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

elled by these letters was more than half the cir
conference of the globe Such feats of science and
| energy will soon teach US to regard without won
der deeds oil which even the glowing Imagination
Of Eastern story tellers did not dare to dream.
! The fleet possessed by this company consists OF
twenty five vessels, of which fourteen have been
bnilt ia the Clyde, five in the alersey, and six in
the Thames.
PROPOSED HoUTEs.
No one can suppose that British and American
enterprise will pause until these ocean routes have
completely encircled the globe The settlers in
Australia and New Zealand have greater claims to
the cnetts oil steam communication with Eng land
than the people of Valparaiso Bucnos Ayres, to
whom tieec benefits have already been extended
White the merchants at Canton reading New
York letters only fifty five days old, the merchants
OF London not likely 10 allow their letters from
Sydney to nger twice that time on journey Of
nearly the same length. OF ships that sailed from
this country to Sydney during the last ten years,
the greater number took from l2l to 1870 days on
the passage; and considering that the Inhabitants
Of Australia and New Zealand are now about
$40 ,0Oo that they consume British goods to the
value OF about ElO per head annually, and hive
under British rule and protection, it is absolutely
necessary that more speedy communication
than this should be established between taem
and the mother country. To effect this object
three routes have been proposed. Frst, by
the Isthmus OF Panama, from the terminus of
the West India route across the Pacific to the
Galapagos Islands, thence to Tahiti, and so on
to Sydney. The distance to be steamed, with
only two stoppages, would be about $40 miles !;
but the present traffic on this route renders its
adoption in the meantime quite impracticable
Second, by the Cape OF Good Hope, across the In
dian ocean to Cape Leeuwin, in Western Austria
liza, and thence touching at Adelaide, through
Bass's Straits, to Sydney The from the cape
to the most westerly point of Australia would be
through more than ninety degrees of longitude, or
about 5000 miles. 1t ia difficult to see how this
long distance could be traversed, even by screw
stcamers. using both sails and steam. in time short
enough justify the adoption of the route. Third,
by branch from the Oriental route, either at Pc
nang or Singapore, the distance from the former TO
Sydney, by Torres's Straits, being about 1000, and
from the latter about $500 miles. This route
would be among the East India islands, and
nearly 1000 miles of it would be along the Aus
ralian coast that il would be easy to arrange for
fresh supplies # coal. This route has received the
largest share Of favorable attention from the
public, and would have been opened ere now but
for certain unexpected difficulties. The ORR
entail Company offered to open monthly postal
communication between Singapore and Sydney,
on condition that the. service between Bombay and
Suez, and the service performed by Admiralty YES
sells in the Mediterranean, were transferred TO
them. They further proposed to establish new
lines of steamers betw Bombay and Singapore,
Calcutta and Penang, Singapore and Hong Kong.
and to run their vessels twice month from SOutt
ampton to Alexandria, so that there would be a
regular fortnighily communication with India and
China, and monthly with Australia.
Efforts are also being made to diminish the time
would have supposed that would have been
satisfied with crossing the Atlantic in ten days;
but human desires appear Unsuitable. A commits
sion is now collecting evidence as to the ftness Of
some Irish port for the transatlantic steamers.
Again: there can be little doubt that at no die
tant day the Pacific will be effcctually brdged
over as tn, Atlantic. Already the Americans Mt
San Francisco, like the Spaniards of old at Darien,
are gazing wistfully over the ocean to China aud
the East, and nursing great projects, which they
will not allow to rest as idle dreams bill is now
(January, 1851 before Congress, having for it's Oh
jeot the establishment of line of mail be-
San Francisco and Macao, calling at the Sandwich
Islands. Shanghai, Annoy, and Hong Kong. In
all probability this measure will be carried with
that dauntless energy which characterizes the
American people. The circle will then be com
plete-
1.-THE new world will launch forth to meet the old;"
And the young civilization Of the West will infuse
its vigor and energy into the old civilization of the
East with results that will be felt and seen to the
latest period Of the history of mankind.