The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-09-09 00:00:00

STEAM NAVIGATION TO INDIA.

Lieutenant J. H. lor"..”."—insten, of the Royal Navy, has
just published a prospectus for the formation of a Com-
pany to communicate by steam navigation with India, on
the subject of which we Iwg leave to lay before our readers
a few remarks, as it is a project which has long appeared to
us to be quite feasible, and tiow that Mr. Blow re's gas en-
gine is about to be brought into play, perfectly simple and
easy.
Mr. Johnston arrived in India at a time when there was
a strong prtjudice against steam navigation, and found
some difficulty in gating together a meeting even to listen
to his plans. This prejudice hail arisen from an abortive
attempt to tow vessels up the Hoogly with a steam-
boat, of only thirty-two horse power, and at the same time
the beat so large, that the Fw:l- was hardly sufficient to
propel her against a current, which, during the rains, runs
at the rate of not less than six or seven knots an hour.
However, he did get a !netting called. and the result was,
that a premium of a lac of rupes (about 10,0001.) was
offered for the first man who should carry a vessel by steam
to India.

The only objection we can see to this scheme, Mr.
Johnston has anticipated ; we allude to the inveterate
prejudiced of all Indians, native and European, against
innovation, and their excessive love of ease and comfort,
which would deter them from going in a steam-vessel,
though they were sure of getting home in a fortnight, if
they discovered that the wine on board was bad, or not
sufficiently cooled. Indeed, we never yet heard of an
Indian, when be meditated a voyage, asking any questions
relative to the sufficiency of the vessel in which he was to
embark—the nautical skill of her Officers, or the number
and efficiency of her crew ? All these, as being points of
minor importance, arc taken for granted. Not so the
accommodations and the state of the cuddy table—these
cannot be taken on trust, but a minute scrutiny is set on
foot ; witnesses are examined and cross-examined as to the
proficiency of the cook—the materials on which he is to
exercise his vocation—the growth and vintage of the
wines—and no ordinary certificate is required to establish
the character of the Ilodron's pale ale. All these things,
however, can be had as good on board of a steam-vessel
as on board of an Indian•.an, but nothing short of actual
demonstration will convince the worthy Anglo-Asiatic.a of
this fact.

For various reasons, Mr. Johnston intends, in the first
instance, at least, to go round the Cape; for though the
Mediterranean be a :tearer route, yet the fear of the
plague, and our absurd quarantine laws, would form a
bar to that mode of proceeding ; there is sonic fear enter-
tained (particularly by Captains of Intliaint.n, who would
suffer s:verely were it to be found practicable) with respect
to the possibility of rounding the Cape in a gale, by steam.
This objection, however, is groundless. The dangers of
the Cape have been greatly magnified, because it is there
the India sailors meet with the worst weather they have to
encounter ; but if these gallant tars were to try their hands
at a Mister's cruise on the coast of America, they would
find the conjoint evils of as bad a sea as ever was known at
the Cape, accompanied with sleet storms, which are in due
time frozen on the rigging till they make it us hard and as
brittle u peg-iron. 'I he fact is, that a steam VOIS:.1 will
live in worse weather than a sailing, vessel. A small packet
has plied between Greenock and Belfast fo7 six years, and,
summer or winter, has n. ver been detained by the weather
one single day. Indeed, it is nothing uncommon fur her to
come in and announce the detention of so many square-
' rigged vessels, whom stress of weather has forced to run
into Lamlash Bay.
Mr. Johnston a calculation of the expense and returns of
a vessel, is as follows:
A +hip of ;;ill tons fitted for sea and insured at
Ms. per rent. £lB,OOO
Vrages of seamen and artificers for six months 2.500
Goals, mils, and cords;
Pilotage and port dues - 1.500
Interest sad depreciaeion, to per cent. en 20,000 2,00

/.25,620ti

The Returns would probably te:
Freight out, ail tons at 34 - - - 1,000
l'assa:T money r...t - - 2.0(10
Freight home, tltl.l tons at 71. - - 4 200
!'wage tuouey net - - - 6,th*l

Earning 13,0t1j
Experiee, including tivc vtr cent. intereit on
money invested - • 23,00 i)

J:12.2110

Or at tba expiration of the firm voyage, the Block would be re-
duced from 111,000/. to 12,21111., about xi per cent.
The Pamphlet contains, in the Appendix, a quantity of,
valuable information, procured from Mr. Briggs. Mr.
tkilt, and other G:ntlemen connected with Egypt and the
East. It will be seen tint Mr. Johnston was not aware of
Mr. Brown's improvement when he wrote. We approve
highly of the scheme, and cordially wish Mr. Johnston
every sucee in his undertaking.

The East India Company's outward-bound ship Astell,
put into Sauta Crus the 2.311 July, sad was expected to
'resume her voyage on thu following day.
ANTIQUITY or THE FOUNDATION OF vier Cornier
Tits AT It E.—The Coburg, although the last erected vf our
present theatres, has to boast of higher antiquity as to its
foundation than any of its rival structures on either side of
the river. The marshy lands on which this fabric is
built required artificial aid in laying its foundation. and
as about that time the ancient palace of John of Gaunt.
I Duke Lancaster, called the Savoy. was taken down for
1 the purpose of opening a communication to IVaterloo-
'bridge, the proprietors of this theatre contracted for a
sufficient quantity of the ancient stoner of which the Savoy
Palace had be-it compored, and had them transported in
barges to the Surrey side of the river, and on filer mate-
rials the snr. rrnructurc of the Coburg :brat% was raised. ,