Original Correspondence.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 456, 28 August 1850, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

To the Editor of the New Zealandcr. " Come bright improvement ! on the car of Time, And mle the vorld fiom clune to clime. Thy handmaid arts, shall every wild explore, Trace eveiy wave and culture every shore." Sin.— ln some late numbers of the "Times" newspaper, there appeared several articles on the subject of '■team communication between England .iud the Australasian colonies, in which the great advantages of the Panama route wire cleaily, and I think satisfactorily pointed out. It a btiaight line is the sliojlest, a single glance on

j tin 1 map Jit tlic position of England, New Zealand, and Sydney, must com nice eioiy one that Iho I'.ni.unji route in this icspcct is Jar picfeiablo to the Eastern 01 Singapore lino, as it is hard I y possible lor any route to be more direct than the projected one lioni England to Sydney, via Panama and New Zealand ; at the snnie time its accomplishment would be easy, and destitute of all danger, as the passage from Panama to New Hen* land would he made in a smooth sea, in an agiceable climate, and aided by favouiable winds. The distance fiom Panama to the Noilh Cape of New Ze land is little more than six thousand fjve hundred miles, and the passage could be easily inude l>v one of Cnnaid's steamers in twenty five d iys, including one day's stoppage at I ahiti for coaling, and tin* remaining one ihousand miles to Sydney could be made in five or -ix days more, and as the passaue fioin England to Chagres would >iot exceed twenty two or twenty three days, and allowing two days for crossing the Isthmus at Panama, the whole distance from Southampton to Sydney could theieforc be made in iilty-six days. To lither the construction o f » Railroad or forma ion of a canal aci oss the Isthmus of Suez, ihe most formidable difficulties ate pi osented, o| an almost insurmountable character, theiehy excluding all mercantile traffic from the eastern or Smuapoio line, and leu lering it only available, loi mails and jias.engers. But as soon as the raiiroad (at prcsmt in progress of formation) acioss the Isthmus of Panama is completed, eveiy ilescription ot American produce, and merchandise, as well as Passengers and Mails, will he conveyed along it, and rcshipped at Panama to eveiy island in the Pacific — and a» the intiod iction of fice trade, and the abolition of the Navigation laws, have lcmoved almost every resti iction m the inipot l.idon of l'oieimi produce, and thiown open our harbo'iis to the ships ol all nations, it will not tl'erelo c be unreasonable to expect that numbers of American vessel; will make their way to our shores, and inundate our markets with all the varied productions of the United Slates— and i lie merchants of Sydney and New Zcalaml be expo ed to many disadvantages in competing with the American 1 , uii'ler such circums'ance 1 -. Hut if a line ol li'ilish Steamers, built on the Amciican principle, combining capacity (or cargo with accommodation for passengeis, wt-ie miming between Panama and Sydnct, via Now Zealand, we should then be nbl' 1 to compete witn the Americans on fair terms— and Panama would become the depot of the Pacific for both England and AmeiicJi, wheie supplies of Uritish merchandise of every desunp ion would be procured, as good in quality, and almost as cheap as they could be obtained in Liveipool and Manchester— at the same, time as there are somede criptions of produce peculiar to the United States, and particular articles ol AmerU can manufactures well adapted for our markets and known to be in great aem md in Sydney a^ well as in New Zealand, our met chants would then have the advantage of purchasing these commodities in the American maiKcts ami secure the profits Iroin their importation which would otherwise be reaped exclusively by the Americans. Although I have stated that the who'e distance fr un Southampton to Sydney could be made in hlty-sixdays, 1 think, however, that as soon as the railroad acioss the Isthmus of Panama is completed, i could he done in fifty, as the Pacific is extremely favoui able for steam navigation, being exempt from the stormy weather and tempestuous sea, so prevalent in the Atlmtic, Some idea may he formed ot the ease with which a passage in this route may be made fiom the Inihinnau (Captain Pearse) having m.ide a run lately from the Sandwich Islands to the North Cape ol New Zealand in eighteen days. In making a passage from Tahiti to Sydney, via New Zealand, it is expedient to keep as tar North as possible, in order to secure fine weather and favoui able winds ; under these circumstances the North Cape of New Zealand would be the most favourable point to "■top at for lauding passengers and coaling, as Wellington and even Auckland are s tuatcd 100 lar south to he touched at, without depaiting from the route considered favourable lor making a rapid passage. In establishing a line ot communication between Panama and Sydney, the direct loute out-lit to be piefencd and in deciding this important point, >dl iocal influences and petty advantages should be overlooked (as such interests are better secured by branch lines tioin the direct route) and the chief object to be kept in view, is to make the mail line the shortest, which is also the cheapest. In making the passage tlieieibre, from Panam i to Sydney, every unnecessary deviation from the direct route should be avoided, which could in any way, either lengthen the distance, or deminish the speed ot the vessels— and in lunning iiom Tahiti to Sydney, via Cook's straits, instead of the North Cape, the passage would thereby be lengthened considerably besides impaiiing the speed of the vessel from tx|>o« sine to the bad weather and boisterous sea, expeiicuccd so frequently in the south. There is, howevei, an excellent haibour (Mnnganui) favourably situated and within thirty miles of the N-oith Cape — where indications ol coal have been found — and li'tle 01 no inconvenience could be cxpeiicnced by the southern settlements J'lom the Panama steamer touching theie instead of at Wellington, as the passcn* gers and in tils could reach Cook's Straits by a biauch line via Auckland and IVlanukau harboui on the West Coast, wiihin thice or foiu days alter being landed at M uiganu't Although the contemplated Panama route lifts been for the present abandoned in England, and the Eastern or Singapore line of communication taken up by the Imperial Government for the purpose of conveying the mails to Australia— the people of New Zealand should notwithstanding this arrangement unite and make ati elfoit to establish a direct and legular line ol ( ommu - nication between this colony and Panama— as the adoption of the Eastern or Singapoie loule will compare tively be of little advantage to New Zcahml. It will no doubt boot importance to receive an F.iiglUh mail with something like legularity in pc haps 90 or 100 days — instead of in 130 or 150 as we do at present—but at the same time as we may expect frequent visits from American vps-els direct from Panama and in possession of English intelligence of perlmpt only 60 o1o 1 70 days date, it is quite clear that the Americans in this respect would have greatly the advantage of us, and turn it to account in all coinmeici.il transactions ; m this way> the Americans will he continually anticipating us, overstocking our maikcts, and exposing our merchants to make mistakes, similar to what occuncd a short time since, when from want of early intelligence they shipped several cargoes of timber, when the supply of that article in the Cahfomian maikct, had pievi.msly exceeded the demand. At the present time both Sydney and New Zealand have received the latest English intelligence horn California via Panama. 1 theiefoiv hope th.it our merchants will at no distant day lake into consideration this important subject, as without some kind of direct communication with Panama, New Zealand will be subjected to great disadvantages in ;ill commercial transactions, not only with the Americans, but with all the neighboui ing colonies. A, K. August 27, iB6O.

The contract between the Home Gjvcnimeul wild the Peninsula and Onenial Steam Navigation Company was to have been higned on 25th March last. Tne Times slates that on the 14'h April, a deputation waited upon Sir John Cam Hobhouie the Prudent of tlie Boaid of Control, to induce him to exercise Ins influence in the removal of aome unexpected difficulty which seems to have interposed. Sir Johu'i reply was a promise to do all in his power. A celebrated wit made one of hit happiest jokes when he heard that Bishop, who had been sent to Portsmouth, preparatory to transportation for lite, bad escaped- '• Gad, sir," said he, "he must have been an arch Bishop to do th*t ; and yet hU dislike to the ica ig unaccountable."