90 



vessels. Whilst the sailing vessel is rolling about in the calms, the 

 steamer is making a quick passage through the tropical regions. 



But I hope that the evil influence of calms may be greatly reduced 

 on board of sailing vessels. By the reports we have received of vessels 

 that have passed the line by Lieut. Maury's route, calms are very little 

 felt. It appears that the regions on which these calms exist being of a 

 wedge form, with the sharp edge on South America, he recommends 

 that the line should he crossed at 30° west, instead of further east ; 

 and I have no doubt, from the data by which he supports this ad\'ice, 

 that vessels from England to Australia will be benefitted by taking this 

 route. Several Liverpool sliips have started with the intention of 

 making this route ; amongst them the " Australia," spoken in 8° north 

 under most favourable circumstances. I am anxious to hear of her 

 arrival. To cross the Ime at 30' of west longitude was not usual in 

 modern passages to the Horn or the Cape previously to its being advo- 

 cated by Lieut. Maury. There is no advice more strongly enforced 

 in Horsburgh than to give Cape St. Koque a wide berth. This advice, 

 and many other remarks made in this work, must be disregarded by 

 modern mariners, although they were well suited for the day in which 

 that work was compiled. With such ships as were built some 50 years 

 since, no better advice could be given than to avoid falling into the 

 current that runs round this cape, by which many a ship was carried 

 back towards the West Indies. But what was the condition of our 

 mercantile marine at that time? In order that no vessel should escape 

 the supervision of the British ci'uisei"s, and thus infringe our fiscal 

 regulations, the custom-house enforced a law that no British merchant 

 vessel should be longer than three and a-half times her breadth. The 

 tonnage laws co-operated with this regulation to swaddle our mercantile 

 navy into such a state of deformity, that well might the mariner of that 

 day be scared at the idea of approaching St. Roque, although in the 

 present day, with our clippers, we may ti'eat such a fear as a bugbear. 

 We hope the time is passed when the government endeavoured by every 

 means to cripple our mercantile marine, in order that they might keep 

 pace with our iU-formed ships of the British navy. 



In concluding the subject I have had the honour of bringing before 

 this Society, allow me to remark that I hope I have proved one point to 

 your satisfaction — that the commanders of Australian emigrant ships 

 are required to be men of superior skill and quick perception, of good 

 natural abilities, and possessing a full amount of that class of education 

 which is best qualified to place a shipmaster at the head of Ins pro- 



