The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the

1855-9] POPULAR GEOGRAPHY. 2QI
really seemed as if globes, maps, and gazetteers
were unknown or inaccessible, and common sense
fast asleep. The outcry increasing in volume and
intensity, Government at length expressed its intention
to call for tenders. How wide-spread was
the delusion was curiously exemplified by the following
incident. Happening to meet at the Athenaeum a
friend, who had long held an important office in the
far East, almost on the shores of the Pacific, a man of
great acquirements and extended information,
once challenged with the inquiry of the day, "Why do
you not establish an Australian mail by the Panama
I was at
route ? " and upon putting the counter-question, " Why
should we ? " was promptly answered, " Because it is
the shortest." I proposed that we should forthwith
submit this allegation to the test of measurement, and,
obtaining a piece of string, we repaired to the large
globe in the drawing-room, where a few moments
settled the question. So far as I was able to analyze
the popular error, it consisted mainly in practical
ignorance
of the enormous breadth of the Pacific
Ocean.
Of course it was not sufficient to convince private
friends ; my
business being to act upon Government,
which seemed to be upon the point of incurring a very
large and very useless expense. I accordingly wrote
a report on the subject, which, as the project may
some day be revived, I give in the Appendix (K).
This, being backed by Lord Colchester, was sent to
the Treasury, and the plan was given up. A line of
steamers across the Pacific was, indeed, afterwards
established by a special company subsidised by the
New Zealand Government, and to this were of
course consigned the mails to New Zealand, and
such other letters, &c., as were specifically directed for
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