Geo. miles. Days. Batavia to Swan River 1745 9 Stop at ditto, coals 2 Swan River to Hobart Town 1770 9 Stop at ditto 1 Hobart Town to Sydney 570 3 Stop at Sydney, coals, &c. 3 Ditto at Hobart Town and Swan River, returning 3 Sydney, by Hobart Town, &c. to Batavia 4085 21 ---- -- Totals 8170 51 ---- -- Three boats would perform this work, giving two mails each month; (p. 071) but in case of accidents, there would require to be one spare boat on the station, to be stationed either at Batavia or Sydney. The cost of the four would be 96,000_l._ Each boat actively employed would be at sea 42 days each voyage = 84 monthly = 1008 yearly: 25 tons coals daily is 25,200 tons yearly, at 40_s._, 50,400_l._ The yearly expenditure of each boat besides would be 6820_l._; for four, 27,280_l._, together with coals, 77,680_l._ It is unnecessary to dwell on the immense advantages which such a plan of mail communications as this would give to the commercial world in general, and to the commercial interests of the United Kingdom in particular. These would be incalculably great, both to the governments and to the people. To complete the scheme, it would be requisite to have more than one station at which boats and machinery could be repaired. These would require to be Malta, in the Mediterranean, Bombay, Trincomalee, Batavia, and Sydney, in all five places; the salaries, &c. for superintendents, rents, and rent coal depots, could not be less than 2000_l._ per annum at each, or 10,000_l._ The expense for workmen and materials are included in the 5 per cent. allowed for tear and wear in the annual expenditure for each boat. The yearly expenditure for the whole Plan, in all its parts, would consequently be as follows, and under the respective heads as here enumerated. _Abstract._ No. 1. Falmouth to Alexandria, by Lisbon, &c. 2. Malta to Constantinople, by Zante, &c. 3. Alexandria to Suez, by Cairo. 4. Suez to Bombay, by Mocha. 5. Socotora to Mauritius. 6. Bombay to Calcutta, by Ceylon. 7 & 8. Trincomalee to Canton, by Batavia, &c. 9. Batavia to Sydney, New South Wales, by Swan River, &c. 10. Coal depots, and stations for repairs. _Expenditure by Steam Power, &c._ (p. 072)