STEAM NAVIGATION ON THE PACIFIC.

West Coast Times, Issue 95, 6 January 1866, Page 3

STEAM NAVIGATION ON THE PACIFIC.

(From the Globe)

We shall very soon have to chronicle a new triumph of shipbuilding and engineering science in the inauguration of two mail routes across the Pacific. The comparatively narrow Atlantic is crossed already in manifold directions — from various' English and French ports to numerous points on tho American coast between the mouths of the River Plato and the St. Lawrence. Tho Indian Ocean, is also traversed by the steamers from Sue/ to tho Mauritius and Australia ; but tho enormous breadth of the Pacific has not yet been overcome. There are lines of mail steamers in its waters, but they only skirt the coasts. On 1 the. American coast there are the lines from Panama to San Francisco and Valpaiaiso. On the Asiatic coast there aro the steamers of tho Peninsular and Oriental Company and the Messagcries Imporialcs, plying between Galle and tlje ports of China and Japan ; and wo may include the inter-colonial linos of New Zealand and Australia.' To those undertakings, involving, some of them, the passage of distances as great as on the Atlantio maii routes, there is now about to be added the transit of the Pacific itself, involving tho passngo without coaling of much greater distances than what have yet been accomplished on any oceanic mail routes.

One of the two enterprises wo refer to — and perhaps the least reAuirkablc-^-is the American project to cross thq North Pacific between Ban Francisco and Hong Kong, but touching at Honolulu in the Sandwich Islands, and ut Kanagawa in Japan. This service was authorised by an Act of Congress ap- j proved last February ; and last wouk wo wero informed from Washington that the Postmaster-General had accepted tho tender of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company for its' execution. For a subsidy of half a million dollars ' the company undertake to build ifouv first-class side-wheel steamers, of from 3.500 to 4000 tons burden each, and to make twelvo round trips and back in the year, the speed to which they wero bound being 200 nautical miles per day. The teun of contract is for ten' yearn, to commence- on or before the Ist of January, 1857. The distauce" from San Francisco to Hong Kong is 7050 miles, and from San Francisco to Kauagawa, tho nearest coal depot, 5475 miles. This latter distance docs not very much exceed that on some of our Atlantic lines, and, as shall see, the enterprise is outstripped in this respect by 4 the other Pacific route to be second to no other route across the Pacific. The Americans are already calculating that when it is established and tho Pacific Railway, "which will now become an absolute necessity," completed, New York must become the great commercial emporium of the world. Without expecting any such result as this, the lino, if woll managed, should prove a formidable competitor to the overland routo from luiropo to China and Japan, especially to the latter country. At Hong Kong the time of journeying to England by both routes will be about equally balanced, but at Kanagawa the American route will have the preference. The Americans, however, can surely calculate on sending all their own passengers, letters, and light goods to China in that way, at a great saving of time compared with i the tedious roundabout way by Europe. This will bo a gain of money as well as time, but whether tho prerogative of London as tho world's emporium— the clearing-house, where international accounts are balanced and paid— will thereby bo infringed, is by no means so certain

The inauguration of tho second mail routo from Panama to % Wellington, New Zealand, appears to bo much nearer execution, tho ships being, actually built -or building. • Tho Australian colonies, partly from dissatisfaction with the frequent break-downs and chronic slowness of tho Peninsular, and Oriental Company's sorvico from Guile, and partly from a desiro to havo a fortnightly . communication 1 with homo, havo long been agitating for a monthly line to Panama, in ad iition to a monthly service by way of Galle. Iv tho spring of the present year, accordingly, the colonies of Now South Wales and Now Zealand, tho latter having tho mo^t direct interest, fiually excoutod an agreement by which their objects will bo effected. The Pauama, New Zealand, and Australian Royal Mail Company, which had for somo timo established a profitablo inter-colonial sorvico, have now agrocd to placo four steamers on tho lino from Wellington to Panama. Tho subsidy, which the two colonios havo halved, is £\ 1 0,000 per annum, and tho speed to which the company aro bound, 1(5 knots per hour. Ono of tho ships, callod tho Ruahiue, igjalready built, a fino twiu screw of 1840 tons. ; uud at ! bor trial trip iv May last aeeompliahed a »p.eo4 of V) knota with tlw mo, niri

nearly 13 against. She \n fully rigged as a sailing vessel, ho as to tako udvuuta»o of tho regular trade winds, which will practically bo with tbo vessels in both directions. Sho may, tliereforo, economise fuel, and yet attain the minimum speed ; but she is able to carry 1,200 tons of fuel, which is more than would bo necessary steaming at full speed thowholoclistauco. When it is considered that tho distance is 7,200 miles,the fact is Mifliciontly striking. It is confidently expected that the Rualuuo and her sister ships will make tho passago between Panama and Wollington in twenty five days, so that tho entire passage botweon Wollington aud .Southampton may bo only forty- five days. This will bo a clear gain of fiftcon days ou tho present postal time between England and New Zealand, which quito accounts for the colonial zeal in pressing* on tho matter* For our part, wo cannot but wolcomo tho means which brings us into quicker and morofrequontcommunication with our colonios j while we may congratulate them iv tho present case on thoir energy in helping, themsolvcs in a mattor they believe so. vital.

In connection with this new route, wo may notico that the Australian colonies, especially Queensland, Victoria, and Now South Wales, arc favoring a project to connect themselves with' Gallc by steamers touching the north-eastern extremity of -the island continent at Capo York, ill Queensland, instead of, as at present, near the southwestern extremity in King George's Sound. T ho Dutch havo already a lino connecting their various colonies in the islands of the Indian , Ocean between Singapore and tho island of Timor, and it is proposed to continue it from Singapore to Galle, and from Timor to Cape York. Tho project, if carried out, as seems likely, will abridge the period of communicating with Queensland and Victoria, while New South Wales and South Australia will have tjie advantage by the Panama route. It is not likely that the opening of the two mail routes we have described will be jnoro than the beginning of a series by which tho Pacific, like the Atlantic, will be covered with these steam highways. Looking at tho mutual commerce already existing among tho now-born states oh tho seaboard and the old empires newly opened to commerce, mail services must spring up. to conduct that commerce with efficiency. It is not looking very far forward Ho imagine lines of steamer connecting Australia with China, with San Francisco, and with Valparaiso. Wo may expect, besides, additions to tho routes which have more direct connexion with the European lines. AUeatly a lino from Australia to Valparaiso has been spoken of in connexion with Mr Wheelwright's project for a railway over tho Andes und across the South American continent ; aud this line, it is expected, will furnish, in conjunction with tho River. Plato Hues to England, a now route to the Antipodes as quick as any of the existiug routes. The Panama routo may again bo chosen for China as well as Australia, while there is some prospect of art intercolonial railway through our own possessions across tho North American continent, which would onablc us to establish a competing mail lino with tho Ainericau ouo to Japan and China. Without mentioning other ideas which luivo been formed, theso probabilities arc "enough to show that their beginning, tho opening of tho two routes wo have described, will be an event of no small consequence in the commercial history of our time.