The Express.
London, England, 1857-03-18 00:00:00

TELEGRAPHS TO 11D14.

There are two schemes for uniting India to this
country Ly means of a telegraph. Both take their starting
point at Alexandria, and both terminate at Kurrachte,
where they become connected with the Indian system et
telegraph* The our line is submarine to Jaffa and Selene*
then i vertind through Mesopotamia to Boman, and this
submarine down the Persian Gulf to Eurrachee. The other
is overland through Egypt to SUET, then submarine doers
the Red Sea to Aden, and, running parallel to the eon*
oast of Arabia, terminates at Kurrachee.
The difference its length on the distance from England to
India is 300 miles in favour of the line by the Euphrates.
By each, the communication from one end to the otter will
be Instantmeous. The overland portion of the Euphrates
line is to traverse 1,000 miles of country, only nominally
under the rule of Turkey, but practically poseessed and ruled
by numerous tribes of Bedouin Arabs, capable of bringing
into the field many thousand armed men, and, like all sa-
vages, never at peace with one another. They live by
plundering the crops of the settled Arabs along tha
bank* of the river, by exacting the tribute from
them which should be paid to the Porte, by
plundering caravans, and, in short, by acquiring propriety
by any means but their own industry. Such arc the people
it is proposed to protect the telegraph against—a telegraphs
be it remembered, which, unlike the proposed railway, saves
a far lea dhance, and nothing whatever in speed, ease sr
economy in the transmission of news.
The telegraph will require as efficient, and therefore es
costly, protection as the railway ; once that wade, it would
follow as a matter of cowrie. But what chances there of
the railway being completed for many many years to thitherd
of the Persian Gulf P General Charney's concession only
gives hint powers to lay the rails, and only secures the gua-
rantee of interest as far sa J'aber Castle, a distance of 180
miles out of 1,000. As to the remainder of the distance,
there is only reserved to him an exclusive right to criminal
the line.

Now we require immediate telegraphic communication
with India. Aro we to wait for the railway to be completed?
If we do not, and the line down the Euphrates is really per-
severed in, independent of the railway, let the cost, both is
money and political dangers, be at least first calculated.
Fiat, as to the cost of protection and maintenance. A body
of 15.000 cavalry is considered by the most competent autho-
rities as creamery for the protection of the line. It is in-
deed proposed, instead of having troops, to subsidise the
Arab tribes ; but no doubt can be entertained but that both
place would hove to be adopted. Would subsidies indeed at
all mown the safety of the line? Each tribe would consider
itself underpaid, as composed to some other; they
would all have a direct interest in destroying the
telegraph to force increased subsidies: they would look
upon the owners of the telegraph as a body with unlimited
means, upon the telegraph as necessary to the existence of
the British empire, and with the rapacity natural to ignorant
minds, would take every mean. and every opportunity et in-
creasing their demands, never ones thinking they might
thereby be killing the goose with the golden eggs.
Now, as to the political coot We shall undoubtedly
excite to the highest degree the jealousy of Russia,
Penn, and Prance. Political interference will be perpetu-
ally required to get the Porte to keep the protecting army
to ito duty to punish troublesome Bedouin tribes, and tor a
thonmand other purposes.
But will the line by the Euphrates and Persian Gulf beat
least more useful as a Redline then that by the lied Sc.?
Very fir from it. The Red Sea is the highway for commend
to India, Australia, China, and England, and the most im-
portant nets antsges will be Afforded to ships by enabling then
to rend and receive instantaneous news on the plumage; for
instance, at Aden and Suez. There is scarcely any trade in
the Persian Gulf or Euphrates Valley.
Do any of the above objections apply to the lied Bea ?
Not one of them. The cost of maintenance and protection
will te restricted to the stations, which are to be en the sea-
shore, where they eon be supplied by a ship ; they are to be
either at military stations, or et Ilsefteir or Jiddah, or on
British toirilory, as Aden and Rouen. Mooria, or under tho
protection of the thorium of Muscat, in whose dominions Nos
have by treaty the privilege of owning property, who bee
an array, a fleet, a settled government, and with whom sos
are repreeentod by a consul and agent. Complete charts end
soundings exist front Suez to %u re and the canceseina
are obtained ; the Euphrates company bas no concession
as yet.

The A khbor of Algiers, of the 10th, states that a
grand huntieg match, organised by the departmental Arab
bureau, took place two days before in the forest of Ilogtaia
A number of amateurs of the city, and several foreigaers
Algiers for the winter, took part in the sport. About ale*
Immo-nen and nearly 200 beaters were !event, and the
result a the day's annuetnent was the death of tight
burs, which were brought beck in triumph to Algier