Further, in the event of any accident happening to any steam-boat on the great line from Barbadoes to Jamaica, &c., a sailing vessel could always carry the outward mails westward, when breezes hold, with almost the same rapidity as steamers; and in her course westward, such a sailing vessel could scarcely fail to meet a return or a spare steamer at some of the stations, to relieve it from proceeding further. Moreover, it may be observed here, once for all, that by the conveyance of the mails from Falmouth to Barbadoes by steam, or even only so far as from Falmouth to Fayal by this power, the irregularity of the arrival of the mails at Barbadoes, which at present takes place, would be nearly done away, and consequently no such assistance as that alluded to would be necessary. Hence, the advantages either way over the present system are clear and obvious. Before entering upon the particular details of the West Indian department, it is proper to observe here, that the point of communication for the return mails from the West Indies for Europe, so long as sailing packets are employed to the West Indies, cannot be altered or removed from Cape Nichola Mole, because, by the general plan, the outward mails from Great Britain, by steamers, would reach Fayal on the 10th and 25th of each month, and the return mails to that place would reach, from Rio de Janeiro, on the 9th and 24th; from New York and Halifax on the 7th or 8th, or 22d or 23d; and from Barbadoes, &c., allowing only sixteen days in the Colonies, on the 10th and (p. 034) 25th (App. No. 1.); if brought by sailing packets on dates to correspond; so that there is not time to spare, the West Indian mail being the last to reach the central point, and it would be very detrimental to have any detention of the general mails at this point. To make Jamaica the central point for the European mails, would require several days additional; for once at Jamaica the packet would take eight or ten days to get up and through the windward passage, which to a sailing packet, notwithstanding this difficulty, is still the best. In fact, if the mails from Havannah to Demerara are detained in the West Indies more than sixteen, or at most seventeen days, beyond the time that these could, by care and exertion, be easily despatched from thence, the transmission of letters by private ships to every quarter will most unquestionably be resorted to; and thus the Post-office revenue suffer severely. The capital and expenditure in the West Indian department under the combination and regulations just mentioned will be:-- Capital. Yearly Charges.