MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 151, 9 January 1847, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Flag to be Sold. — A flag — a little worn — with "No Surrender" incribed upon it, is offered to the collectors of national relics. The flag has been used in the campaigns of

the Corn-law and the Sugar questions, and will now go at a price very much reduced from its original cost. Should the flag be again required in any future service, a liberal sum will' be given for the loan. Apply for terms to the Duke of Richmond, post paid* — Punch.

Fact. — Some weeks ago, in consequence of Sir R. Peel's Corn-law measure, the Perth weavers received a considerable advance on the weaving of umbrella ginghams, and various other fabrics. A.t the end of last week a further advance was given for such descriptions as are likely to find merchants in the Brazilian and Cuba markets, in prospect of being opened to British enterprise by an abolition of the differential duty on sugar. We know some of the most respectable firms in Perth that would give employment to many more hands than they can at present procure, and will, we have little doubt, be disposed to advance the wages still further, as soon as the Sugar Bill shall have passed what is termed"the ordeal of the House of Lords." — Edinburgh Weekly Register.

Submarine Telegraph. — Portsmouth, July 22. — Daring the last few days some very interesting experiments have been made in the dockyard and on board her Majesty's ships Pique and Blake, with a portion of the submarine telegraph intended to be laid across this harbour under the sanction of the Lords of the Admiralty Commissioners. The quantity of the telegraphic wire already perfected, with which these experiments were made, is about half of the entire length that will be required to reach from the victuallingyard at Gosport, where the present line of telegraphic communication terminates, to the Admiral's official residence on this side. The experiments were made under the superintendence of Mr. Hay, the chymical referee and lecturer to the dockyard. The galvanic batteries used on the occasion consisted merely of five single jars, one inch and a half by four, on Smee's principle^/ The first experiment tried, was to test the gravity of the wire, in order to ascertain whether the substances used to secure perfect insulation might not have rendered the wire too buoyant. This, however, was satisfactorily proved not to be the case ; for, upon its being payed out from the stern of her Majesty's ship Blake, its gravity was found quite sufficient for the deepest water. The index used most satisfactorily tested the capabilities of the invention, being one which had been constructed for the conveyance of signals for short distances — a mere model, made by Mr. Hay, for the inspection of the Admiralty, by which communications might be made from the bridge of steam-vessels to the engine room below. The electric fluid was made to traverse the whole length of the submarine telegraph, which, having been carried out in a bight, from the Blake by the boats in attendance, was allowed to sink to the bottom. The signals were as promptly shown by the index as though merely transmitted from the deck to the engine-room, passing so many fathoms through the salt water, thus proving beyond doubt the practical success of this mode of conveying intelligence even across the sea. Several other experiments were tried with other wires, differently insulated, but neither as regards gravitation nor as regards giving a perfect communication, were these modes of insulation equal to that decided upon by the inventors. In establishing the electric telegraph across a harbour so crowded with shipping as this generally is, the practical difficulty arising from the possible disturbance of the telegraph,, is the only one which the projectors had to contend with, for it is now proved beyond doubt, that the electric fluid can be transmitted through the water with the same facility as it is along the lines in operation on land. The mode of conveying these electric communications on land, however perfect, could not be adopted across a broad channel of the sea, and hence the present telegraphic communication between the dockyard and the Admiralty in London has been imperfect, because the impediments in conveying it across the water have been deemed insurmountable. Not that there was any difficulty in conveying the electric fluid through the water, because the known laws of electricity have always shown this to be feasible, but because of the difficulty in laying down a line of conveyance which should not be interfered with by the casualties of the harbour. The projectors of the present plan being nautical as well as scientific men have surmounted this apparent obstacle, which the mere scientific have hitherto not been able to overcome. The importance of these experiments is obvious, f ,for if the communication can be carried across Portsmouth Harbour, it follows as a matter of course, that it may with at least equal facility, be carried from headland to headland, where it cannot be interfered with by the anchorage of numerous vessels. Thus .between Great Britain and France, or any other country separated only by the sea, distance is annihilated. In fact this new mode of telegraphic communication appears to be one of those

wonders which, however strange now, will he looked upon hereafter as a thing of course, and it is scarcely too much to expect that in 'less than half a century a merchant -may communicate with his agents in Calcutta in the -morning, and receive his reply before sitting down to his supper in the evening.