278 HOW TO GET TO NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER XV. HOW TO GET TO NEW ZEALAND. THERE are now two regular lines of passenger packets between London and New Zealand: Messrs. Willis, Gann and Co.'s, 3, Crosby Square, Bishopsgate; and Messrs. Shaw and Savill's, 34, Leadenhall Street. The vessels employed in these lines are fine first-class ships, of from 1000 to 1500 tons burden, well commanded and equipped, carrying surgeons, and sailing, throughout the year, about once a fortnight. Some of them are quite capable of making the run in about eighty days; which, as the New Zealand voyage is nearly 2000 miles longer than the Australian, is equal to a run of about seventy days to Sydney or Melbourne. The rates of passage and freight vary a little from time to time, but the usual charges, including provisions,* are about as follows: Chief cabin passengers carry half a ton, and second cabin and steerage quarter of a ton of luggage, free of any freight charge. At intervals, too, of a month or so, a vessel is also despatched to Otago from Glasgow; and one to Auckland (generally calling first at Melbourne), from Liverpool. New Zealand may now also be reached by steam in about sixty-five days. One of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers leaves Southampton for India, via the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, on the 20th of every month at Point de Galle it is met by a branch steamer which proceeds to Melbourne, where this vessel is met by another steamer running * Wines, bottled ale, and spirits are put on board, and supplied, by the steward, at reasonable rates. direct on to New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealand mails are carried by this route, and occasionally some holidaymaking New Zealand minister, or some wealthy young colonist coming home for a pretty wife, prize ram, or race horse, will visit England this way. But the frequent shiftings of goods and baggage, and the higher charges made in steamers than in sailing vessels, necessarily close this line against the emigrant; whilst the rapacity of those sordid monopolists, the Directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, has closed it equally against the Australian and New Zealand public. The true ocean highway from Europe to the noble emigration fields of New Zealand and Australia, and to the great Australian "gold fields," is the route by Panama, as marked on the accompanying map. This route is about one-sixth nearer in actual mileage than the present Suez route; while, looking at the comparatively tranquil character of the South Pacific, and at certain advantages in respect to winds, it would be some one-third nearer in virtual travelling time. The opening of this route, too, would be the opening of a new world to our commerce. While for nearly half its length it is already the great direct road to Columbia and California, it would pass through the ocean washing the shores of the rich unrifled countries of New Granada, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chili, and Peru-it would approach the Sandwich Islands, the Fejees, and the young French colonies of Oceana-it would thread its way through hundreds of fertile islands now slumbering in their summer seas, but which need only the magic touch of Steam to awaken them to their wealth, and to turn them into producers of oils, ores, gums, dyes, sugars, cottons, and many a staple of export trade-and it would be a route running through salubrious latitudes; and a great, free, open, ocean route which the complications of foreign war could never close. The Ministry of Louis XV. thought that Canada was a few acres of snow"-the Ministry of Queen Victoria appear to think that our noble group of Australasian colonies is but the dwelling-place of a handful of drunken diggers. Restitution of Pacifico clothes-bags, squeaks and squabbles of Lilliput German courts, pacifications of Ionia, or other little pot soon hot-these, and the like, are the subjects which claim the attention and task the powers of a British Ministry; and our fifty colonies and our seven millions of colonists are small deer, who may stand on the back stairs and be served after their betters. Had it not been for this, had any Government of the last ten years been able to forget the babble of the nursery, and to awaken to the fact that Europe was no longer the world, this great "Panama Highway" through the South Pacific, despite the wretched jealousies of the muddle-headed men of Victoria and South Australia, would have been opened long ago, and given us easy access to countries richer in the raw materials of wealth than Belgium added to Germany and Germany put to France.* The following communication from an old and influential New Zealand Colonist is so good an exposition of the whole question of the Panama Route, that, pressed as I am for space, I present it to the reader : THE PANAMA ROUTE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND EXAMINER." SIR,-I enclose for publication a correspondence between the Chairman of the Postal Packet and Telegraph Committee and myself, in the hope that colonists who are in this country, and who are favourable to the Panama route, will at once come forward and petition the Imperial Government to be heard before the committee which is now sitting. Is it not worth our while to move publicly in the matter? Are we to be as apathetic for the next seven years as we have been for the last five, and allow the Government to believe that we care little whether we have the Panama route or not. Are we quietly to allow a new and fortnightly line to come into operation, which will be of little or no use to New South Wales, Queensland, or New Zealand? The exposure which has lately taken place before the Postal Packet Committee, not only this, but last session, regarding the renewal of the Dover, the Cunard, and the Galway contract, will, I am *It would, however, be ungracious not to admit that the Prince's visit to the American colonies has been a right royal recognition of the value and importance of colonies; and the best thing the Ministry could now do would be to let the Prince inaugurate the opening of a Great Panama Route to the Southern Gold Fields, become the first Royal Passenger, and go to receive as warm a welcome in Australasia as he did in America. inclined to believe, much favour the Australasian colonies. Having attended the Postal Packet Committee every day of its sitting, except two days, I fancy I can give almost as good an opinion on the subject of the inquiry as any member of the Committee, and my opinion would be simply this :-In place of the heads of the several Government departments being the chief parties to grant contracts, it appears that the privileges have been allowed to the financial and private secretaries and chief clerks. The blue book of the report of evidence taken, when published, will be a very curious document, and well worth perusal. Some of the contracts of hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling, money which has been lavished on pet steam-packet companies for the conveyance of mails to foreign countries will, I trust, before long be cancelled. Then, and not till then, will there be considered sufficient subsidising money left to convey the colonial mails. If four or five influential Eastern Australian colonists will meet me, and name their own place of meeting, before it is too late, I think, with but little trouble, we may effect our wishes, and get what we are fairly entitled to, the Panama route-more especially as New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand, have positively refused to subsidise the fortnightly line via Suez. Hoping these few lines will cause immediate action, I remain yours obediently, 15, Delamere Terrace, Hyde Park, W. April 28, 1860. WALTER BRODIE. TO THE HON. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE POSTAL PACKET COMMITTEE. 15, Delamere terrace, Hyde-park, W., April 2nd, 1860. SIR, Last June the Government tenders, which had been advertised for the previous six months, for the conveyance of mails from this country to New South Wales viá Panama and New Zealand, were sent in to the Admiralty at Somerset House; in consequence of which the Australian colonists naturally expected that the Government would have taken immediate action for the forwarding of the mails by so desirable a route. But, unfortunately for all parties concerned, the Government determined upon no action being taken in the matter until it was referred to a Select Committee (Postal Packet Committee, 1859), and their report laid before the House of Commons. Unfortunately the Dover case occupied the said committee during the whole time of their sitting last session. Such being the case, the Australians naturally expected that during the sitting of the Committee this session, some of them, who had collected much information during the recess relative to the Panama route, might be examined before your committee. But to our surprise, when we appeared at your committee-room on the 2nd March last, we were informed by the chairman (pro tem.), Mr. Laing, that it was not the intention of the committee to go into any evidence relative to the Panama postal route; but "simply to report upon contracts, extending over periods of years, which have from time to time been modified by her Majesty's Government, for conveyance of mails beyond seas, &c." Sir, although many of us can give information required by your committee relative to the subject now before you, our general information is so much mixed up with, or I should say, dovetailed into, the Panama route, that we should feel obliged if your committee would allow us a special hearing after the Easter holidays. There is no doubt that the western portion of the Australian colonies (Melbourne, South Australia, and Tasmania) are against the Panama route, from jealousy alone. The chief reason why the above-named colonists are opposed to such route is, that via Panama, the Eastern Australian Colonies (New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand,) will then be placed upon the same footing and have the same advantages which Melbourne, Tasmania, and South Australia have had for so many years by the Suez route. By the Panama route, all the colonies would be placed, as far as possible, on the same footing as regards the postal service. At present, New Zealand, which is charged with her portion of the Suez route postal expenses, is 42 days behind South Australia, 39 days behind Melbourne, and 37 days behind Tasmania; and we are still called upon to pay our share for a line which, comparatively, is not of the slightest benefit to us. Before we receive our letters in Auckland (the seat of Government), South Australia has actually answered her letters, and sent them home by the |