Tortola from St.
Thomas, left by the downward steamer) to wait to receive a following
mail from Great Britain.

On the arrival of the downward steamer at Cape Nichola Mole, from St.
Thomas, a fast-sailing schooner to be despatched to Nassau with the
Bahama mails, calling, in going and returning, at Crooked Island. This
schooner, it is calculated, could be back at Cape Nichola Mole in time
to meet the packet at her departure for England with the return mails;
if it could not, then the packet could take Crooked Island in her way,
and there pick up the Bahama return mails for Great Britain.

Two schooners would be sufficient for this station for the Bahama
service, should it be desirable that these islands should have mails
twice each month.

On the arrival of the steamer at Kingston, Jamaica, with the outward
mails, another steamer to be despatched with the mails for Santa
Martha, Carthagena, Chagres, and Panama, calling at Chagres first, (p. 038)
and with the return mails from Panama, the South Sea, and Chagres,
return to Kingston by Carthagena and Santa Martha. One powerful
steam-boat would be in time for the same packet; thus:--to Chagres,
550 miles, two and a half days; to Carthagena, 290 miles, one and a
half day; stop there one day; to Santa Martha, ninety miles, one day;
to Jamaica, 420 miles, three days; in all, nine days.

The mails for Honduras and Trinidad de Cuba by the outward packet
having been brought up to Montego Bay, Jamaica, as has been already
stated, a good schooner should proceed thence to Trinidad de Cuba, 172
miles, one and a half days; thence to Honduras, 520 miles, three and a
half days; stop three or more days; back to Montego Bay, by Trinidad
de Cuba, 692 miles, ten days; in all, eighteen days. Two schooners
will perform this work, giving two mails each month.

On the arrival of the steamer at Havannah another steamer should be
despatched with the outward mails for Tampico and Vera Cruz, and from
thence return to Havannah with the return British and Colonial mails.
The course of this boat would be,--to Vera Cruz, 800 miles, three and
a half days; to Tampico and back, 360 miles, stopping two days, four
days; Vera Cruz, back to Havannah, five and a half days; in all,
thirteen days.

The route of the mail conveyance from Barbadoes to Jamaica, &c., by
steamers, would therefore be:--

Geo. Miles. Days.
Barbadoes to St. Thomas 430 2
St. Thomas to Jamaica, by Porto Rico, Cape Nichola,
and St. Jago de Cuba 780 3-1/2
Jamaica to Havannah, by Cape Antonio 685 3
Stop at Havannah 2
Havannah to Jamaica, by Cape Antonio 685 4
Jamaica, Coals 1
Kingston to Cape Nichola Mole, by St. Jago 305 2
Cape Nichola Mole to St. Thomas, by P. Rico 480 3
St. Thomas, Coals 1
St. Thomas to Barbadoes, calling at all Islands 500 4
---- ------
Totals 3865 25-1/2
---- ------

Each steam-boat being thus twenty-two days, each trip, at sea. (p. 039)

Two powerful boats (240 or 250-horse power each), actively employed,
carrying passengers, parcels, and packages, would do this work twice
each month, with the addition of one spare one stationed at Barbadoes,
or Jamaica; perhaps the former.

2.--_Windward Station._

One powerful steam-boat (240-horse power) to leave Barbadoes
immediately on the arrival of the outward British packet, for Demerara
and Berbice, with the British and Colonial mails, and from the latter
return to Barbadoes, having first carried the return mails to the
packet at Grenada; thus:--Barbadoes to Berbice, 450 miles, landing
mail at Demerara, three days; (the mail for Berbice might be forwarded
from George Town, Demerara, by land;) stop at Berbice two days; to
Grenada, calling at Demerara, Tobago, and St. Vincent's, for return
mail, 490 miles, four days; back to Barbadoes, 150 miles, two days; in
all, eleven days: taking with her the return mails from the Colonies
at which she had called for Barbadoes, and having delivered the return
European mails, and others, to the packet at Grenada.

On the arrival of the British packet at Barbadoes, a fast-sailing
schooner to be despatched with the outward mails for Laguayra
(dropping at St. Vincent's and Grenada the outward mails for these
islands, which would be little trouble to it), and from Laguayra to
proceed to St. Thomas, with the return mails for the packet, as at
present, and thence return to Barbadoes direct. The route of this boat
would be,--Barbadoes to Laguayra, calling first at St. Vincent's and
Grenada, 510 miles, four days; stop there three days; and to St.
Thomas, 490 miles, six days; to Barbadoes, eight days; in all,
twenty-one days. Two schooners would do this work, giving two mails
each month.

On the arrival of the British packet at Barbadoes, a fast-sailing
schooner should be despatched, as at present, with the outward (p. 040)
mails from Great Britain for St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica,
Guadaloupe, Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, and St. Kitts. The boat need
proceed no further westward than St. Kitts, because the steamer from
Barbadoes had carried forward the Tortola mails. From St. Kitts it
will return to Barbadoes, calling at all the islands just enumerated,
for the return Colonial mails. The route of this boat would
be,--Barbadoes to St. Kitts, calling at the places mentioned, 370
miles, four days; and back to Barbadoes, six days; together, ten days.

On the eighth day after the arrival of the packet at Barbadoes (the
despatch of this boat must always be so as to secure its arrival at
St. Kitts _before_ the packet), a schooner to be despatched with the
return mails and passengers from that island, to pick up for the
homeward-bound packet mails and passengers at St. Lucia, Martinique,
Dominica, Guadaloupe, Antigua, Montserrat, and Nevis, and give to or
leave these for the packet at St. Kitts. From St. Kitts this boat
returns to Barbadoes, calling at all the islands enumerated for the
return Colonial mails. This boat will be the same time out as the one
which carried the outward mails, namely, ten days.[5]

[Footnote 5: If the packet is a steamer, these
boats will be saved, because the steamer would save
so much time as to enable it to call at all the
islands northwards, to pick up the return mails.]

Two schooners will do the work on both the courses here pointed out as
necessary, with two spare ones at Barbadoes, in case of the arrival of
sailing packets on the heels of each other from Britain, to forward
the mails for all the places mentioned, and for Laguayra, making in
all eight schooners for this station. There are at present ten, or
more.

Instead of remaining at Barbadoes nine days, as at present, doing
nothing, the packet herself (whether steamer or sailing vessel)
should, on the day after her arrival at that island, proceed with the
outward mails to Tobago and Trinidad, delivering those for the former
island, and proceeding thence direct to Trinidad, in two days, 230
miles. At Trinidad remain six days, thence with the return mails from
it proceed to Grenada, where she will meet the return mails for
Europe, brought there by the steamer from British Guiana, Tobago, and
St Vincent's. With these collected, proceed on the tenth day from (p. 041)
Grenada to St. Kitts, 330 miles, two and a half days. At that island
pick up the European mails from the islands formerly enumerated, and
thence with the whole proceed to St. Thomas, by Tortola, 140 miles,
one and a half day more; in all, fourteen days from her arrival at
Barbadoes to St. Thomas.

At St. Thomas, having all the mails from the Windward and Leeward
Islands on board, and having there got the European mail from
Laguayra, &c., the packet will proceed, on the fourteenth day, to the
westward, calling at St John's, Porto Rico, for the return mail, and
thence go on to Cape Nichola Mole, Hayti, 480 miles, three days. At
this latter place receive all the European mails from the Bahamas,
from Jamaica, Cuba, &c. &c., and thence, with the whole, on the
seventeenth day, proceed direct, according as may be determined, to
Fayal or to Falmouth, calling at Crooked Island to pick up the return
mails from the Bahamas, if it shall be found that those cannot be got
up in time by the sailing schooners to Cape Nichola Mole.[6]

[Footnote 6: Whenever steamers are appointed to
carry the mails from Falmouth to Barbadoes, the
arrival of the packet at that island will be so
regular, that Jamaica _might_ be made (should this
be considered advantageous) the headquarters, as it
were, for the steamers in that quarter of the
world. Four would then be sufficient for the work
between Barbadoes and Vera Cruz; two to run between
Jamaica and Vera Cruz, by the Havannah, and two
between Jamaica and Barbadoes, by St. Thomas. The
latter two would be each fifteen days at sea
monthly, and the former two seventeen days,
exclusive of partial stoppages; so that there would
be abundance of time for rest and repairs. Further,
under such circumstances, the packet with the
European return mails would have time to run
through the islands and pick up all the mails;
meeting, on the second day after her departure from
Trinidad, and on the ninth after reaching
Barbadoes, at St. Lucia, the steamer from Guiana,
with the Guiana, Tobago, and Barbadoes return
mails; and proceeding onward through all the
islands, to the northward and westward, St. Thomas
and Porto Rico included, pass from that island
through the Mona Passage, and call at Jacmel for a
mail, reaching Jamaica in fourteen days. From
thence starting without delay, and going by St.
Jago de Cuba and Cape Nichola, leave the latter
place on the seventeenth day for Fayal, exactly in
the same time that it is calculated it could do
under the other arrangement. But such an
arrangement would render it difficult, perhaps
impracticable, to get up the Laguayra mail to St.
Thomas in time, it having only ten days for that
purpose; and at the same time an additional expense
for coals, at least for three days each packet or
voyage (1800 tons, 2250_l._ yearly) would be
required, being the time taken between Jamaica and
Cape Nichola Mole.]

THE SECOND PACKET of the month, and all the steamers and schooners, to
proceed exactly in a similar manner.

According to the proposed arrangement, these steam-boats would be
actively employed thus:--

1008 days, yearly--Jamaica station
192 " " Demerara ditto.
----
In all 1200 days, yearly. Coals, 30,000 tons.

_Advantages._ (p. 042)

I. There would, by these arrangements, be two mails each month to
Great Britain from all places in the western Tropical Archipelago, or
connected with it, which at present there are not.

II. Jamaica, with the requisite alterations in her internal mail
communications, would have in all her western division seven and eight
days, and in all her eastern division eight and nine days, to return
answers by the packet with which she receives her European, &c.
correspondence, of which she at present is deprived; Kingston and
Spanish Town alone being able, under the present regulations, to do
so.

III. Porto Rico, All Cuba, the more important parts of Hayti, and all
the western coasts of South America, would, by these arrangements, be
brought immediately and completely within the range of the British
Post-office, most of which places at present are not.

IV. By this arrangement all British Guiana would be enabled to reply
to all its European and Colonial correspondence by the same packet,
but which at present they have it not in their power to do.

V. The inhabitants of Trinidad would get sufficient time to receive
and to reply to their letters by the same packet. From the Naparima
and other distant quarters they cannot at present do so.

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