ers, &c. a class of sailing-vessels rather larger than the
generality of those at present employed in the West Indies, ought to
be engaged; and for this purpose, a larger sum annually must be
allowed to defray the expense. Some of those at present employed, such
as the Charib, may do, but sloops are too small for the service.

It is only within these few months that a mail communication, and that
very uncertain and irregular, has been commenced with the British
Empire in Hindostan, containing 100,000,000 of people. With the
rapidly rising colonies in British America, containing 1,700,000
enterprising inhabitants, there is still but one ill-regulated mail
conveyance, by a sailing-packet, each month. Such a state of things (p. x)
is neither creditable nor safe to a country like Great Britain.
The population of these colonies must be left far behind their
neighbours in the United States in all commercial intelligence, and
the interests of the former must consequently suffer greatly.

The steam-boats to be employed in the service contemplated, although
of the high power mentioned, need not be of the same tonnage as
vessels of an equal power which are built for the sole purpose of
carrying goods. Consequently, a considerable expense in building the
former will be saved. Mails never can be carried either with
regularity or certainty in vessels, the chief object and dependence of
which is to carry merchandize. The time which such vessels would
require to procure, take in, and discharge cargoes, would render
punctuality and regularity, two things indispensably necessary in all
mail communications, quite impracticable. Any attempt to resort to
such a system, more especially in a quarter where steamers would have
so many places to call at as these will have in the West Indies, would
throw every thing into inextricable confusion. Steam-boats carrying
mails and passengers should be the mail-coaches of the ocean, limited
as mail-coaches on land are to cargoes, and as near as possible to the
tonnage pointed out in the following pages. The steamers to be
employed in the service contemplated should also be built broad in the
beam, of a light draught of water, and in speed, accommodation, and (p. xi)
security, must be such that no others of equal powers can surpass them.

The liberality of MR. JOHN ARROWSMITH, so well known for his
geographical knowledge and geographical accuracy, has enabled me,
without the labour of constructing it