The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-06 00:00:00

It appears, also, that the North American steamers
which have performed their work with such admi-
rable regularity have made no prcfit, and no body of
private individuals will continue .a• service which in-
volves so great an amount of capital, without receiving
a remuneration. As the present line of communica-
tion with the West Indies seems to be defective, and
,must sooner or later be abandoned, I would propose
that the West India mails be forwarded via Halifax
by the present line of steamers, and that the West
India Company take them thence to St. Thomas (or
any other central island in the West Indies) in a large
steamer, to be then dispersed in smaller steamers
throughout the islands, and I will now proceed to
prove the practicability of my plan by showing the
great expense which will be saved by its adoption,
without increasing the distance or time ; and I would
beg any person who may read this letter, and who
takes an interest in the subject, to look to the position
of Liverpool or Southampton, Halifax, and St. Thomas,
on the map, and then read the following statement,
and I think he will agree with me that the mails can
be landed in the West Indies, via Halifax, in as short
a time as they are at present, and at nearly one-half
the expense. _
. _

The distance from Southampton to St. Thomas is
about 4,000 miles, which the West India steamers
occupy about 20 days in performing.
The distance from Liverpool to Halifax is about
2,500 miles, which, by a statement which recently
appeared in the Nautical Magazine, the North Ame-
rican steamers have performed, winter and summer,
in an average of 13 days on the outward voyage, and.
10 to 11 days bn the homeward voyage. The dis-
tance from Halifax to St. Thomas is about 1,800
miles, which a steamer, starting in good trim, from
not being obliged to take in a full cargo of coals,
would perform in eight days. The average time,
therefore, of landing the mails at St. Thomas via
Halifax, would be 21 days, and the homeward mails
would be landed at Liverpool via Halifax in 18 or
19 days.

I think that this statement, based not upon suppo-
sition, but upon facts, will clearly prove that the
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wiwlelrneowadgopivteedy.ou what I consider a fair state-
mentplaln whlicthhinwkoulbdotbhe
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it fwill
this
allow that costs them one sovereign for each and
every mile they steam ; if, therefore, the distance from
Southampton to St. Thomas be 4,000 miles, it costs
tilt,. West India Company 4,0001. per voyage out ;
but if they sailed from Halifax to St. Thomas, a dis-
tance of 1,800 miles, it would only cost them 1,8001.,
making a saving of 2,2001. per voyage, or 52,8001. for
24 voyages. It is much more difficult to arrive at a
correct conclusion of the saving which would be made
if steamers of 200 or 250 horses' power were employed
between the islands, instead of those of 500 horses;
but I should estimate, from looking at the distances
between the islands and to and from Mexico, that a
saving of at least 4,000/. per month on all steamers
employed might be accomplished, or 96,000/. for 24
voyages, making a total saving, by conveying the
mails via Halifax, and substituting smaller ships in
the West Indies, of 48,8001. per annum.
It will be quite apparent from these statements that
we have two lines of steamers, one said to be nearly
ruined, and the other to be making no profit, passing
over nearly 9,500 miles of the Atlantic, which would,
by a little arrangement, be just as well performed by
one of them.
The West India Company have now fourteen large
steamers ; they might, if my plan were adopted, dis-
pose of ten of them, four being quite sufficient to
convey the mails every fortnight from Halifax to the
West Indies ; and they could then build or purchase
four or five smaller steamers at a cost of 25,0001. each
for the work between the islands. There would, no
doubt, be a loss in the sale of the large steamers, but
the first loss will prove the least.
I am not fortunate enough to hold a share in either
Company, and have to claim to your consideration on
that score; but I trust that my desire to see under-
takings so important to the mercantile interests of
our country meet with the success they merit, and
which with a little arrangement and good manage-
ment they may yet obtain, may be offered as an
apology fbr occupying so large a space of your
valuable paper. I remain, your obedient servant,
Sept. 1. A STOKER.
P.S. The West India . merchants would, I think,
approve of the mails being forwarded via Halifax, as
they would then have a direct communication with
British North America, with which they have an
important and extensive trade.

THE EDINBURGH MAGISTRATES.
The following is copied from an Edinburgh paper.
It relates, as our readers will see, to the chase of the
Lord Provost (Sir James Forrest) and Bailies, after
the Queen, on her arriving in Edinburgh earlier than
they expected. The scene, from all accounts, was
highly ridiculous. Some of the City functionaries, it
would appear, had not time to put on even their ordi-
nary vestments. It is lamentable to reflect that the
kilt is now out of fashion.
A NEW SONG.

(Air, " Jamie Forrest.")
Hey, Jamie Forrest, are ye waukin' yet ?
Or are your Bailies snorin' yet :
If ye are waukin' I would wait,
Ye'd hae a merry, merry mornin'.
Hey Jamie, &c.
The frigate guns they loud did roar,
But louder did the Bailies snore,
An thought it was an unco bore,
To rise up in the mornin'.
Hey Jamie, &e.
And sync the Castle thunder'd loud,
But kipper it is savoury food,
And that the Bailies understood,
Sae early in the mornin'
Hey Jamie. &c.
The Queen she's come to Granton Tier,
Nae Provost and nae Bailie here ;
They're in their beds, I muckle fear,
Sae early in the morisin'!
Hey Jamie, &c.
The Queen she's come to Brandon-street,
The Provost and the keys to meet,
And div ye think that she's to wait
Your waukin in the mornin' ?
Hey Jamie, &c.
11Iy Lord, my Lord, the Queen is here ;
And now my Lord he lookit queer—
And what sets her so soon asteer,
It's barely nine in the mornin' 1
Hey Jamie, &c.
Gae bring to me my robes o' state,
Come, Bailies, we will catch her yet ;
Run, run, my Lord, ye're over late,
She's been through the town this mornin'.
Hey Jamie, &c.
Awa' to Dalkeith ye maun hie,
To mak your best apology ;
The Queen she'll say, dfie 1 0 fie f
You're lazy loons in the mornin'.
Hey Jamie, &c.

A band of wolves, says the Memorial de Rouen,
have taken up their haunt in the forest of Manny, and
have lately committed dreadful ravages in the Com-
munes of Yville, Anneville, and Berville. A few days
back, a forest-keeper was taking his rounds, when a wolf
rushed out of a thicket, and carried off his dog before
his eyes. He firei at him, but as the gun was only loaded
with small shot, the animal set off with his prey. A day
or two afterwards a shepherd, named Pendrix, was
driving his sheep home to Yville, when a wolf fell on a
sudden on the flock, and seized on a wother. The man
immediately ran after the animal, and soon overtaking it,
the weight of its prey not allowing it to run very fast,
caught hold of the sheep. A strggle ensued which ended
in the wolf's being frightened by She man's shouts, and
let go its prey. On Thursday night, the flock of M.
Mauger, of Anneville, was attacked, and nine sheep wero
killed, and eighteen badly wounded.
The gold medal mentioned in the English papers
as having been struck in England, in honour of Mehemet
Ali, arrived at Alexandria by the last packet, with an
address signed by some of the most influential mercantile
men and others of London and other places. On one
side of the medal is the portrait of the Viceroy ; on the
other are the following words in English:—" The friend
of science, commerce, and order, who protected the sub-
jects and property of the powers opposed to him, and
oho opened the route to India."
Copy of a communication addressed to Messrs.
Rowland and son,No. 20, Hatton-garden, London:—Gentle-
men,—Being called upon to attend a lady, who had had a com-
plaint in her head about a year before, and, in consequence, had
lost nearly all her hair; I found very few hairs remaining, and
those just like down, with no appearance of any fresh roots.
She stated her desire to use your Macassar Oil, but I felt I
could not conscientiously recommend any thing for its recovery,
as I considered it too far gone. She, however, determined to
try one bottle, which was used in about a month, and then sent
to my shop for another, stating her hair to be much improved ;
she has now used eight bottles in as many months, during
which time I have frequently pointed it, and have now the
pleasure to inform you, that it is quite thick and long : and she
is so much pleased with the change, that she says the expense
is nothing, and she will never he without it. If you think this
statement of facts worth publishing, you are at liberty to do so,
and remain yours respectfully. Joint LicKLEY, Hair-cutter.—
Middle-street, Ripon, April 19,1842.