The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-08 00:00:00

THE .RED SEA TELEGRAPH.

A letter from Aden, dated Jan. 19, says :—Her
Majesty's ship Cyclops reached this port from Sua-
kin on the 12th inst., and will start again the day
after to-morrow for the south-east coast of Arabia.
Mr. Hartley Gisborne, of the Red Sea Telegraph
Company, goes in her; but it seems undecided
at present whether the Cyclops will be able to com
plete the survey of that coast before she is obliged
to go to Bombay for repairs. Under any circum-
stances, however, a second visit will be necessary,
since'it forms no part of Captain Pullen's enter-
prise to make arrangements on shore for the requi-
site stations, and he must first survey the entire
coast before he cltn point out the most eligible spots
for the landing of the cable. Wlat he has already
done in the Red Sea in this respect is a sufficient
guarantee that he will accomplish his share of the
work in the most efficient manner. With regard
to the shore arrangements the directors of the com-
pany will act wisely if they solicit the home autho-
rities to place them under the auspices of the Bom-
bay Government. The task of entering into agree-
ments with the independent chiefs on this coast, of
explaining our views, and removing their suspi-
cions and prejudices, is one' of considerable delicacy,
and any such agreements are much more likely to
be observed on their part, if backed by the influ-
ence of the nearest British Government on ours.
Neither do I believe that such influence alone will
be adequate protection for all the stations suggested
by the company. These are, as I have already in-
formed you, Maculla, the Kooria Mooria Islands,
and Ras el Hadd. At Maculla there will be no
difficulty in securing an eligible spot, and its con-
tiguity to Aden will be a sufficient guarantee for
the security of the station there. The Kooria
Mooria Islandtbelong now to the British Crown,
having been presented to her Majesty some years
ago by the Imaum of Muscat ; but the chiefs on the
mainland have always denied the Imaum's right to
the territory, and when Capt. Ord landed on them
about four years ago, and commenced removing
the guano, they crossed over in numbers and
obliged him to quit without delay. At present several
British ships are there taking in guano, and the
work has proceeded without molestation ; but when
the supply ceases it would be imprudent to leave a
station on any of the islands without prOper pro-
tection, even though the Arabs may enter into a
treaty not to interfere with it. A small vessel of
war might be sent occasionally from Aden to visit
the place ; but a preferable course would be to
erect a small fort on the island of Hallania, or to
inclose the station premises within a good wall, and
to garrison it with 50 Sepoys. Nothing more
would be requisite, except that it would still be
desirable for one of our cruisers to make a demon-
stration on the coast from time to time. I mention
Hallania because, from all accounts, it promises the
most eligible locality. That island is destitute of
guano, and is inhabited by about 50 poor fisher-
men, who would be ready to welcome any settlers
likely to become a source of profit to them. There
is also a. well of tolerable water there, a few wild
goats, and some cultivable land in the narrow val-
leys. It also possesses a snug harbour or cove on
the western side,. quite sheltered from the heavy
seas of the monsoon. If the cable could then be
carried direct from Hallania to Kurrachee, a dis-
tance of about 850 miles, the difficulty of obtaining
another secure station would be removed. The
company, however, have suggested Rass el Hadd,
but I doubt whether that point will be found
eligible. If ultimately selected we shall be obliged
to protect it, whereas, if the cable is carried round
the Cape to the town of Soor, there will be no ne-
cessity for any such precaution, as the people there
are nominally tributary to the Imaum of Muscat,
and have extensive commercial dealings both with
Bombay and Aden. The influence of the Bombay
Goverment alone would suffice to restrain the
Arabs of that district from molesting the telegraph.
The only objection to this course is that it would
increase the line of cable to Kurrachee by about 60
miles.

You will be glad. to hear that Captain Pullen's
ulterior surveys have confirmed him in the opinion
that the Red Sea offers no difficulties whatever
to the successful submergence of a tele-
graphic cable. He has sounded the mid-channel
from Suez to Perim, and finds the bottom soft
mud from Suez to Jebal Teer, but rock from thence
to Perim. The greatest depth on this line is 1,050
fathoms. He has also sounded the whole extent of
the sea inshore and within the reefs on the eastern
side, and the same from Suez to Suakin on the
western side. He is now anxious to complete the
survey on this line from Suakin to Perim, as he
judges that to be by far the preferable route, the
bottom throughout being much more even, and the
soundings considerably less. Should it prove on
examination that there is a soft bottom from Suakin
.to Perim,' presume that will be the line eventually
selected, since, besides the advantages already
named, the cable will escape the rocky bed between
Jebel Teer and Perim, though that circumstance
does not appear to constitute an objection with tele-
graphists where the soundings are deep. The three
routes, indeed, are perfectly practicable, and the
only question is which is the most eligible. On
that point the company will do well to follow the
advice of Captain Pullen, whose indefatigable
labours on this service are beyond all praise. It is
to be hoped that the chart of his late surveys and
soundings will soon be published by the Admiralty.
It contains much that will be new and deeply inte-
resting to geographers and physiologists.

SIR WILLIAM GORE OUSELEY ON
FILIBUSTERING.

(From the Liverpool Albion)

Her Majesty's ship Vixen arrived at Realejo o,
the 17th December, from Panama direct, having on
board Sir Wm. Gore and Lady Ouseley and suite.
Sir William and his party had proceeded to Leon,
the capital of Nicaragua, where our townsman, Mr.
Thomas Manning, had placed his residence at his
disposal. Sir William Gore Ouseley is specially
commissioned by the British Government to con-
clude a treaty with Nicaragua, and had been
officially received by the President of that Republic,
on the 27th December. On the occasion of pre-
senting his credentials, he made the following
address :—" The Queen, my august Sovereign, has
been graciously pleased to -entrust to me the grati-
fyinetask of cementing the good understanding,
and evincing the feelings of friendly interest that
have ever animated Great Britain towards the State
over which your Excellency so ably presides, by con-
cluding a treaty calculated to produce the best
effects. It would have been to me, at any time,
a pleasing duty to contribute to such an object,
but my efforts will be the more gladly employed at
a moment when the interests of humanity and
policy call for decided action, on the part of civil.'
iced and commercial nations, to defend this and
neighbouring Republics from the piratical attacks
Of lawless men, the effects of whose ruthless
barbarism it is lamentable to witness. The acts of
these misguided adventurers have excited just
indignation in the breasts of enlightened rulers,
of the most powerful maritime nations, on both
siaes of the Atlantic, who have resolved that such
enormities shall no longer be tolerated. All civi:
lised nations have an interest in keeping uninter-
rupted the free passage so liberally granted by
Nicaragua and the neighbouring States across the
territories which Providence has placed under their
independent and lawful sovereignty.
.It is for the
advantage of all that this independence should be
maintained, and that Nicaragua should become one
of the great links between the two hemispheres ;
but no nation has a more direct interest in the
security and neutrality of the transit than Great
Britain. The Queen's dominions on the Atlantic
bring her Majesty's subjects in closer contact with
Central America than the inhabitants of any other
maritime country ; while her Majesty's valuable
Possessions on the Pacific, and
_the vast British

interests in Asia, make it a duty, if not a necessity,
for her Majesty's Government to secure the undis-
turbed passage across these territories. The ready
participation of Nicaragua in this great object will
call for the efficient protection of these routes, and,
indeed, will merit the co-operation of all commer-
cial nations in their defence from such outrages as
those which have, hitherto rendered unavailable
these much-desired lines of transit. I esteem my-
self, fortunate in finding amongst the members of
the present Administration of this country so many
men of distinguished merit, and especially in hav-
ing to treat with a Government at the head of
which
Assemblyi s y -our Exiciae
had
1 ebnnecey.
"The convoked for the Ist of
January, to discuss the treaty, which, it was beyond
all doubt, would be immediately ratified.
' '

NAVIGATION OF THE IND US.

The first vessel of a series which is destined and
expressly constructed for the river traffic of the
Indus between Hyderabad gild Mooltan was yes-
terday tried down-the river in the presence of a •
numerous party of scientific gentlemen and some of
the directors of the Scinde and Punjab Railvvays,
to whose enterprise it is due that steamers reallY
fitted for Indian river navigation are at length
being adopted. The difficulties which have llitherto
lain in the way of keeping up continuous comintl" •
nication along the waterways of the Indian enOre
during the dry season have been chiefly, if not on-
tirely, mechanical ones. Steamboats for such ser-
vice, indeed, require the perfect reconcilement,
what at first sight appears to be almost impossiel
conditions, such as great power, high speed, an u,
ample stowage for cargo, with less than two fee'
draught of water. The directors, therefore, of the
new flotilla company wanted a vessel, combining:ll!
the best way it could, the many opposite qualities
required for the navigation of the river. The en-
gineer of the company, Mr. Yarrow, being awar"
of the peculiar nature of the difficulties to be over'
come, and having obtained all the information
which the limited experience of IndUs navigation
would yield, decided that it was necessary that thef
steam flotilla for such traffic must be composed I°.,
vessels able to pass all bars and shallows by ell''Jt
drawing two feet of water, and that they in,ll„s„
further have a speed of 12 miles .an hour—be
feet long and 38 feet wide, in order to convey the
goods and -passengers, and, above all, that they
must of sufficient power to be able to tow -barges
and river boats up the stream with them. Plans
and specifications of the requisites were accordingly
prepared, and the company invited the competitle,,
;
of engineers and shipbuilders. Of all the design,
sent in Mr. Scott Russell's was selected, and that
eminent builder was accordingly directed to on;
struct the first vessel of the flotilla, in order that
it might be tested by experience as to how. f"'d
the mechanical difficulties in its structure ha
been overcome. This vessel, therefore, Ist:
yesterday for the first time tried down tu
Thames, and the result of the trip was in the highest
degree satisfactory, surpassing even the expecta-
tions which had been formed as to speed, pewere
&c. The boat in appearance is precisely like the
American river steamers, flat bottomed, squat
rs
shaped, and with a deck-house which almost cove
the entire vessel. Her length all over is 200 feeAls'
breadth 38, draught of water 1 foot 10 inches. J'a
a passenger boat and with average cargo her sPe.e.i,
is equal to little over 13 miles an hour, and win
boats containing 500 tons cargo in tow' she can be
depended on to average eight miles an hour on the
Indus. The hull is constructed in a peculiar manner,
in order to carry the weight and sustain the propel"
ling power of large machinery. Two longitudowe
wrought iron girders run the whole length of tll
vessel, rising nearly 10 feet above the deck, so as ,0
form the walls of the deck cabins. The girders
constitute the main strength of the hull, and ate
applied in a manner peculiar to Mr. Scott Russe11,
and which he has already employed in the construe"
tion of the Great Eastern and other vessels whets
great strength and great length are necessary. I'o
engines of the vessel are nominally of 120 hors,.
power, and though only constructed to work uprtu
400, in reality, in the indicator, give more the
600. They are constructed on Mr. Russell's three"
cylinder principle, which bids fair soon to becon •
the only one in use, whether for paddle or sere*
engines. During the whole of the trial yesterda
though these engines sometimes exerted their OP
power against a head wind and strong tide, they
worked with the most perfect Case, and with eery
little of that vibration generally produced by vett:
of large power and light draught of water. t,
Scott Russell undertook that the draught of water,
when laden with passengers, and an average cargo
of 350 tons, should not exceed two feet. Yesterdaii
however, when in this trim, her draught was alraeoso
under 1 foot 10 inches, and forward scarcely s
inches. The satisfactory nature of the principles
on which she has been constructed was considered
as conclusively proved, and a greater thickness anis
strength of hull will be allowed to the other vesse a
of the flotilla which will shortly be constructed an
despatched to India as soon as finished.

RECEPTION OP HER .211,4,TESTI'S

C'LANATION IN .WEPAUL.

•
On the 4th December last a full Durbar was held
at Katmandoo by the Maharaj Dheraj (or King) °f
Nepaul, to receive through the Assistantßesiden,j
Capt. Byers, a Khureeta from the Governor-Gerlel'„h
enclosing the Queen's proclamation, together wl!ii
his own. The Durbar was unusually crowded with
the officers of State. When the Assistant Resident'
having' hi a short speech to the King mentioned tu"
subject of the Khureeta, presented it enclosed in LI
case of kimkab or cloth of gold, his Highness e
pressed how much he was gratified at the intelligence
of her Majesty's assumption of the Government °f
India, and added, that in a few days a grand
,
parade of all the troops should be held to do eve'
honour to the change of rule ; at the same tiros
inviting the Assistant-Resident to be present. Ac-
cordingly, on the 7th of the same month the troopof
amounting to 13,500, were assembled on the Toone;
Khel parade-ground. They were disposed in the
form of two parallelograms, the one within
other, with the exception of the Artillery,
were drawn up on one flank with 100 pieces -
cannon ranged in a semicircle. The Assistan;
Resident, who was accompanied by Dr. Oldfiel
honorary-assistant and medical officer, was received
by the troops with the usual honours, and was the'.,
conducted by the Maharajah Jung Bahadoor to the
centre, where the brothers of the Prime Minister'
together with the principal officers, were all dravitl
up in a distinct line. His Highness, according t'
a Nepaulese custom when paying a military colli;
pliment to an absent personage, now elevated h
sheathed sword above his head, to represent her
Most Gracious Majesty; and, having given a she'
abstract of the proclamation announcing the trale"
fer of government within the Anglo-Indian talc
tories, he directed the officers to explain to their
men the .purpose for which they were assemblctue
He then drew his sword, and exclaimed, "
the Queen of England !" The trumpets sounded
" the present," the troops presented arms, the
Prime Minister and officers dropped their
swords, and four bands stationed together struckl
" God save. the Queen." The officers then joins
their regiments, the two lines, as above deseribeT
. faced outwards, and each man, being supplied Witt/A,
ten rounds of blank cartridge, commenced a feu,
joie, which was well maintained, The outer row
fired from right to left, the inner from left to right;
thus the running fires crossed each other like tn
smoke of two railway trains as they flash by freu.,,
-.
opposite directions, and produced a striking Wee t 0
This having ended, a signal was given, and th
Artillery opened fire in salvos of ten guns each
which were cintinued until 1,000 rounds had been
expended. Thus ended this demonstration of the
friendly feeling of the Government of Nepaul t°'
wards the British Crown.

THE OCCASIONAL FORM OF Pill

•
It is known that the Queen, acting under the
advice of her Ministers, arid prompted by a recent
address of the House of Commons, has issued a
pro-
clamation abolishing the " State" services for the
30th of January, the 29th of May, and the sth .f
November. A bill has been brought in by 41.'
Secretary Walpole (and was read a second tine
1.
last night), repealing all existing enactments Vs
the observance of the anniversaries of King Chant°
L's " Martyrdom," King Charles ll.'s Restoration'
the Gunpowder Plot, and the landing of the great
- and good King William 111., of " glorious, -plnisf
and immortal. memory," as the Orangemen, in die'.
fiance of Lindley Murray, incorrectly and absurthis
say. The schedule annexed to the bill gives
titles of these now obsolete acts;
.they
.?)
the 34' James 1., cap. 1; the 12th • Charles -11''
cap. 14 and cap. 30 ; the 13th Charles 11., cap'
7 ; the 13th of Charles 11., cap. 11; and the ilet
(of the Parliament of Great Britain) 24th °
George 11., cap. 23, passed for. the correction
of the calendar, and the adoption—nearly 20,
years after Pope Gregory XIII., and the Churrr
of Rome—of the " new style" (Anno Dom., 176 i
Two Acts of the (extinct) Parliament of Irelan f
are also repealed ; these are the 14th and 15th °f
Charles 11., cap. 1, and the 14th and 15th of Charles 11., cap. 23. The latter act enjoins the keeping.
and celebration of the 23d of October as an
versary thanksgiving" in this kingdom. On the
23d of October (1642) .was fought the memorabi°
.but undecisive battle of Edge•hill—the first engage-
went between the Royalists and the Parliamenta.‘
rians ; but we cannot undertake to say that this
the occasion referred to by the Irish act. One °
the English acts is entitled, "An act. for the at-
tainder of several persons guilty of the horrid
inurther (sic) of his Sacred Majesty King Charles
I• And thus, in future, there will be no eeelesiaf-'
tical "reminders" of the 30th of January, the 2901
of May, or the sth of November, although, so lenge
as there are boys to be amused, there is
chance of poor old " Guy" being consigned to 04,
livion, how little soever people may care for the
landing of William 111. at Torbay "for the deliver;
twee of our church and nation," as the Prayer-b°°
hath it in the service for the sth of November.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY ELECTION.—The acetic)!
for the seat vacant by the appointment of Mr. G. !:t.
Hamilton, will be held on either Thursday or Friday
when the Right Hon. the Irish Attorney-General,
the only candidate, will be elected, in all probability, Iv"
out any opposition.

ekG.ed°
A"
[(iv nneat,tv
IN
' with.
35 IV