THE TRANS – AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAPH.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 213, 14 June 1872, Page 3

THE TRANS - AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAPH.

(FROM TIIE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER, MAY 21.)

A FEW days ago it was notified that the Government had by wire message communicated with Mr Lewis, who has been pushing across the continent, with a lot of breeding mares, sires, and other stock, era route for the country on the No-th Coast, where this p ; omer squatter purposes forming a horse station. To this telegram, sent about a distance of 120 miles, the Executive received an answer within three hours. The object of the negotiations was the purchase of Mr Lewis's horses, but as the authorities could not secure enough for their purpose, they have finally'’ arranged with the owner to hire his entire working stock, comprising 25 horses with pack and riding saddles and camp equipage. Mr Lewis and his two men have likewise been engaged under an agreement which provides for adding the strength of this party to the other constructors. This extra force will probably reach Tennant’s Creek by May 25, and when the spare horses at that place and the Bourke ,are added to Mr Lewis’s contigent, there will be an accession of 32, all of them fit for express service, and likely to be used in keeping up communication with the south and north ends of the line as it is wired by the ad/anting constructing parties. It is proposed to send four men from Barrow’s Creek to aid the other three, and R. P. Boucaut will be placed in charge. He has been directed at once to make for Daly Waters, and there take instructions from Mr Patterson or the officer in charge. In the vicinity of Newcastle Waters a central depot will be formed. It is believed that the timely help to be afforded as the result of the arrangements mentioned will permit of a reliable estafette being established over the gap in the line at the beginning of July, or even earlier than that should substantial progress have been made by the Northern T rritory construction parties. According to the advices to hand, Mr Patterson did not expect that in the middle of June the portion unfinished would exceed 250 miles —a distance that, with relaj's of good horses at easy stages, might be traversed regularly in five or six days, and thus communication could be kept up at stated intervals. The two ends of the wire will of course, week by week, be brought nearer, l'or of the uncompleted portions of the line 45 miles north of Tennant’s Creek are poled ready for wiring, and full}' 25 additional miles, it is hoped will have been prepared for the same process by June 30.

There is every reason to anticipate as the result of the course pursued by the Government a speedy utilization of those portions of the overland line that are already finished. Communication with Port Darwin is likely to be made good far sooner than would have been possible had not the reinforcements here mentioned gone forward. By breaking up parties otherwise engaged, or diverting men and horses from the great labour of construction, an express service could have been started, hut not with the hopeful prospect that now presents itself.