Genre:

Regular Feature, Miscellaneous

Subjects:

Transport, Steamships, Engineering, Exploration

    The writer discusses the 'soothing' feelings aroused by an 'old familiar face'. Observing that distance of place sometimes has the same effect as length of time, the writer considers that there can be little of this sentiment in Britain: 'The abominable facility of travelling by fly-coaches and steam-packets gives us all a species of ubiquity—we are here and there and every where'. This does not apply to distant lands: there are only sailing ships to Africa or Asia, 'The Bay of Biscay and the sands of Arabia equally defy Mr. M'Adam', and 'The Niger is not navigated by steam-boats, nor are the deserts of Africa accommodated by post-coaches passing every hour' (350). An editorial footnote notes that the writer 'does not take cognizance of "The Enterprise" [a steam-vessel which sailed to India in 1825] and the creations of our great two-hundred horse power Watt'. (351)