The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-13 00:00:00

THE ROYAL MAIL COMPANY'S

CONTRA CTS:

In the half-yearly report of the Royal Mail Com-
pany, which has been recently issued, it is stated
that the Government had increased the length of
the company's mail contract by two years, on con-
dition that the homeward Brazilian and West India

ties.

mail packets arrived at Southampton some days
before the departure of the proximate outward
packets. The Royal Mill Company's original mail
contract would expire in 1862, but according to the
present terms it will not cease before 1864. At the
present time the Brazil steamer is despatched from
England on the 9th, and the homeward one is not
due in England before the 16th of the month, or 7
days alter the departure of the proximate outward
one. The West India packets are despatched on
the 2d and 17th, and the homeward ones are not due
in England until the Ist and 16th of the month, or
one day only before the departure of the respective
proximate mails. Great complaints have been
made against these arrangements by the mer-
cantile community, and the desideratum is to
get the homeward-bound packets to arrive in Eng-
land several days before the respective proximate
outward packets leave, in order that the Brazilian
and West India mails from abroad may be
delivered in all parts of England in time for an-
swers to be sent off immediately, and thus to lessen
the time for the course of post by nearly a fort-
night, with respect to West India correspondence,
and nearly a month as regards South American
letters. Complaints have also been made by the
mercantile community that the Brazilian packets do
not afford the accommodation for cargo which the
growing trade with South America demands.
The steamer Tamar, a vessel of about 2,000 tons
burden, was for some time on the Brazil station,
and used to arrive at Southampton on the 6th of
the month, or nine days before her contract time,
and three days before the departure of the outward
Brazil packet. She has also arrived out at Rio de
Janeiro proportionately early. It should be men-
tioned that the time at present for Vie mailsteamer
to lrave Rio is not moveable, but fixed to the 15th
of the month, no matter at what time she arrives
out there. The Tamar, also owing to her peculiar
build, carries an enormous cargo, a larger one in fact
than the La Plata, which is nearly 2,500 tons
burden. The Tyne is a sister ship to the Tamar, and
equals her in speed and in cargo capacity. The
Parana, which is now on the West India line, is a
monster ship, being upwards of 3,000 tons burden
and 800 horse power. Her space, on her departure
from this country, is now nearly filled up with the
1,300 to a of coal she is obliged to carry to enable
her to make the long run to St. Thomas's. On the
Brazil line she could start with 600 or 700 tons of
coal only, because of the short stages between the
numerous coaling stations on that route. She
would then have a very large space for cargo, and
she would run to and from the Brazils quickly, on
account of her great engine power, and the fine
, weather generally experienced between Southamp-
ton and Brazil. It has been resolved, therefore, by
the Royal Mail Company to run the Tamar, Tyne,
and Parana on the Brazil line. The time of the
stay of the packets a'jll be curtailed at Rio, for four
days are ample for the p:kokets to unload and coal
them, and by these means the homeward South
American packet will arrive at Southampton so
long before the despatch of the outward one, that
there will be titres for the distribution of the cor-
respondence throughout the country, and for
answers to be sent to it immediately, while the
above-named three packets will afford increaiEl ac-
commodation to shippers of cargo.
The Atrato, now on the West India mail trunk
line between Southampton and St. Thomas is, per-
haps, for size, speed, and model, the finest ship
afloat. She is nearly 3,500 tons burden and 800-
horse power. She is swifter and burns less coal than
the La Plata, which has 200 more horse power, and
is 1,000 tons burden less than the Atrato. The
Atrato has often arrived at Southampton on the
28th of the month, four days before her time and

five days before the despatch:of the outward packet.
It has been resolved by the Royal Mail Company
to build three ships like her. The outward packets
could then be despatched two or three days later 1
than at present, and, the homeward ones arriving '
at Southampton about the 28th of the month, a
week would bo ~,,iveil for the distribution of mails
and answering correspondence. The importance
of these arrangements, when in operation, can
scarcely be overrated. The course of post from
Brazil, the Cape de Verds, and the Canaries, will
be reduced 30 days, and from all parts of the West
ladies, California, Contra], America, the Pacific,

the Gulf of Mexico, and the Spanish Main, 15
and 16 days. _ _

The Royal Mail Company bad resolved on estab-
lishing a communication with Australia across the
Pacific, and preliminary arrangements for that
i purpose had been made, but the Government hay-
ing decided that the Australian mail route should
be the eastern one, and the infant company who
undertook to convey the Australian mails requiring
assistance, the Royal Mail Company have sus-
pended their operations for opening the Western
Australian route, and stepped in to assist the Aus-
tralian Mail Packet Company in carrying out their
contract. There canhot be a doubt that this re-
solve is a wise one. It is better at present to deve-
. lope thoroughly the Australian traffic by the eas-
tern line than to attempt to draw a portion of it
across the Pacific. The communication with Aus-
tralia by way of Suez will always, perhaps,
.be the
most profitable one, because it connects India with
Australia and England. The Royal Mail Com-
pany's steamers, by touching at Ceylon on their
way to and from Melbourne and Sydney, will be
within 1,500 miles of Calcutta, 1,000 miles of
Bombay, and 500 miles of Madras. The extent
of the Royal Mail Company's operations may be
estimated from the fact that while their steamers,
after bringing to this country Peruvian silver from
the Gulf of Darien, may perhaps be employed to
carry a portion of it on to India and China. The
Royal Mail Company have now a good seven years
to make up for losses in the early part of their
career. They appear to have tided over their dif-
ficulties, and there is every prospect for teem of a
long season of prosperity. The passenger traffic of
the West Indies and the Brazils is extremely pro-
fitable, and Mexico and Central and South America
are filling their ships with highly remunerative
freights. Every year these freights are increasing
in value to the company. The rich traffic that
traverses both railways, one across the Isthmus of
Suez and the other across the Isthmus of Panama,
will add to their revenue. With larger and swifter
ships on the South American line the Royal Mail
Company will also be able to offer to Europeans
and Americans the most magnificent pleasure voy-
age in the world. When the new arrangements of_thel
West India Company come into operation, a peison
may have a sea voyage of 10,000 miles in seven
weeks, passing through the most delicious climates,
and on a line where the Atlantic Ocean is almost
invariably tranquil. This voyage is from South-
ampton to the Brazils and back, coasting along
Spain and Portugal, visiting the Tagus, Madeira,
the Canaries, the Peak of Teneriffe, the Cape de
Verds, and then skirting a long line of South Ame-
rican coast, which terminates in the magnificent
bay of Rio de Janeiro. The packet that performs
this voyage will never be longer at sea than 6 days
without calling at some port, and the average sea
stretch between the ports of call throughout the
voyage will be only 21 days.
Two new steamers are building for conveying the
Australian mail between Southampton and Alex-
andria, when the Tamar is taken off that line, to
run on the Brazilian line. The Australasian will
al. o be taken off to convey the mail between Aus-
tralia and the Red Sea. The Avon, it is probable,
will carry the inter-colonial mails in the West In-
dies. Her great size will afford the requisite acco-
mo lation to iutereolonial pas=eng,ers and shippers.

C_4USH OE THE RP:VOLT IN INDIA.

(From the Inverness Courier.)

A medical officer in India writes as follows to a
friend iu Inverness, and his animated account of
the causes of the revolt is well worthy of atten-
tion :

' Of course the question will be in every one's
mouth, how did this-arise Whence this sudden
outbreak ? And many and various will be the
answers given. Many causes are on the surface ;
our rulers, in their overbearing confidence, suffered
the balance between the native and European force
to be entirely destroyed—from Calcutta to Agra
there was but one European regiment ! In the
Ma,lras Presidency at this very inoinent we have
only three regiments of European infantry, and
half a regiment of dragoons ! I do not include
artillery scattered about the country in small de-
tachments. As our empire has gone on increasing,
we h.ve resorted to the old Irish expedient of cut-
ting a bit off the bottom of the blanket and sewing
it on to the top. This is not a mere figure, it is a
fact. The troops that in former days used to occupy
Benares, Allahabad, and Cawnpore, all along our
great line of communication, are now either
employed on our new frontier or in Burmah, the
top of the blatikw.' Here at least was the oppor-
tunity offered to the disaffected to attempt to over-
tut n the empire. But we must look at the matter
more closely. For a long time the Bengal officers,
forgetful of the good old rule, so applicable to our
position in India divide and govern,' have been
InfAtuatel enough to encourage the admission into
the army of nun', but high-caste men.' They
eoked down with ill-concealed contempt on
the low-caste' men of the other Presiden.-
The result has been a most inordinate
increase of the Brahmin element in the Bengal
army, until this insolent, haeghty, and priestly
caste has overshadowed the very Government. They
exercise an influence over their fellows of inferior
caste in the army that is nearly absolute, and
through them they have of la e years almost dic-
Wail their own terms. 'High-caste men abhor
going to sea, it is to them loss of caste, or some-
thing near it ; the food and water they consume are
in constant danger of defilement by being handled
by men of low-caste or no caste. When on a late
occasion a Bengal regiment was ordered to go to
Barisal), the Sepoys refused, and after some hesi-
tation, Government gave in. An order was issued
that for the future Burinah was to be occupied by
the Madras Sepoys. To carry this order out, the
whole of the Madras army nearly lad to be put in
motion, and great hardships were inflicted on our
men ere the relief was effected. Here was a triumph
for Brahminism, and Brahminism was not slow to
improve' it; iey had in this dictated to their
masters they had humbled the Governor-
General what couial they not do? Govern-
meat saw the danger, and met it in this way :
—An order was issued that in all time corn-
ing every recruit should be a 'general service
in..tn'--that is, shall engage to go wherever he was
ordered. High-caste' saw at once this rock a-head.
In a few years fresh blood would be infused into
he army, it would cut out the Brahmins, save at
the loss of caste ; and they determined to make a
stand. They resolved to act through the religious
fears and ignorance of the Sepoys, and they did it
in this fashion : rumours arose like an exhalation—
no one could tell whence they sprung—that the
Lord Sahib (the Governor-General) was pledged to
the Queen of England to convert-the Sepoys to
Christianity within a year.' Prophesies made for
the occasion, circulated everywhere, 'that the rule
of the Englishl was to end with '57.' When I arrived.
in India the newspapers were discussing some mys-
terious communication that was going on. Cakes
were passed on from village to village—no one
could say whence they came, or where they were
going or whatthey meant. Then came the cartridge
question. A new kind of ammunition was being
issued to the army, the cartridges being made up
in various coloured paper. This was instantly
seized upon as a ready mode of acting on the religi-
ous fears of the Sepoys. It was a capital cry.'
The Church is in danger' in its best day was ajoke
to it. It was given out that the Lord Sahib had
resolved to carry out his scheme in this way :
For the purpose of defiling Mahomedans, the new
cartridges were greased with pig's fat,' while 'cows'
fat' was used to cook those for the Hindoos. People
at home will laugh at this childish story, but people
at home do not know the Hindoo mind. The clever
Brahmins who invented the story believed it about
as much as a Neapolitan priest does the blood of St.
Januarius, or a winking virgin,' or the Holy Coat
of Troves; but thousands of the Sepoys believed
the story as sincerely as we believe in the Gospel ;
and step by step this belief led to the explosions at
Meerut and Delhi ; to that night of horror at the
former place, which, like the story of the Black
Hole at Calcutta, will be for ever infamous in our
annals. All that I have to add is to express a hope
that the Miscreants at Delhi have ere this had to
take the cartridges,' pigs' fat and cows' fat along
with them, out of the muzzles of the muskets of
3,000 or 4,000 English soldiers. I don't think any
one here is fearful about the result. A. number of
officers and civilians, with their helpless wives and
families, have already perished, and more, if the
plague be not soon stayed, may follow ; but I do
not think it is written anywhere that Brahminism
is to prevail. John Bull, as Southey sumewhere
says' is a terrible fellow to take by the horns. This
Brahminism has attempted, and the result you at
home, at least, will live to see."

EMBROIDICIaT TOR THI WADDING OF THE PRINOTSI
ROYAL.—The Y
Shanball Ettore Female Industrial School,
which was established about the time of the agricultural
distress by Mrs. Weletead, of Ballytownroche, has re-
ceived a special mark of royal favour, Mrs. Welstead
having been honoured by her Majesty with a cow-
',nand to supply two collars and two pairs of em-
broidered sleeves for the approaching wedding of
the Princess Royal. Tae school, of which Mrs. Wel-
stead is the patron, has conferred considerabl
ae bendnehfitas
on many of the families of the neighbobr
establishments for
hood,
assumed a high position among such
the superior taste and originality of the patterns, as well
as the exquisite finish of the work. It is understood
that her Majesty some time since saw at court some of
the embroidered work produced in the Shanballymore
school, and was so highly pleased with the design and
WOrktnanship that she immediately ordered a supply for
the nuptials of the Princess Royal. This is no small
honour to the Shanballymore school, and has created a
great degree of commendable pride and gratulation
amongst the poor girls, the produce of whose fingers has
received so high a compliment,—Cork Constitution.