Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-11-22 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

Szn,—The question of the navigation of the Indian
rivers, by steam, is at present attracting much attention
in this country, partly from the enormous profits
realised by the steamers plying on the Ganges, and
partly from the increasing interest now being taken in.
Indian affairs. As I have been long engaged in navi-
gating vessels on the rivers and waters of the East, I
may, without arrogance, claim to know more about such
•subjects than persons who have not had this advantage,
and I therefore beg to forward a few remarks upon these
topics, which, if you deem interesting, I shall be happy
if you will lay before your readers. More steam vessels
are much wanted in India.
This is made sufficiently notorious from the com-
munications of the Times' correspondent, who records
the dearth of steam navigation on the Ganges in the
most forcible terms. The two companies wie vessels
are now plying on that river have long been dividing.
60, 60, and 70 per cent. per annum, and even more than
that. Such • returns may appear fabulous, but they are
nevertheless true.

Best Vessels for the Indian Rivers.—The best kind of
vessels for the navigation of the Indian rivers are those
which can carry the largest cargo with the least draft of
water ; end the vessels of the Oriental Inland Steam
Company appear better to fulfil these conditions than
any other with which lam acquainted. These vessels,
which have been highly approved by, all the most
eminent engineering authorities in this country, such as
Boulton and Watt, Penn,Tairbairn, Rennie, and many
others,.have now been introduced on the Indus, which
river they have ascended and descended in safety;
and the enormous cargoes such vessels are able to
carry will bring in far larger returns than any now
obtained upon the Ganges. I observe indeed, from
Mr. Bourne's report on the action of his steam trains
on the Indus, that the steam could not be well kept up,
and that, therefore, the speed against the current was
not well maintained. But this arose mainly from the
unmanageable lengths of the wood supplied as fuel,
which would be remedied against the next voyage by
having cut it into short 'pieces.
It is true Mr. Bourne considers that it would be more
economical, in contending with so rapid a river as the
Indus, if his trains had more power ; but though this
opinion may be corre3t, I find from other reports re-
ceived from India that Mr. Bourne's vessels, with a train
of barges in tow, have, in the height of the inundation,
passed Government vessels on the river, towing nothing,
and unable to tow anything at that season. The trains
despatched to the Ganges have double the power of
those on the Indus, and will carry immense cargoes.
Main Features of the Navigation.—The rivers of India
are subject to periodical inundations, which so much
enlarge the river beds that the volnme of water in the
dry season is unable to fill them to any considerable
depth. They are, consequently, during the larger part
of the year very shallow and full of sand banks ; and all
the vessels navigating them, steer badly, and are often
getting aground, from the shoal water and eddies which
constantly beset their path. Mucji local knowledge,
and Much peculiar management, is necessary to direct
the vessels aright ; and the necessary skill is only to be
obtained by long experience. New men always fail in
managing the vessels properly at first. Mr. Bournes'
vessels are calculated to make quick passages from
their power and easy draft of water, provided they are
properly managed; but inexperienced persons will not
be able to manage them, or any other, until they have
learnt the way. New people should not be daunted by
trivial difficulties.
Whoever undertakes the navigation of any of the
Indian rivers will have difficulties to encounter at the
outset, which it will require some little time to over-
come, and if they have not the courage to face those
difficulties, they should not undertake the task.
All the existing Ganges Companies experienced these
difficulties at the outset; and Commander Carless's re-
port shows that when the Government first established
steam vessels on the Indus, similar difficulties were en-
countered there. It is some time before you can get
the right man into the right place ; and, from what I
can hear, this is a difficulty which the Oriental Inland
Steam Company are now going through.
When the Ganges Company was first .started, two
captains were discharged from their first boat, ere they
found an efficient man ; and the vessels being different
in some respect from those pretiously introduced, an
excuse was afforded to incompetence, by saying that the
vessels would not do. Mr. Robinson, the manager of
the Company, however was not to be deterred from
proceeding by such hollow excuses ; and being supported
by the proprietary, who of course wished their property
to be rendered profitable, instead of being wantonly
sacrificed by being senselessly condemned,• he at once
removed every person who showed himself unequal to the
management of the vessels, or was arrayed in hostility
against them. The consequence was the vessels soon
began to answer very well ; and it is these very vessels
which were at one time exposed to the risk of being dis-
carded as unserviceable, which have since been earning
such enormous profits as have become a mine of wealth
to their possessors. All difficulties in the navigation of
these rivers will be surmounted, if people will only have
faith and patience and perseverance. I say this from
my own personal experience of similar cases, and I
know what I say to be true. There is a magnificent
field presented in the navigation, of the Indian rivers,
which is sure to reward those who do not expect success
to be achieved by magic, but by the same gradual and
sporoeglensseinvtely attained.
sby which, in other cases, it has been
Annandale House, Greenhill* Kent,
November 18, 1859.

,ALLEGED EXTENSIVE SWINDLING FIRM IN HULL.—
Under this title, the Hull Advertiser of Saturday last
publishes a long letter from Mr. Joseph Hugill, of that
town, and some collateral correspondence, in which he
exposes a series, of what he denominates attempts to
obtain goods in Manchester Birmingham, Hull, and
other places, consisting of steel, iron, copper, and oil.
The alleged swindler is named Gueriz, and he carried on
a correspondence with a Mr. C. F. de Pinery, of Lither-
land Mill, near Liverpool, for whom also he endeavoured
to obtain extensive credits ; in most instances, so far as
is known, without success. The case was brought before
•the Hull stipendiary magistrate, at the police court, on
Thursday last, and there it was stated that from the
description given by different parties who had seen Mr.
Gueriz and Mr. C. F. de Finery, there is very strong
reason for believing that the one is the other. "He
appeared quite a gentleman; his age would probably be
from thirty to thirty-five. In appearance he is tall, say
about six feet, with rather light hair and whiskers when
here ; complexion fair, with some colour, and an open,
full Saxon countenance. His hands in particular are
well formed but full, and what is vulgarly called puffy."
A WEST Docx FOR HULL.—TWO most important
meetings (says the Hull Advertiser) have been held in
Hull this week, with a view to the providing of more
dock accommodation for the port, on better and more
advantageous terms than those offered by the present
Dock Company. At the first of these meetings, held
on Monday last, the Mayor (Z. C. Pearson,. Esq.) pre-
sided, and some preliminary steps were adopted. A
second meeting was held on Thursday, at the Mansion-
house, his Worship the Mayor again presidia& and
there being present representatives of the North-
eastern Railway Company and almost every shipping
and mercantile house in the port. It was unanimously
resolved that a company, to be called the " Hull West
Dock Company," should be formed for the purpose of
making a dock contiguous to the North-eastern Railway,
at the west side Of the town. A committee was formed
to draw up the prospectus ; the names of thirty pro-
visional directors we're taken, and the question of capital
was considered. Messrs. T. Holden and Sons were ap-
pointed solicitors to th 9 company, and Messrs.. Pease and
Co., bankers. It was stated that communications had
taken place between the promoters and Mr. Harrison,
C.E., the successor of the late Robert Stephenson, and
that that gentleman would in all probability be in Hull
on Monday next. Borings had been made, with a view
of ascertaining the kind of foundation likely to be met
with for the worki, and they were, in every respect,
satisfactory.. - Altoether, the meeting passed off in a
most unanimous spirit—offers of support to the project
being given by every one present,