The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-19 00:00:00

TE JISHORTEST ROUTE ACROSS TEE
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.- I am not going to write any fancy
sketch, but a simple narrative of what I myself
have seen ; and I will add some indubitable geogra-
phical facts which I have reason to believe are un-
known to many who ought to know them. I start
from Quebec (whence there is railway and water
communication cheap and commodious to all parts
of the North American continent), in one of the
screw steamships of the fortnightly line of the Mon-
treal Ocean Steamship Navigation Company. This
line is essentially Canadian, being principally owned
in Canada, supported by Canadian traffic, and a
small annual subsidy of twenty-twothousand pounds
from the Canadian Government for postal service.
I need not tell you what a magnificent harbour Que-
bec possesses. It is capable of containing an unlimited
quantity of shipping, and more than a thousand
ships may be seen 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 e very direction around the scenery is magnifi-
cently beautiful. Its background is a mountain
range, while the foreground is dotted with villages
and little white houses of the Canadian farmers.
As the steamship proceeds down the noble river,
Quebec is soon hidden from the view ; but, pano-
rama-like, new beauties open up. First, there are
the Falls of Montmorenci, formed by a small
river being precipitated over a ledge of rock
about three hundred feet high, as I judge by the
eye. The large and thickly settled island of Or-
leans 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 thicket than usual form a vil-
lage, of which the most conspicuous object is a
white church with its spire. Almost every house
or other building is painted white or whitewashed,
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 scan clearly marked out ou either
side, and these look peaceful and seeding ; while
behind and above all, a little distance back, the
mountain's lift their stately beads towards:the sky.
The mountains for the most part are covered with
forest, and islands of various . orms and sizes, also
thickly clothed with trees, dot the river here and
there, and they are 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 15 miles from bank
to bank. Now you pass the mouth of the Sague-
nay, the most wonderful river in the world—in-
credibly deep, with perpendicular aides of 'rock,
which in some places reach to an enormous height
above the surface 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 magni-
ficence of which, in combination with the most de-
lightful 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 mane—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 ou
the broad surface of the North Atlantic Ocean. At
this point, let it be observed, one-third of the voy-
age is accomplished, and something less than six
days' steaming will bring us in sight of Tory Island,
on the north of Ireland, which is 24 hours' sail
from Liverpool, in comparatively 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 very greatest impor-
tance, 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 inte-
rests in Great Britain—to say nothing of other con-
siderations—l will write some particulars of compa-
rative distances. I copy the figures from Mr.
Keefers's map, which was prepared by the Govern-
ment 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 Liver-
pool 1,878 miles—in all 2,583 miles. The distance
from New York to Cape Race is 1,010 miles ; Cape
Rice to Liverpool by Cape Clear, 2,003 mies—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 traveller. The distance from Belle
Isle to Tory Island is exactly 1,655 miles, which
is all the purely ocean navigation in the sailing
circle, of which the St. Lawrence forms an arc, 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 wiles by
the route of the Cunard steamships. 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 Liver-
pool to New York ; and let it be well borne in
mind that the moment you touch any of the Cana-
' dian 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 steam-ships which
only commenced to run last spring ? Just that
which might be expected. They have wade 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 iu
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 pro-
minence to these facts, and they cannot be too
widely spread in Great Britain. An effort is being
made in Canada to induce the British Government 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 drawn in favour
of the change is very strong.lts 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
opera and it is connected by, railway with Quebec
arid kOntreal, 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 Euro-
pean traveller some time to take a trip across the
Atlantic .4erry, and see the new world. I must
.hot, however, omit to add that the Canadian Go.

; vernment are now lighting the lowe r St. Law-
; rence, the Gulf, and the straits of Bel le Isle ; and
that, when this is done, Quebec may 'fay claim to
being one of the safest ports on the Nortl t Americas
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.—From the Corres-
pondent of the Daily NetcA.

THE SILVER DRAIN.

(From the Times' City Article.)

The facts already discussed with regard to the
drain of specie to India and China have a bearing
on. the question as to the influence to be exerted
on prices by the gold discoveries. "Granting," it
will be said, " that the adverse consequences of
the present condition of trade between Europe and
China must be sustained, not by England, but by
France, from the loss of her silk crop, still the
hoardinc, universally practised in the East must
greatly checks that general increase of wealth and
prosperity which are looked for from the flooding
of Europe with the treasures of Australia and Ca-
lifornia." This supposition is entirely erroneous.
When the gold discoveries were first announced it
was pointed out that whatever might be their ex-
tent it could constitute no addition to the wealth of

the world, and that, although they would produce
the grandest results, these would be confined to
the impulse they would exercise in attracting man-
kind to the settlement of new regions, and to a
disturbance of the relations of debtor and creditor,
which, as far as concerned all fixed contracts,
would prove extremely advantageous to the former.
As the value of gold depends entirely on its scar-
city, no addition to the quantity held will be at-
tended by any corresponding addition to the worth
of the total ; that is to say, if the world possesses
one hundred millions of gold to-day, and another
hundred millions are discovered to-morrow, it will
find itself no richer, because gold, in relation to,
other articles, having thus become twice as plenti-
ful, it will then require two sovereigns to purchase
the amount of goods that in the first instance
might have been obtained. for one sovereign. All
expectation, therefore, of visible consequences in
the shape of a great concentration of the precious
metals in this country, or in the United States,
or even in the various batiks of the chief cen-
tres of commerce throughout the globe, were
delusive. The relative stock held in each coun-
try was still destined to depend upon the balance
of its other imports and exports, while the
increased supplies would go on: quietly diffusing
themselves in every quarter according to the unal-
terable laws of trade. If, owing to the augmented
quantity, a greater number of pieces of gold are
now required in every transaction, the mode of
absorption of that which has lately been produced
is perfectly comprehensible ; and, supposing the
yield to become a thousand times greater than has
yet been witnessed, the consequences will still be
manifested in no other way than in a proportion-
ately increased abundance of gold coin in the hands
of every individual. The amount held by the vari-
ous banks of the world has-never, perhaps, been
equal to a 20th part of that which is in circulation,
and hence, although their stocks must increase in
proportion to the commonness or the metal, the
effect in their case is comparatively insignificant.
Supposing an addition to the, circulation of an
amount calculated to affect the Prieek of all com-
modities to the extent of 25 per cerif.,"all the in-
crease that could positively be looked for in the
aggregate held by the several banks would be about
one-fourth.

The hoarding practised by the: people of India
and China must of course delay this diffusion ; but,.
so far from checking the activity and relative pro-
sperity of the gold-finding nations, it must operate
to perpetuate the ardour of the search just to the
extent that it retards the depreciation of the arti-
cle. It is the hoarder only who can suffer, since t4O
is accumulating a substancewhich7s daily.diminish-
ing in value. There is little reason, hqyrever, to
suppose that this hoarding has withdrawn any
amount calculated materially to intetrupt the
changes in- progress. Even it twenty out of the
hundred millions sterling produced in the last eight
years have thus been buried or converted into or-
naments it can only have reduced by one-fifth the
speed of the general movement.

Notwithstanding these conclusions, it, will, per-
haps, be denied that there are any signs of prices
having as yet been influenced. This is a point on
which.each person must be allowed his own opinion,
because no labour could collect the facts requisite
to demonstrate the actual state of the case. While
the gold discoveries are operating to produce dear-
ness, all the discoveries of science are tending in an
opposite direction. The agriculturist thus extracts
from his laud crops which a few years back would
have been deemed incredible, and the Manchester
spinner and Birmingham manufacturer are enabled
to multiply goods at a.cost regulated by little else
than the wear and tear of machinery, while at the
same time the extension of steam navigation is fa-
cilitating the acquisition of every kind of raw ma-
terial. Because beef or bread, cotton and woollen
goods, hardwares or trinkets, may be as cheap or
cheaper than they were when California was un-
known, we are not, therefore, to conclude that
there has been no result. The probability is, as
was long ago pointed out, that, even if the time
should arrive for gold to be depreciated to a quarter
of the value at which it stood iu 1848, the possessor
of a fixed income will find that he can still procure
as many of these articles for his money as he could
at that period. But his state will have been one of
stagnation, and the results of all the advancement
of society in comfort and luxury will be simply to
leave him where he was while the standard of
living has been rapidly improving. A person with
5001. a•year, if he could obtain now no more than
was procurable for the same money half a century
back, would be in a disagreeable position, and it is
an effect of this kind that the holders of fixed in-
comes must henceforth be expected gradually to
experience. Whether he can already trace its com-
mencement in the augmented sums demanded for
all kinds of labour, in the increased possession of
gold among classes where it was formerly a rarity,
and iii the general scale of ,expenditure of every
bran3la of the pspulation, must be for bins to de-
termine. Certain it is that there is no other way
in which the question can be tested, and that those
who look elsewhere for proofs of the action of the
increased supply will look in vain, no matter to what
extent it may be multiplied.