The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-25

should be established upon such sure calculations
that the very day almost may be set down in the
calendar for their intersection of each other, for
their interchange OF passengers and mails.
Now, once more, let me ask you to cast your eyes
upon the map or chart that represents the Atlantic
Ocean, the western coast Of Africa, and the Medi
obtained in Washington, ut the quarters OF the
Coast Survey, Ihave ascertaned that the distance
in direct line is from
New York 70 Liberia. .............. 3, ego miles
BAL imOre - 5,9Uu =
charleston Inconvenience. s,aeO ~
New 0reBns q ................... 1850
These distances could be steamed on an average
passage, in fifteen days
From Liberia to Gibraltar the distance may be
over 30 degrees OF latitude say from deg. to So
deg north.
From Gibraltar l will assume that the distance
to Smyrna, or to Alexandria, in Egypt, is 1000
| miles.
| The calculation. then, may be easily made rs to
the times of intersection of the steamers the day OF
departure from any of the prominent starting points
| being given.
| Then my operations would be as follows =
On certain day in every month a steamer shall
| depart from the United States, whose paramount
business shall be, first, to receive and carry all free
| persons of color and then to receive and carry
| such merchandise or freight as may be offered. The
mails for ports in Africa aud for the Mediterranean
and for the East Indies, must OF course be accom-
| modated, under our government and Post Office
regulations.
The passage of these monthly steamers may be
made direct to Liberia where their passengers may
be first landed and the mails can afterwards be dc.
lvered at Gibraltar for distribution; Or by q slight
and not expensive deviation from the direct track,
the mails may be landed at Gibraltar in the first
place, even without coming to anchor, Except fuel
or provisions are necessary, and the vessel may at
once be put upon her course southwark to Liberia.
Returning thence, there are many ports upon the
western coast of Africa which would remunerate the
owners OF the steamers for stopping at them and
not the least Of their profits would arise from the
numerous Moslem pilgrims who are enjoined by the
Koran once ut least, in their lives to visit Mecca
the tomb OF their Prophet, who now go by painful
and expensive marches across the Great Desert to
the borders of the Red Sea. In addition to this,
there is open trade for us at the Cape de Verde
and Canary isles, which, for many OF our products
and manufactures, is as valuable as any other upon
brought to anchor at Gibraltar; or in case OF any
difficulty with the English authorities at that place.
there is equally good anchorage at Algerisas
on the Spanish side Of the bay, in
and safest Of all the bays of the Mediterranean;
and in both places the authorities would gladly re
ceive our vessels and furnish them with provisions
hundred per cent cheaper than can be obtained at
Gibraltar which is itself supplied principally from
Tapger. Indeed, have often wondered at the per
versity of purpose the obliquty of vision, Of our
naval commanders in the Mediterranean, who have
passed this convenient port without notice, to lay up
their ships and purchase their supplies in the most
inconvenient and exacting corners of the northern
shcre. This is day of activity and stirring enter
commerce more than pays for our navy, and army
and civil list and commerce may, therefore, well
quire the active protection OF our navy abroad
Our government ships are much more required at
places freqliented but rarely than in the crowded
ports Of commerce. For example, ii our ships OF
war sent to the Medterran an had invariably paid
frequent visits to the ports of Barbary, and main
tanned commerce with the people, and got their ne
cessaIy supplies from among them, you would not
now be reading OF new or neglected avenues to com
mercial enterprise. Had such been the case the
effect Of our Peae;s, naval dsm0n aS lion
and exhibiting our courtesy, by wasting few
pounds of powder-would have had this great in
fuence over the Moorish mindour power and our
nation would be known, respected and feared, aud
the entries Of a hundred ships of ours would have
been registered in their ports, for every single
which. within the last ten or twenty years, has
strayed from the worn-out and proitess track Of
northern shore Of the Mediterranean, by reason OF
the competition that meets you at every turn.
| We are now upon the Mediterranean, and the
question is, how are the steamers TO be employed
upon that sea, in conjunction with those of the AZ
| rcan line!
| Thee are your fruit and wine countries of Spain
France, Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor, in the north
whose ports of Malaga, Marseilles, Monaco, Genoa
Florence, Messina, Naples, Palermo and Smyrna
are familiar to you as household words Some OF
them also send rs the silks which we abundantly
consume: and some OF them, in as great abundance
the rags, which are woven into the foundation Of
English literature Upon the southern shore you
have mission yet to perform, at the Isthnus o
Suez; the mouths Of the Nile, and its great com.
mercia cities are open to us, and are invited t.
enter the ports of Tripoli and Tunis-Q will not
enumerate Algeria)-and Of Morocco viii speak
presently.
Well, what of all these hear you ak. Let the
countless cargoes of deterorated dam aged and ab
souely spoiled fruit landed upon our shores afte,
protraced voyages in sailing ships, give the answer
The oranges, the figs the raisins and the curants
the rotten fruits and the rancid oils the decaync
dana ptaan NJ th.
earth as they come to u.s. speak louder than | car
in reply, ct the tardy mails of the East Indies
coming through the Red Sea and over the Is,hmls
of Suez, to be distributed in English post offices
conveying the news Of the fluctuations of trade
and the building up or riin OF mercantile hopes
which information is taken advantage of by Eng
lish merchants, thirty or forty nay hundred DAYS
before the knowledge comes to US let all this ansye
for Suez and for Egypt. Let the absence OF our
trading ships in African ports, which are filed BY
European vessels, palming their own merchandise
off for ours, let this also help TO answer.
The Mediterranean steamers Of America then
plying swiftly, steadily and punctuay would starr
from Gibraltar touching on the African side at
Tangier Tunis, Tripo, and other ports for the nil
grinis to be landed at Alexandria, or at the pos,
most convenient for them to pursue their course 10
Mecca, the vessels having in the meantime received
those passengers taken from the western coast by
the Atlantic ships, This done | would take in the
mails ffom the East, touch at Smyrna for cargo
and passengers, pass through the Greek Archipe.
ago, touch at Messina and Palermo, taking in the
iiesn ana NeIuane fruits Of sicily which now form
distinct trade for the employment of sailing yes
ses, and then would bear up for Marseiles Here,
before hinted will not only be found freight Of
valuable merchandise, but hundreds Of second class
passengers, composing the emigrant population OF
central Europe, who will eagerly embrace this
shorter and less expensive route to America In pre-
ference to any other. The next principal point
will be Malaga, at which, as at all the fruit depots
Of the Mediterranean, the steamer will command
by the certainty and swftuess Of her movements.
enough cargo, at good rates, to load her to her mt
most capacity. On the same day on which she
takes her departure from Malaga the steamer nav
cast anchor at Gibraltar and transfer her passen.
gers, her mails and her ireight to the Atlantic
steamer, which in ten or twelve days thereafter will
each our own shores, with cargo uninjared by de-
laws and passengers unworn by len gihened triyeI.
Such then, is the round voyage would pursue
and il IL o. simple in its arrangement as il Is pract
cable. II Il only within few years past that
..on n ore have been placed In the Mediterranean