1867.] The Means of Transit in India. 25 



carried on, are the following, viz. The Peninsular and Oriental 

 Steam Navigation Company, with eighteen steam-vessels, and The 

 Messageries Imperiales, with fifteen vessels, afford communication 

 with and between Calcutta, Madras, Pondicherry, Point de Galle, 

 Bombay, Aden, the Straits settlements, and China. The British 

 India Steam Navigation Company, with a fleet of twenty vessels, 

 ranging frorn 350 to 1,500 tons burden, and 80 to 350 horse- 

 power ; the Bombay and Bengal Steam Ship Company, with eight 

 steamers of from 850 to 1,473 tons ; and the Bombay Coast and 

 Kiver Steam Navigation Company, with eleven steamers of from 

 131 to 750 tons, and 40 to 140 horse-power, furnish the means of 

 communication between all the parts along the coast between 

 Calcutta and Kurrachee, and with British Burmah. The India 

 General Steam Navigation Company, with a fleet of nine river 

 steamers of from 80 to 150 horse-power, and twenty-one flats of 

 from 80 to 500 tons burden, send steamers regularly throughout 

 the year, every seven or ten days, from Calcutta to the North- 

 western Provinces, calling at all intermediate stations on the river 

 Ganges ; they also despatch steamers and flats periodically, in the 

 direction of Dacca and Sylhet, to Cachar ; and to Assam up the 

 river Brahmapootra, once in six weeks, calling at all the intermediate 

 places as far as Debrooghur, The Bengal Kiver Steam Company, 

 with four steamers of from 90 to 200 horse-power, and nine flats; 

 and the Biver Steamer Company, with five steamers of 110 horse- 

 power, and one of 130 horse-power, and eleven flats, navigate the 

 Ganges as far as Allahabad, and the former company also despatches 

 vessels up the Brahmapootra to Debrooghur. In addition to the 

 foregoing there is Apcar and Company's line of six steamers which 

 also navigate the rivers of Bengal. 



On the western side of India there is the Indus Steam Flotilla 

 Company, with eight steamers from 67 to 295 tons burden, and 90 

 to 200 horse-power, and two tugs of 67 tons and 40 horse-power, 

 and two of 43 tons and 15 horse-power, navigating the river Indus 

 between Kotree and Mooltan, the larger vessels being employed on 

 the portion of the river above the Sukkur Pass, and the smaller 

 steamers between that place and Kotree. 



The subject of railway communications in India was first laid 

 before the Supreme Government by Sir Macdonald Stephenson, in 

 1843, and in 1849 a contract was concluded with the East India 

 Eailway Company for the construction of an experimental line from 

 Howrah to Kaneegunge ; and in the same year the Great Indian 

 Peninsular Bailway Company was incorporated, and entered into a 

 contract for the construction of an experimental line from Bombay 

 to Callian. Both these associations were formed in the year 1845, 

 but the projectors found it impossible to raise the necessary funds 

 for their proposed schemes without the assistance of Government ; 



