May 12, 1856.] STOKES. 81 



in dealing with the inhabitants of New Caledonia, who were a stout, savage, 

 negro race, and rather warlike, inhabiting a tropical region little adapted to 

 the European constitution, and he could not suppose the Gulf of Carpentaria 

 had a climate suitable to European constitutions, nor could he see anything 

 to induce English settlers to select that locality. It was within 18° of the 

 Equator ; and in his opinion, had neither climate, soil, nor water to recom- 

 mend it. Wheat could certainly not be grown upon it, and it was totally 

 unfit for sheep. 



Captain Hoseason, e.n., cordially concurred in Capt. Stokes' opinions on the 

 navigation of Torres Strait. He had steamed through the strait himself, and 

 had no doubt of its being the best route from Sydney to Singapore. But for 

 postal communication he preferred the Panama line. 



Captain FitzRoy, e.n., f.e.g.s., hoped that the discussion would be con- 

 fined to the question of the most suitable postal route to Australia. This was 

 a matter for the present time, but no one could expect to see a canal cut 

 through the Isthmus of Darien in less than 10 years. 



He thought that the sketch map which had been used to illustrate the 

 paper, should have shown the direct route from the Eed Sea and Cape Leeuwin 

 by the Chagos Islands, as well as the two other lines. This direct track had 

 been objected to on account of hurricanes, but ships were not now deterred 

 from crossing those seas on that account. To steam ships of 2000 or 3000 

 tons, occasional hurricanes were a mere bugbear. Many years ago we used to 

 hear often of ships being lost in hurricanes, but the improvement in building 

 and fitting ships, and our knowledge of the rotatory motion of these storms, 

 had divested them of much of their danger. This direct route lies across an 

 open sea, through which ships may run, if they please, 20 miles an hour by 

 night as well as by day, and the winds by no means so strong as in the Atlan- 

 tic. The chief difficulty in making sailing passages from Cape Leeuwin to the 

 Mauritius, is found in the light winds, and returning in the opposing S.E. 

 trades, which, however, he thought, might be considerably lessened by a slight 

 alteration in the course taken. 



The route through Torres Strait might be smooth and pleasant in summer, 

 but could Captain Stokes say what it is in winter? Captain Lihou had 

 told him, five and twenty years ago, that he had tried to work his ship 

 through, against the westerly monsoon, that he had got her aground fre- 

 quently, and that nothing should tempt him to try that passage again 

 in winter. This had made a great impression on him at the time, and 

 since then evidence on the navigation of Torres Strait in winter had been 

 unattainable. It is almost, if not altogether w^anting. All our information 

 related to the summer season, and even then vessels would be obliged to 

 anchor during the night, for several nights in succession. This route was not, 

 in his opinion, fit for large steamers, and the passages would necessarily be 

 slow on account of many stoppages and delays. Long runs are required for 

 speed. In an economical point of view it would not do to stop often. 



But in his opinion two or three lines would be required — one round the 

 Cape of Good Hope, as well as that through the Eed Sea ; and both these 

 would open important branch lines, but these branches must not be considered 

 when rapid passages are desired from end to end. There would be immediate 

 ample support, as there was unquestionable necessity, for two lines at least ; 

 and the quicker those could be made, the more numerous would be the branch 

 lines which — as we know by experience on railroads — would immediately be 

 opened. Until Captain Stokes could show that the climate of Torres Strait 

 offered no great obstacle in winter, he should prefer the Chagos route for the 

 mails, and for those passengers who preferred the shorter, though more ex- 

 pensive route ; other lines would of course be cheai)er for the generality of 

 passengers and for cargoes. 



For the wants of North Australia, connection with Singajwre was required. 



k2 



