Falmouth Packet Archives 1688-1850    |     home

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Egypt & India (via Malta)

FP 22/1/1830: Important Packet Intelligence;

The Meteor, Admiralty Steamer, directed to take the next Mediterranean mails by the same conveyance also we understand the mails for India will be despatched for the purpose of ascertaining the practicability of expediting the communications between Great Britain and her East India possessions.  After leaving the mails at Malta, the steamer will proceed to Egypt with mails for India, transmitted across the Isthmus to Suez and there taken charge by the Enterprise Steamer, which sailed some time since from London for that purpose.  "of the success of this experiment we think there can be little doubt"

[in the event, mails for India did not leave until the next Steamer to Malta]

FP 8/5/1830: H. M. Steamer Meteor Lt. Symons for the Med.

FP 26/2/1831: H.M. Steamer Meteor, Lt. Symons arrived Falmouth 25 February, 1831, on board: Sir John Malcolm KCB, late Governor of Bombay and suite.  Hugh Lindsay, Steamer, reached Cosser 27 December, 2700 miles in 16 days 9 hours - including 5 days detention on the passage in various ports of Arabia to obtain supplies of fuel.  Using steam 7-8 weeks, mail could be sent and replies received in the space of time now taken to our Eastern Empire round the Cape.