The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-02 00:00:00

STEAM NAVIGATION FROM SINGAPORE

TO SYDNEY.
Ent,—Observing in the papers that a charter has
been obtained for starting steamers in continuation of the
overland route from Singapore to Sydney (New South
Wales), and having resid, d for many years in the Malay
Archipelago, Australia, efts., I beg leave to submit • few
hints on the suNect.
In the first place I consider the route front Singapore cid
Batavia and Port Essington to Sydney, and vice versl as
perfectly practicable for powerful seagoing steamers, at all
times of the year.
I observe they talk of coaling at Batavia, Lombok and
Port Esaineton—thia would be a useless and unnecessary

waste of time and money. The whole distance from Singa-
pore to B)dney by the roate proposed is barely 4,000 miles.
To perform this distance cannot require three coal depots.
It appears to me that one at Port Bmington• would be quite
sufficient . however, in tame of accident, I would establish one
at Batavia, leaving Lombok out of the question altogether.
I give the steamers three weeks to perform the voyage,
including stoppages, from Sydney to Singapore; consider two
powerful vessels quite sufficient to keep up regular monthly
communication between the two places ; and would start
them thus:

____
Let steamer A leave Sydney on the 13th of the month ;
give her 21 hours at Port Essington, 12 at Batavia, and she
will reach Singapore on the 4th of the next month, There
she will remain to receive the English mails, which usually
`reach that island on the 7th, and start for Sydney on the Bth,
arriving there on the 29th or 30th, which would give her
a fortnight clear time to sail again on the 13± for Singapore.
Supposing
ehce steamer.l tose Perwrsea, .waryistiwmonk, reg
see ularly—and
I,
prevent her so doing—you will perceive two steamers are all
that is wanted to keep up regular monthly intercourse be •
twee° the Straits of Malacca and the capital of Australia.
I am quite sure if the interests of this company were fairly
and fully repreaented to the authorities at Batavia, that every
possible facility would be rendered in forwarding its views,
and giving despatch to its steamers. There are one or two
indu4ences which might be asked for at Batavia, such u, 1.
Tie mail steamers to enter and leave Batavia Roads without
going through the tedious form of either clearing in or clear-
ing out. 2. No port charges should be levied on them. 3.
A dep6t for fuel might be obtained free on the plain below
the town and near the river.
.. - - ...

-
Either or all these favours would of course facilitate
operations, and I feel convinced would be readily granted by
the Dutch authorities at Batavia. To obtain the first the
company must pledge itself, through its representative, that I
neither contraband goods nor smuggling in any shape would
be permitted or attempted by the mail steamers. lo obtain
the second and third a simple representation and request are
all that would be necresary.
Batavia is in every way well suited for the purposes of
such a company. Its harbour or road is of *my access by
day or night. Stock of all descriptions, and wine, is very
cheap there ; and many of the numerous passengers that an-
nually go between Holland and its colonial dependencies,
would avail themselves of the shorter and quicker route
home by the Red Sea.
Starting and carrying through this scheme would be the
making of Port Essington, were that place throwa open for
colonisation Asa free portt Let it be opened to the world on the
same free and liberal terms as the East India Company threw
open Singapore • and let the Chinese know that it is within
regular montlil communication with every market for its
produce, and I'll
stake my existence it springs into importance
in five years. It must not, however, be ruled over by either
soldier or sailor, but by a civilian, who will encourage the
nations of all the neighbouring islands to resort thither, take
care that every facility is afforded them for carrying on their
trade, planting, iftc., and not be too particular about the
value or price of a piece of land, till the settlement is fairly
on its legs : then deal liberally with squatters.
The sea all round Port Essington teems with the sea slug
so highly prized by the Chinese. called by the Malas
tripanz, which forms a considerable article of trade in
those parts already. The country round about, under
an industrious Chinese population, would soon teem with the
fruits of the earth, and the wild inhabitants of New Guinea
and other neighbouring islands Sod their advantage in bring-
ing the products of their soil to their strange neighbours to
barter for the manufactures of Manchester, Birmingham,
&c., a demand for which of very considerable importance
would soon spring up. Under such far ntrable circum-
stances, the way into the interior of New Guinea and the
favour of its inhabitants would gradually open to
Europeans, and lead to results of the greate.t possible ad-
vantage to both, but particularly to the woolly-haired
Papuan, some hundreds, if not thousands of whom are
annually carried off in slavery by the Portuguese and others.
A walk through the town of Mecca will prove part of this
assertion.

This is a faint sketch of a few of the admotagei that might
reasonably be looked for from the establishment of the
Auetrelian Mail Steam-packet Company, and Port Essing-
ton being opened as a free colony. If you, Mr. Editor,
think it worth publishing, it is very much at your service.
Some day when at leisure I may mama the subject of the
" far East" In the
smeantime I remain, your obedient
servant, O. F. DAYIDOSIL—HuII, Aug. 30.

• Why not near id • Milks off Cape York u recommended by
Mr. Jukes in ths shat memoirs Is kis narrative of the ropes of
the Ely, whidi we Maly Irseseined Mohr eelameel—Eo. D. N.
s The owe ot Port liiinplon we consider to be hopeless —fib. D. N.

SCOTLAND.

EDIK/1171011, Aro. 31.
An accident took place yesterday on the Edin-
burgh and Glasgow Railway, but fortunately with no
serious results. While the eleven o'clock train was
between Winchburgh and Linlithgow, one of the two
engines by which the train was drawn left and pro-
ceeded forward at a rapid rate. It had not gone fax
when the crank shaft broke, and caused it partly to
jump off the rails, and then stand stilL The train
engineer, seeing the accident, reversed his engine
without delay, but not in time to prevent a collision
with the first engine. The shock threw off the
engineer and stoker, and bruised a great number of
the passengers, but-none of them were materially
injured.
A petition fur the pardon of Lieut. Munro, having
some 200 names attached to it, has been forwarded to
the Home Secretary from Rowiehire, of which county
the lieutenant is a native.

Sir Robert Peel has purchased from a party in
Edinburgh the fall-length portrait of Dr. Chalmers,
painted by John Watson Gordon. As a painting it
is a work of great excellence.
A western antiquary has been digging at the roots
of the genealogical tree of the Lynne, of that ilk,
belonging to Dairy in Ayrshire, and tries to make
out consanguinity between them and Jenny Lind;
but it is much to be feared that the nightingale will
not be duly. impressed with a sense of the importance
of the inquiry. Probably one night's singing will
bring Jenny more revenue than the rental of her
Scotch forty-seventh cousin for one year, and the
worth of persons as well as things is just what they
will bring.

STORY 111 THu NORTH OF SCOTLAND.—In addition to
the damages reported under the head of " Bcotland," in our
impression yeetarday, as consequent on the late hurricane in

the north, among which we mentioned the rumoured loss of
an emigrant ship, with 300 persons on board,we find further
accounts of wrecks and other injuries in the John o'Groat
Journal. Of the Britannia, of Ardrossan, which we men-
tioned as having been wrecked at Thurso, the captain, Alex-
ander WM illan, of Annan, was drowned, u was John
Comer, one of the seamen ; the rest of the crew were saved
by means of a rope from the vessel to the 'here. The captain
remained giving directions until all bad gone, when unfortu-
nately the rope loosened from the vessel, and he was
left on the wreck without any means of escape.
He was laahcd to the vessel, and, for some hours, Rare
fug.* of life.Oftail ncett
b 7 oressi • • hang,
• . . • y uag my.
Neither of the uosoes manbeen found. The stoop ....rooter
of Douglas, Isle of Mao, went ashore in the neighbourhood
of Keip. The captain mistook Noss Head for Dunconsbay
Head, and thus furnished another to the many arguments in
favour of a lighthouse on the former headland.
laud, It isb:x-
tetetcrhavtehne ancr Cseerllardmyele,hesevrr:l ;to. unroofed,stt
and hay-ricks were scattered before the wind. At Kirkwall,
Orkney, four herring.boats went ashore, carrying their
anchors with them. They were all saved by the activity of
their crews and others who were up to their necks in water.
Several boats were also driven ashore at Tankerness and
Deerness, and four or five at Erie. One was blown out to
sea from Orphir, end has not since been heard of. A boat
belonging to Stronsay, on her way home from Kirkwall,
was overtaken, and put back to Tankerness, where she was
wrecked. The crew were saved, but the cattle on board
were drowned. A boat was also driven ashore at
Work, near Kirkwall. Nothing has as yet been
heard from any of the islands, but doubtless there
also much damage has been done.—At Cromarty the
Belgian war schooner Louisa and Mary was driven
ashore on the north bask, having parted from both
anchors. By the aid of an anchor from the French man-of-
war, Griffon, she was safely 4ot off in about three hours.
At Freserburg, besides the herring-boot, which we yesterday
stated to have gone down with all hands, a sloop went on
shore on the sands, but by means of Capt. Menby's appa-
ratus a rope was conveyed to the vessel, and the life-boat
hauled off to her, saving the crew. Various other losses
are conjectured to have taken place on different parte of the
coast.