Year: 1870




lia aud California.


The public mind Of the world Is kept on the
stretch Of excitement and anticipation by one
great project after another to bring all
nations into rapid communication with one
another. Atlantic telegraph cables, the
S,,ez Canal, the great continental Pacific
Railroad, new steamship lines to different
and the most remote parts Of the globe,
the proposed ship canal across the Isthmus OF
Central America, the Pacific telegraph cable
project to connect China and the East generally
with the American Continent, and many other
grand works. show the wonderful progress Of
the age. One of the latest Of these great
projects is the establishment OF steamship
communication between Australia and Cali
fornla. The steamer Idaho, which arrived at
San Francisco from Honolulu, Sandwich
Islands, on the 9Th of this month, brought the
mails and passengers that came from Australia
by the steamer Wongawonga. There were
one hundred and forty passengers, nearly all Of
whom were en- route to England This is q
new line, and Is intended to either connect with
the line between the Sandwich Islands and
San Francisco or to ply directly from
Sydney and Auckland to California. The
Wongawonga was full Of passengers, and
the mails from New South Wales and
New Zealand were very large. The time from
Sydney to San Francisco was thirty-nine
days, and from Auckland thirty-one days.
Much better time than this will soon
be made. We believe the passage has been
made from Australia to England in forty days
by this route and by the Pacific Railroad and
Atlantic steamships. This is great progress in
the commerce OF the Pacific and in traversing
so large a portion Of the globe. The Wonga-
wonga was to be followed by the City Of Ade-
| Iaide and the City of Melbourne, two other
steamers Of the new line.


A few years ago, just before the gold dis
covery in California, the Pacific Ocean,
except along the American coast, was little
traversed by ships of commerce. There were
only few traders to the Sandwich Islands
and the islands Of the South Pacific and the
whale ships that navigated that vast ocean.
Now there are steam lines to China and Japan,
to the Sandwich Islands, and to the different
countries of Australia, What revolution
within so short time! But we are only on
the eve OF still greater progress. By the aid
| Of telegraphs and steam power the English
speaking people on each side of the vast
Pacific will soon develop an extern
sive commerce between themselves and
among the islands and countries in
and bordering that ocean. The dense
populations of Asia will soon feel
this too. But our own country is destined
! to obtain the greatest share by far Of this
commerce San Francisco will become, pro-
badly, second only to New York in commercial
Importance. We shall draw the surplus popu-
lation of China and other countries of Asia to
do our labor cheaply, and we shall increase
largely our expectations and importations
Indeed, we can hardly imagine what the next
twenty years will develop in the way of trade
and Intercourse and in the march of civiliza-
ton in Asia. We have no doubt that large
portion of the travel between England and
Australia will come this way. If it be a little
farther than by the Indian Ocean, Suez aud
the Mediterranean, it is more direct, with fewer
changes, and probably less expensive. The
Pacific is delightful ocean to navigate, and
with steamship and railroad connections all
complete we think the passage this way can be
made in as short or in shorter time than by
the other route. The one hundred and forty
passengers in one steamer en- route for Europe
by San Francisco and the Pacific Railroad gives
an idea of what may follow. In view of these
developments and prospects we recommend
Congress and our enterprising merchants to
turn their attention 20 the trade Of the Pacific
Ocean. A great future is before us in that
part of the world if we will seize the opportu-
mites that are within our reach