The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-10 00:00:00

amen and eager speculators, and the Dutch would be com-
pelled to take care that no glaring faults should meet the
eye of the one, and that legitimate fields of action should ha
opened for the operations of the other. 1 think, then, it
will behove the company about to start, to take largely into
account the nature and capabilities of the Dutch possessions,
through which a good part of their route will lie.
Among other things, it appears to be important that there
should be calling or touching places at or in the neighbour
hood of Sourabaya and Coepang. The ant is quite obvious,
and no doubt forms part of the company's plan. The second
will not at first be so inviting, but will, I think, be advisable
for the purpose of creating a traffic. Coepang itself is but
little out of the route, and during the easterly monsoon
affords good anchorage and landing-places. Both are to be
found, I believe, during the westerly monsoon in the
northern part of the straits of Lentso. A station, however,
might, perhaps, be formed in or near the straits of Rottee,
which would serve during both seasons, and would be in the
direct route of the steamer. From this point wailing .eutels,
even prabus, could at all times reach, not only Coepang,
but Banda and Amboyna, without much difficulty. It
would not be easy to overrate the importance to those places
of a certain passage to windward at a'll seasons of the year,
instead of having to wait for a change of monsoon. An easy
road into, and frequent communication with, the Spice
islands, would surely be an event in the history of the " Far

As to Lombock, little, perhaps, could be done with it at
present; but if the steamer pass through the straits of Altus,
as is probable, she will find it to her advantage to heave to
for an hour, to purchase stock, and thus may be laid the
foundations of a free native trade with that island, which
may ultimately rise into importance. On the north aide of
the fine island of Zindsna, or Sandalwood Island, is Paddas-
way Bay, which would be directly in her route should any
establishment be hereafter formed there. This is also a free,
independent inland.
I still adhere to my opinion of the superiority of Cape
York over Port Essington, as the nearest coaling place to
Sydney, for several reasons, but for this especially, that Cape
York is more distant from Sydney in time than in epees.
None of the calculations respecting the route which I have
seen appear to take into account the intricate nature of the
navigation among the coral reefs to the southward and east-
ward of Cape York. In traversing them the steamer will
often have to go at half-speed under the molt favourable cir-
cumstances ; she will be compelled to anchor at night while
among them, and to pause during the city when the sun
comes ahead of her. I think we might safely assume that
that part of the voyage will be from 24 to 48 hours longer
than would be calculated from the men distance as
measured on the chart implies. She will also be always
liable to such accidents as grounding in that neighbourhood,
which, although not likely to be fatal, must let cause
delay and expenditure of coal, and render it highly
important that assistance and fresh supplies should be as
close at band as possible.
I observe that Mr. Davidson mentions squatters" in con-
nexion with Port Essington. I would beg to ask him what
they are to do there ? what are they to squat for ? and what
.are to be their occupations? Sheep would not live, sr would
have no wool; and, from Dr. Leichardt's recently published
journal, it appears that his horses and cattle, aa also himself
and party, suffered greatly from the climate when they de-
scended from the high table land south of the Alligator river
to the flat country within 100 miles of the coast. Few men
would be tempted either by the pleasure or profit of residing
there to breed buffalos, yet what else they could do I do not
know. The communication with New Guinea, which be
alludes to, is obviously more easy from Cape York. The
tripang also, or biche de met, is infinitely more abundant and
mere easy to be procured among the coral reefs of Torres
Straits than about Port Essington. Had the Burris once
discovered Torres Straits, nothing but its greeter distance
would prevent them entirely deserting the other part of',
the coast. Mother of pearl 'bells, tortoiseshell, and cocoa-
nuts are even now to be procured in some quantity from the
islanders of the northern part of Torres Straits.
Ido not advocate the abandonment of Port Essington if
• Chinese or Malay colony can be located there, so much
the better; let them try what they can do. I only doubt
the probability of its " rising into a place of importance,"
either in five or any given number of years; and wish to
impress upon those concerned the far higher importance of
Cape York or its neighbourhood as a commercial post, and •
point commanding the navigation of the neighbouring seas,
whether traversed in sailing vessels or in steamers.—l am, &e.,
Sept. 7, 1847. J. Beata JULIIII.
Geological Survey of Great Britain,
Yofrytty Evan, Denbighshire.