The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-01
To the Editor of the Union:

must trespass more upon your columns TO reply
TO the second article of r. g." the report of the
Naval Committee of the House of Representatives on the
am surprised, indeed to find that he still adheres to
his assertion that the distances OF the tables OF that re-
TO Canton, via Cape OF Good Hope, while the other
route via Panama, they are reduced.
explained in my reply to his first article, the causes
of the great differences of his estimates with those
he disputes | pointed out that he made his measure
ments upon the principle that vessel sail
ing from New York for Canton could pursue direct
course the cape OF Good Hope, crossing the Atlantic
but once whereas she has in fact to that broad
ocean nearly three times to reach that cape. refer hun
now to Lieut. Maurys chart OF winds and currents
for the further illustration of this fact. think it must
appear clear all that the estimates Tor these average
ordinary sailing distances surely call for some little
knowledge of "prdcticat ndU'gdton," though H. u as
sers, in his last that such knowledge IS matter utterly
foreign to the question The navgatOr5 Arson, Cook,
Vancouver and Gore, 10 whose ages K IT, refers, did
not sail from New York, but from Europe, making a
large difference OF distance their favor in the prGct'cat
navigation of this long route to Canton Moreover per
haps he did reflect that TO get at the distances sailed
by those navgalors, he must get at their log books
and up the hourly runsor these distances do not
appear and cannot be measured simply by the tracks as
laid down globes, maps, charts These tracks pre-
merely the shortest distances between the positions
from noon noon, and not the various " traverse sail
ngs' of the day when bothered by head winds.
In regard TO the other route, via Panama, must first
remark that this route-feent from the other which is
estimated for the sailing pesse-s estimated solely for
the steamer which pursue the great circle COURSE
with undertaking cxactness near 10 it as the coas,
lines permit The for this must be apparent to
all who have read the report in question: and they have
not been disputed by X. G. But will be ascetaned,
think, that r. G. has made another mistake in practical
napigotion in asserting 80 positively that no vessels
whether propelled by sails or steam would ever take
this great circle route between Panama and Canton, but
would shape her course between the equator and the
ropic of Cancer order avail herself of the trade
winds. / must refer him to the letter of Lieutenant
Maury, superintendent of the National Observatory
in the appendix of the report upon steam commu-
Ecation with China and the Sandwich Islands,, present
ed last session of Congress by Dir. King. The state
ments and Arguments OF that letter OF Mr.. Maury may
satisfy him that this great crceroue would be the true
for steamers between Panama and China both tedys
touching al California and the Fox Islands In regard to
the of this great crcleroue, which thus
hold to be the proper must refer X. c. and all in
ercsted in this question: TO the map prepared by Leuten
ant Maury accompanying that report upon steam nav
CATION with China The report, with the map and APP
pendix, was published and circulated far and wide Il
will be seen that the measurements upon that map are
carried to S1anghae, China, and not To Canton but
will be seen that the measurement from Panama it
Shanghai corresponds TO mile with that OF the disputed
tables and hold the upon this map to b
correct