The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-02 00:00:00

RV ENING, SEP TRMUER

barren of belief, for the reception of the seeds of
evangelhrn.
Nor was this the way the first Evangelists made
converts. The sermon on Mars hill did not abuse
idols or denounce Jupiter, or demand the executi,
of soothsayers, or the expulsion of augurs and ves-
tals. It appealed to the Greek poets ; it adopted a
God the Greeks themselves worshipped ; it did not
even ridicule Delphos or execrate Eleusis. Did
Paul ask the Jews to eat pork, to leave the temple,
to laugh at the holy of holies ? On the contrary,
did he not tell tho-e who bad faith in fasts, feasts,
meats, and Sabbath-days to observe them still as
unto the Lord, dreading above all things that evil
spirit of unbelief which cut itself adrift fromjall the
trivial fond records of its age and country ?
We repeat the question, do we expect to govern
180,000,000 of themost traditional, fanatical people
in the world, whose religion dates, far far past the
Mosaic age of the Creation, by destroying their
traditional institutions, by insulting and outraging
their faith and feelings, by crushing a priesthood
respected by all, and whose numbers form more
than 10 per cent. of the population, the leaders of
the people, the very flower of the race ? The Ro-
mans, the great civilisers, the masters of the world,
left the laws, customs, religion of every people they
conquered just where they found them. They even
adopted the gods of their subjects--even the Jehovah
of the Jews, and the Jesus of the Christians into
their Olympus, punishing extortion, oppression, or
intolerance, by their pro-consuls over their subjects,
with the most vigilant severity. They left their
mark all over Europe, and in Africa and Asia, pre-
serving their power over their dependencies by
their wise liberality long after they themselves
withered at the heart.

It ought to be especially remembered that Brah-
minism, caste, may perfectly coexist in India with
the profession of Christianity. Rammohun Roy
became a Christian without losing caste, just by
obeying the formal observances of Hiudooism. But
we cannot recommend Christianity to them while
the lives and conduct of Europeans in the East, and
the public dealings of our Government with the
people, are impure, unjust, fraudulent, and op-
pressive. Did the crusades evangelise the Holy
Laud ? Has the in' olerance of the Turks made
one Christian the less in Turkey or Greece ?
Were ever people so persecuted as the Jews ; yt.t
there they stand, Christians being unable to boast
a single convert. Has Popery sunk under Protes-
,tatit persecution Is it not rather more popular in
Great Britain than ever ? We cannot govern
180,000,000 of people against their own will. If
we would Christianise India, we must convert the
Brahmins by conciliation, persuasion, justice, and
generosity. If we would retain India, we must
rule, not in spite of, but in the hearts of the people.

THE INDIAN TELEGRAPH.

(From the Times City Article.) •
Between conflicting schemes there seems a pro-
bability that the Indian telegraph, which ought to
be completed in six months, will either fail alto-
gether, or be delayed until the greatest need for it
is passed. For some time two routes have been
before the public—one via the Persian Gulf and
the Euphrates to the Mediterranean ; the other via
the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Alter mature
deliberation the Government selected ti:e Euphrates
line, and granted it a subsidy of 6 per cent. ; but a
firman was required from Constantinople, and ap-
parently the intrigues always rife in that capital
against British interests have prevented it from
being obtained. Meanwhile the promoters of the
rival or Red Sea route have thus been stimulated
-to revive their project, and have appealed to the
Government and the public to treat the Euphrates
line, if not as an impractibility, at all events as a
scheme that must be indefinitely deferred. But
the Euphrates Company are ready to repel this
view, and it is probable that if the arguments of
the parties interested on each side were accepted
neither line would be attempted. The objection to
the Euphrates line, that there is a difficulty in ob-
taining a firman, cannot hold fora moment. The
.English Government having already banctioned. it,
our influence in the East must have fallen low if
Russian or other agents at Constantinople find
themselves able to induce the Porte to deny a re-
quest for that means of communication with our
own possessions which, in the interests of civilisa-
tion, any country under like circumstances might
reasonably demand. The question, therefore, if
there is to be any rivalry, must really lie between
the comparative merits of the two routes. The
Euphrates or Tigris plan, according to a modifica-
tion recently proposed, seems to be for a sub-
marine cable from Kurraehee to Bagdad, along the
shallow waters of the Persian Gulf, with aland.
connexion of 1,200 miles from Bagdad to Con-
stantinople, which would at once bring London
and all parts of India into direct communi-
' tion. Within five months, it is computed,
the cable from Kurrachee to Bagdad might
be laid, whence horsemen would bring messages to
Constantinople in six days ; and meanwhile the
land line being in course of construction, the dis-
tance would be shortened every week. The entire
length would be about 2,800 miles, and the esti-
mated cost 400,0001., and the whole, it is alleged,
could be completed in six or seven months. The
only disparagement attempted has been that the
land portion would be liable to wanton damage
from the Arabs ; but this idea has meet with no
countenance from the persons best acquaintei with
them, who believe, in fact that they would be its
-true protectors. If the Americans can venture to
carry a line to California through tribes of hostile
Indians, the apprehension of gratuitous mischief in
this case must, it is contended, be regarded as idle,
and it is presumed before sanctioning the scheme
Lord Palmnston felt reasonable security on that
point. on the other baud, the Red Sea Company
contemplate a land line of 240 miles from Alexau-
dleia to Suez, and 4,163 miles of cable from Suez
to Aden. and Aden to Kurrachee, the estimated cost
being 700,0001., and the time required one year.
By laying the cable in the first instance from Suez
-to Aden they calculate, however, that at an ex-
pense of 300,0001. they could bring In qa and Eng-
land within a week's communication in about the
same period as that in which a similar result could
be effected by the Euphrates Company. In this
-case a principal objection urged is that owing to the
tremendous and uncertain depths of the Red Sea
and the character of its c teal reefs the cable would
be lost or almost instantly destroyed. Whether
these predictions are well grounded may be a ques-
tion, but they are based on the reasonings of
scientific men most known in connection with tele-
grap'-ic • enterprise, while the sole testimony,
cited by the promoters as to the facility with
which the coral reefs may be avoided is that
.of a person known only in connection with the
ss
most reckless engineering delusion ever yet at-
tempted or exposed. Still it is po ible, or even
-probable, that every difficulty in the case may be
-capable of being overcome, and it is quite c rtain
that in relation to a question like that of establish-
ing an Indian telegraph no fears should b 3 allowed
'to stand in the way, unless backed by such a 'maul-
:mous expression of scientific opinion as would
amount almost to a demonstration of their correct-
ness. The point to be observed is that there is
nothing as matters at present stand to alter the
view originally taken by the Home Government,
and that if the business is to resolve itself into a
contest of routes the battle may be interminable.
If the Government have changed their opinion re•
garding the political advantage of extending our
communications on the Euphrates, and are now
more inclined to favour the various movements in
the direction of Suez, the Euphrates Company will,
of course, fail to get their firman, and there the
affair will end ; but apparently it is only in this
way the rivalry can be extinguished. A better
course to meet the difficulty seems, however, to
present itself. If both lines are practicable both
should be completed, and each should be encou-
raged to compete with the other to sea how soon
the first link can be realised. With only one line
in existence what would be our state in case of
emergency? Let .any one imagine our position,
supposing a break to occur at any momentous
period, and to place us in all the helplessness of
those who have brought every habit and arrange.
merit to work in reliance upon a means which
abruptly and utterly fails them. In time of war
with the announcement that the Indian cable had
broken we should be like a crowd in a room with
the gas suddenly turned off. And what would be
our consolation for the panic and for the millions
of loss it would involve in money, fame, and terri-
tory ? That iu the year 18.57, when we were spend-
ing about 2,000,0001. per month in steam trans-
perts7 •, we had savcd a single outlay of
400,000/. ! The consideration seems so incredible
that it can hardly be dealt; with seriously. It is ; o
be remembered, moreover, that in critical titne4, if
the accident happened or not, we should he in con-
stant agony from its probability. St 11, what-
ever may be done by the Government, one point
must be insisted upon—namely, that whether they
resolve to support the Euphrates or the Red Sea
route, or both, they have no right to encourage the
public to subscribe unless: they are previously satis-
fied there is no risk but such as may fairly be ex-

peeted to be overcome. It i 3 very easy to
" encourage" shareholder's to ruin themselves for
the nation.Al benefit, but; not honest. By a sub-
sidy madeconditional on thi) success of the under-
taking the Government io nothing but insure a
possible advantage for the tmselves, throwing all the
danger on inclividuA slicailders. Itt ordinary en-
terprises this might be vc :ry well, but a promiF,e of
6 per cent. for 25 years„ not as a bonus, but fur
actual servicEs to be pe) -formed during that teem,
is not such as to compenzate for any unusual pekii.
If the public like to acce-A it with their eyes open

there can be no objection;, but the Government
cannot with propiiuty even tacitly recommend it,
unless they feel in a strong degree satisfied of the
feasibility of the selected scheme. Any doubt on
that head ought to be made known ; and, suppos-
ing them still to wish the work done, they should
then promptly come forward to participate in the
risk.

The annexed letter from Mr. Andrew, the chair-
man of the Euphrates telegraph line, gives his view
of the question in reply to the statements on the
other side recently circulated in all quarters
" Sir,— A valuable letter appeared in the Times of
Saturday from Mr. Walker Wilkins, the well•knoan
telegraph engineer, on the all important subject of tele-
grapic communication with India.
" Mr. Wilkins says the Persian Gulf route saves the
use of 2,500 miles of submarine wire. I don't mean the
cost of it ; that is not now to be thought of. I mean
the risks of imperfect manufacture, laying, and of in-
sulation and other matters, which at present seem to be
entirely overlo .ked in the manufacture and laying long
and deep lengths of submarine wire.'

"Mr. Wilkins's objections to the Red Sea route are
fully borne out by a writer: in the Friend of India of
November last—a journal remarkable for the accuracy
of its information, and whose authority will scarcely be
impugned by the chairman of the Red Sea Company.
The Friend asserts that `The Red Sea is remarkable
for the extreme variation of its depth. The line must
be extended over shoals scarcely covered by the water,
and places where for miles the charts are marked " no
bottom." The operation of laying the wire, always dif-
ficult and often dangerous, would be still further im-
peded by the furious gusts which at certain seasons
sweep over the Red Sea. The route has but one advan-
tage. The line, except in Egypt, would pass through
our own dominions. No foreign Power can contest
with us the sovereignty of the Red Sea, and the tribes
along its shore are powerless a mile from land. The ad-
vantage, however, is not sufficient to compensate for the
indirectness of the route, its costliness, and the compa-
rative certainty of failure. The second scheme, from
Scutari to Buseorah, and thence to Kurrachee, involves
' a submarine line of only one-third the length. Accordieg
to Dr. O'Shaughnessy's (now Sir William B. O'Shaugh-
nessy) figures, it would be scarcely longer than the cable
now made' to connect Newfoundland with the Irish
coast—Persian Gulf by Bussorab, Parah Isle to Rue
Malgaram, H. Bueheab Island to Cape Task ; total
1,270. With the same weight of two tons a mile, which
impl,es a wire of more than usual thickness, and a cable
f unprecedented strength, the cost would not exceed
259,000/. From Korna to Bagdad the line wou'd be
submerged in the river for 410 mites. By this expedient
the expense of guards would be diminished, while the
cable, lying lengthwise, and not transversely to the
stream, could not be injured either by current or storm.
The sea cable, shipped in pieces of 400 tons, could be
laid down by four ships at once, while on the river the
large rafts used by the natives would afford every facility
for the work.'

" Adverting to the prospectus of the Red Sea route,
I would remark that the guarantee is only a subsidy so
long as the line is actually at work, and has yet to re-
ceive the sanction of Government Tao difficulty and
risk are not in laying the cable, but in maintaining it.
If any light line be laid down, even twice as heavy as
the Atlantic cable, it is the opinion of the best and most
that it cannot be maintained for any length of time, on
account of the physical formation of the bottom of the
Red Sea, and also from the prevalence of coral reefs,
which are represented by nautical men as being as sharp
as the back Of any ordinary knife. The interruptions
so constantly experienced on the four light lines of cable
laid between Ortordness and Holland show that in all
physical probaudity a single light line in the Red Sea
could not be depended upon a week. If the old Electric
Telegraph Company require a special steamer, the
Monarch, vith a large staff at a heavy expense, to watch
and pick up and repair the line in question—about 100
miles long—what would b.-; the strength of the squa-
dron required in the Red Sea ?
" It is not only the coral reef difficulty which renders
the maintenance of the line so critical, but the exceeding
irregularity of the bottom, 'in consequence of which the
line would in many places be unavoidably suspended
across submarine chasms and on sharp edges, on which
it would speedily chafe through by the force of its own
weight.
" This is the true risk to the shareholders, who may
rest assured that if they place the Atlantic cable, or any
similar one, in the Red S-fa, it would be simply the min-
ruersion of their capital, with as good a chance of ever
receiving any return from the so-called guarantee as
they have of fishing up the golden wheels of Plaaroah's
chariot.—l am, &c.,

" Gresham-house, Aug. 31."

" W. P. ANDREW,

ROUTE THROUGH INDIA, THE BIMA.

LAY.AS, ccc.

At the meeting of the British Association, held in
Dublin, Herr Schlegintweit read his paper on the route
pursued by himself and his brothers in the Himalayas,
Thibet, and Turkistan. He said that in making an ad-
dress to the association immediately after his return from
Hindustan he felt deeply that he required their kind in-
dulgence. It afforded him the greatest pleasure to state
on such an occasion that, by the liberal arrangements
made with himself and his brothers by the right hon. the
directors of the East India Company, they would be
enabled at once to begin the publication of their researches
in India. Their work would be entitled " Results of a
Scientific Mission to India and High Asia during the
years 1854, 1855, and 1856, by Herman, Adolphe, and
Robert Schlagintweit. It would be act nnpanied by at-
las-a, containing topographical and geographical maps of
different perte of India and of the Himalaya and moun-
tains of Thibet. Tney had been treated with great kind-
ness by their venerable friend Baron Humboldt, by
Colonel Sykes, and General Sabine, to whom they felt
deeply grateful. In 1854 he and his brothers, Adolphe
and Herman, went from Bombay to Madras, through
Siuthern India—namely, the Deccan, Mysore, and the
states of the Mewl], on different routes, and met again
all three in Madras. Already during their sea voyage
they had occasion to make some observations on the
temperature and specific gravity of sea water and the
currents of the sea, and these observations they continued
during their voyage from Madras to Calcutta. In the
beginning of the year 1855 Herman Sclagint xeit went
through Bengal to S,kkin, and examined there the Ilima-
Da as, chiefly on the frontier between Sikkin and Nepaul.
This route particularly afforded the advantage of ena-
bling him to measure from a cernparativeiy short dis-
tance toe eastern Hienalaym, including the peaks far to
the eastward from Chaulaiari until considerably to the
west of the high mountain of Nepaul. This was the same
peak which had been recently measured by Col. Waugh,
who named it Mount Everest, after his distinguished
predecessor. Its height was etated by the officer to ex-
ceed 20,000 fee,. He and his brother obtained two names
for it—wie was Gororishanka, which was its sacred
name, connected with Ilindoo mythology, and oely to be
found in the Nepaulese holy books—the other was its
Thibetan name, which was Chingofaurnari. The name
Deodunga, which was mentioned by Mr. Hodeson in con-
nection with this peak, was,as they were told inKatniandeo
the name of a low mountain, about 800 or 900 feet high,
which was visible from the central p irts of Nepaul in
about the same line as Mount Everest, and Was remark-
able for having upon its summit a sacred stone. Atter
leaviug-Sikkin, H. Schlagintweit examined a part of the
Bhootan Himalayas and Upper Assam, and returning to
Calcutta al mg the Brahinapootra and the delea of the
Ganges joined his brothers in Oude in May, 1856. He
(Herr R. Schlagintweit) and his brother Adolphe left
Calcut a in March, 1855, and passing through the North-
West Provinces, reached Naing Tal, whence they took
different routes to Milum ; from Milum they crossed
over to Thibet, and in the nisguise of merchants from
Delhi, having merchandise but no money with them,
succeeded in penetrating as far as the source of the India.
Among the most interesting geographical features on this
journey he might mention the following :—First, the
alluvial deposits met north of the Himalayas formed by
no means a plain, bordering the Himalayas to the north-
ward, as the plain of Hiedostan does to the south ward.
These al uvial and lacustrine deposits are merely filling
up the irregularities in one of the greatest longitudinal
valleys of the world. This valley, included between the
Himalaya to the south and the chief crest of the moon•
tains of Thibet to the north, contains the course of the
Indus to the west and the Dthong—the chief tributary of
the Brahmapootra—to the east. Both these rivers were
separated only by a small rising of the surface of the val-
ley. A well-known example of a similar formation in
Europe was the form of the watershed between the Inn

and the Dran-a-to-black in the Tyrol. Second, north of
the Indus a new high mountain range rose, covered with
snow, and firming the watershed between Thibet and
Eastern Tarkietan. _ This range had been confounded
-with the Kuenheins, and its direction had never been
properly defined, as it did not stretch from east to west.
It was called in Ladak and Ballistan th 3 Karo•karuin
range, which signified black mountains, a characteristic
name, for here the snow line was the highest in the
world, being 18,600 feet above the level of thesea. From
the peak of Goonashankur, 19,640 °feet, they had the
finest view which they had ever beheld, the course of
which they could trace 150 miles to the east of Gartok.
They went from Gartok to examine the glaciers upon
the high peak of Hi Ganwri, and laving encamped on
the 18. th Aug. at the height of 19,200 feet at the top of
the glacier, they succeeded on .the 19th Aug. in attain -
ing on Ihi Ganuri a height of 22,260 English feet—the
greatest height, perhap-t, which up to the present time_
had been attained on any mountain. (Loud applause.)
They returned by different routes. He himself crossed
over a succession of passes into the valley of the Upper
Ganges, where he examined a number of hot springs.
In the cold season of 1855-6 they examined together the
North-Western Provinces/ and part of Central India.
Adolphe went to the south along the course of the Goda-
very, and 'ernbarked for Madras. He (Herr Robert
Schlagintweit) availed himself of the cold season to exa-
mine chiefly Central India up to, the plateau of Antall-
antak, the important`watershed of Central India. Here
he made some observations, which in a geographical
point.Of view were extremely interesting. The height
of the plateau, which, has never been measured before,
was 3,300 feet ; it wait the culminating part of Central
India, and the - hills in its neighbourho -d formed the
watershed between four rivers, v z., the Nerbudda, the
Soane, theJohilla,and theMahammudny. Frnm Amark-
antak he wentlo Simla, via Delhi. In 1856 Adolphe
Schlagintweit left Simla for the Himalayas and Th.bez,
on the 28th May. On the 29th July, he reached an t le-
Nation of 19,5000 feet on the Chorkendah Peak, on the

mountain: of Baskistan. On the let Septemb'r Le a--

rived at the capital; and subsequently examined the
group of mouu;ain where the Indus makes its gieatest
bend to the 'south. One of these mountains, which
reaches the )3eight of 26,000 feet.; Very remarkable on
_ . ..•

account of its p-Oliiticrn, which is at the end of the western
Himalayas. In the end of the year he proceeded to the

6

1 c'

Plmjanb, where he made many ger;graphical observa-
tiuns. At the westerii termination of the Himaleyae, on
the western side of the Indus, the range north of the I
Thibet and the Kuenhein can no mole be traced as se-
parate chains, but form one mountain nines. Here they
have lost to a great expect their Alpine character, and
no more large glaciers are to be met with. Western
Thibet does not form a plateau, but is an undulating
country, intersected by many high mountain ranges. One
of the features of those parts, chiefly near the Moostak
Pass, was the depression of the snow line here at an eleva-
tion of only 17,900 feet, which was perhaps owing to the
great amount of snow and rain which fell in that country.
At the same time the heat of the deep valleys of Balki-
staff, which bad an elevation of between 7,000 and 8,000
feet, very little distant fr im the foot of the glaciers, was
excessively high, the mean temperature from the Ist to
the 20th of July being 73 degs. to 75 dege. Fahrenheit,
the minimum of the night being 59 dege., and the maxi-
mum being sometimes 90 degs. Herman Schlagintweit
followed from Simla, first in a north-easterly direction,
chiefly the line of the Tibelan Salt Llkes, Tsoga,n, Tao-
gar, Tsomikpat, and Tsomognalari, which wasithe greatest
of all, and lay i❑ Tsangkong. These lakes showed a very
different degree of concentration of the water. The lake
Tsangkong had .a specific quantity of 1,003 and the wa-
ter had no more a maximum of density above the freezing
point, but contracted regularly till its freezing point was
at 31.5 degs. Fahrenheit. He reached Lehin Ladak
and rejoined his brother there. In the meantime he tra-
velled from Simla by Kooloo, Label, and Koopshoo to
Ladak, passing over the Bara Lacha, Lacha Loong, and
Trong Loong Passes. They went on from Leh on the
54th of July to Noobra, where, during a stay of three
months, they reached the summit of Saesarda (about
20,000 feet). Toey then had to cross the plateau to the
south of Karo-korum already visited by Dr. Thompson,
17,100 feet high, and fiund afterwards much more ex-
tensive ones to the north of Karo-korum Pass. They
were nearly perfectly barren, and covered only with hills
from 200 to 400 feet elevation, so small that they were
enabled for in,tance to cross in one day from passes of
more than 17,000 feet, which were but slightly elevated
above the surrounding plateaus. After some further
observations, Herr Schlagintweit gave some detail of
researches in the territory of Nepaul, and concluded his
interesting paper amid applause.