The Portland daily press., 1869-04-14

PORTLAND
Wednesday Morning, April IA, 1859.
The PaciGe Mail steamships.

Few people are aware of the entire success
OF the American line of steamers which is
now running between China, Japan and
America. Commerce seems about to desert
the Atlantic and seek the Pacific coast, for
while it appears that shipbuilding was never
before so active at San Francisco as now. il is
said that it was never so dull in New York:
while there remains not a single steamer nm
der the American flag engaged in trans-At-
lantic commerce, the new line on the Pacific
is prospering beyond the anticpations of its
projectors. We copy from one of our ex-
changes brief account of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company enterprise:
In the year 1865 Congress promised to a
monthly steam-line of frst-class ships be-
tween San Francisco, Japan and China, call
ing at the Sandwich Islands to land and re-
ceive passengers and mails, an annual pay
ment OF S5OO,OOO for ten years, for carrying
the mails. The contract was awarded to the
Pacific Mail Company, and the service began
the lst OF January, 1857, steamers leaving
both. ends OF the route, the Colorado from
San Francisco via Honolulu, aud the New
YORK and the Costa Rica from Shanghai and
Hong Kong. On the trst voyage difficulties
not to be overcome were discovered which
made change in the programme necessary.
The harbor of Honolulu being too shallow
for this class of vessels to be employed, the
Sandwich Island part of the service was can
celed. This was done in consideration OF the
service being extended to Nargasaki. Shape-
hal and the inland sea ports, between which
and Yokohama there had been no communi-
cation. Five round trips, including branch
service, were performed the first year. quar-
terly trips at first, and then one eyery six
weeks, and steamers at present leave both
ends OF the route once MONTH The month
ly service began June l, 1868. Notwithstand-
ing the great distance which these ships have
to run, four thousand seven hundred and six
ty-one miles, without stopping, and with lit
tie prospect OF trade at first, the Colorado, the
pioneer ship OF the line, instead of losing
SiVO,uUO the trst trip, netted, we are inform
ed, some 100000 over all expenses. From
the start, European travel and valuable light
relght, such as bullion, metals, raw silk,
spices, drugs, fine porcelain, teas, ETC., have
rapidly increased, and the line has proved
highly remunerative, the net profits the first
year on five round voyages being S147,772.57.
Few persons who have not studied the man
are aware that China and Japan are some
five thousand miles nearer London Paris and
other cities by way OF San Francisco and
New York than by any other route. Some
twenty-five days and considerable saving in
cost Is already gained, and when the great
Pacific Railroad is completed and open for
traffic, the time gained will be nearer forty
days. The American line sends passengers
and freight from China and Japan by way OF
New York to any part of Europe without
change of ticket or bill of lading, with the
privilege of stopping on the way; and the
ticket is good for the whole voyage through.
-Four new ships have been lately construct
ed for the Japan-China line, the Great Re-
public, China, Japan, and the Aherca.