r, that vessels would
almost as speedily, and certainly much more safely, run over the
distances by the western route, even to the places more near; while,
as regards those which are more distant, there can and need be no
comparison drawn.

It will also from these references be observed, that the distances to
all the eastern parts of Asia, and the north-west coast of America,
are, with a very few exceptions (in these, too, the distances are
nearly equal), nearer than the distances would be, either taken by the
Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn, the only routes always open; while,
considering the winds and the seas which are met with in either of
these routes, it is plain that ships would run over the distance by
the western route through central America, even to the most distant
parts in eastern Asia that have been adverted to, sooner and much
easier than they could do by either of the former. The saving of
insurance alone in the route by the mild tropical climates, and also
of wear and tear in ships by the same channel, compared to what all
these would amount to in the navigation by the other routes, to say
nothing of the saving of time in voyages, would be objects of great
importance to commercial and nautical men.

APPENDIX--No I (p. 109)

Places Lat. Long.

Falmouth 50 deg. 8' N. 5 deg. 1' W.
Terceira, Azores 38 deg. 38' 23" -- 27 deg. 12' 48" --
Halifax, Nova Scotia 44 deg. 39' -- 63 deg. 33' --
New York 40 deg. 42' -- 74 deg. 2' --
Bermuda, Town 32 deg. 22' -- 64 deg. 33' --
Madeira, Funchall 32 deg. 47' 42" -- 16 deg. 55' 30" --
Teneriffe, St Cruz 28 deg. 28' 00" -- 16 deg. 15' --
Lisbon 38 deg. 24' -- 9 deg. 13' --
Cadiz 36 deg. 31' -- 6 deg. 18' --
Gibraltar 36 deg. 6' 20' -- 5 deg. 20' 53" --
Nassau, New Providence 25 deg. 5' -- 77 deg. 18' --
Turk's Islands 21 deg. 6' 71 deg. 15'
20 deg. 13' 69 deg. 28'
Crooked Island 22 deg. 44' -- 73 deg. 54' --
Havannah 23 deg.