ABSTRACT OF THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 
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Kong and Australia in the same time as by the Brindisi route of 
the Peninsular and Oriental ; for in the first case it only saves 900 
miles, and in the latter cases is 2200 and 2500 miles respectively 
further. 
With reference to Australia, by the Canadian-Pacific Railway 
the distance from Plymouth to Sydney is nearer than by Panama by 
400 miles, than the Cape 350, than Cape Horn 800, and is further 
than by Brindisi 2000. Here the Brindisi route has an enormous 
advantage over all. To New Zealand it is nearer than by Panama 
900 miles, than the Cape 2850, than Cape Horn 1200, than 
Brindisi 500, so that to New Zealand the Canadian-Pacific Railway 
has the advantage over all others. 
Another phase in considering this subject is the provision and 
carrying of sufficient coals for the long voyages in order to obtain 
high speeds. There seems no difficulty up to 2500 miles, the 
distance traversed by our fast steamers across the Atlantic ; but 
when Ave remember that we have 4630 miles from Panama to 
Oparo, the first stage on the voyage thence to New Zealand, 
and 4300 from Vancouver to Yokohama, a difficulty will arise 
how steamers can carry their burden of coals, and go at high 
speeds. The Etruria, with 14,321 indicated horse power, 
going 20*18 miles an hour, consumes 315 tons per day, which at 
9*55 days would be over 3000 tons, an appreciable quantity of 
non-paying cargo, and retarding the ship's motion through the 
water. The same disadvantage applies, though in a less degree, 
to the other routes, as coaling stations average every thousand 
miles on the Suez line, except from Galle to King George's Sound, 
which is 3000 miles, and Plymouth (the Panama route) to Bermuda 
2900, Vancouver to Sandwich Islands 2400, and thence to Fiji 
2700. The remedy seems : either to use steamers like the America, 
441*8 feet in length, and 5528 gross tonnage, which has a speed 
of 17*8 miles per hour, and only consumes 185 tons per day; or 
to reduce the speed of the steamers, which will give an immense 
advantage to the route by the Canadian-Pacific, as it is so much 
more than any of the otlier routes by land, where the speed can 
be increased instead of being reduced. Another remedy is the 
improvement of engines on the expansion principle, which may 
save the consumption of coal to such an extent as to enable 
steamers to go much longer voyages than at present, with less 
