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_.

At Trincomalee, a steamer would take up the mails for the remainder of
the Eastern World, both from Europe and from India, and proceed by
Batavia to Canton. At Batavia, this boat would deposit the mails for
New South Wales and Singapore; the former to be forwarded by other
steamers, and the latter by a good sailing schooner, which could
always accomplish her work so as to be in time for the return steamer,
and for the next outward mails; the distance from Batavia to Singapore
being 475 miles, thus:

Three, or even four days, out; three to stop, and four back; together
11 days. The nearest way to Canton from Trincomalee is by Nicobar and
Singapore, distance, 2880 miles; whereas the distance by Batavia is
3535 miles; but then it must be remembered, that Batavia is the most
important station, and 475 miles nearer New South Wales than
Singapore. Hence Batavia appears to be the most eligible point of (p. 070)
communication for the steamers.

From Trincomalee to Canton, the route and time will be thus:--

Geo. miles. Days.
Trincomalee to Batavia, by Straits of
Sunda 1750 9
Stop at Batavia, coals, &c. 2
Batavia to Canton 1830 9
Stop at Canton 2, Batavia 2 4
Canton to Trincomalee, by Batavia 3580 18