The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-06 00:00:00

Portuguese traffic without much prejudice either in
time or distance to the English mails. A. branch
picket will, however, no doubt be started between
Lisbon and Madeira to meet the English steamer
there.
The present fleet of the Royal Mail Steam-packet
Company consists of 13 ships, 10 of which are of 1,800
tons burden and 450-horse power. Five others of
great tonnage, and some smaller ones, are to be pro-
vided, making perhaps 20 or 22 ships in all, with
which to perform both services. It is intended to
dispatch four ships from the present West India fleet
for carrying the Brazil mails ; these vessels are to
have their spar decks taken off, and undergo other
improvements, by which they will be rendered able
to attain an average speed of 10 knots, and thus the
duration of voyages will be nearly as possible as
follows :—To Pernambuco, 18 to 19 days ; Bahia,
20 to 21 days; Rio de Janeiro, 24 to 25 days.
We understand that the directors of the West India
Company intend to make great efforts to commence
the Brazil mails in August or September next, and
the company's steam-schooner Esk will shortly be
dispatched, with one of the managing directors on
board, charged with the mission of making the neces-
sary preliminary arrangements at the various ports
on the Brazilian coast.
However important a Brazilian line of steam-ships
may be to the mercantile interest of this country, its
utility may, at some future date, be largely increased,
and it may lead the way to the extension of steam
communication with the Cape of Good Hope and the
West Coast of Africa. With the latter a monthly
mail is kept up at a large expense by means of packet-
brigs from Plymouth ; these may be discontinued,
and the mails sent from Porto Prays (Cape Verde),
distant only 710 miles from Sierra Leone, by a branch
vessel. Porto Prays is also nearly half-way to the
Cape, and thence a branch steamer can at any time
be put on to bring our South African possessions
within 35 days of England.
The date at which the new arrangements for the
West India and Pacific mails will be fully brought
into operation will, of course, materially depend
upon the time of completion of the new steamers.
Of these there are to be five for the main line,
of 2,000 to 2,300 tons burden and 800 horse-
power. They are to maintain a speed of 12 or 14
knots an hour. They will be contracted for imme-
diately (the specifications being already prepared),
and are to be constructed by the most eminent
builders and engineers on the Thams, Clyde, and
Mersey. They will be pressed forward su as to be
ready for sea in about a year. Meantime it is not
unlikely that the change of route will be sanctioned
for the present vessels, and, if so, a considerable im-
provement would speedily be produced.
The contract of the West India Mail Company is
renewed for 10 years from the expiration of the
existing contract, and the contract for the Brazil
mails, which is included in that of the new
West India sceme, is else for a period of 10 years
certain.
In reference to the rate at which the service is to
be performed, we may add that the amount hitherto
received by the company from the Treasury has been
240,0001. per annum, and we believe that the present
arrangements, including the Brazil mails, will be at
an annual cost to the public service not exceeding that
amount. Thus the country will obtain the long-pro-
mised boon of steam communication with Brazil and
South America at no additional outlay besides effect-
ing an immediate retrenchment of nearly 30,0001. a
year in discontinuing the cost of her Majesty's brigs
now engaged in the Brazil service from Falmouth.
This cannot but be considered an important and eco-
nomical arrangement for the Government, while the
contractors, on the other hand, rely upon the great
increase of passenger traffic, and in merchandise
and specie, that must necessarily accrue to them to
compensate for the lessened mileage rate at which
they have accepted the new contract.
British interests, as regards steam navigation in the
western hemisphere, have been seriously jeopardised
by the delay which has taken place on the part of
the Government of this country in neglecting earlier
to grapple courageously with the sudden and for-
midable competition which has been organized by the
Americans. It therefore is essential that no further
delay should be experienced, and we trust that with-
out loss of time the Royal Mail Company will set
their shoulders to the wheel, launch their new ships,
and regain that largely increasing traffic which, from
a variety of circumstances they have hitherto lost.
There will he no fear of being beaten by our Trans-
atlantic rivals, if energy anything equalling that dis-
played by them is evinced on this side the water, and
the European intercourse with the Far West will be
fully and permanently secured to steamers sailing
under the British flag.—Times.
DE

IPARTURE 'OF THE ARCTIC
EXPEDITION.

Captain Austin's Arctic expedition received their
final orders and instructions by special messenger
from the Admiralty on Friday night. The advance
was paid on Friday. At ten o'clock the numerous
visitors to the officers and men took their leave.
From an early hour on Saturday morning the
people began to collect along the banks of the river at
Greenhithe, to witness the departure of these brave
and hardy men upon their perilous but noble enter-
prise. As time fled away, the numbers of anxious
spectators rapidly increased, until one large assem-
blage was compacted together, which rendered the
scene both interesting and impressive. About six
o'clock the signal was given for their departure;
when, amidst the farewell greetings and enthusiastic
cheers of the multitude on shore, which were heartily
responded to by the gallant fellows on board the
Arctic fleet, the vessels quitted their anchorage-
ground, and sailed for their cheerless and distant des-
tination. A finer, nobler, happier, and more devoted
spirit never animated the breasts of a gallant band,
than was displayed by the 180 officers and men com-
prising Captain Austin's squadron.
SAILING ORDERS OF CAPTAIN AUSTIN.
BY THE COMMISSIONERS FOR EXECUTING THE OFFICE
OF LORD HIGH ADMIRAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, &C.
1. Having appointed you to the command of the
expedition, which it is the intention of her Majesty's
Government to dispatch on a further search for her
Majesty's ships Erebus and Terror, under the com-
mand of Sir John Franklin, you are hereby required
and directed to take the vessels Resolute, Assistance,
Intrepid, and Pioneer, under your command, and so
soon as they are in all respects ready to put to sea,
and to make the best of your way to Davis' Straits,
for the express purpose of prosecuting a most vigorous
search for the missing ships.
2. We have directed you to be furnished with a
copy of our orders which were given to Sir John
Franklin, and which will afford you full information
how he was directed to proceed. We have likewise
ordered you to have a copy of our instructions to
Captain Sir James Ross, and to these we have to di-
rect your especial attention.
3. The various papers which have been laid before
the Houses of Parliament have also been sent for your
information ; by reference to them you will be made
aware that we have taken the opinions of the most
able and experienced persons connected with Polar
navigation, relative to the missing expedition : you
will observe that many valuable conjectures have been
made ; and it Ihas been suggested that Sir John
Franklin may have effected his passage to Melville
Island, and been detained there with his ships. It has
again been suggested as possible, that his ships may
have been damaged by the ice in the neighbouring sea,
and that with his crews he may have abandoned them,
and made his escape to that island. To these, as well
as the other possibilities, you will not fail to give every
proper weight.
4. It therefore appears to us to be a main object of
the expedition for you to use every exertion to reach
Melville Island, detaching a portion of your ships
to search the shores of Wellington Channel and the
coast about Cape Walker, to which point Sir John
Franklin was ordered to proceed. We trust that a
diligent examination of these several places will afford
you some certain trace or record of the missing expe-
dition, which will enable you to form an opinion of
the best course to adopt for their rescue. As your
course of action must clearly depend on such infor-
mation, we consider it unnecessary to give you any
definite or specific instruction, and inexpedient. to
bind you down to any certain line of proceeding.
We confide in your knowledge and experience of the
navigation of the Polar Seas, and placing just reliance
on your energetic character and zeal, we leave you
entirely unfettered to do what may seem to you best
for attaining the great object of the expedition en-
trusted to your charge, feeling assured that you, as
well as all those under you, will use your utmost
exertions to afford relief to our unfortunate country-
men, and to justify the reliance we have placed in
you.
S. The officers whom we have consulted have ex-
pressed an opinion, that no vessel should be allowed
to prosecute the search alone, and it is for this reason
that to your own and to Captain Ommaney's ship an
auxiliary screw-vessel has been attached; we there,
fore direct your attention to this important con-
sideration.

6. Your ships have been fully equipped and provi-
sioned for a period of three years, to meet any emer-
gency which may arise from falling in with Sir John
Franklin's party. In addition to these supplies there
are stores and provisions, &c., left by Sir James Ross
at Port Leopold, and a further store was sent out in
the NOrth Star, in the summer of last year. These
will be available for you in case of necessity, but you
are not to consider them as a part of your own stock,
but as a reserve for the aid of any of Sir John
Franklin's party who may reach that spot, or as a
depot on which any party may fall back upon, should
they unfortunately be separated from their ships.
7. In the prosecution of your search you will use
your utmost efforts during this summer, taking care
not to lose any opportunity which may be open to you
of getting to the westward, and of securing your