The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-15 00:00:00

TO BOMBAY via BRINDISI.

We have received the following communication
in reference to a proposed line of steamers to Bom-
bay via Brindisi, in Italy. It would certainly be
impossible to over-estimate the importance of re-
ducing the time of transit from twenty-four to
seventeen or eighteen days, as the promoters of this
enterprise assert :
The report from the select committee of the House of
Commons on the subsidised "East India Communications"
states that a weekly service to Bombay alone is strongly
recommended, and that "the separate postal service be-
tween this country, Madras, and Calcutta should be dis-
continued ;" and this decision is arrived at in the pro-
spect of the early completion of the main lines of railway
communication connecting the port of Bombay with Cal-
cutta, Madras, the North West Provinces, and the Punjab.
There can be no doubt that Bombay is destined to be-
come, on the completion of the great lines of railway, the
chief port in India for the arrival and departure of passen-
gers, as well as her Majesty's mails, specie, and the entire
light traffic of the overland route. " The London and Bom-
bay Steam Transit Corporation, Limited," which was formed
and registered here in November last, aro again exerting
themselves to secure the establishment of the company one
sound, comprehensive, and substantial basis. This desidera-
tum has been delayed solely in consequence of the severe
monetary crisis at home and in Bombay, as well as la
other parts of British India. By the latest advices from
Bombay, however, every encouragement is now held out
in favour of the immediate prosecution of the undertaking,
in which several European and wealthy Parsee and other
merchants and bankers take a deep interest. We under
stand, moreover, that the directors are sending out their
agent by an early mail td reopen the subscription list, as
numerous applications have already been recorded in Boni-
bay.
By the prospectus of the corporation, it appears that
their vessels are arranged to start from Falmouth, Liver-
pool, or Milford Haven, or some other port in England,
and from Brindisi (the ancient port of Brindusium), in the
south of Italy, and thence to Alexandria, from which the
transit will be continued via Suez to Bombay, and vice
vcrsa. By fixing on Brindisi as the port of departure from
the Continent in place of Marseilles, a saving of 800 miles,
or about three days of sea passage, will be effected and
other collateral advantages secured.
The official report of Captain W. H. T yler, of the
Royal Engineers, to his Grace the Duke of Montrose, het
Majesty's Postmaster-General, dated the 19th ult., which
has just been issued, is strongly and conclusively i 3
favour of Brindisi :as the best port in the Mediterranean
for the arrival and departure of the overland mails via
Egypt; because the time of transit between London and
Bombay will be shortened by several days. He saYe
in his most able, exhaustive, and elaborate report, that
"Under all the circumstances of the case, I am of opinion
that the route via Brindisi may properly be adopted for the
Eastern mail service, as affording greater advantages at the
time than any other route, and further that it might b 0
brought into operation by the Ist June, 1867. It will thus
be possible next year to convey the Eastern mails between
London and Alexandria punctually in 150 hours."
The Italian Government, Captain Tyler says, are elr-
tremely favourable, and have volunteered to grant WI
assistance, and to facilitate the rapid transit of the mails,
as well as to cause special attention to be devoted to 01
comfort and safety of the passengers, by every means a
their command.
In the transit to Brindisi there is the option of tWe
routes overland, which the directors of the company
intend shall be made available -viz., the ono throligm'
France, via Macon and over Mont Cenis to Susa, in pall
—thence to Alexandria, Piacenza, Bologna, &c., along tbe,.
Eastern Italian coast; the other by way of Ostend and ti,"
European Central route from Lucerne, in Switzerland, tp
Bellinzona, Como, Milan, and thence by the East Coast
Railway, which is now complete, to Brindisi.
Ci
The contract time for the conveyance of the mails, Vi
ut
Marseilles to Bombay, is at present twenty-four days, 1! r
the new company point out that, by laying on a suPer,l,°4
class of vessels and of larger tonnage, the time via Brinal;
would be reduced to about seventeen or eighteen
which would be a great boon to all who are interested ''''
our vast Indian Empire. Wild°
The present Government have, with a promP
highly creditable to them, agreed to carry out the rec;il
mendation of the "select committee" to despatch a
from London to Bombay weekly ; and on this point 70
ni_
would venture to suggest that this mail should be a_st
up every Friday evening, and thus permit our td
India merchants to enjoy relaxation from business
ua
the following Monday.

DISEASE AMONG STOCK ON THE WOLDS.--I
useless longer to conceal the fact that an epidealw
disease is spreading over the Wold district, among shcb ePt
and pigv- By some this is stated to be rinderPestl 11
others deny its identity with the cattle plague. From
guides made on Monday, farmers on various parts of
the
Wolds could be heard of as having lost from 20 to 50
iga!
by a mysterious disease which they cannot understaer_
It is also stated that the veritable rinderpest is re-aPPe3 t
ing hero and there among the cattle. It is stated that
several re-appearances have occurred during the late
v(teh
and cold weather in the East Riding. Farmer* 10°1 W
some alarm on this aspect of affairs.

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