WHAT THE ENGLISH ARE DOING IN THE WAY OF OCEAN STEAM NAVIGATION. [From the "San Francisco Morning Herald," July 30

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 468, 9 October 1850, Page 3

WHAT THE ENGLISH ARE DOING IN THE WAY OF OCEAN STEAM NAVIGATION. [From the "San Francisco Morning Herald," July 30

"We have a'reatly had lepcited occasions lo r-tfcr to the gigantic ontcrpriic the British government has in lianil, to connect with n fleet of the firbt class, the West Indies, Mexico, ISrazll, and Iha Paoihc. The main features of the plan are as f jilows :— There is to he a great trunk line of steamers— or as the Timai well calls it, a " great steam bridge" direct from Southampton to the Isthmus of Panama. Evtry fortnight, a first-class steamer is to sail fiom Southampton by this line, stopping fiist at the Island of St. Tl'omas, which distance it will accomphbh in about twelve days. In St. Thomas's JLhy three branch sie'imcrs will he wai in;j ; which, receiving their ie* b]>e<'tivc mails will instau'ly proceed on &rp<na'e icuUa — one 10 llav.in i and the Gulf ot Mexico — another to Poito llico, Hayti, Jamaica, Oau Jj«o dc Cuba, llonduias, Nicaiagua, &c : a thinl to the Wiudwiirtl and Lccwaul Uai d , as far •»■; D m train. The m 'in line ■■team >r, lnvin<j tins d'sposrd of i s branch nwls, will (team on iiciu St. ThoTaa's iliiccl fjr the little town of (Jiiagies, ou th<* Isthai'ii of P.i"nailia. Here it will disumb ik its Pat ific m.uls for, transmission no os- the I»thu?u*, and rostiving in letu n the homeward niaih from the Pacific, will be i e lily for its lvtiim voyage. Stcftininj^ back to St. Thomas's, it will theic find the time l>ranc!i sleameio, whoso icturu \oyagcj fiom the thiee above mciri.ned route., will he uo amuv^ed that they s>luill always (i\c j)t in en es of accident) auive in lime to gitcarul tuVc miils \vi h the tmnlc steamei3 ; then it will pio<ii (1 direct to Southampton, biiu.>inj» the Pdtiflc n.ails, vi d the mails of the thiee foregoing Weal I . Jian routes. li is Crilculared that, by ihis systen) of dnect Atlantic steamers, anacc'leiatid communication of from twelve lo sixteen dajs will be secured lor all the poit3 concer H d. 2 To correspond with these arrangemnnts for the Atlantic side of America, it is iti contemplation by the Adtitiiatty, " lo dgice with the Pacific Sieatu Navigation Company for a foitni^ht mail to »nJ from Panama and Valparaiso, in place of the p.tt,cnt mon'hly a earner." This will bring Chagrcs, aid consequently England, Into much closer approximation to the weste,n co.ijl of South America. 3. Tha-e ij to Le a monthly mail to Brazil, with an independent line of packets. "Staitin,' horn Southa.npton, the iie imeis will prccri'd to Funoluil (Made ra) Suu'a Ciuz (Tc-netiffi,) Porty Praya (Cape Verde), Pe.nambuco, Mih.ii, and Km Janeiro. Frcm Ro Jai.eiro theie will be a biancu packet to Mante Vj.!co and Ruei.oa Ay res " 'J'he distance between England and tic Biv^ilim ports, acton!in£ to the preceding arra^'geaients, will be a3 foilow'S :— To Pen>ambuco eighteen or nineteen d,>yi ; — 13abia twenty or twenty -one days; IUo da Jut.ciro tvienly four or twen y-five days. The B azil line limy be ieady by August or September nest. Tlu: sum oi ,£240,000 per annual, now paid to (he Wc&c India Mail Company lor ihe conveyance of the. West India mails alone, will, it ia understood, Biiiu'ci to tovei the expenses of the whole proposed syßlcm ; Ins'.dea wh,cli thcic will be u letieuchment of £3'J,QOO ,i yiar now spent in maintaining Hir Majesty's bn^» betweeu FaJmouth and Biazil. All this, nc n:.'iy fay in cone uiion, increases the petcmptoiy ueccanty of tlie {jreat canal across Pan.unj, vs hu h will bwivp the little town ol Lhngres cut of if> l^ cut lm i'» 'e»' litllcnebj into noihingucbi.