The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 48, 24 April 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1863.

AYrtr.N Sir V\ T ill'am O'Shavujhnessy succeeded in IS-iO in connecting the banks of the Hoody by means of a submarine tck'g:\:ph, he little thought that before the lapse of a quarter of a century tho Atlantic would be spanned hy a similar agency ; that an ever widening system of submarine telegraphic communication wouM be established by the civilised nations of the earth ; and, lastly, tint modern science would stretch vase lengths of the great civilizer of the nineteenth centnry in Australasian wilds, at that time untrodden by the foot of the white man. Such, however, is the case, and this last undertaking— part of a gigantic scheme of telegraphic communicitioii for connecting Great Britain with India, China, and the Australian colcv.iss —is one of the greatest interest and importance to New Zealand settlers. Many years will certainly not go by without a line being established throughout the entire length of these Islands, from Auckland in the North to the Bluff Harbor in the South ; and by means of swifc steamers between the last mentioned port and the Australian coast, weshall.on thecompletion of an Anglo-Australasian line of telegraph, be placed within a short distance of London. So far back as 1808, we believe, the question of telegraphic communication betv/eeu Great Britain and the Australian colonies was warmly taken up oy influential men at home. In the following year Mr Gisborue was dispatched to Australia for the purpose of obtain- j ing subsidies for carrying out a part of i the undertaking, but, although he succeeded in obtaining the cordial co-ope-ration of New South "Wales and Victoria, from causes which it is needless here to particularise, the scheme for the time fell to the ground. Recently, however, this great project has been revived, and with a fair probability of its accomplishment, if we may judge from the names of some of those who are interesting themselves most strongly in the matter, and from the growing coaviction in the Australian colonies that, if they would keep pace with the age, this rapid means of communication with the mother country is becoming absolutely necessary. It cannot be denied that there is a point which may, if great judgment be not exercised, cause both delay and ill feeling in connection with

this great telgraph scheme [we allude to the question, which of the four principal Australian capitals shall _ the tele-ira.pb.ic wires firstreach]. There is,at first sight, but one answer, viz., Brisbane, • the chi -f town of Queensland ; but 'there is alieady a feeling against that | decision. The Sydney Empire says on the subject, "It is not to be expected that any three colonies will consent to subsidise a scheme which would give to a fourth colony, the advantage of first receiving all European intelligence ; still less, that any one of the four would be content to be the last in the enjoyment of this privilege. The willing co-Operation of the colonies can only be secured by a plan which gives them all equal advantages." There is a certain amount of reason in the above sentence, but it is clearly debatable, whether, if necessary, the advantage Queensland would derive by being the first station, might not be equalised by the amount of subsidy contributed by that of the other colonies being smaller. The o iginal plan proposed iv 1 8.58, was, that the line should be Irom Java to Brisbane, and that is the lino which it is proposed to a (rain ask the colonist to subsidise. By reference to a very interesting paper recently read before the Queensland Philosophical Society, by MrJ. J. Austin, General Superintendent of Telegraphs, we find the objects of the promoters of the "'Anglo-Austi'a-lian and China Telegraph," to be as follows: — ''To establish telegraphic communication between India and Australia, and between India and China, the effect of which will be to bring Australia and China into nearly instantaneous communication with India, and with each other, and within, say, sixteen da) 3 of G resit Britain." '"'When telegraphic communication is re-established between Egypt, or Turkey in Asia, and India, the communication between Great Biit.ain, China, and Australia will be further reduced from sixteen days to about as many hours." Three lines of telegraph are proposed with the view of carrying out these objects : — lst. A submarine line from Rangoon, the present terminus o? the Indian telegraphs, to Singapore, 1,200 nautical miles, with intermediate stations at Aniherst, King Island, and Penang. 2nd. A submarine line from Singapore to Hong Konsr. ma Sarawak, Labuan, and Manilla, 2,080 miles ; or via the settlement of Saigon, ],(i7B miles. 3rd. From the east, end of Java to Brisbane, a submarine line of 3, 024 miles, with intermediate stations at Coepang, Port Essingdon, Cape York, and Cleveland Bay. The Dutch lines at present connect Singapore with Batavia, and the east end of Jaya — the starting point, of the line last mentioned, and with which the Australian colonies are morn immediately concerned." Mr. Austin then goes on to state that a much heavier cable will bo required than was formerly thought would be necessary, " and for tin's purpose a capital of LI ,000,000 would be necessary to meet the expanse of the Java-Brisbane portion, 3.021 miles.'' But it is tiie opinion of many, and Mr. Austin himself coincides with that view, that it would be far better, both as regards the first cost of the line, and the keeping of it in permanent: repair, that the wires sbould be carried as far as possible ov.-rland, the difference in the cost between that method and the submarine telegraph being considerably more than onethird in favor of the former plan. It is accordingly proposed t;> carry the Australian part of the teli- gr;: ph from Brisbane. Overland as far as the south end of the Gulf of Carpentaria in the vicinity of the Albert River, and there, says Mr. Ant-in, "a route crossing two of Use larg-r ii-ldiuls at the south of tli-j Guif might be adopted, terminating, in the first instance, at Cane Wessell. . • From that point to Cape Van Dieman

from Cape Van Dieman to Coepang ; and thence to Cape Sedano, at the eastern end of Java. 1 ' Interesting as this paper of Mr. Austin's certainly is, we cannot (to awa/w-ith the impression that he appears to put the prosperity of Queensland before the general interests of the Australian colonies. The Si/d---aeij Empire has another plan, whkh appears likely to suit all parties. This journal proposes constructing a branch line from each of the four capitals, viz., Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, to Fortßourke, — equi-dislnnt from those places about GOO miles, and from Fort Bouike the line would have to go by one of the recently discovered routes to Cape Londonderry. There would then be a submarine telegraph to Coepang, and thence to Cape Sedano, in Java. That at some future period these islands will be called upon to form anotJcr link in this magic chain, should be tile hope of every good colonist -, but the day is, we fear, far distant; and perhips the present generation wiil have to rest contented with bridging the xva'inry waste Let ween New Zealand anl Australia by fast-

goui£ steamers. '