The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-09-21
CABLE oMMUNICATI

lie following article, copied from the Ues
AHfrchaa Times, presents some new features IN
connection with the subject OF Ocean Cables, as
affecting Australia. Ii will be admitted that
Western Australia has superior geographical ad-
vantages for 4 connection by cable. with the tele-
graph system Of Southern India, as the land
route would be continued southerly through the
inhabited parts of the country, instead Of across
the great desert of the interior, as would be the
case if a line were established ~northerly from
from Melbourne or Adelaide to Port Darwin.
Until the conflicting interests OF the different
Colonies are reconciled, there does not seem
much probability Of any comprehensive system
being adopted by them. If foreign capital is
called IN, it will not regard, to any extent, local
wishes, but will take the route most advanta-
geous to itself. The writer of the article seems
to think that Bird Island, to the northwest Of
Kauai, would be a desirable point for a break
station, in the event Of a Pacific Cable being
laid, but a visit to that isolated rock would con-
vince him that every requisite for making it a
convenient station Is wanting while here, on
Oahu, everything needed is at hand, or could be
procured without unnecessary delay. The con-
Guiding sentence is an expression of the argu-
ments that prevent united action by the people of
Australia on this important subject. Each Colo
ny desires its own interests to be paramount, or
they VIII have nothing 10 do with it:
The Cable Conference which recently sat in
Melbourne, was remarkable for the absence of
any representative of Western Australia. Ii seems
unfortunate that the situation of this colony on the |
Australian continent in regard to our Indian EN- |
pire should attract so little attention, at a time
when the other Australian colonies are engaged in
discussing plans tor transmarine telegraphic i'm
provements. While Perth was unconnected with
the Eastern Australian Colonies by the telegraph. |
II IS not surprising that little or no attention was
given to the scheme of a direct submarine cable
between ~freemanIle, or some other point on the /
west coast OF Australia, and Ceylon, with a con-
Venlent break-station on keeling's Islet. The
manifold advantages OF direct cable communica-
ton between Southern India and Western Austria
liza are too obvious to need recapitulation. How
ever isolated may seem the position of Western
at present, it must strike all reflective
minds, In Australia itself, in British India. and the
mother country as well, that q splendid and highly
future lies before the Western coast re-
glons OF the Australian continent, thanks to their
geographical position. As long as Her Majesty
the queen bears also the title OF Empress of India.
the proximity of Western Australia TO British India
will constantly grow of more and more import
ance, especially when the day arrives that shall see
an Australian Dominion, similar to the actual Ca
madam dominion, Joined out OF the several disuni-
Led Australian colonies of the present day.
A submarine cable between Ceylon and the
West coast of Australia, now geographically con-
1ected with the East coast, would form q most i'm
oortant link in the grand scheme of telegraphic
communication which many enlightened and far
'eelng people propose as a mode of connecting the
mother country with the present Canadian Domi-
non. the proposed Australasian Dominion, and
ne British Indian Empire, UiG British North Anne
lea. the Pacific, Australia, and the Indian Ocean.
Not long ago Lord Normandy proposed to Earl
a scheme for a submarine cable be-
ween New Zealand and San Francisco, via Fiji
nd HOnnlulU AS q modification - ~. .oLou1
{ has been suggested that, inasmuch as an over
and lnter-oceanic telegraph line is now being
INSTRUCTED between Canada and British Column
ia. which will soon be completed, it would be 1
desirable for obvious reasons to make Vic
orla Tin Vancouver's Island) the terminal station
II the North Pacific of the submarine cable which
ora Normanby proposed to the Secretary of
for the colonies to lay down between New
ealand and the North American coast. The
lother country would thus possess telegraphic
with Australia, aud ultimately q
lth British India. independently of all other !
overs. Bird Island-a rocky islet considerably
etached from the Sandwich Islands to whose
ing 1t belongs,-wOuld be ceded by. His Hawaii
l Majesty, 1t is believed. to Great Britain, as a
reak-station OF this grand Pacific cable scheme,
consideration of a branch cable being laid down
etween Bird Island and Honolulu. A second
realisation would be established at Fiji, and as q
further modification of the scheme, a cable from =
ence might be thrown direct across to the
coast. In fine, British India could ul-
nately be connected by cables with Natal in ~
1tlsh South Africa, ria the Mauritius. "
1t must be owned that this is a gigantic scheme
Geographic communication between the mother
untry and all her great territorial possessions, Il!
North America, Australia, Asia and South Afri-
continuously through British territory, when
| under sea-and consequently uninterruptedIy
der British control. To return, however. to the
estion before the cable conference at Mel
ufne; might it not be well to glance at the pro-
OF a direct cable communication between T.
estern Australia and Ceylon, UiG the Indian ~
can, especially as a link would thus be safely
d down in the gigantic telegraphic scheme out
ed above, and already partially mooted by the
rquls OF Normandy, as regards the Pacific sec
. of the same? Under these circumstances, it
pears to use the very best policy for Western -
stralia to decline to be saddled with any part X
The cost of any scheme of submarine telegraphic
nmunlcation between this continent and any
mt OF the Asiatic continent, save and except a
Ie betMeen Mestern Australia and CeuInn