LANDING THE CABLE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 47, 18 February 1876, Page 2

LANDING THE CABLE.

[from ottr special corbespokdent.] Taking advantage of the opportunity of witnessing the landing of the cable afforded by an excursion trip in the Charles Edward, one of the smartest of the smart little boats belonging to the Anchor line of steam packets, I and about forty others assembled on the Albion wharf at about 4 p.m. yesterday, and a very little later we started for Schroder's Mistake. After an hour's steaming we could discern the two huge steamers Hibernia and Edinburgh lying under the land, and in a short time the little bight of Blind Bay which has now become so famous throughout New Zealand gradually opened out to our view. To seaward was lying the Hibernia, and about a quarter of a mile nearer the shore the Edinburgh. As we steamed past Mackay's Bluff and were enabled to look further into the little bay, we saw first one boat, then another, then another, and so on until in one long, straight line ten of them were visible, while on shore a strong gang of men, busily engaged upon something, we could scarcely see what, was plainly visible. H Steaming round the Hibernia and past the Edinburgh, we came to an anchor about 300 yards to landward of the latter vessel, and a prettier or more animated spectacle than that which presented itself to our sight it is scarcely possible to imagine. The tiny bay, some three-quarters of a mile deep, and half a mile in width, is of itself sufficiently picturesque, but never before did it show to such advantage. VWe had encountered a heavy swell from the north-east as we steamed up Blind Bay, but here, under the lee of Pepin's Island, these two large ships, 'one of them drawing. 21 feet aft and 17 feefc forward, were lying perfectly motionless, while like so many links in a chain were stationed the ten white boats which connected the Edinburgh with the shore. * But, before I proceed with nay narrative, let me relate what had taken place prior to our arrival. The steamers having anchored — the Edinburgh in six fathoms of water half a mile from the intended landing place — a boat was despatched from her with the end of a rope which was taken ashore and made fast to a huge tree which had been uprooted from its native soil and lodged on the beach as it were for this special occasion. Communication with the land being thus estab- • lished, another boat was sent off with the land end of the cable on board. When she had proceeded far enough, another followed and bore her share of the weighty burden. \Wben No. 2 had as much as she could do to carry her portion of the cable, she was assisted by a third, the two foremost gradually hauling themselves towards the shore by means of the rope, and so on, until, as I have said, there were ten of them in a perfectly straight line, the cable lying in the bights of ropes dependent from the side of each. The end having been thus con>yeyes to laiitf it was seized by a number

of men from the ship and others who had been engaged upon the work of constructing the land line to Nelson, and gradually hauled towards the hut which had been , erected for its reception. And' tiow I must go back to the Charles Edward, which had in the meantime come to an anchor about 300 yards from the Edinburgh. The passengers were divided in opinion, some wanting to go on shore, others to go on board the cable ship. Captain Whitwell, with his well-known courtesy, decided to do his best to please all, and first of all sent two boats ashore with as many as they could carry, and on their return despatched them equally full to the steamer. V. I elected to be among those bound for the shore, being anxious to witness the process of landing the cable. We rowed towards the spot selected for that purpose, and on arriving at the beach bad to jump on land as best we could, most of us getting our boots well filled with water. Not ten yards in front of us was a steep shingle bank from fifteen to twenty feet in height. This separates the sea, as it rolls in to Schroder's Mistake, from an extensive mudflat, which at high tide is covered with the water which pours into it from the back or land aide of Pepin's Island. \ Like a black snake some two inches in diameter the cable stretched away before us up this bank and along the top of it to the house erected for its reception some fifty yards to the westward. One more haul at it was required before the end reached its final resting place, and never was assistance more willingly rendered, for each and all of us felt it to be rather an honor to soil our hands in helping on such an occasion/ The landing was now completed, and tbe line of boats soon became broken, the rope waa released from the tree to which it had been attached, and no visible connection remained between the steamer and the land, bdt we all knew now that there was' a connection, and that it was one which, ere many hours had elapsed, wquld afford us the means of communication with Australia, India, England, America — in fact with every country of importance on the face of the globe. Is it to be wondered at that there rose a cry from our midst, " Three cheers for the cable," or that tbe invitation was responded to in such tones as those shores never heard before? *yM?rom the point at which the cable touches the shore it will be buried in a trench some four feet deep, as it is necessary that it should be kept damp, and out of the influence of the sun. The test house in which the end will be lodged is a small but very strong building, with walls having four distinct thicknesses or linings, as all particles of sand must be kept out of it. The trench is carried up to this building, and from it a sort of box drain sloping upwards through fche floor at an angle of about 45 degrees has been constructed, and through this the cable was passed in our presence. In the middle of this room is a concrete wall some two feet thick, and three feet in height, on which is a cedar slab, and on this the cable end will be fixed for testing purposes whenever they may be requisite. / A few yards from it is the operators' room, but this is only a temporary building, as the site on which the station will be permanently erected has not yet been decided upon. Among those whom we met on shore was Mr Maling, who has been superintending the erection of the land line, and from him we learned that his work had been completed that morning, and. that communication was now open with Nelson. That no time had been lost over it may be imagined from the fact that 51 posts had been put up that morning before 11 o'clock. Indeed the whole work has been carried out with unusual energy, as it is but a fortnight to-day since the spot for landing the cable was definitely decided upon in Wellington, and since then the houses have been built, the posts brought over, and fifteen -mile* of land line erected. It was now time for us to return on board, but before doing so we felt bound to give three hearty cheers for Messrs Lucas and Riddle, the engineers who had superintended the landing, they in their turn proposing cheers for New. Zealand. Just as the work was all over and we were about to embark we saw the Tui steaming round the point of Pepin's Island, having on board Dr Lemon and Mr Shapley, who at once visited the Edinburgh. " All of us being on board once more, the anchor was weighed, and the Charles Edward took us under the bows of the two monster steamers whicb had visited our shores for the purpose of conferring so great a benefit upon the colony, and ifc is scarcely necessary to say that we gave them the loudest cheers that could be raised by our little party, or that they were as heartily answered by the crews. As we steamed homewards those who had been been on shore and those who had visited the steamer compared notes. All seemed equally pleased, and the unanimous verdict was "I wouldn't have missed this trip for any consideration."