The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-10-29

inc how 80 strong an organization to carry out what
everybody wants could fail to succeed. Still the
whole matter is merely a scheme in contemplation
and in process of being worked up-not an &C
complished fact.
Iii selfevident that a steamship line OF the
uroposed magnitude of this one. expecting to re-
ceive immense subsidies, is for no local traffic, and
has no local object. Indeed, it is confessedly a ma
tional American line, by which the Pacific Railroad,
and steamships under the American flag are to
compete for the traffic between two Empires for
assuredly in extent and in power of production
the Australias and New Zealand may claim the
title of the Empire of the South.
Situated nearly at the Antipodes of England,
there are now open four routes to this Southern
Empire, two by going East, those of the Suez and
of the Cape of Good Hope and two by going
West, those of the Pacific Railroad and San Fran
cisco, and of Panama. Each of these routes
possess certain advantages. That by Panama,
however, after having been tried for some time
has been abandoned, at least, for the present.
The other three are all in full operation, or at
least will be when the proposed new joint line
from San Francisco commences its operations.
The Suez route is in possession of the most pow
CIlu clCdLncnlP COMPANY M NHN "OAN' NN
insular and Oriental. We have before us q list
of their steamers. There are f~orty-fve vessels,
of which three are over 3 1000 tons, fourteen over
1900 tons, twenty-three from ! 900 to 1000 tons,
and five under 200 tons. These are all fast and
powerful iron screw steamers, except three,
which are side-wheel boats. The Company is
subsidized by the British Government, for carry
ing the mails, and they run their steamers from
Southampton to Point de Gale, in Ceylon, on
their way to Madras, Calcutta and China, and
connect from Point de Gale by branch steamers
to Melbourne and Sydney, for which service they
receive the proportionate subsidy. The distance
from Southampton to Alexandria is 1851 miles /;
from Suez or Alexandria to Gale, 3,442 miles !;
from Gale to Melbourne, 4,670 miles from Mel
bourne to Sydney, $50 miles making a total of
II ,6l3 miles from Southampton to Sydney. The
distance from Southampton to Sydney via New
York, San Francisco, Honolulu and Fjis is 9,44l
miles by sea, to which add the distance by land,
so that giving the same rate of speed at sea by
either route, and six days for the overland travel
would give at 300 miles per day and no stop
pages 374 days via San Francisco, and 3Ss days
via Suez to Sydney-whilst to Melbourne, calcu-
lating on the same basis, the time would be 800
AdJ bd Jul LllCAcOO dIQ OO3 aye Nd OuCA. 4iO
distance by either route to the central point of
these Colonies therefore may be said to be about
equal. giving a splendid opportunity for a fair
race to these great competitors. overa course of half
way round the globe, each taking opposite routes
and meeting. A contest, the magnitude of which
would seem to be worthy of being watched from
the other planets of our system.
But, supposing these two magnificent champi-
ons, all duly organized, and in full blast, COM
peting for this great trafic-the point of interest
to US Hawaiians is of course, how do we stand
affected? Have we not got $25, 900 a year for
two years, with which to control to our use and
advantage the movements of these rushing mon
sters of the Pacific route? We confess we do not
feel as satisfied about the result as We should like.
If those magnates, their owners, chose to listen to
what we had to propose at all, the fear is that we
might not have more cause for congratulation in
the answer, than the boy had, who joyfully cried
out, "Oh, mother, the king has spoken to me"
80 Has he, my lad, what did he say ?'' " He said,
Get out of the way you little urchin or I'll run
over you" Indeed, it looks to be a poor show
for molasses sugar s. in bags" There may posi-
bly, be an opportunity for some Hawaiian Punch
to get up a sketch of our worthy Minister of
Finance standing on the extreme bluff of Makapuu
Point, holding out a bag of U. S. gold coin, to a
great steamer, passing the group in the dim dis
lance, at the rate of seventeen knots an hour.
But there is another Richmond in the field.
Nothing is more certain in the news that has
reached us from the Colonies than that the Mel
bourne people and Government are reserving all
their means and their influence to establish and
subsidize a direct mail steam route from Liver
pool, via the Cape of Good Hope. This has been
a long cherished idea, and it gets every day more
practicable. 1t is only 81 miles longer from
Southampton to Melbourne, via the Cape, than
via Suez, and at 300 miles a day, the passage
could be made in 371 days. By this route there
would be no tran-shipment and no Sucz Canal to
entail expense or delay. These steamers would
carry mails and cabin passengers, immigrants and
cargo-this is what they want, and it is the set
tied determination of the Melbourne people to
have it. Steamers can now be built to make the
voyage and take coal enough for the run from
England to the Cape of Good Hope, and at the
same time carry a large cargo. 1t is only a ques-
ton of length and economical machinery. Both
have advanced with wonderful rapidity of late
years. By the last mail we saw a paper in
which is the account of the launch at Belfast of
an iron screw steamer for the route from Liver
pool to Melbourne, via the Cape, 432 feet long
and Al feet beam. She is called the Oceanic. and
is built for the Oceanic Steam Navigation Com
pany, of Liverpool. In fine, it may be looked
upon as settled that the Melbourne people will
pay no large sum to subsidize either the Suez or
the San Francisco route.
The principal encouragement the agents of the
Webb line got in the Colonies was from yelling
ton, New Zealand, and the places south of that.
They saw they were out of the track from Sydney,
whilst they were right in the track from Mel
bourne via Tahiti. But as that route is not
likely to be taken by any company, they may
very well rest satisfied to join on via Auckland
and Honolulu. New Zealand being so much
nearer this way has a clear and decided interest