┌————————————————————————┬————————┬———————————┬—————————┐ │ Route. │ Kilos. │ Number │ Total. │ │ │ │ of │ │ │ │ │ Journeys. │ │ ├————————————————————————┼————————┼———————————┼—————————┤ │ London and Dover │ 150 │ 96 │ 14,400 │ │ Calais and Marseilles │ 1,190 │ 96 │ 114,040 │ │ Alexandria and Suez │ 400 │ 96 │ 38,400 │ │ ├—————————┤ │ │ 166,840 │ │ _Viâ_ SOUTHAMPTON. │ │ │ London and Southampton │ 135 │ 96 │ 12,960 │ │ Alexandria and Suez │ 400 │ 96 │ 38,400 │ │ ├—————————┤ │ │ 218,200 │ └—————————————————————————————————————————————┴—————————┘ It should be explained that the heavy mails that are conveyed by the steamers of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, between Southampton and Alexandria, are taken across the Isthmus of Suez by separate trains from those which convey the light mails _viâ_ Marseilles; hence, there are ninety-six trips of Eastern mails per annum across the Isthmus for the Marseilles mails, and ninety-six for those _viâ_ Southampton. Thus the total annual length of this great postal service is:— Kilometres. Water 2,290,320 Land 218,200 —————————— 2,508,520 ══════════ The weight and dimensions of the Eastern mails have increased very greatly during recent years. This is owing partly to the immense expansion of the trade of England in the Indian, Chinese, and Australian oceans, and partly to the British army in India, consisting of at least three times as many Europeans as previous to the Indian mutiny of 1857. England has also a larger fleet in the Indian and Chinese Waters than formerly. In 1865, the trading interests of England, in the Eastern seas, was as follows, in pounds sterling:—