A GENERAL PLAN
for
A MAIL
COMMUNICATION BY STEAM,
between
GREAT BRITAIN
and the
EASTERN AND WESTERN PARTS OF THE WORLD;

also, to
CANTON AND SYDNEY, WESTWARD BY THE PACIFIC;
to which are added,
GEOGRAPHICAL NOTICES
OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA, NICARAGUA, &c.

With Charts.

By JAMES M'QUEEN, Esq.

LONDON;
B. FELLOWES, LUDGATE STREET.
1838.

Startling (p. vi) as the subject of connecting China and New SouthWales with Great Britain, through the West Indies, may at first sightappear, both as regards time and expense, still few things are morepracticable. The labour and expense of crossing the Isthmus ofAmerica, either by Panama or by Lake Nicaragua, by a land conveyance,is trifling. With eight steam-boats, ONLY FOUR ADDITIONAL to thenumber already in the West Indies, added to the present sailing-packetestablishment, the whole Plan for the Western World, extending itwestward to China and New South Wales, can, in the mean time, as thefollowing pages will show you, be put into execution to the fullestextent, with a very great saving in time, and with very greatregularity. A water communication moreover will, I feel convinced, andat no distant day, be carried through the American Isthmus—say byLake Nicaragua—when the sailing packets for the Pacific may rundirect between Jamaica and Sydney, New South Wales, and Canton-China.

In the estimate for the cost of steam-boats to be employed in theservice proposed, I have been chiefly guided by, and adhere to, thestatement made by that able and practical engineer Mr. Napier, ofGlasgow, in his evidence to the Post-office Commissioners in 1836,that steam-boats of 240-horse power, and 620 tons burthen, could befurnished at from 24,000l. to 25,000l. At this rate the totalyearly cost of mail communications by the aid of steam, to everyquarter which has been (p. vii) adverted to in the subsequent pages,will be as stated in the following brief summary. Reference No. 1,shows the expenditure, keeping the Red Sea route confined to Indiaonly, and extending the communication to China and Sydney by thePacific, from Panama or Rialejo. No. 2, the expense, confining thecommunication by the Cape of Good Hope to India only, and extendingthe communication to Canton, &c. across the Pacific as before. No. 3,shows the expenditure for the Western World, the work performed bysteam in the West Indies, and steam from Falmouth to Fayal, withsailing-packets for the remainder of the work; and the whole expense,by extending sailing-packets to China and Sydney westward across thePacific, but limiting the communication by the Red Sea to India only.Lastly, No. 4, shows the expenditure of the communications made in away similar to No. 3, limiting the conveyance by the Cape of Good Hopeto India only: (see also Appendix No. 2, p. 128.)