The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-01-08

as an intermediate port at which he might fit and re-
plenish his stores. We believe it is the intention of
Captain Roys to apply for patents for invention to the
English and American Governments.-Cork Exam
liner, Sept. II.
THE TRANSATLANTIC TEL~EGRAPH.-THE "ARCTIc."
Lying at anchor off Queenstown for the last few
days must have been observed a small, unsightly, i'll
painted, rusty-bOttOmed screw steamer, without one
point of attraction about her, except the stars and
stripes futtering in the breeze. Yet that boat and
some of the officers she contains have been the worlds
wonder for a season, and have just now concluded q
task which is the forerunner of an event more wonder
full still.
The .4rctic was the vessel that was sent to rescue
DIR. KANE, who had previously been sent to rescue
FRANKLIN. She was successful, and brought home
DIR. KANE and his crew, who had been obliged to
abandon his ship and search. She was then a light
ship on the American coast. She is now the bearer of
Lieutenant STRAIN, of Darien notoriety, and Captain
BERRIMAN, who has before, and now again, crossed
from Newfoundland to take s~oundings of the whole
Atlantic from st. Johns to Valencia, with the view to
ascertain the probable success with which a Geographic
cable may be laid between these points. The result
is satisfactory.
For some so or 60 miles from st. Johns, and again
on this side, is a bank varying from 25 to 120 fathoms.
Between these there is a plateau nearly level, the bot
tom soft, composed Of shells so fine that only the mi
crOscOpe can discover them, each shell perfect in its
minute beauty, proving the absence of currents at
the bottom, and, with due Difference to STEPHENSON
and others, the want of that vast pressure, which
was to be so dreaded, and exhibiting at every point
not only a capacity, but the most perfect capacity,
for the very use for which it is required. The whole
apparatus for arriving at these facts, is most perfect.
Steam-power, separate from that of the ship, works
the axle from which the sounding-line is 6 paid out. -
SOundings have been taken to the depth of 81, 900
fathOms. By n neat contrivance each sounding shows
not only the depth, but the nature of the bottom,
which is brought up in five quilts, and the tempera-
ture of the water, the latter being given by the ex-
pansiOn or contraction of metallic spiral ribands
placed round a center pin, fitted at the top. and at
tached at bottom to a needle and indicator, the latter
remaining fixed after the first has ceased to act.
showing the exact variation between the surface and
the bottom. Most careful drawings have been made
by Nh. VAN Den BERG Ito whom has been assigned
the special post of draughtsman) of the soundings
showing n profile of the bottom of the sea with the
greatest accuracy.
There can be no doubt that telegraphic communi-
cations between Ireland and ST. Johns, a distance o
! $40 geographical miles, may be reached as a GER
tainty. 1t is in the hands of a small American com
pany; but, though small, if it's members possess bu
a 1.-THE of the energy of their representative, Mr.
Cyrus W. Field, who is also here making every in
quiry, it will be enough to overcome every difficulty
: Captain Berriman laughs at laying the cable. H
asks but a ship large enough, and he will undertake
to do it at ten miles an hour right across. The com
= pany have already obtained the sole grant for erect
ing telegraphs through the whole of Newfoundland
= and have already some ZOO miles at work, or wi
= have in a few days, which is in connection with tn
h American lines.-COrk Constitution.