164 Atlantic Steam Navigation. 



ted States and Great Britain ; but by taking the extreme point of 

 the United States, for the purpose of showing the advantages of 

 steam navigation over saihng ships, it follows that all intermediate 

 ports from New Orleans to Gtuebec, present at least equal relative 

 advantages. 



The following calculations, founded as far as practicable upon 

 acknowledged data, will lead to a general result substantially cor- 

 rect, at all events sufficiently so to show the relative working 

 power of steam and sailing ships. 



A steam ship of 2500 tons, as mentioned above, deducting her 

 engine and coal rooms, will leave her register tonnage 1600, and 

 supposing her capacity for stowing to equal that of a sailing ship, 

 she will carry 2400 tons of measurement goods, 



A bale of New Orleans compressed cotton averages 20 cubic 

 feet measurement, and 400 pounds weight ; consequently, the 

 ship would take two bales to a ton, equal to 4800 bales, for her 

 entire cargo. If we assume one penny per pomid freight, with 

 five per cent, primage, it would be thirty five shillings a bale, or 

 £8400 gross freight. Allowing the ship 73 days out and home, 

 she would complete five voyages per annum, and bring home 

 24,000 bales of cotton, making a homeward freight of £42,000. 

 If we suppose the ship to make only one quarter of a freight out, 

 and I see no reason why she should not make a whole freight, 

 that would give £^100 out, equal to £10,500 per annum, gross- 

 ing, out and home, £52,500. 



Let us examine, upon the same data, the working power of a 

 sailing ship of 400 tons register, and see how many it will re- 

 quire to perform the same labor, and earn the same freight. 



She will carry 600 tons of measurement goods, or 1200 bales 

 of cotton, allowing her the same capacity for stowing as the 

 steamer, and allowing her to complete two and a half voyages a 

 year, which is as much as she can do, she will then bring home 

 3000 bales of cotton. It would therefore require eight ships, of 

 400 tons each, to carry the same quantity of cotton in twelve 

 months as one steam ship, and to make the same freight out and 

 home of £52,500. The relative power being the same, it makes 

 no- difference in the result, whether the ships carry more or less. 



Seeing the work that one steam ship will perform, and having 

 ascertained the number of sailing ships of equal tonnage capacity 

 combined, required to perform the same, the only remaining ma- 

 terial point now to consider, is the relative expense of navigation. 



