Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/212

 month of November, 1854, there was established a communication between London and Melbourne viâ Suez in 64 days, or thereabouts; but in the month named that communication was suppressed in consequence of the exigencies of the war. The Australian postal line was suppressed, but the China line was maintained intact, although the importance of our communication with China is far inferior, in a commercial point of view, to that with Australia. This, however, belongs to the past. Suffice it to say, that for the last eighteen months the transit of letters from London to Melbourne has been effected upon an average in 85 days, and from Melbourne to London in 95 days. This being so, and now that the service is to be reorganized, we may well inquire in which way the object will be best carried into effect. From Dover to Melbourne four routes divide the suffrages of persons interested in the solution of the question. They are as follows, with distances and duration of passage subjoined:—

"The route by way of Diego Gracia has been warmly advocated by the General Association for the Australian Colonies. If the above figures and