The Express.
London, England, 1860-05-24 00:00:00

BY 11011 DANISH ROOM

London to Inverness
Inverness acmes the Sutherland mountains
to Cape Wrath l9O
Came Wrath to Faroes 3OO
Faroe* to Iceland 3OO
Across Iceland
Iceland to South Gremdand 650
Acme Greenland lOO
Greenland to Labrador
Over the unexplored ecentry d Labrador by
the nearest route to join the American
system, at the least SOO

3478

Add 15 per cent. of slack to the sea portions ---
-
of the line

3773

To work this line of nearly four thousand miles at any
remunerative speed would require relays at each broken
point, in all not less than fourteen sets of relays, to be
worked in synchronous connection each with each. These
separate links, especially from their circuitous course, find
south to north, then east to west, and lastly north to south,
would, more than in any other quarter of the earth, be sub-
ject to the adverse influences of earth currents, magnetic
storms, aurora borealis, accidents, and other disturbing
causes, always more. incident to long and frequently broken
circuit., and any one of which would destroy for days the
synchronous working of the relay system, sod reduce the
operation at least to one of slow and tedious repetition from
station to station. The statement, therefore, that the mi.
'dream, or oven the avenge, speed through a circuit of such
• character, would be anything like 20 words per minute, is,
to ray the least, a very hold assertion.
But by the Atlantic cable a massage would leap at one
bound from the Old World to the New, and could be
transmitted day by day at the rate of twenty words per
minute if necessary, through • new cable, constructed in
aceordance with that knowledge which the experience of
the Atlantic Telegraph Company has brought to bear ou
this subject, and would find at its terminus direct wires
and special facilities for its further transmission to what-
ever part of the American continent it might be destined.
In the instance, too, of the Ireland and Newfoundland
route the message would pass throughout from one portion
of her Majesty's dominions to another, and would only be
repeated at Valentin ; while, by the Danish route, it would
be imposaible to gwirantee either secrecy or despatch, espe-
cially as it is, I believe, a part of the scheme that a direct
cable is ultimately to be taken from the Faroe. to Denmark,
without communication with this country.
Neither is there any foundation for the statement that
the recent discoveries in electrical science have shown, or in
the least tended to show, that the cable from Ireland to
Newfoundland would be at all difficult to work at a largely
remunerative rate, and it betrays great wont of scien-
tific knowledge, to say the least of it, that such
a statement should be advanced by persons who profess to be
so well acquainted with Atlantic telegraphs, when the well
known fact remains that although previously to the actual
submersion of the original cable there were sumo few who
doubted its working capabilities, it is now admitted not
only that that cable, if it be repaired, will become an ex-
ceedingly valuable poverty, but that as to future cables of
the same length the application of a very simple and incon-
trovertible scientific law into their construction, and the use
of suitable instruments for the reception of the electric sig-
nals through them, will enable the telegraphist to attain a
weed so accelerated as to far outstrip in practical and con-
tinuous working the apparently plausible but really trouble-
some and expensive system of short and broken circuit..
The whole question of deep sea telegraphy has however
during the past eight months been under earnest consider.
tion and investigation by a committee appointed by the
government for that purpose. Every gentleman whose
position and experience in telegraphic matters enable him to
afford information has been examined. Experiments upon
all the important points requiring further examination have
been made, and the result, verbatim, will, I expect, be
shortly laid before parliament, and will illustrate the per-
fect practicability of deep and long sea telegraphs far better
than anything I can say on the subject.
In desiring of you the favour of inserting these remark+, I
wish it to he understood that their only object is to place
the Atlantic Telegraph Company in its fair position as an
earnest labourer in a great and well-considered work, and
to remove as far as possible the injurious effect of assertions
sod imputations which wore uncalled for and inaccurate.
I further desire it may be understood that what I have
said is in Ito way dictated by any spirit of hostility to the
proposed covey of the Northern Atlantic or any other
telegraphic route. On the contrary, the Atlantic Telegraph
Company itself some considerable time since applied to the
government on this very subject of further ocean surveys,
and it is only a feeling of deep interest in the ultimate con-
nexion of England and Americo by one or other, or both, of
the routes, if practicable, which induces me to remark upon
this point that if her Majesty's government does consent to
incur the expense of making Arctic or other surveys, great
care should be taken that these surveys are made in a per-
fectly independent and complete manner, and that the
results should be accessible for the benefit of the whole
world.
I would further remark that any survey of the Greenland
coast, with the view to ascertain its capabilities as a cable
station, would not be is the least conclusive or satisfactory
if it does not embrace at least eight or nice monde resident
examination of the coast on loch sides ; as the practica-
bility of that route for telegraphic purposes will depend,
not merely upon tko possibility of laying the cable, but
upon the probability of its remaining intact, and the facili-
ties for repairing it when broken.-1 ani,
GEO. SAWARI),
Secretary of the Atlantic Telegraph Company.
22, Old Bread-street, London, May 19.

COPPER DISCOVERIES IN CANA DA.—WO have
favourable aeeounss of the copper mines et Acton. The
Montreal Adrertiare states that Mr. Sleeper, the lessee, la-
terals to quarry and dress a block of copper We for the ex-
hibition of several tons weight, a specimen of the mineral
riches of Canada which cannot he equalled by the whole
srorlit He offsrs, also, to supply the government at •
moderate price with blocks large enough to punish skin
for the decoration of the interior of the parliament build-
ing. at Ottawa. Polished slabs of variegated ore would
make • magnificent decoration, vastly rn,re beautiful than
the Cud malachite.—Canaiton News.