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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 168, 16 July 1872, Page 2

Owing to the increase in the number of hares, hare soup is now a common dish at Ballarat, where it is called "puss in boots." The Ueiweras on the shores of Lake Waikaremoana, who used to be a kind of Maori Ishmaelites, are reported to have settled down as tillers of the soil, their industry being; rewarded with "luxuriant crops of potatoes." The second crushing from Sbiel's prospecting claim (the Ajax Company), Inangahua, for a fortnight, consisting of 202 tons of stone, yielded 1200 ozs. of amalgam, which was expected to yield 450 oza of gold. A New M. L. C.— -The elevation of Mr. Lahman, the chairman of the Westland County Council, to the Upper House has given great dissatisfaction on the West Coast, judging from the comments of the press upon the appointment, which are the reverse of complimentary to the gentleman they refer to. The Greymoiith Star, among others, says : — " The Honorable H. 11. Lahman" lives, breathes, and has a being. What has entitled him to such greatness his friends are unable to decifer. Has he done anything, written anything, or said anything to mark him as suitable ,to assist in the work of legislation ? Devoid of ability, aptitude, wealth, dignified demeanor, popularity, or any other qualification which is usually looked upon as fitting a representative in the Legislative Council, the appointment cau be of no earthly benefit, beyond pointing out the necessity for having some change made in the constitution of our Legislature.

The deep sen and laud lives, which in combination join Europe with India, Batavia, aod Australia are shown by the following table : — Mile 3. Falmouth to Gibraltar, via Lisbon (cable) 1,250 Gibraltar to Malta (cable) 931 Malta to Alexandra (cable) 819 Alexandra to Suez (overland wire) ... 224 Siuz to Aden (cable) 1.308 Aden to Bombay (cable) 1,664 Bombay to Madras (overland wire) ... tiOO Madras to Penang (cable) 1,213 Penang to Singapore (cable) 381 Singapore to Batavia (cable) 560 Betavia to Banjoewang (overland wire) 480 Banjoewang to Port Darwin (cable) ... 970 Port Darwin to Port Augusta S.A. (overland wire) 1,800 Total 12,250, Total length oi cable ... 9,146 Total length of overland wire 3,104 Total 12,250 The first two portions of this series are constructed by the Falmouth, Gibraltar, and Malta Telegraph Company, which has a capital of £660,000, the line being laid For remainder of news see fourth page.

in June, 1870. , From Malta the line is continued to Alexandria by the AngloMediterranean Telegraph Company, with a capital of, £260,000. This line, was laid and in full working order some months before the' line to Malta, being in the meantime connected with the formerly existing land lines. This brings the deep-sea line from England to Alexandria, where it joins the overland mail route to India, and a short land line of 224 miles brings us to Suez, at the head of the Red Sea. The next stretch of the wire is from Suez to Bombay, a distance of about 3000 nautical miles. The company formed to execute it is the British - Indian Submarine Telegraph Company,' which has a capital of £1,200,000. The cable, like those of the whole series, was constructed and laid by the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, the contract price being £1,000,000. Of this, £460,000 was paid in paid-up shares of the company, by which the Telegraph Construction Company became a large shareholder in this as in the other companies of the system. The cable was in two lengths, viz., from Suez to Aden, and from Aden to Bombay. The work of laying it was successfully performed early in 1870 by Captain Halpin the well-known commander of the Great Eastern, aided by Mr. Latimep Clarke, one of the engineers of the company. Its completion gave England a deep sea line of communication to India, free from all risks of the land lines, and independent of all continental complications. It has been in full work, without a hitch to the present time.

Before the cable to Bombay was laid other companies were formed to carry on the system to the eastward as far as Singapore, and there branching off to China and Japan in the north-east, and to Batavia and Australia in the south-east. Tho British Indian Extension Telegraph Company, with a capital of £460,000, was formed to carry the line the first stage of the way — viz., to Singapore. This was done in two lengths — viz., Madras to Penang, 1213 miles ; PenaDg to Singapore, 381 miles. Of course the connexion between the end of the former submarine cables and the beginning of the next system, is afforded by the land lines of the Indian Government, the distance from Bomhay to Madras being 600 miles. Singapore is the peint of divergence of the China and Australian lines. The China line is continued by the China Submarine Telegraph Company with a capital of £525,000, the line being laid in two sections, the first consisting of a cable of 1640 miles in length, reaching to Hong Kong ; and the second about 1000 miles in length, extending from Hong Kong to Shanghai. At the same time projects were also mooted for carrying on the line to Posietta, on the Russi.n Pacific coast, and so to afford communication with Japan, hut we are unaware of the stage of advancement of this proposed extension. It is to be observed that when completed, it will afford a second line to Europe, as at this point the line would join with the existing Russian land lines through Siberia to Western Europe and England.

At Singapore, the British-Australian line commences. It runs by cable to Batavia a distance of 560 miles, thence through Java by overland wire to Banjoewang 480 miles, aud again by cable to Port Darwin 970 miles. The company was formed in Loudon, with a capital of £600,000. The capital was readily, nay, eagerly subscribed, and the work was, of course, entrusted to the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company. The company contracted to land their cable and make the connection with Port Darwin by 1872, and a month before that time, as readers well know, the cable was laid and in working order. The work was performed without a hitch, and in the most uneventful manner, and the master of the telegraph station at Singapore was surprised on November 20, to find that the expedition had done its work, and that Australia hed been joined to the great telegraphic system that now forms a loose network nearly around the globe. And thus the long line we have been following across the wreck-strewn bottom of the Bay of Biscay; in the blue depths of the Mediterranean, down in the heated waters of the Red Sea, across the broad stretch of the Arabian Sea, through Central India, again plunging into the sea in the Bay of Bengal, threading the channels of the Straits of Malacca, crossing through the rich tropical scenery, and amidst the towering volcanoes of Java, then once more diving down into the coral depths of the ocean, finally making its landing on the low mangrove-covered shores of North Australia.

A Railway Collapse. •— - The Tasmanian, correspondent of the Australasian says :— For a time, at.least, the Launceston and Western Railway will; be closed to the public. The directors -say that the cost paaiutenanc© w^b too ; great .for,' them*

Government offered to advance £100 per week to assist in keeping open, tbe line, provided the commissioners would have a vote in the expenditure, but as it was inferred that they would go in for reduction, the directors refused to go on unless the payment of £100 per week was to commence as from March last. This could not he acceded tos and on Saturday afternoon the train made its last trip. Although it is at the season of the year when there is the least traffic, the stoppage will cause much inconvenience. The coaches have been run off, the horses belonging to them have been disposed of, there will be a delay and a difficulty in the delivering of the mails, and with this annoyance and loss, I cannot but think that " some one has blundered."