Page 555 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 523
eleven days. Pie was nineteen days going by sea, in a sailing
vessel, from Trieste to Alexandria, a distance of 1,2(55 miles;
proceeding to Rosetta by donkeys, 33 miles; to Cairo,
150 miles, by boat; and to Snez, 12 miles, by camel.
He arrived there on the 8th of December, being nearly twelve
days on the journey, including a delay of tliree days. He
waited at Suez, in expectation of the steamer 'Enterprise,'
which he understood had sailed from Bombay to that ])()rt, and
left, on the i)tli, in a native boat, for Cosseir, which he reached on
the 13th, and, after a further delay of five days, proceeded to
Jiddah (a distance of 660 miles from Snez) which he reached
on the 23rd of December. The time occupied in getting to
Jiddah from London, was thus forty-one days sixteen hours.
At Jiddah he learned that the 'Enterprise' was not expected,
and, alter waiting eighteen days, he again sailed for Bombay
in a native baghalah, but the same day was taken out of her by
the Hon. Company's cruiser ' Thetis,' which arrived at Bombay
on the 21st of March, 1830.
Another rivcxl worker in this field was Mr. J. W. '{'aylor,
agent of some capitalists in London, and brother of ^lajor
Taylor. Resident at Bagdad, who set off from London on tlic
21st of October, 1829, seven days before Mr. Waghorn. reat-hed
Calais the same day, and j\Iarseilles on the 28th. He sailed
for Malta the same day, and arrived at Alexandria on the 8th
Madeira, Cape, Isle of France, Trincomalee, and Madras, carrying mails to and
from tliese places when the season of tlie year will permit, both out and homo.
I would at these ))laees, except IMadras, have my dejiols for coals." At the
meeting of the 30lh of July, 1828, Jlr. J. A. Prinsep was of opinion that Mr.
Waghorn could not succeed in bringing the vessel out in less than eisiiity-live
days, and that letters might be conveyed from Calcutta to Cosseir in twenty-nine
days, thence to Cairo in two days, and thence to London in twenty-three days,
going the entire distance in fifty-four days, instead of eighly-fivc days. Cajitain
Johnston made a few remarks on tlie circumstances which he considered teniled
to the partial failure of the 'Enterprise' in making her voyage to India within
the s)iecified time. He spoke of jMr. Waghorn, from personal knowledge, as an
individual of persevering industry and unshaken self-possession in the liour of
danger; and he said he considered that if any person could carry the projected
speculation into effect, it woidd be iVlr. Wagiiorn. He said he, felt convinced
that a vessel of proper dimensions would make the voyage in seventy days ; but,
at the same time, he was certain she would never ])ay tiie necessary expenses.
He differed from Mr. Waghorn on one ))arl of his jilan. The inacliinery for a
vessel of 280 tons would be UtO tons, am! if he adiled ISO tout of coal to make
up her registered toiuiage, slie would be tt)0 heavy at leaving jiort ; lie wouhl,
therefore, suggest to Mr. Wagiiorn the expediency of having another depot of
coals, so that the vessel may at no time be too deeply latlen, and ho may bo
better able to ensure success. The meeting camo to the resolutioti that "should
no speculation promising greater or equal success be undertaken before the lOth
of February, 1829, the unappropriated fimd for the encouragement of steam
ravi^ation "shall, under proper security, be applied for the pur|x>se of enabling
Mr. Wa'diorn to carry his jilan into cxcrution." Mr. Waghorn stated that the
snpport he had received and been ))ronnsed did not make up tlio amount of tlie
outlay (including £1,000 of his owni; and tliat ho was about to i>r(>eeed to
Madras, Isle of France, and the Cape, for further eneour.igement ; but tiiat, if
he failed to raise the sum specified, be should not attempt ibo experiment.