THE GOVERNMENT STEAM-MARINE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
City, 14th December 1842.
Sta—By all parties connected with our Eastern empire the expected arrival of the Honourable East India Company's steam-frigate Auckland at Suez, with the Chinese Treaty, was most anxiously looked for : it was announced that she was to leave Nankin ten days after the Sesostris; and from her well-known good qualities, her arrival at Suez was confidently expected about the 10th instant.
The general anxiety, however, does not seem to have extended to our naval authorities in the Mediterranean ; as Major MeLeomil was indebted to the Pasha of Egypt for a passage from Alexandria to Malta; where he had to re- main for a week waiting for a British steam-vessel to bring him on to England. I send you at foot the names of eleven steam-vessels bearing her Majesty's pennant and belonging to the Mediterranean station : it would be interesting to know what important business was going on in that quarter which pre- vented one of their number waiting Major llitiLcoLm's arrival at Alexandra. It is instructive to notice the relative speed on the two sides of the Isthmus of Suez at which the gallant Major conveyed his important despatches. The distance from Suez to Nankin is about 8,500 miles; which, including all stop- pages for coals, at Hongkong, Sincapore, Ceylon, and Aden, the Auckland per- formed at the average rate of 160 miles per day. The distance from Alexandria to Devonport is about 2,900 miles ; which was accomplished, including the delay at Malta, at the rate of 93 miles per diem. A pretty strong. proof that the East India Company manage their steam-marine in a very superior manner to the " powers that be " here. The voyage of the Auckland confirms the view taken of the facility with which an extension of the mail-line from from Bombay to China may be made.
Steam- Vessels in Commission in the Mediterranean.
Alecto, Hecate, Polyphemus, Cyclops, Lizard, Prometheus, Devastation, Locust, Stromboli.
Geyser, Medea,
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