The Sun.
London, England, 1829-04-17 00:00:00

these could iti no
blockade other way be relieved; and on
_ service, they would enable a squadron to
resist a steam force sent against it in light weather,
!molt as well as the largest steam-tugs, without
wencher the expence or embarrassment of such vessels
ohen blowing hard. They would further tow their
wn am_ •
Ps In calms, giving them perhaps two or
three knots an hour, when, at present, they lie
absolutely helpless ;
and would convey boats on de-
tached service of any kind, (wooding, watering, pro-
visioning, laying out anchors,
rs,chasing, or cutting
Out t) with these especial Advantages,—fewer men
Would in most cases be required to be sent in them,
and they would be brought to work fresh and
l'igorOus, whatever distance or direction to which
they Were detached. An advantage would be thus
given to large ships over the small craft usually em-
ployed is privateering, piracy, or smuggling, which
rould go far of itself to put these down. And
astlY, the
.universal applicability of steam-power,
49 thus embarked, to almost every emergency,
Would seem to give it an advantage over a fixed
P.ower. in a large ship, supposing even that some
sacrifice of efficiency, on particular occasions, was
unavoidable. But the system is not exclusive, and
largebe combined with any farther establishment of
kge steam-boats which it may be deemed advisable
to keep.
2. Steam-launches would next especially benefit
traders to the East Indies. These vessels have to
cross the Equator twice in the course of their voyage,
and are each time perplexed with calms and baffling
airs, through which if they could be thus certainly
'lapelled at the rate of fifty or sixty miles a day,
they would probably shorten the average duration
of their passage, b
y
sides, a lae sum n
on
less than three weeks. Be-
of money has been subscribed in
India to be
paid to any pern who shall accomplish
the voyage, more or less by steam, within a given
time ; and this also might be thus gained. And at
all events, India would be much more essentially
henefitted by the introduction of a system which
would shorten every passage out and home, than by
shy single exertion of this sort, though possibly
more splendid. And the recommendation of a
ship to passengers would be very great, where she
furnished with this assistant to her other powers of
motion.

3. The Straits of Malacca and China Seas are,
on the other hand, pecularly fitted to be improved
ln their navigation, and to have the resources of
their respective shores developed, by the introduc-
t!on,, of the more complete form of this system.
The communication between Penang and Sinca-
Pore,t and all the neighbouring coasts, is embarrassed
Y the monsoons, (frequently near the land dying
calms,) and it is, at all times, further perplexed
by currents, and narrowed by the jealousy of some,
and rendered anxious by the treachery of others, of
bthe.native tribes. The improvement, then, would
t:oducimrneue'llse' were steam-navigation on this plan in-
• and the extreme facility of being thus
towed about, would, in all probability besides, extra-
ordinarily stimulate native enterprise, and open new
markets to commerce sooner than any plan which
could he devised. -.
4. And the same may be said of the west coast
of South America. There the wind and current
both set constantly to the N.W., and a very fre-
quent fog hangs over the shores of Peru. The con-
tquence is, that although the passage from Chili to
Peru is short when the destined port is hit, this is
often a very difficult operation; and, when not ac-
caniplished, a long delay is unavoidable. The re-
turn to the southward, on the other hand, is always
tedious; and the result of all is, that the mutual in-
tercourse is on the smallest possible scale, every
market rises and falls according to its own supply,
and foreign commerce to each is a mere lottery.
There is nothing, then, so much wanted in that
quarter of the world, as a free port, (if possible in-
sular, and British, at Juan Fernandez perhaps, if it
Could be obtained,) which, by a well-arranged sys-
tetn of country navigation, should have a constant
eetnmunication with all parts of the main coast, and
elicit the resources of the smallest, as well as of the
greatest markets. Such an establishment would
anticipate a century of the natural or neglected
rinwth of those countries; would be, at the same
tiLe, a Stock Exchange, whence every vibration in.
neir entire demand or supply would be felt in this
catintry like a pulse .—and perhaps the amount of
British Capital already invested in them would alone
warrant such a further exertion on our part, to hasten
its productiveness, and facilitate its communications.
But from the local circumstances already adverted
t
n' it may be safely said, that only steam-navigation,
or rather only steam-towing, could effect the ultimate
object. A free port could do little without it, al-
though It could do much even without that, for the
natural consequence of an easy communication is to
Produce a level, without assistance. And it may
be added, that there is coal in Chili, and wood also
vary cheap; and that the speculation would be thus
Y and lucrative to whoever embarked in it.
.5. The communication between Fernando Po
and the rivers in the Gulph of Benin, from which
° much has been augured for the civilization of
Africa, must in like manner remain incomplete,
Without the same powerful agent. And the navi-
tation between this country and the Baltic is also
Precisely that for which it is especially suited, the
Channels being narrow, the course devious, (requir-
aig several winds to sail it,) and occasional delays
.exatious, as hazarding detention. But without
lolloi.ving up an enumeration which can only be-
!cane tedious, a few observations will be hazarded
nil one more topic only.
6. There is, perhaps, no part of the world where
a steam-tug establishment, worked as above pro-
Posed, would be a more interesting experiment
an at the port of London. Coals, fish, grain,
building-stone, even to a certain extent bricks, are
;rat or river-borne to London ; and the benefit to
tLe ceunnunity would be very great indeed, were
e supply
of them punctual as by a waggon, in-
steadu of depending, as now, in a great degree on
the chances of the weather. On the other hand, a
Company
entering on such a speculation would do
perhaps, to bargain first with the Corporation,
for some advantage in the river-dues, for at least a
n, years, that when successful it might not be im-
kedia• tely thrust aside by competition (and it
aught to obtain this readily, in return for the public
tnefit it would confer, not only intrinsically, but
1, an example). It might also be obliged, for a
u, to have some vessels of its own, to be freight-
oppoitunity might offer, and be towed about
iLtd prejudice was overcome. But its great ob-
i should be not to compete with established
OPing interests, but to serve them ;—to offer to
Y their vessels from port to port, without masts,
roZPer than they can go with them,—and
.to
4 Vie, them all iteam,packets into the bargain.
t could do this certainly, and the benefit
Would,n be mutual.
.t.here are from 20,000 to 25,000 coasting entries
tharTallY into the Port of London; and supposing
piti; each Vessel makes twelve, and that, at this
tan one steam-tug could work three, (no unrea-
70naule allosvances,) there is here an opening for
ni steam-boats, and ?,00Q steatn.packets, comma-
-4 tang along the coast, from this point alone.
at first sight these numbers look ridiculous ;
(an cif there is an advantage in the system at all,
Oa" thiS seems hardly questionable,) this is un-
in4htedly the opening, even without improvement
thpthe trade; and it contrasts advantageously with
th; Prospect, otherwise apparently inevitable, of
cot accommodation being soon lost altogether for
'ninon purposes. But there is another point of
in which the subject seems yet more import-
t' and the commencement of the system, were it
tst- en Only at first on the scale of an experiment, yet
tOre worthy of the capital and enterprise of Great
,The times have borne, of late years, very hard on
Cr Merchants. Consumption has in no degree
hCPt Pace with production ; and the pressure has
envy continued so long, that it has produced on
."e public mind a feeling; of apathy on the sub-
jt, which is, in truth, the worst symptom of the
disease. Time, it is said, will work a cure : but