1862.] 
the Isthmus of Krau. 
355 
for calculation, as the same rate of steaming is taken for all) while 
the route via Singapore is shown to be 337 hours’ steam. We 
calculate, as hereafter shown, that the passage across the Isthmus of 
Krau would not ordinarily occupy more than twelve hours, with a 
liberal allowance of time. 
We have therefore a difference of time in favour of the Krau route 
[337 -f- 12 | 281 -f- 12] 56 hours. This is of much importance 
when we hold in view the costly nature of the produce and goods 
conveyed. It has also long been a desideratum to have a weekly 
communication with England, but the immense cost of putting on 
four steamers per month from Calcutta to Aden has hitherto, we 
suppose, deterred the P. & 0. Company as they would thereby 
obtain no extra trade. 
But supposing the communication through Krau established, the 
extra trade that would be brought by the extension of the line of 
P. & 0. Co.’s vessels to Krau, would pay for an extra steamer be¬ 
tween Point de Galle and Aden, by means of which by making it 
meet the Bombay mail at Aden by bi-monthly steamers from 
Ceylon via Krau, the communication between England and Calcutta 
would be weekly; twice per month by the P. & 0. Co.’s line 
via Point de Galle and Madras, and twice by the vessels via Krau to 
Calcutta, thus providing for the whole of the Eastern Coast of the 
Bay of Bengal via Krau, as the P. & O. Co. does for its western 
Coast vitl Madras. The time from Ceylon to Calcutta via Krau 
(by the direct steamer as hereafter mentioned) would be as follows. 
Ceylon to Krau, ... ... ... ... ... 126 hours. 
Krau to Calcutta, ... ... ... ... ... 103 ,, 
Or 0$ days,,.. ... ... ... ... ... 228 
Nearly as quick as the route via Madras. 
8th. By Table II. including 3 hours’ stoppage at Akyab, 12 at 
Rangoon, 12 at Maulmein, 3 at Tavoy (Mamoogan) without going 
up the river, and 3 at Mergui, (the trade of the two latter places 
being about 5 lakhs), the number of hours between Calcutta and 
Krau by those places is shown to be (143 -f- 33) 176, while the fur¬ 
ther progress to China from Tayoung would be about 153 hours, 
or with 12 hours across the Isthmus of Krau ; a total distance 
3 A 
