Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project at http://www.tpdlp.net, Christine P. Travers and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) 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 as the subject of connecting China and New South Wales (p. vi) with Great Britain, through the West Indies, may at first sight appear, both as regards time and expense, still few things are more practicable. The labour and expense of crossing the Isthmus of America, either by Panama or by Lake Nicaragua, by a land conveyance, is trifling. With eight steam-boats, ONLY FOUR ADDITIONAL to the number already in the West Indies, added to the present sailing-packet establishment, the whole Plan for the Western World, extending it westward to China and New South Wales, can, in the mean time, as the following pages will show you, be put into execution to the fullest extent, with a very great saving in time, and with very great regularity. A water communication moreover will, I feel convinced, and at no distant day, be carried through the American Isthmus--say by Lake Nicaragua--when the sailing packets for the Pacific may run direct between Jamaica and Sydney, New South Wales, and Canton-China.