REPORT OF COMMITTEE IN LIMA. 329 



derived from the postage of letters^ compared 

 with the heavy expenses necessarily attending 

 such an estabhshment. The insufficiency of 

 saihng vessels for the proposed object^ also 

 suggested itself to the committee ; as it was 

 manifest^ on considering the general prevalence 

 of southerly winds^ currents and calms^ and the 

 delays necessarily attending the delivery of an 

 English mail-bag at each of the principal ports 

 between Panama and Valparaiso^ that little^ if 

 any, time could be saved in the transmission of 

 European letters by the substitution of such a 

 mode of conveyance for the usual one round 

 Cape Horn. 



The attention of the committee was there- 

 fore directed to the possibility of establishing 

 steam navigation in the Pacific ; but, although 

 a public notice, inviting the presentation of 

 projects on the subject of the proposed packet 

 communication was circulated by his Majesty^s 

 Consulate General on the 18th of June last, 

 only one had been sent in, namely, that of 

 Mr. William Wheelwright. 



Exclusive privileges having been already 

 conceded to this project, by the governments 

 of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, no attempt to esta- 

 -blish steam navigation along these coasts could 

 be made until the expiration of the term of ten 



