The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-18 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

MELBORE, 21.
The Royal Charter arrived in HobsoUn'Ns Bay onAPRIL Wednes-
day the 10th instant, having sailed from Plymouth on the
17th of February, having thus made the voyage in 59 clays,
being the shortest passage yet made.
The Frances Plenty sailed out of Port-Philip as tho
Royal Charter came in, and as the former vessel has gene-
rally made quick passages she will most likely announce
the arrival of the new vessel.
The Ballarat, also a ship of good reputation, sailed for
Singapore on the 22d instant ; as there appeared to be a
reasonable chance of her meeting the homeward mail from
India I wrote by her, but, as the Oliver Lang may he
the first to arrive, I shall repeat the contents of my last
letter.
The mail-ships of the 20th of January_ and the sth of
February have not yet arrived.
The principle upon which the Royal Charter is built
and equipped seems to me to be that which is most likely
to reduce the voyage from England to Australia to ae near
an approach to a certainty as is possible.. She is, in the
first place, a full-rigged clipper ship, capable of the great-
est speed which has yet been attained by clippers of the
first class and best construction. She is built of iron, and
of 3,000 tons burden. Her greatest day's run under can-
vas was 352 miles, being an average of 14i knots per
hour. The best run of the Lightning on her first voyage
was 3 6 miles, or 14 knots per hour. The Lightning also
ran 2,086 nautical miles in seven days, or nearly 300 miles
a day.
During the voyage of the Royal Charter steam was re-
sorted to on 14 days. Her best day's run under steam was
252 miles, with a consumption of only 10. i tons of coal;
her worst day's run under steam was 166 miles, with a
consumption of 14 tons and 8 cwt. of coal. Her total con-
sumption of coals was only 193 tons 17 cwt. The pres-
sure of steam was 111 b.
Thus her remarkable voyage was made principally by
means of her extraordinary sailing powers, and her screw
propeller was emphatically auxiliary.
Her engines are only of 200-horse power, and, with all
the fuel that she can possibly require, occupy but a mode-
rate proportion of her tonnage, thus leaving ample space
for cargo as well as passengers. ' Contrast this with the
Great Britain, the first great experiment of the same en-
terprising firm. She was under-rigged as a sailing vessel,
and her screw, which could not be unshipped, was always
in requisition. Her consumption of coal was from 35 to
50 tons per diem. She consumed about 1,200 tons from
Melbourne to the Cape, and must have consumed about
2,500 on the homeward voyage. She had to seek for and
take in coal at Algoa Bay, at St. Michael's (Azores), and
at Vigo Bay in Spain. Large as she was, she had little
room for cargo, and although she had plenty of passengers
her voyages must have entailed loss on the owners.
After the failure of their first great experiment one can-
not but admire the thorough English pluck of the owners
of the Royal Charter in thus trying a new venture. I firmly
believe they will succeed. The ship is " booked full " for
the homeward voyage already. She will have a full cargo,
and will most likely carry home every ounce of gold accu-
mulated for shipment up to the date of her sailing—viz.,
the 22d of May.
The prevailing character and direction of the winds be-
tween the coast of England, and Melbourne seem to me to
prove that the auxiliary screw fitted to a ship of the best
sailing powers fulfils all the conditions upon which a rapid
voyage depends. The N.E. trade is a fair wind, the SE.
trade is now made a fair wind by the present method cf
great circle sailing, or rather the " composite course," as it
is called, which is as near an approach to the great circle as
is practicable. The westerly winds which prevail to the
southward of the latitude of the Cape are always fair all the
year round. With these fair winds, which cover about
5-6ths of the voyage, steam is only an incumbrance. Auxi-
liary steam power is useful and necessary in three locali-
ties--1. From the port of departure to the northern limit
of the north-east trade. This is not always necessary,
as the wind that blows has often, I may say, generally,
plenty of northing in it. 2. Steam is necessary in cross:
ing the belt of equatorial calms. This also is greatly nar-
rowed by the courses steered in recent times. Ships used
to cross the equator as far to windward as possible—say,
about 22 deg. west longitade—they now cross much fur-
ther west—say 32 deg. As the belt of calms narrows gra-
dually to the westward, it is frequently only three or four
degrees. By crossing well to the westward ships have
carried the n,,rth-east trade to 4 deg. 30 north latitude,
and have met the south-east trade even north of the line,
varying with the season of the year. 3. After losing the
south-east trade there is the "belt of variables" to be
crossed, until the ship is run into the prevailing westerly
wind. In all the above three localities the auxiliary screw
comes into play. Four, five, or six days runs the ship into
the north-east trade ; two days (and perhaps even less than
one, under good management) push her across the belt of
equatorial calms. Four, five, or six days more carry her
from the southern edge of the south-east trade across the
variables to the latitude of the westerly winds—a latitude
which also varies with the seasons. Sometimes even in
the generally constant north-east trade there will happen
an unusual or abnormal check. In the south-east trade
this is less unusual ; a south-east gale will sometimes over-
power the prevailing westerly winds. These would, of
course, increase the demands upon the crew ; but, on the
other hand, these anomalous winds will be sometimes com-
pensated by a fair wind out of the Channel, and by equal
good luck across the belt of variables. Ou the whole, Ido
not think the screw will often be needed during more than
15 slays. The voyage must, in fact, be made by the sail-
ing powers of the ship; the screw must be treated as
auxiliary.
It would not surprise me if the Lightning, the James
Baines, and the Donald M`Kay, with some of the fastest
of the rival line, should be at once fitted with auxiliary
screws. If the London owners wish to maintain their
position in the passenger trade, they must resort to the
same expedients, and with ships of a larger class.
One word as to the overland route, as it is somewhat
absurdly called. That must necessarily be emphatically a
steam voyage. From Melbourne to Singapore or Point de
Gallo is what sailors call a " dead beat." It will require
powerful steamers, and by their aid the whole voyage can,
I have no doubt, be performed in 54 days. It is very im-
portant to reduce the voyage tolso -le six or seven days less
than the two months of 61 or 62 slays. If, for instance, the
ships sail regularly on a stated day, say the Ist of e- er:
month, and the voyage, without casualties, be 55 dy
the due day of the mail will be the 25th or 2' •
days-
month. month. This would give five or six days to "DI
et every
answer letters,
and the course of post would be 116 d-
age to Sydney is 48 hours ;to F YE; ouly. The voy
:n about the
. "
s one ; hence to give the pew
obrt Tow
phi of those cities time to
...aura mail it will be necessary
taons ciwuerielkeettnertshe byyto hye„ first
aout days. This mhe effected by desPesehiugb oy urb mail 50
steamers direct to the
Red Sea withe,
et calling at Point de Gage.
pike of gold is 3/. 165., but add the duty,
vat
freight,d, insurance, weighing, &c., andthe cost to the pri-
ee shipper in London is 41. Os. B.A. But as the banks
dell their exchange at 2 per cent, premium, they nearlysave the insurance, their gold costing, laid down in Lon-
don, 3/. 19s. ld.

The prevailing price at Ballarat and Castlemaine has of
late been a tlitie higher, and this has discouraged the
transmission of gold by the escorts. Moreover, the banks
having for some weeks accustomed the diggers and store-
keepers to look for higher prices, a smaller quantity has
been offered to the local branches of the banks. Last
week consequently the escorts brought down only 32,934
ounces. But the fortnightly escort from the Ovens, which
arrived on Monday evening, brought down 13,351 ounces.
' The quantity received during the first three mouths of
1835 and 1836 was as follows :

Ounces.
First quarter of 1855........... 497,291
First quarter of 187)6 , 747,241
I have CO reason to believe that there is the
slightest cheek upon the quantity actually Obtained at the
principal diggings. From the increased use of machinery
I am confident the recent averages will be at least kept up,
and I think increased towards the latter mouths of the
year. If there is any diminution during the last fortnight
it may be attribUted to the very heavy rains that have
fallen of late.
Peace would be very benef cial to this eslony, as it would
lead to a renewal of immigration. Labour is becoming
very scarce, and I fear, unless we obtain supplies of ma-
sons, brick-labourers, carpenters, &c., many of our public
works will be suspended. We are, however, not so selfish
or unpatriotic as to desire peace on any terms except such
as are highly advantageous to the Western Powers. There
has been a very great preponderance of success on the side
of the allies, and that ought to influence the tone of our
diplomacy. The selfish colonial view of the case is this.
We want about 1,000 people per week. We could absorb
that number. Great Britain and Ireland would furnish at
least that number in time of peace, but during war only
afford us about 300. With an abundant supply of people
our resources, both gold and wool, are susceptible of fur•
ther development. We shall probably again resume the
export of tallow. This would increase our demand for
British manufactures, even beyond our recent demand.
It is not against the interest of producing England to
transfer labour and capital to this productive field. The
greater the production here the greater the stimulus to
production at home, in the effective demand which oar
production carries across the seas to Europe. I believe
the production of wool in New Zealand alone is cap-
able of being worked up,ito 10,000,0001 b., and the pas-
tures of Australia are not fully occupied. To occupy
Athlueeniamxcanpdtrin,oeorfit. aabnlTyd,he however requires better means of com-
nacompletion of the Melbourne, Mount
Murray Railway, commenced and now
transferred to the Government, will open out a good deal
of country. But here again our resources are crippled
for, want of labour. What we have done in the way of
railways is not much, but it is a good beginning. The
Hobson's Bay Railway connects Melbourne with the ship-
ping on the west side of the bay. The Williamstown Rail-
way, nearlyche east
ompletsei,dew. illTchoins
InaescttisMtheleboteurrmneinwusitohf
the
shipping on
Mount Alexander and Murray line. A branoh from the
Hobson's Bay line will be completed to St. Kilda in six or
eight months. This is the commencement of a southern
line, to be indefinitely extended. The Melbourne and Gee-
long Railway is in progress, and may be completed in 12
months. This will probably be extended to Ballarat.
money we can raise; what we want is labour. There is
also a growing scarcity of domestic servants, but with any
considerable immigration of productive labour the fami-
lies of the labourers would furnish a good supply of this
clase.
The Bank of Australia has again declared a dividend for
the last half.year at the rate of 20 per cent. per aunum,
the Union at the rate of 27 per cent.
The Colonial Bank of Australia—a popular bank on the
principle, with 1,000,0001. of capital, in small
shares
sof 101., which was so strenuously but unsuccessfully
opposed by the Bank of Australasia, ou the ground that
the latter had a monopoly of the name of " Australasia,"
and that the prefix " Colonial" was only colourable—has
just commenced business with every prospect of very
'narked success. There is a strong prestige in favour of
the local banks. The profits enrich local shareholders,
and are not sent out of the colony. In our early dayt„
when capital was the great want of all these colonies, there,
was a great and manifest advantage in deriving it front
England, nor could we now afford to die sense aLh the
foreign banking capital employed here. But there is no
doubt a large accumulation of disposable money capital
seeking investments, and this renders it wise to commence
One
however,of th the
legal most successful f
oreign to ofthveiethrio
localinis.
sthe Bank of New, South Wales. The Bank of Victoria is
even more remarkable! 4 was commenced in 1852,
localtitu t banks.io n
s net