HISTORY OF INDIA IN THE EDINBURGH CABINET LIBRARY.
Tuts publication is a phenomenon in the manufacture of books, using that phrase in its most eulogistic sense. So many compe- tent hands probably never combined in the treatment of one sub- ject in so small a compass; and a large and most interesting branch of information was altogether never more successfully handled, and undoubtedly never until very lately, if even then, vended at so cheap a rate. Every department is in the hand§ of its master; and yet the whole is so well harmonized, that the work may be read from end to end without being conscious of a change of writer. Of the historical division, we have already slightly spoken, on occasion of the appearance of the first volume. The second ciar- ries down the narrative to the fall of Bhurtpore; and embraces several chapters on Hindoo Mythology, Hindoo Literature, on the British Indian Government, and a luminous view of the anomalous position of Europeans established in India, under the head of the British Social System in India. The third volume is chiefly occu- pied with the natural history of India; a wide, rich, and fertile field. There is, moreover, an appendix Of great variety and utility. It is chiefly of a practical nature; relating to the navigation to India, astronomy, geodesy, monsoons, and currents. There is also a clever little account of the voyage to India, full of practical de- tails, by Captain DALRYMPLE; a Company's Naval Compendium, which is alone worth the price of the volume in which it forms; in point of bulk, but an insignificant part. It is well worth the at- tention—nay, indeed, may be considered indispensable to every one preparing for' a voyage to India. The paper on communica- tion by steam with India is also curious. The following are extracts on this important subject.
A communication with India by means of steam has lately occupied thetat- tendon, not only of individuals, but of the Government in India. The different passages to India, round the Cape of Good Hope, by steamers, have been all un- successful as to time ; and it may fairly be doubted whether steam will ever compete with sails on this long passage. The Honourable Company's ship Thomas Coutts made the passage to Bombay in eighty-four days,—the Atlas in eighty-three,—and ninety days is not considered as any thing very extraordinary by some of the free-traders, such as the Roxburgh Castle and others. Mr. Waghorn, an enterprising officer of the Bengal pilot service, is the principal ad- vocate and projector of the passage by steam round the Cape. The route by the Red Sea having been lately traversed with complete success by Sir John Malcolm, our observations shall be confined to this route. The present Pacha of Egypt is highly favourable to the establishment of steam-packets at Alex- andria, and would afford every facility on the land journey, if this great object is undertaken by Government. The following observations (in substance) were most kindly supplied by Sir John _Malcolm :—He left Bombay on the 5th of December 1830, for England, in the Honourable Company's steamer Hugh Lindsay. Arrived at Macula on the 14th December, and remained there three days to take in coals, water, and refreshments. Macula is situated on the coast of Arabia, at the mouth of the Red Sea, where there is good anchorage and a safe harbour. Arrived at Juddah on the 22d of December, and remained there two days to take in coals, water, &c. Arrived at Cosseir in Egypt on the 27th of December ;---having been at anchor nearly six days, and actually steaming from Bombay to Cosseir in sixteen days and twelve hours. If Sir John had gone to Suez instead of Cosseir, he is of opinion he would certainly have reached that place on the 29th, and might easily. have arrived at Alexandria on the 2d or 3d of January ; but lie went to Cosseir to meet Lord Clare, the new Governor of Bombay, who was appointed to succeed him. Sir John passed twenty-seven days in Egypt " seeing the lions." He then went to Malta in a frigate, which occupied eleven days; a steamer could accomplish it with ease in seven. He sailed from Malta in the Meteor steamer on the 4th February 1831; arrived at Gibraltar on 12th February ; remained there two days to take in coals, water, &c., and sailed on the 14th. Arrived at Falmouth on 25th February, having had only three days' fair wind between Malta and England. Sir John is of opinion that in future two days may be saved in the passage from Bombay up the Red Sea, by improving the power of the steamer, .and that despatches may be carried from Bombay to Alexandria in twenty-four daya for nine months of the year; during the other three months the progress of the steamers will be impeded by the violence of the northerly winds. Sir John re- commends the route by Cosseir to Alexandria for passengers, in preference to that by Suez, the latter being much exposed to inundation and other inconveni- ences. As to the relative advantages or disadvantages of building, it is exe- cuted equally well and stronger in Bombay than England. Teak is better than oak; and the Hugh Lindsay was built-so correct to the model, that her line engines (two of eighty-horse power) fitted on to almost a hair's breadth. No change has been made in this vessel, except cutting herpaddle-boards six inches, which; tried on the second voyage, has been found an improvement, owing perhaps to the depth of water she drew when overloaded with ten days' coal, which is three if not four days' more than this fine man-of-war steamer was built to carry. The Hugh Lindsay steamed from Bombay to Cosseir, a distance of 2,700 miles, in sixteen days and twelve hours, which-is an average of seven knots an hour. The passage from Bombay to Cosseir will, from 1st September to 1st June, be always made in 21 days, including the taking in of coals ; and to Suez in twenty-three days. Mr. Barker, his Majesty's Consul-General in Egypt, thinks that, with a relay of dromedaries, packets might be sent by the Desert from Cosseir to Alexandria, in six or seven days ; and this would prevent the possibility of stoppage from the inundation of the Nile. It would also save four or five days' coal m going to Suez and returning, and the expense and trouble of depositing and shipping it at a place where vessels must anchor five miles from the shore. At Cosseir they lie close to the town, and have in all weather safe anchorage, besides plentiful supplies, good water, and a land-carriage for packets and passengers. With respect to the latter, few will go this route that do not desire to see Upper Egypt ; this they could not do without much trouble and expense if they went to Suez. With regard to passengers, they should not be counted upon as ever likely to remunerate Government for the expense of steam-vessels between Bombay and Egypt. These vessels should be built as packets. There cannot be a better model than the Meteor, or the Admiralty yachts, which are about 300 tons, with round sterns, and the cabins lighted by sky-lights. The vessels for the Red Sea might have about two feet beam more than the Meteor ; and two sixty, instead of two fifty horse power engines. This would greatly increase the speed. They might carry eight or ten passengers wi,.11 very limited accommodation, and they could be provided with a plain table by the commander of the vessel for half the price charged (the same as his Majesty's steamers to Malta), the other half going in part payment cf coals. No other plan will succeed. ;Is to passengers, there is not, and will not he formally years, any intercourse between India and England by this route that will make passengers profitable ; and no extra expense is warrantable on this account. The expense of coals in the Meteor was eight chaldrons per diem ; but this last voyage it was diminished to seven, from having the fiery-vein coal from Wales. With this coal, such a vessel as before mentioned, with sixty-horse power, would not require beyond nine chaldrons of coals per diem ; and if either Mr. Morgan's plan is approved of, or the experiment of cylindrical boilers, and expansion engines, now trying by Captain King at Falmouth, under orders of the Admiralty, succeeds, which is probable, the consumption of coal will be decreased one-third. Lord William Bentinck, Sir Charles Malcolm. and Captain Wilson, commander of the Hugh Lindsay, concur in the opinion of the size of the vessels for the Red Sea. Lieu- tenant Symons was also consulted (who has for some time commanded the Meteor), and Captain King. To give success to this plan, the execution of every part of it should be left to the government of Bombay ; and certainly the vessels should in all, except the engines, be built and equipped in India. It is farther quite essential for this and general purposes, that they should be officered and manned from the Indian navy. .Experienced and steady lieutenants or masters will command them, and these should not only possess a complete knowledge of the engines and steam naviga- tion, but the most intelligent midshipmen of the Indian navy should be instructed in that science; while English and half-caste boys should be educated, as they now are, to supply the place of engineers from England, who are a great expense .and trouble.
The opinion of Sir JOHN MALCOLM on a subject of this nature is valuable: it is contained in the following extract- " I have on several occasions stated the great importance of having an esta- blishment of steam-vessels attached to the Indian navy, both for purposes of war and keeping up the communication with Europe. There is yet only one steamer in this service, the Hugh Lindsay ; there cannot be a finer vessel for the pur- poses for which she was built,—that of an armed steamer. She has two en- gines of eighty horse-power each, and can carry eight guns, with coal for six or seven days; goes very fast, and against any sea. This vessel, though too expen- sive and -too large to take packets to Suez, has been used for that purpose, and performed the voyage, at a season of the year not the most favourable, in twenty- one days' steaming. She actually steamed at as high a pressure as could be ap- plied the first stage, to Aden, 1,6-10 miles, in ten days and nineteen hours, and that with a contrary wind. She went, when deeply laden with coal, five and a half knots, but increased her rate to full nine knots when lightened.
"It is the opinion of the superintendent of the Indian navy, and has been transmitted as such to the Honourable the Court of Directors, that a class of small vessels, like those employed in packet-service from Milford Haven to Ire- land, would be the best to keep up the communication with Europe by the Red Sea. This is also, I observe from his minute upon the subject, the opinion of the Governor-General ; and Captain Wilson, the commander of the Hugh Lindsay—on whose judgment, from his full knowledge of the seas, and expe- rience of navigation by steam, I would implicitly rely—thinks that a vessel of 270 tons, built more with a view to the capacity of stowing coal than very rapid steaming, would make Suez in two stages, taking in coals only at Mocha, where, if she did not draw more than ten feet, she could be at all seasons in smooth water, and with security against every wind. This voyage would require that she should carry thirteen days' coals, as it is a distance of 1,780 miles, and can- not be expected to be performed in less than eleven or twelve days.
" If this quantity of coal cannot be carried, the first stage must be Macula, and the second Juddah, as at present these are both excellent ports for shipping coals, as a vessel can lie close to the shore ; but having three stages instead of two would cause a delay of at least two days; and with two Captain Wilson -calculates the voyage from Bombay to Suez cannot be performed to a certainty under twenty-five days. But it appears to me, if one of three vessels was kept at Mocha,. and her furnace lighted as another hove in sight, this voyage would -be reduced to three weeks, and ample opportunity given to the steamers to put -in order or repair any slight injury to the machinery, as well as to procure sup- plies; and with the establishment of packets, the communication might be kept 'up by vessels sailing every five or six weeks from Bombay, and from Suez nine months of the year. In June, July, and August, a steamer would easily come -•from the Red Sea ; but could not return against the violence of the south-west monsoon. There would be a great advantage in keeping a small steamer at Mo-
. scha, from the power the Indian government wouldpossess of sending on emer- temp a sailing vessel or boat during five months of the year, which, having a .fair wind, would be certain of that passage in fifteen or sixteen days. With this number of packets, and another armed steamer, carrying four or six guns, and not drawing more than eight feet water, Bombay would be complete in this es- sential branch of naval establishment. Besides the keeping up a rapid commu- nication with Europe by the Red Sea, that by the Persian Gulf would be im- proved - and we should, beyond ordinary service and putting down piracy, be prepared to give efficient aid in every naval service in India. Nor is it specu- lative to suppose that emergencies may arise on which the ready application of this powerful arm of our force on the Indus or the Euphrates might be of the most essential service to the general interests of the empire.
" To secure all these objects, it is indispensable, in my opinion, that in what- ever way steamers are employed in this quarter, they should be exclusively na- vigated by the Indian navy for it is of much importance that a scientific know- ledge of the engines and their management should be generally diffused through- out this service. We must not omit the opportunity to form-men capable of performing and directing all the duties which belong to such vessels. With the able and intelligent officers this navy can boast of, and the number of fine youths it contains, I cannot have a doubt but they will easily attain a.proficiency in this line of service that may prove of much consequence to the general interest ; and I must farther expect, that through the instruction given to European and East Indian boys at the Mint and in the steamers, we shall be early independent of those engineers now sent from England at such expense, and who have proved themselves iu several cases so unworthy of the liberal treatment and confidence placed in them."
The retention of our Indian Colonies, and their good govern • ment, are questions of the deepest importance, not merely to -Bri- tain, but to the whole of the human race. Steam has as much -to do with the settlement of these as of so many other relations. Steam-boats and rail-roads will be the great reformers after all.
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