The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-12

steamers of the largest class, had TO be built
equipped, and manned by the most experienced
officers and crews that could be obtained Ar
engagements Of far more comprehensive and com
pick nature than were necessary for voyage tc
Halifax New York required to be made for
though the voyage across the ocean was In botl
cases equally easy, yet the branch lines vi com
muncation necessary to accommodate 90 many
different islands could only be successfully wrought
by rare union OF skful arrangement and ef-
hcient management. of which the history oil
steam navigation afforded neither example
nor guide. The company, however, displayed
go much activity that though unable to commence
the contract on the LIST December, lS4l, il was be-
gun only month later-on the lot January, 1912.
Indeed Sir George Cockburn, when holding office
at the Admiralty, stated that even the government,
| with their great naval resources, could not have
succeeded SO well az this private company in get
ting so many large and new steamers ready for sea
in the time.
| The total cost of these ships not much under
a million sterling. The Forth started with the
| mails from Southampton, and arrived at st.
Thomas, in the West Indies, after voyage of sev-
| eneeh days sixteen hours, returning home to Fail
| mouth in eighteen days eight hours. During the
whole of that year the voyages were performed
with considerable regularity -some OF the vessels
| taking only seventeen days on the outward run,
and few occupying more than three weeks either on
| ii or on the voyage home From August lS43,
to August, lS49, out Of one hundred and forty
seven mails that were despatched homewards by
| these vessels, one hundred and six arrived before
| and at the estimated time, and only forty-o ;.
| rived later than that period.
This company has sustained very heavy Losses in
performing the service Six Of their finest stea :
ers have been entirely lost: the Sol,cay dark
1 night after leaving Corunna in Spain, where she
had called to take in coal; the Forth and the Itceed
on the Aacranes rocks in the Gulf of Mexico; and
the Act9on in rounding the point near Carthagena
| i'll the Gull of Darien, shoal extending much
farther than it had been laid down in the charts.
The Isis, in attempting to enter San Juan in Porto
Rico before daylight, ran ashore, but though sub
sequentiy got of, and repaired in Jamaica. foun-
| dered of Bermuda on her way home; and the Me-
dina was lost in the night, on a reef at Turk .
Island. north from San Domingo. All these acct
| dents happened near the shore; on the high seas
| the vessels seem to have sustained no injury. The
| fleet of the company consists of thirteen
steamers, varying from 260 to 430 tons, though it
| will soon be augmented by the addition of larger
and more powerful ships, now in course of con-
struction.
| The paddle boxes of many ofthcse vessels are go
| constructed that they can be used as boats if me-
ccssary.
Several alterations have been made in the con
| tract OF this company and the routes pursued by
! the steamers. The scheme that came in force in
| January, 1851, establishes postal communication
not only with the w est Indies and Central America,
| but with South America as far rs Bucnos Ayres
The quantity of cargo carried by these steamers
| is about hundred tons each voyage. Its nature
will be best understood from the following specif
cation OF two car goes brought to SoutbamptO last
year: The Irtnt arrived Sd July, with specie to
the value of E2i3 $40; N serons of indigo; bales
tobacco l6 bags coffee; 63 bales sarsaPariilai 30
casks ginger; "a bags pimento; 43 packages ar
rowroot; live turtle; and ~ packages sundres
The Great Wrstrn arrived 18th September, with
spece the value Of El66, 1862; 2S3 scrons cochi-
neal; 6S OF cigars; 1873 bales tobacco; 90 live
| turtle; arrowroot and sundres The number Of
passengers carried is very different at different
| seasons Of the year. From October to January the
vessels leaving England usually crowded, and
go are the vessels returning to England during the
summer before what called the "hurricane
months in the West Indies set in
PACIFIC ROUTES.
Though not strictly in the order Of time, the a
ture and importance of the routes on the Pacific
ocean will be best understood after account of
those TO the West Indies.
The contract with the Pacific Steam Navigation
Company came into force in 1876. The company
possesses five steamers, the aggregate tonnage of
which is about three thousand, and horse power
nine hundred and ninety FIVE. The mails
ried once month from Panama to Valparaiso and
back calling at Guaya9uil, the chief seaport of the
republic Of Ecuador (he Spanish name for equator)
Callao the seaport OF the large city of Lima; africa,
the outlet Of rich mining district OF Peru; Copia
pc and Coquimbo, also noted for their exports of
silver, and at number of ports of lees note-thus
establishing regular postal communication between
al the civilized States of the western coast of
South America. The history OF this company
affords an example of the necessity of mail con-
tract to make ocean steam navigation profitable.
In $40 the protector, Mr.. Wheeiwright, OBJ
privilege for ten years Of conducting the steam
communication along the const, but during the
five years that the company were without the
mail contract the Losses of the undertaking amount
ca 10 two thirds of the paid up capital.
To Panama these vessels convey very large
quantities of specie, the produce of the world
renowned mines OF Peru; aud 10 the same port
The American steamers bring from San Francisco
the produce Of the gold mines Of California; and
all this silver and gold-crosso the lsthmus, and
is reshipped for Europe and the United statcs at
r a, A,.,,
the steamers from California TO Panama, from
Ilth April, lS49, TO 4th October, 1850. has been
timated at 25 900 900 Of American dollars, about
T. DOC, 900, being equal 20 the total value Of the
produce of all the American miDcs. both OF gold
and silver, in 1898.
TO CAPE GOOD HOPE.
In July, 1850, the government advertised for
tenders Tor conveying the mails monthly between
England and the Cape OF Good Hope, calling at
Madeira, Sierra Leone, and ST. Helena. The vcs.
sels were to be of not less than two hundred
nurse power each. propelled by the screw, and to
perform the voyage at speed OF not less than
eight knots, about nine miles an hour. This
contract obtained by the General Screw Steam
Navigation Company, who have undertaken to
| perform the voyage at the rate OF two hundred
and twenty three miles per day; the distance to he
steamed il about 6 700 miles-so that the time &C
Cupied aill be about month. The FIRST vessel, the
| BJsylo,us left Plymouth on the 18th December,
/ 1850. On arriving at Madeira, the captain cent
/ home extracts from tho log, from which ii APP
| pesred that in ak days she ran ,l6s miles; on
| 24d December che ran two hundred and fifteen
miles before n fresh "nor- caster" without using
any steam whatever.
With the exception of the short route between
Halifax and Bermuda, this lie the only ocean route
on which screw steamers employed
ROUTE TO THE EAST INDIES.
| The Pcninsular Steam Company, the 22d
August, 1887, entered into contract with the gov
| eminent for carrying the mails weekly from Fall
mouth to Gibraltar, calling at Vigo, Oporto, Lie
bon, aud Cadiz. The advantages Of the arrange
ment were soon apparent, for the yesscls OF the
! company brought IA five days the mails that had
previously sometimes been three weeks on the yoy-
I age. la 1889 the government being anxious still
further 70 accelerate the Indian mail, requested the
managers Of the company to submit plan for The
attainment OF that object Tbis was done The
company proposed TO establish a line Of large and
powerful steamers of $50 horse power RON dir q
from England Co Alexandria. calling only at Glib
raltor and Malta, thus avoiding the Inconvenience,
and delay Of transferring the mails from one packe
20 another, and rendering the communication b.
Gibraltar near y speedy as that through France
The government adopted the plan. The compan
procured two large vesscls, originally named ID,
United Sfaids and the Iiperpooi, and intended ~
Atlantic navigation; but which were increased IL
dimensions, and their names altered TO the Or
entail and the Great Lirup0oi, aud with them an,
l