of the arrival of the mails at Barbadoes, which at present takes
place, would be nearly done away, and consequently no such assistance
as that alluded to would be necessary. Hence, the advantages either
way over the present system are clear and obvious.

Before entering upon the particular details of the West Indian
department, it is proper to observe here, that the point of
communication for the return mails from the West Indies for Europe, so
long as sailing packets are employed to the West Indies, cannot be
altered or removed from Cape Nichola Mole, because, by the general
plan, the outward mails from Great Britain, by steamers, would reach
Fayal on the 10th and 25th of each month, and the return mails to that
place would reach, from Rio de Janeiro, on the 9th and 24th; from New
York and Halifax on the 7th or 8th, or 22d or 23d; and from Barbadoes,
&c., allowing only sixteen days in the Colonies, on the 10th and (p. 034)
25th (App. No. 1.); if brought by sailing packets on dates to
correspond; so that there is not time to spare, the West Indian mail
being the last to reach the central point, and it would be very
detrimental to have any detention of the general mails at this point.
To make Jamaica the central point for the European mails, would
require several days additional; for once at Jamaica the packet would
take eight or ten days to get up and through the windward passage,
which to a sailing packet, notwithstanding this difficulty, is still
the best. In fact, if the mails from Havannah to Demerara are detained
in the West Indies more than sixteen, or at most seventeen days,
beyond the time that these could, by care and exertion, be easily
despatched from thence, the transmission of letters by private ships
to every quarter will most unquestionably be resorted to; and thus the
Post-office revenue suffer severely.

The capital and expenditure in the West Indian department under the
combination and regulations just mentioned will be:--

Capital. Yearly Charges.

Six Steamers, at 24,000_l._ L144,000 L37,200
Nine Sailing Schooners, at 1500_l._ 13,500 7,200
Coals for Steamers, 30,000 tons, at 25_s._ 37,500
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L157,500 81,900
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