The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-15 00:00:00

MEDITERRANEAN TELEGRAPHS.

The Malta and Alexandria telegraph cable com-
menced working for public use on Friday last, and
if the receipts taken on the first day of its opening
may be judged as an earnest of its future operations
they promise to be very extensive and remunerative.
Notwithstanding Friday was a close holiday with
the majority of the population, and the telegraph
yet in its infancy, and not universally known, no
less than 40 telegrams, we understand, were trans-
mitted. Of these 30 were from Malta, and the rest
from London and other parts of Great Britain and
Europe. It is interesting to know that America,
with its usual go-ahead propensities, hasbten among
the first to avail itself of the advantages held out by
this line, one of the messages received being
dated from New York, and addressed to China.
Calculating each of these telegrams at the lowest
price the tariff offers—namely, 308., the re-
ceipts would amount to nearly £22,000 a year
But this, doubtless, will be very far below the real
figure. When the line is in full operation, and its
advantages duly appreciated, it is impossible to say
what demand may be made on its powers, by the
relations, commercial, political, and social, between
Europe and the far East. For the greater con-
venience of the public it has been decided, since the
arrival of Mr. Glass, to unite the office of this tele-
graph to that of the Mediterranean Extension
Telegraph in Strada Marsamuscetto, where mes-
sages will be received for both lines. Instead of
the land line from St. George's Bay (Marsasci-
rocco), a submarine cable round the coast to the
Marsamuscetto harbour will be used. This con-
necting cable was successfully submerged on Mon-
day last by Mr. Glass's steamer Berwick, and is
found to work well. On completing arrangements
Mr. Glass will probably proceed to Alexandria to
settle matters at that terminus, which is to be the
head-quarters, and where Mr. Gamble, the general
superintendent, who is shortly expected from Eng-
land, will take up his residence, after making a
tour of inspection to the different stations. Dr.
Whitehouse, under whose able superintendence the
electrical department for Messrs. Glass, Elliot, and
Co., has been conducted, took his departure on.
Friday last by the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany's steamer Valetta for England, via Marseilles,
his mission being fulfilled ; and Mr. Forde, tha
Government engineer, to whom so much credit is
due for the success of the whole undertaking, left by
the French packet Pausilippe, on the same day, on
return to England, via Italy. The 30 days' official
testings being at an end, the Government electric
staff have also received orders to return from
the different stations, and her Majesty's gun-
boat Surprise will leave to-day or to-morrow, to
bring back the engineers and electricians at Ben-
ghazi, These gentlemen, in the service of Messrs.
Siemens and Halske, with their talented chief, Dr.
Esselbach, have, we learn, collected a mass of most
valuable and interesting tests respecting the elec-
trical condition of the cable. Up to the moment of
going to press the cable continues to give the most
satisfactory proofs of its perfect electric state, and
the number of messages daily received for trans-
mission augurs well for its future prosperty. The
telegraph steamer Berwick arrived on Friday from
Marsala, whither she had proceeded to raise as much
of the cable between that place and Malta as prac-
ticable. But weather interrupted her operations
when only a few miles of cable had been picked up.
A'together, very little cable has as yet been re-
covered either of the Corfu or Marsala line,—in the
former case owing to the great depth of water in
which the line is laid.—Malta Times, Nov. 7.

THIS DAY'S MARKETS.