The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-20 00:00:00

THE NEW MAIL COMMUNICATION
WITH INDIA.

(From the Daily News.)
According to the new regulations for the improved
mail communication with India mails will be made up
in the General Post-office for Bombay, via Marseilles,
on the 2d and 17th of the month ; and for Calcutta,
via Marseilles, on the 9th and 25th of the month.
The packet will leave Bombay with mails for London,
via Marseilles, on the 9th and 24th of the month ;
and front Calcutta with mails for London, via Mar-
seilles, on the Bth and 22 1 of the month. The Medi-
terranea❑ packets will leave Alexandria for Mar-
seilles with the Indian mails, on the 7th, 11th, 22d,
and 27th of the month ; and arrive at Marseilles on the
2d, 12th, 16th, and 27th, and such mails will reach Lon-
don on the 4th, 14th, 18th, and 29th of the month. The
mail will reach Bombay from London, via Marseilles, in
26 days; and Calcutta train London, ria Marseilles, in
36 days. Nearly the same periods of time respectively
will be occupied in the mails reaching London, via Mar.
seilles, from Bombay and Calcutta. The new arrange-
ments will commence at Bombay on the 24th proximo.
The Calcutta packets will touch at iiidgeree on the
homeward passage. There can be no doubt that the
Trieste steamers will run in connection with each arrival
at Alexandria, and according to the present speed of
those steams, we should get telegrams of Indian news
from Trieste on the Ist, 12th, ltith, and 27th of the
month. But as the telegrams of Indian news, eta Mar-
seilles, will reach us on the 2d, 12th, 16th, and 27th, the
former telegrams will often be superseded unless the
speed of the Trieste boats is improved.
When the telegraphic comnunication between Cal-
cutta, Madras, and Bombay, is uninterrupted, we shall
have telegraphic news from all parts of India by every
arrival at Marseilles, that is four times a month—viz.,
on the 2J, 12tb, 16th, and 27th of the month, as before
stated. This news will be alternately 24 and 34 days old.
The only additional work which will devolve on
the Peninsular and Oriental Company in consequence
of this modification of their contract, will be the
running of a steamer to and from Alexandria and Mar-
seilles, via Malta font times a month instead of twice,
and the calling at Kidgeree from Calcutta. Accord-
ing to the old contract the packets left Bombay on the
3d and 17th of the month, and Calcutta on the 10th and
24th of the month. It was arranged for the 31 and 24th
boats to arrive together at Satz, and for the 10th and
17th boats to arrive at that port alro at the scene time.
Calcutta being nearly 2,000 miles farther from Suez
than Bombay, this differenee of time in leaving the two
Indian ports was absolutely necessary in order to time
the two packets together at Suez. But to carry out the
new arrangements and bring the Bombay and Calcutta
packets to Suez at different times, it is necessary to de-
epatch the packets from the two Indian ports almost at
the same time. Thus, instead of leaving Bombay or
Calcutta on the 3d, 10tb, 17th, and 24A1 of the month,
Al has hitherto been the case, by which a week inter-
venes conveniently between each departure, the packets
will for the ftrure have to leave Bombay or Calcutta on
the Bth, 9th, 22d, and 24 h of the month, as has been
before observed. Now, these are certainly not such
convenient times for departure from the Indian ports as
the former ones, especially considering that Calcutta can
be united by telegraph to Bombay ; but there is no help
for it. A disadvantage of the old plan ens that the
packets, owing to the length of the sea route, the differ-
ence in the speed of the steamers, and casualties, scarcely
ever arrived at Suez together ; and then one mail was
kept waiting for the other at Alexandria. The advantage
of the new plan is that as sncn as a mail arrives
at Alexandria, no matter whether it is from Bombay
or Calcutta, it will be sent off immediately to Mar-
seille-. It will be seen from the above statement that
there will be only two mall packets a month to and from
Suez and Bombay ; and two to and from Suez and Cal-
cutta the same as at present. There wilt also be only
two communications a month for the present to and from
Southampton and Alexendrie, and to and from Point de
Galls and Hong Kong. Toe following are the mad
route tables, according to the new arrangements, viz.: