The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-14 00:00:00

Total sea route .
Step at Sydney
Sydney to London, same route 6O&

60

Total outwards and inwards _ 123'
4

•
Or 3 days beyond 4 months as the course of post. The
last Indian mail received was 20 days overland from
Adeo, ani 21 days from that place by the Mediterra-
nean.

To perform and secure the speed stated would
require ships (paddle-wheel) of ZOO-horse power.
Their consumption of coals would be, say, 58 tons
daily. It is therefore clear they could not be coaled
at either Diego Gracia or St. George's Sound (Al-
bany) in less than two days at each place, and most
probably more time would be necessary. Five
ships at least would be necessary. Average expen-
diture for each, yearly, will be 40,0001.
Moreover, while the mails from India and China
are regulated as those at present are, and, as it
is believed, cannot be altered, the mails from Syd-
ney and Melbourne, &c., could never reach Aden
in the rate and time mentioned to meet the India
and China mails at that place. The latter would
be gone three or four days before the former came
up, and the mails, passengers, and cargo, whatever
that is, be detained eleven or twelve days, till the
next India mails came up. And admitting they
could meet exactly at Aden, still on every occasion
the passengers, or a great number of those from
Australia, would not find accommodation in the
steamers from India.

The Association unfairly take, and without any
explanation, direct lines when it suits their pur-
pose, but throw them overboard, or misstate them
in others, when it suits their purpose. Thus, they
assert that the distance from England to Sydney,
by the Cape, is 13 367 miles. Now this is not cor-
rect. Taking the direct sea lines by the Cape, the
distance is only 12,350 miles, or only 300 miles
more than their pot route. The correct distance
from England to Sydney by Teneriffe, St. Helena,
the Cape, Mauritius, Albany, &c., &c., is 13,530
geographical miles. The distance can be run, and
is offered to be run, in 54 days (53 to Melbourne),
including all stoppages, and in the same ship
throughout, a convenience of great importance.
At the same time, and at the same expense, it gives
a regular communication with all the important
glaces last mentioned ; while the line by Diego
Gracia cuts off the Cape and Miuritiug, and con-
fers no benefit whatever on any British commercial
position from Australia to Egypt. With three
days' stoppage at Sydney, the course of post be-
tween that place and London will be 111 days, or
nearly 10 days within four months. The Associa-
tion's pet route, Diego Gracia and Overland, brings
it to 1154 days, and this only for a small portion
of the mails ; and 1231 for the her.vy portion
thereof and passengers, &c. This, alone, is consi-
dered conclusive against the plan proposed by the
Australian Association. Besides, the whole route
by the Cape of Good Hope is worked under the
British flag ; while theirs may be interrupted and
some day cut off, being under a foreign Power.
The bugbear started, of fearful tempests about
Mauritius, is unworthy of notice. Every part of the
ocean is more or less subject to storms ; but in uo
portion thereof does fierce tempests and heavy
seas prevail so mush as in the North Atlantic, and
yet the whole mail vessels on that station do their
work .so as scarcely to vary above one day in a
winter voyage.