374 STEAM NAVIGATION. BY THE RED S£A. 



but they may be brought as ballast at a very moderate rate, 

 and, with all wastage, may, it is supposed, be deposited at 

 ports in the Red Sea cheaper than by the route of Egypt- 

 Vessels going at certain seasons through the Strait of 

 Madagascar would lose little by depositing them at Mocha : 

 but these are points of mere calculation. The authorities 

 in England should be cautious in attending to plans and 

 maps as to depots and other matters connected with this 

 part of the subject. Those that give them only know the 

 general features of the question. For instance, Socotra 

 appears a most desirable place for a depot ; but it has yet 

 no supplies for a vessel, nor is there any town to aid in 

 loading or unloading cargoes of coals, xhese are for the 

 present great objections. The government of Bombay will 

 early discover what is best, both for economy and expedi>- 

 tion ; and a well-qualified young officer of the Indian navy, 

 of whom many speak Arabic, should remain at Cosseir as 

 an agent to secure quick lading and depositing, and to be 

 in communication with the consul-general, to accelerate the 

 despatches to Alexandria. 



By this route and mode packets from Bombay will cer- 

 tainly be dehvered for nine months of the year at Alexan- 

 dria in twenty-eight days. The passage from Malta to 

 that place will not average more than seven or eight days 

 for a steamer, and one of a small class kept by his majesty's 

 government would be sufficient, if no enterprising individual 

 undertakes it, and there is so much traffic that the passen- 

 gers would pay well. The Pacha of Egypt neither is nor 

 will be inimical to this line of communication ; on the con- 

 trary, he will rejoice in this and every opportunity of meet- 

 ing the wishes of a country on whose friendship and good 

 feeling he has become from his condition so very dependent. 

 The attention of the government of Bombay may be so far 

 directed to the communication by Bassorah or the Eu- 

 phrates, as to send a minute report on the subject ; and 

 should it at any period prove more eligible than by the Red 

 Sea, the same vessels which answer for the one line will 

 perfectly suit the other ; and this, therefore, can be no 

 ground of delay to the immediate establishment of so im- 

 portant an object as a steam-communication with India. 

 The following extract, from a minute by Sir John Malcolm, 

 will further show his opinion on the subject. These obser- 



