the voyages to be made, it is satisfactory to find, from
intelligence lately received, that the _Berenice_ steamer, of
230-horse power, made the passage from Falmouth, by the Cape Verdes,
Fernando Po, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Mauritius, to Bombay, in
eighty-eight days; _sixty-three at sea_. The course taken, and
distance run, is about 12,200 geographical miles, or at the average
rate of 194 geographical miles per day. Her average consumption of
coals was fifteen tons per day. The _Atalanta_ of 210-horse power, ran
the same distance in 106 days; sixty-eight of which at sea, under
steam. Consumption of coals, seventeen tons per day. The _Flamer_
steamer, of 140-horse power, now in the West Indies, two voyages (p. 036)
in succession, last autumn, made the voyage from Barbadoes to Jamaica,
by Jacmel, Hayti, in five days; which is fully nine geographical miles
per hour; and in returning she ran in one voyage from St. Lucia to
Barbadoes in twelve hours, distance 100 geographical miles, with winds
and current unfavourable. Adverting to these facts, it is obvious that
sufficient time is allowed for the progress of the steam-boats, in
every station, under the General Plan now recommended to be adopted,
in order to communicate with the different places in the Western
World. The _Berenice's_ greatest run was 256 miles in twenty-four
hours.[3]

[Footnote 3: See also Appendix, No. 1.]

_West Indian Station._--_Details._

This is a complicated and important department, and the working
details thereof must be planned as follows:--

1.--_First Packet for the Month_.

Immediately on the arrival of this packet at Barbadoes, a steamer of
240-horse power should start for St. Thomas direct (430 miles), with
the mails from England, &c. for that island, Santa Cruz and Tortola,
and for Porto Rico, St. Domingo, the Bahamas, All Cuba, Jamaica,
Carthagena, Chagres, Panama, Honduras, Vera Cruz, and Tampico. This
boat could reach and clear St. Thomas in two days.

The steamer alluded to having landed the mails for St. Thomas, St.
Cruz, and Tortola, should then proceed to St. John's, Porto Rico, and
there land the British and Colonial mails; to Cape Nichola Mole
(Hayti), and there land the British, the Colonial, and the Bahama
mails; to St. Jago de Cuba, and there land the British and Colonial
mails; to Kingston, Jamaica, and there land the British, the Colonial,
the Chagres and Carthagena mails; to Savannah la