108 THE WATEKS. 



impeded from the easy access of the more savage tribes, who 

 would have despoiled the more fortunate by inroads amongst 

 them, mingling with or exterminating them, and checking the 

 onward progress of civilisation. And this has always existed 

 where great tracts of land are, which are the last parts of 

 the world to be civilised, and in many parts remain as rude 

 as they were thousands of years ago. All this is owing to 

 the good and wise arrangement of water and land, and is an 

 instance of the care and foreknowledge of G-od, who has 

 provided for the onward progress of that creature to whom 

 alone such a progress has been allotted ; but as they now 

 exist the oceans form impenetrable barriers to the savage, 

 so as to restrict his brute force and uncultivated habits 

 spreading, while they form easily-traversed highways to the 

 more civilised nations, enabling them to spread their civilisa- 

 tion without contamination to themselves, but to the advance- 

 ment of others. 



The oceans are now navigated by thousands of vessels 

 engaged in mercantile objects, and it is perfectly astonishing 

 with what rapidity and safety these great tracts of water are 

 crossed. 



In one of Chambers's "Papers for the People," called 

 " Ocean Routes," is the following, speaking of the perfect- 

 ing of the steam- vessel : 



" The regularity, speed, and safety with which the voyages 

 of these vessels were made, soon pointed them out as the 

 best conveyance both for passengers and the mails. 



"In 1821 they were employed on the latter service 

 between Dublin and Holyhead, and between Calais and 

 Dover ; and now, with few exceptions, all the channel and 

 ocean-work of the Post-Office is done by steamers, and all 

 the passengers and much of the goods' traffic between the 

 parts of Great Britain and Ireland, have been within the 

 last quarter of a century transferred to them. 



" After the steamboat had thus passed through the 

 various stages of infancy and childhood had tried its 

 strength on English rivers, in the Irish Sea, and in the 

 British Channel men began to ask, was it not strong 

 enough and old enough to do more ? Could it not cross an 



