The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

THE SHORTEST ROUTE ACROSS THE
ATLANTIC.

Like the king who cried 'for a new pleasure, I should
think that many European travellers would be glad to
hear of some new route. I will tell them something of
a very grand one which assuredly has the merit of being
novel to most people. It is across the Atlantic ferry and
up the gulf and river St. Lawrence. lam not going to
write any fancy sketch, but a simple narrative of what I
myself have seen; and I will add some indubitable
geographical facts which I have reason to believe are
unknown to many who ought to know them. I start
from Quebec (whence there is railway and water com-
munication cheap and commodious to all parts of the
North American continent) in one of the screw steam-
ships of the fortnightly line of the Montreal Ocean
Steam-ship Navigation Company. This line is essentially
Canadian, being principally owned in Canada, supported
by Canadian traffic, and a small annual subsidy of
£22,000 from the Canadian government for postal service.
I need not tell you what a magnificent harbour Quebec

possesses. It is capable of containing an unlimited quantity
of shipping; and more than a thousand ships may be s3en
in it at once. The citadel crests a high and steep rock,
and the city of Quebec and its fortifications show well
from the harbour, while in every direction around the
scenery is magnificently beautiful. Its background is a
mountain range, while the foreground is dotted with
villages and little white houses of the Canadian farmers
As the steam-ship proceeds down the noble river, Quebec
is soon hidden from the view ; but, panorama-like, new
beauties open up. First, there are the Falls of Montmo-
renci, formed by a small river being precipitated over a
ledge of rock about three hundred feet high, as I jndge by
the eye. The large and thickly settled Island of Orleans
is next an object of interest. On both sides of the river
the houses of the habitans form almost a continual street
for hundreds of miles, while here and there a group
thicker than usual form a village, of which the most con-
spicuous object is a white church with its spire. Almost
every house or other building is painted white or white-
washed, and the effect of this is very beautiful, for the
white fairly glitters in the clear bright air and sunshine
of the Canadian climate. The lines of the farms may be
seen clearly marked out on either side, and these look
peaceful and smiling; while behind and above all, a little
distance back, the mountains lift their stately heads
towards the sky: The mountains for the most part are
covered with forest; and islands of various forms and
sizes, also thickly clothed with trees, dot the river
here and there ; and they are very beautiful objects
to look upon. There are hundreds of miles of such
scenery. As you steam downwards the river
assumes more gigantic proportions, and it is fifteen miles
from bank to bank. Now you pass the mouth of the
Saguenay, the most wonderful river in the world—incre-
dibly deep, with perpendicular sides of rock, which in
some places reach to an enormous height above the sur-
face of the water. As you steam on, the river still
becomes wider, and you lose sight of one of the banks.
On the whole, no man can sail down the St. Lawrence,
and not admit the truth of the statement of Mr. M'Gregor
that "this river and the whole country unfold scenery,
the magnificence of which, in combination with the most
delightful physical beauty, is unequalled in America, and
perhaps in any other part of the world." The works of
nature here are truly on the grandest scale, and they
serve to make—but not solely—the Canadian proud of his
country. Three days' steaming, or a fraction over, have
taken us through the Straits of Belle Isle to the island of
this name, where we bid adieu to land, and stretch out on
the broad surface of the North Atlantic Ocean. At this
point, let it be observed, one-third of the voyage is accom-
plished, and something less than six days' steaming will
bring us in sight of Tory Island, on the north of Ireland,
which is twenty-four hours' sail from Liverpool, in com-
paratively smooth water. You. sir, will have perceived
that I have indicated the shortest route across the
Atlantic Ocean; but as this geographical fact is of the
greatest importance, not only to the most considerable of
the British colonies in America, but to the whole of that
continent, as well as important to large interests in Great
Britain—to say nothing of other considerations—l will
write some particnlars of comparative distances. I copy
the figures from Mr. Keefer's map, which was prepared
by order of the government of Canada for exhibition at
the late Paris Exposition. Any one can verify them on a
globe or accurate map. The distance from Quebec to
Belle Isle is 705 miles. From Belle Isle to Liverpool
1,878 miles—in all 2,583 miles. The distance from New
York to Cape Race is 1,010 miles ; Cape Race to Liver-
pool by Cape Clear. 2,003 miles—in all 3,013; but the
Cunard steamers run round the north of Ireland, and thus
reduce the distance from New York to Liverpool to 2,980
miles. In either case, however, it is clear that the St.
Lawrence route has very great advantages in point of
distance, and to this must be added the great advantage
which the river, for one-third of the way, affords for
steaming, to say nothing of the magnificently beautiful
scenery of the St. Lawrence to glad the eye of the travel-
ler. The distance from Belle Isle to Tory Island is
exactly 1,655 miles, which is all the purely ocean naviga.
tion in the sailing circle, of which the St. Lawrence forms
an are, of the route of the Canadian steamships,
against 3,013 miles by the route by Capes Race and
Clear from New York to Liverpool, or 2,980 miles by
the route of the Cunard steam-ships. These figures
require no comments. It may be added that the distance
between Liverpool and Boston is not so great as between
that town and New York, but it is still very largely in
favour of the St. Lawrence route, and the voyage to
Boston is ocean navigation all the way. Another mode of
putting the case is this —lt is no further to Hamilton, at
the head of Lake Ontario, from Liverpool, than it is from
Liverpool to New York; and let it be well borne in mind
that the moment you touch any of the Canadian cities
you have railway, water, and telegraphic communication
with the whole continent. Such being the facts, what is
the result of the summer's experience of the Canadian
line of steamships which only commenced to run last
spring ? Just that which might be expected. They have
made the shortest voyages (the Persia excepted) across
the Atlantic, and furnished regularly the latest news to
the whole American continent, in advance of the Cunard
and Collins steamships. The Canadian steamships are
nevertheless of less size and power (although they are
beautiful vessels and fast sailers, and the wants of
passengers are well cared for in them) than those of the
lines just mentioned. Take one instance: the Baltic left
New York on her last trip on the same day that the
Anglo Saxon left Quebec, yet the former arrived in the
Mersey 40 hours after the latter. The time made by the
Anglo. Saxon between Quebec and Liverpool was 9 days
and 23 hours. The same vessel, in her outward voyage,
reached River du Loup (the telegraphic station below
Quebec) in 10 days and 2 hours from Liverpool, and
Quebec and Montreal a few hours later. She made the
passage to Quebec in two days less time than did the
Asia or the Atlantic, which sailed nearly at the same
Of course the Canadian newspapers give the

utmost possible prominence to these facts, and they
cannot be toa widely spread in Great Britain. An effort
is being made in Canada to induce tha British Govern.
meat to make Quebec and Montreal the ports at which
the British steam-ships touch which receive imperial
aid for postal service between Great Britain
and North America, and the argument in favour
of the change is very strong. Its drawback
is the winter, for it is only• during the summer
months that the St. Lawrence is open. Portland, how-
ever, has a magnificent harbour which is always open, and
it is connected by railway with Quebec and Montreal, and
all other parts of the continent. But my purpose is not
to pursue this argument. I have stated the facts, and I
have done. I think I have said enough to induce the
enterprising European traveller sometime to take a trip
across the Atlantic ferry, and see the new world. I must
not, however, omit to add, that the Canadian government
are now lighting the lower St. Lawrence, the Gulf, and
the Straits of Belle Isle ; and that when this is done,
Quebec may lay claim to being one of the safest ports on
the North American continent. As it is now, I know that
some very intelligent sea captains prefer the route through
the Straits of Belle Isle to that by Cape Race and the
banks of Newfoundland.—Communicated.

THE DUBLIN CRIMEAN BANQUET.—Over £l,lOO has
been received, independent of other sums collected at the
various public establishments in Dublin.
LOCAL C9ARGER oN SHIPPING.— Yesterday the report of
the select committee on this subject was issued. It is a
very bulky affair, extending to 703 folio pages, and is,
besides, embellished with maps and drawings. The corn.
mittee simply report that they have consi lered some of the
matters to them referred, and have taken evidence thereupon
which they have agreed to report to the house without any
expression of opinion. The price of the report is marked N.