The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-22 00:00:00

The Indian Telegraph Cable.

Oa the Mekran coast, about 250 miles west of
Kurrachee, the peninsula of Ras Noo is joined to the
mainland by a narrow sandy isthmus, on which is
Gwadar, a wretched town of mat-and-mud-built
houses, inhabited chiefly by Beloochees, but subject
to the Imaum of Muscat, who is represented by an
Arab governor and guard. To the north of Gwadur
the soft friable sandstone, the prevailing formation
along the coast, increases in height and irregularity,
the mountain ridges taking every conceivable form
of pinnacle and buttress until they appear like a
series of vast ruined castles and cathedrals. To the
west extends a circular bay, some nine or ten miles
across, with a regular sandy bottom, admirably
adapted for receiving a submarine cable, and here
commences the first section of the Indian cable, the
land line eastward to Kurrachee being already com-
pleted and the telegraph-office in full operation, to
the great marvel of the natives as well as of the
chiefs, who come down to Gwadur with their re-
tainers as far from the interior as the neighbour-
hood of Herat.

Oa the evening of the 4th of February all the
steamers and cables belonging to the section (which
had met at the rendezvous some days previously,
with a punctuality auguring well for the future
success of the expedition), having landed the heavy
shore cable, started westward for Mussendom. The
Victoria had been previously stationed on the
course, some miles out at sea, to mark the first point
where the cable might have otherwise run some
danger of being le,id upon an' unsuitable bottom.
The Coromandel, with Col. Stewart, R.E., on board,
piloted the course; following her, the Zezobia towed
the Kirkham, Sir Chas. Bright and his staff laying
and testing the cable from her at the rate of about
five miles an hour.

At noon on the sth, 75 miles were laid, and at
half-past 10 on the morning of the following day,
having finished the 187 miles on board the Kirkham,
the squadron came to anchor in lat 25 19 N, long 59
9 E, off Ras Mundanny, a spit of low swampy land
between Ras Tank and Ras Zegin.
On the afternoon of the 7th, having joined the
end to the cable on board the Marian Moore, the
ships started again, the Kirkham returning to Bom-
bay in tow of the Semiramis. At 9 30 a,m. on the
Bth the ships anchored off Ras Jask, at the entrance
to the Gulf, 268 miles being laid, and waited until
the evening, so as to make the Arabian coast on the
following morning.
Shortly after midday on the 9th, 357 milea hav-
ing been laid, the Marian Moore anchored near the
landing place at M9lcolm's Inlet, a sandy inlet 10
miles in length, surrounded by steep and sterile
mountains, and about 14 miles from Cape Mussen-
dom, which gives its name indefinitely to the adja-
cent land. _ _ . _

The shore-end was landed on the 13th, the in-
terim being occupied in erecting a short length of
land line and fitting up tents and accommodation for
the operators. On the 14th the Marian Moore, with
Messrs. Laws, Webb, Alexander, Lambert, and
other engineers and electricians assisting in the
work, started for Bombay, in tow of the Zenobia,
to prepare and bring up the Tweed and Assaye,
which arrived there with an aggregate of 730 miles
of the cable on Feb. 6 and 13 respectively. So far
nothing could have been more successful, the
cab.e when laid being in very far higher elec-
trical condition than any other line yet submerged,
and having been laid without the smallest draw-
back or embarrassment either mechanical or elec-
trical.
If the other arrangements proceed with equal re-
gularity, we may shortly look for the completion of
tho Anglo-Indian Telegraph, though it is probable
that some little time may intervene between the

completion of the cable in the Persian Gulf and the
establishment of the land lines in Mesopotamia and
Persia on such a footing as to admit of the lines
being opened to the public for the regular carriage
of messages.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE,

TENDRING HUNDRED.

The directors of this company state in their report that
the line from the Hythe to Wivenhoe continues to be
worked under the arrangement with the Great Eastern
Railway Company, and that the results are satisfactory,
although they afford no measure of the success which will
be attained, as regards this portion of the undertaking,
when the lines in connection with it are completed. The
electric telegraph is now in operation along this part of the
line. Notices have been given to all the landowners and
occupiers on the branch line to St. Botolph's, Colchester,
of their land and other property being required for the pur-
poses of the company, and negotiations for the purchase are
now pending. The directors regret that difficulties have
hitherto prevented actual progress in the construction of
this branch; but they confidently expect that it will be
open for traffic by the end of the summer, when all that has
been said of its value will be fully realised.
The accounts show that £24,450 had been received, and
£21,385 expended, leaving a balance of £65.
The report of the directors on the extension to Walton-
on-the-Naze stated that the capital already subscribed is
£26,020, exclusive of the amount (L 28,000) to be subscribed
by the Great Eastern Railway Company, and, satisfactory
as the local subscription may be thought, the directors hope
that they may yet see included in the list the names of many
other landowners and men of influence connected with Col-
chester and the district. The directors have caused certain
clauses to be introduced into the bill now before Parliament,
with the object of insuring the construction of a quarter of
a mile of railway at Wivenhoe, which will be required and
jointly used by this company and the Wivenhoe and Bright-
lingsea Railway Company, and providing, in effect, that
in default of the work being completed by that company at
a fixed date powers for that purpose may be conferred upon
this company, to be exercised at the expense of the Wiven-
hoe and Brightlingsea Company. The latter company have
presented a petition against the clause referred to, and com-
munications are now pending between the two companies.
The receipts amounted to £2,059, and the expenses to
£1,566, leaving a balance of £493. Mr P. Bruff, the
engineer, states in his report that the extension to Weeley
and Walton is of paramount importance to the well-being
not only of the company, but to the town of Colchester and
the important district to be traversed by the line. The line
has been staked, working plans and sections prepared, and
landowners' notices served at the most important parts be-
tween Wivenhoe and Kirby-cross (in the immediate vicinity
at Walton), whence an improved line is to be adopted to
the seaside terminus.

MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLN.

SHIRE.

The total expenses of this company's railways, including
rents, tolls, duty, &c., flora January 1, to March 13,
amounted to £63,561, as against £65,289 for the correspond-
ing period of 1863. The proportion of the South Junction
receipts accruing to this company from January 1 to March
13 amounted to £6,406, as against £5,951 for the correspond-
ing period of 1863, and the expenses to £3,276, as against
£2,591,

SCINDE.

The traffic returns on this company's railway, 105 miles
in length, for the week ending 17th January last amounted
for passengers, parcels, &c., to £305 ; for merchandise,
cattle, &c., to £l,B4o—total, £2,115, or £2O 8s 8d per mile ;
against £l,BBl, or £l7 18s 5d per mile for the corresponding
week of 1863, and £751, or £7 3s per mile in 1E62.