produce the same quantity of steam in the same period of time, and occupy but 660 cubic feet, or about one ninth of the space required for the wood.

"The wholesale price of Sydney coal, New York measure, is, per chaldron, 9 dollars.

"The wholesale price of 3 cords of wood, at 4 dollars, is 12 dollars.

"This will show a saving in the cost of fuel in favour of coal of 335 per cent., or of 55 dollars on every trip to Providence.

"One chaldron of Sydney coal, New York measure, weighs 1 ton, 2 cwt. and 1 qr.

"One cord of pine-wood weighs 1 ton, 2 cwt. and 3 qrs.

"The weight of the Franklin's wood, therefore, is 51 tons, 5 cwt. If she used coal, her fuel would weigh 16 tons, 13 cwt. and 3 qrs.

"The coal, being less bulky, will require a less number of persons to handle it; and the saving in this respect, added to the safety of awnings and the clothes of passengers from sparks, will be far from inconsiderable."

It was the intention of the projected company, that the main line of steam-vessels should run only between Valentia, on the coast of Ireland, and Cape Canseau, in Nova Scotia. On examining the matter, however, more fully, it will be found that neither of those places are the proper points of intercourse. Cape Canseau is a rocky island; the country within it is broken up. with islets, rocks, and water, for many miles; and it has no communication, for a great distance, with the continent of America, except by water. Valentia is an excellent harbour, and a very proper place for steam-vessels to touch at, as their last point of departure from Europe. But whenever transatlantic steam navigation is established, the vessels employed must start from places of much greater importance, otherwise neither advantage nor convenience can be expected.

It will appear, by referring to the general map, that the steam-ships should first start either from Liverpool, touching at Cork, and, if desirable, finally from Valentia; or they might start with the mails from Milford or Bristol, touching at the last point of Ireland; from thence, across the Atlantic to St. John's, Newfoundland, (during summer,) and then direct to Halifax, as the most important place in America, and one of the finest harbours in the world. From Halifax harbour, which is open at all seasons, and which is another great focus of intercourse, there are roads leading to all parts of the continent of America, and daily communication by water. The importance of touching at St. John's, Newfoundland, is very great. It is only a few miles out of the way, and it is the only colony to which a mail is not regularly sent, although the chief business of the island requires the earliest information from other countries. It may also be found convenient and profitable to touch at Sydney, Cape Breton, where, close to the water's edge, are the coal mines of the General Mining Company.

During the winter season, the steam-ships might touch at the Western Islands. All these courses and distances will, however, appear more distinctly by reference to the general map.

CHAP. IV.

FALMOUTH AND HALIFAX PACKETS, AND POST OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT IN THE COLONIES.

THE post-office communication between the United Kingdom and the continent of North America is monthly; and the mails in London are usually made up on the first Wednesday of each month, and then despatched to Falmouth, from which port a line of packets is established to Halifax and Nova Scotia.

These vessels, " old gun-brigs," are perhaps the most unsafe, and, in heavy weather, the worst sailers that float on the ocean.* One of them, the Calypso, with several passengers, left Halifax last January, and has not since been heard of. She must have foundered at sea. Five, I think, have already, with their crews and passengers, been lost. Humanity, at least, demands that packets of a different description be established. The subject is of the utmost consequence. Steam-ships, particularly for eight months

572

FALMOUTH AND HALIFAX PACKETS.

in the year, would likely answer the purpose of packets better than sailing vessels.

It is the opinion of all, that the line of departure, and the course of the packets, should be altered. Liverpool forms the great line of connection between Great Britain and New York; and it generally happens, that letters sent by Liverpool to Halifax, by way of New York, arrive at Halifax before letters sent at the same time by Falmouth direct to Halifax. Cork, or some other port in Ireland, may, however, be considered the best point of final departure and arrival, especially for steam packets.

The Falmouth packets, on arriving at Halifax, have also to make a long angular voyage to Bermuda, and then return to Halifax for the mails. This regulation is attended with great delay and inconvenience, and scarcely any benefit. Newfoundland, which is a hundred-fold at least of more importance to these kingdoms than Bermuda, has no regular post-office communication with England or the colonies; while the port of St. John's lies but a very short distance out of the course (see General Map), and two hours' time would, from the immediate opening of the harbour to the Atlantic, be sufficient to receive or deliver the mails. Instead, therefore, of the packets being sent from Halifax to Bermuda each month, occasioning a great expense, and a delay of from ten to twenty days, if the mail packets were, for eight months in the year, to touch at St. John's, Newfoundland, and then to proceed immediately to Halifax, returning to England by the same route, the advantages, it is generally believed by those experienced, would be of infinite advantage and convenience to the United Kingdom and to the colonies.

In respect to the post-office department, in British America, the postmaster-general in the colonies, and the deputy postmaster-general, appoint deputies in different places, giving them such salaries or percentage as they deem fit. These and other regulations are understood to be made agreeably to the instructions received from the general post-office department in England; to which the revenue is also paid net. It is difficult to ascertain the amount. In 1826, the sum collected in British America was stated to be 23,570l. 12s. 6d. It must have increased one third since that period. The colonists complain of the rate of postage being extravagantly high, particularly the inland postage; and they generally consider that the interior post-offices should be placed under the management of the local legislatures. Many advantages would certainly arise from such a regulation, particularly the improvement of the roads between one colony and another, and the removal of discontent in respect to the rate of postages. A single letter, from London to Halifax, costs 2s. 8d. sterling; but before a single letter reaches some parts of Canada, from places in the United Kingdom, the postage amounts from 5s. 6d. to sometimes 7s. Letters from the United Kingdom, being put on board of the packets for New York or Boston, are received in Canada for about one third the amount; the highest rate of inland postage in the United States being a quarter dollar, about 13d., for any distance above 400 miles.

The very bad post road between Halifax and Canada is one, if not the greatest cause of delay in forwarding the mails; and, should the respective legislatures have the management of the local post-offices,