Adopting this route would connect all the Eastern transmarine possessions of Great Britain in one chain, with scarcely a link in the line of communication being dependent upon foreigners, except one or two, which the naval power of Great Britain could always command and control in case of emergency. The course here alluded to would lengthen the course of post to Bombay and Calcutta, &c. to a considerable extent; but in every part of the proposed new line, coals could always be procured more cheap and readily than in any quarter near the Red Sea. The following details, however, will place the time and expense in a clear point of view, and enable any one to contrast at a glance the two routes, and the difference which in time and expenditure will exist and remain between them. 1. _Falmouth to Cape Verde._ The steam-boat with all the Indian mails would go from Falmouth by Madeira to Cape Verde, thus:-- Geo. Miles. Days. Falmouth to Madeira 1170 6 Stop at Madeira, coals 1 Madeira to Cape Verde 1130 6 Stop at Cape Verde, coals 2 Cape Verde to Falmouth 2300 12 Stop at Madeira, returning, coals 1 ---- -- Totals 4600 28 ---- -- Two steam-boats, actively employed, would perform this work, (p. 074) giving two mails each month. Each boat would be at sea 24 days each voyage = 48 monthly = 576 yearly:--coals, at 25 tons daily = 14,400 tons yearly, at 20_s._ 14,400_l._ 2. _Cape Verde to the Cape of Good Hope._ The route and time from Cape Verde to the Cape of Good Hope will be-- Geo. Miles. Days. Cape Verde to Ascension 1530 8 Ascension to St. Helena 655 3 St. Helena to Cape of Good Hope 1720 9 Stop at Ascension and St. Helena twice 4 Cape of Good Hope to Cape Verde 3905 20 ---- -- 7810 44 ---- -- Three boats, actively employed, would perform this work, giving two mails each month; but in case of accidents, it would be advisable to have one spare boat at St. Helena, or Cape Verde, making four at this station, or six in all between Falmouth and the Cape of Good Hope. The three boats actively employed would be at sea 40 days each voyage = 80 monthly = 960 yearly. Coals at 25 tons daily = 24,000 tons yearly, at 25_s._, 30,000_l._ 3. _Cape of Good Hope to the Mauritius._