The steamer for Bombay could, without material difficulty, drop mails for the Mauritius at Socotora. To do so at Aden, on the Arabian coast, would add to the distance 500 miles, which is a material objection. From Socotora to the Mauritius is 1850 geographical miles. Two good sailing vessels (brigantine class) would be sufficient for the work of carrying the Mauritius mails between Socotora and that island. The time each way may be fairly taken at 15 days, and two days to stop at Port Louis, gives 32 days for the voyage. The cost of these vessels should be about 4000_l._ each, and their expenditure, say, 2000_l._ each, or 4000_l._ per annum. The time from London to the Mauritius by this route would be 48 days, and the same time to return, making the mail communication between the two places 105 days. 6. _Bombay to Calcutta, by Ceylon._ One steam-boat would carry all the mails for the East Indies, &c. from Suez to Bombay; and from thence another steam-boat would proceed to Calcutta by Trincomalee, calling at Mangalore, and other places in the west coast of Hindostan, and dropping at Trincomalee the mails for all places more to the eastward. Going by Bombay, instead of going direct from Babelmandel to Ceylon, only increases the distance about 270 miles, while the vast expense of having additional and separate boats is saved. From Trincomalee, the steamer, both in going to and returning from Calcutta, could, without inconvenience or delay, call at Pondicherry and Madras. Should the time occupied by the steamers from Bombay to Calcutta by this route exceed the time occupied by the post to travel from the former to the latter by land, then in that case the European mails from Calcutta could be forwarded by land, (p. 069) while the passengers, parcels, &c. could go round by the steamer, the difference, in point of time, being not above a day or two at most. The route, time, and distance from Bombay to Calcutta, would be thus:-- Geo. miles. Days. Bombay to Trincomalee 1258 7 Stop at Trincomalee 2 Trincomalee to Calcutta, by Madras, &c. 1010 5 Stop at Calcutta 2 Calcutta to Bombay, same route 2268 12 ---- -- Totals 4536 28 ---- -- Two powerful boats would perform this work, giving two mails each month. Each would be at sea 24 days each voyage = 48 monthly = 576 yearly: 25 tons coals daily = 14,400 tons yearly, 28,800_l._ Cost of boats, 48,000_l._; yearly expenses, 6820_l._ each, 13,640_l._; together with coals, 42,440_l._ 7 & 8. _Trincomalee to Canton, by Batavia_.