The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-03 00:00:00

THE GREAT EASTERN.

A correspondent of the Mechanics' Magazine,
writing from Bombay, urges the propriety of run-
ning the Great Eastern between England and that
port, and supports his suggestion by the following
remarks :

"First—Trade has taken a start here ever since
our railway works commenced in 1852, and which
has maintained an increasing ratio. But the great
drawback merchants and dealers have to complain
of are the nearly prohibitory rates charged by the
Peninsular and Oriental Company.for conveying
light parcels and goods specially ordered to meet
the market. These rates often exceed by double
the cost of the articles conveyed. I have no hesi-
tation in saying that this class of goods alone—
that is, goods pressingly wahted—we could give
her or a sister ship 1,000 tons per month ; but as
all her tonnage would be charged at nearly one
uniform rate, Bombay alone, or say in connection
with Kurrachee and the north-west provinces,
would give her a bumper cargo every time she was
ready to receive it. In many eases cargo shipped
per Great Eastern would arrive, be sold, and home-
ward-bound cargo purchased with the money rea-
lised and shipped in her for the home market be-
fore some of the fast-sailing old beauties that coolly
take their six or seven months for the passage out
arrived here.

" Then, again, the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany have decided on not taking any more second-
class passengers. Thus the great ship would be
sure of all the mechanics sent out for the Great
Indian Peninsula Railway, the Bombay and
Baroda, and the Scinde and Punjaub Railways,
besides those for the Government departments and
the Indus Flotilla. We shall shortly have the
benefit of telegraphic communication with the
mother country through Kurrachee, by which
means we should, up to the latest wants, be able to
ship cargo by the Great Eastern.
r. It is such a communication that India now
wants to bring with despatch urgently-wanted goods,
which the lazy Egyptian don't care to trouble him-
self with, and the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany will not rouse themselves to force him. Our
countrymen here are ready to swear by her success,
both in passengers and in goods (high-paying
goods), if her owners will only gird up their loins
and start her, and not leave her lying idle for de-
tractive fools to carp at.
" We have the finest harbour in India, in both its
anchorage and approach, for her accommodation.
But, I fear, if she be sent to Calcutta, she would
never get up the Hooghly, and if she could I
denbt whether they could swing her to come out
again. Therefore, Bombay will be her port. Her
steam launches would play a useful part here,
which would make poor Brunel rise from his
grave and clap his hands with glee. Our rascally,
thieving, idle, useless, cargo boat crews have just
struck work in a body, not on a wages question,
but because the harbour authorities have very pro-
perly forbidden them hanging on astern of ships
until they form a string so long that it is nearly
impossible to navigate between the shipping. I
don't think the Great Eastern would take back
her steam launches if she were willing to dispose
of them here."

A marriage is arranged, and will take place dur-
ing the approaching summer, between Colonel Leith Hay,
C.B. (93d Highlanders), of Leith Hall, Aberdeenshire, and
Miss Hamittolt, of Cmiglaw, Wigtonshire.