1840.] On Low Steam Power to Vessels, instead of Sails. 247 



come to the latter in point of expence, there seems no room for doubt 

 that there could be no comparison between the two, as passenger 

 ships. In such a vessel the passengers would scarcely be disturbed one 

 night in a whole voyage. 



But perhaps the most important application of this system at pre-^ 

 sent v/ould be to the emigration to New Holland. Those noble colo- 

 nies afford an unlimited field for the employment of all classes of 

 people, and the grand desideratum above all others for them, is the 

 means of a safe, convenient, rapid and cheap transport of emigrants. 

 At present the governments of the different colonies allow 20£ for every 

 adult male, and a proportional sum for women and children. A vessel 

 of 600 tons, new measurement is allowed to carry about 240 persons. 

 Such a vessel will ordinarily draw about 17|- feet of water, with a length 

 of 125 feet. A vessel of the same tonnage, built as a steamer, need not 

 draw more than 11.^ feet, perhaps less ; and with the same beam as a 

 sailing vessel of the same measurement, she would have a lengtli of 180 

 feet, which would i^ive lier full half as much room again for pass -ngers' 

 accommodation, and as her upper deck would be unencumbered, and 

 might therefore be occupied for f of her length by passengers, her ac- 

 commodations altogether would be fully double those of a sailing vessel of 

 the same tonnage, or she could carrv 480 persons of all ages. A vessel 

 of that class is at present chartered for about 2500£, which gives about 

 10£ a head for each individual emigrant exclusive of their food ; this 

 costs, it is said about 3£ 10s. making the tota' actual expense of trans- 

 port probably about 15£ ahead, including sundry expences ; the govern- 

 ment allows at present 20£ for men, and the profit may be on an aver- 

 age 2C a head upon all ages. The question is at what cost a vessel of 

 this tonnage worked by steam could be taken out to New Holland, in 

 comparison of that of a sailing vessel. An average passage at present 

 is about 110 days, and the distance measured on the nearest line is 

 12,800 miles from Plymouth to Sydney, giving an average of 107 miles 

 per day or 4| knots per hour. A 600 ton steamer with an engine of 

 40 horse power would run 5^ knots in smooth water, 3^ on an average 

 head to wind, and 8 on an average wath steam and light sails while in 

 the strong westerly winds between the Cape and Bass' Straits (about 

 half of the voyage) ; giving a total average of about 51 knots 

 an hour, and a length of 90 days for the passage, of w^hich the fires may 

 be out for at least 20 days, when the westerly winds are very sti ong, 

 leaving 70 days of steaming to be provided for. Her cargo at starting 

 would then be j 



