Carrier Pigeons

Taaffe wasn't all that dim, and it didn't take him long to see the problem.

"What if the two assistant governors disagree?"

"Then you make the decision."

"Me?"

"Of course! By the time the information reaches Vienna and a reply gets sent back, at least two months will have passed."

Information could be sent using a combination of pigeons and ships. If they relied solely on ships, then even if everything went smoothly, a round trip would take at least four or five months.

Incidentally, the fastest method of communication at the time was by carrier pigeon. But in terms of cost alone, it was actually far more expensive than transporting messages by ship.

First, to ensure safety and reliable communication, no two pigeon stations should be more than a thousand kilometers apart. Ideally, the distance should be no more than five hundred kilometers. This meant building a large number of stations along the route, all of which required considerable upkeep.

Second, they needed a large number of trained pigeons. To guard against unexpected mishaps, five pigeons were usually needed for each letter, released separately on five different occasions to ensure it arrived safely.

Communication between the stations also required a large number of pigeons.

Carrier pigeons usually flew between 300 and 2,000 kilometers. Some could cover 2,700 kilometers, and pigeons that flew 3,000 kilometers—the distance from Beijing to Hami—weren't unheard of, but those were exceptional cases.

The average speed of a carrier pigeon was 76 kilometers per hour. They could also fly in a straight line, making them much faster than ships.

The drawback of this method was its high cost, but before telegraph lines were laid, it was already the fastest option available.

Communication by sea could also cover a shorter distance than sailing all the way around.