, 1865-07-21

q OCSA duAbC uPCiSCOCd" - as
in addition o sun of between three and
four millions for the second China eXpe-
dition. To meet this vast outlay the
burdens of war had TO be maintained
though the nation had been at peace for
four years. Since Mr.. Gladstone has been
Chancellor of the Exchequer the Income
Tax has been reduced from nine pence to
four pence, about 10, 600, 000L. O findirect
taxation has been taken off, the National
Debt has been reduced 5000, 000L, and
yet there is every reason to believe hat
next year the Government will again
meet the House of Commons with a sur
plus.
At length all the preparations connect
ed with the final departure of the great
Atlantic telegraph cable expedition are
completed, and a few weeks more will
solve the problem to which the civiliscd
world has been attracted for now so many
years. Since the Great Eastern has been
moved from SheernesS all the final ar
engagements have been pushed forward
to the utmost, and in the course of ano-
ther few days she will be in a condition
TO start, though it is not probable that
she will really move to sea before the
9th or 10th of July. With all her weights
on board she will draw a little over 334
feet, though with very nearly $4,000 tons
on board. This comparatively slight I'M
mersion gives the hest idea of her i'm
mense size, as q line of battIe-of-ship
Of only $500 tors draws seldom less than
284 fit and very often 80 #. Before
leaving her mooringS In the Midway di-
vets were sent down TO examine the bot
tom of :he ship, and they reported her
tolerably clean, except from musSels,
which will all drop off before she reaches
Dover. The approaching voyage, how
ever, is one Of the very few when extreme
f~oulness of the ships bottom would be
by no means a disadvantage, as it will
be rather difficult than otherwise to keep
the Great Eastern at the low rate of
steaming required to pay out the cable
with perfect safety. To insure this only
the screw engines will be used on the
voyage, the paddle engines being simply
kept with banked-up fires in readiness
for use on the port or starboard sides in
case of Il beam wind on either quarter
necessitating an assistance to the great
ships steerage way. Her crew will be
about 900 men, and the full complement
OI ali Oh DUaIu1 lHCluulIS CdOtO Hduuo3
staff of electricians, engineers, &C., q lit
tie over 300. To avoid all chance of ac-
cident, the big ship will not approach the
Irish coast nearer than twenty or twenty
five miles, and her stay off Valentia will
be limited to the time occupied in MAX
ing q splice with the massive shore end,
which for "a length of twenty-five miles
from the coast will be laid previous TO
her arrival. This monstrous shore end,
which is the heaviest and strongest piece
of cable ever made, will be laid from the
head of a sheltered inlet near Cahirciveen
out to the distance stated, where the end
will be buoyed and watched by the ships
of war till the Great Eastern herself
comes up. At the bottom of the Atlantic
it is needless 10 say that no volcanic dis
turbances are apprehended. Along the
route on which the cable is to be laid the
depths vary from 1900 to about 1850
fathoms. The dangerous part Of this
course has hitherto been supposed to be
the sudden dip or bank which occurs
about 100 miles off the west course of
Ireland, and where the water was sup
~~nol 81 = H. $500 c.