The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-08-04

aye, 'iCicSo puIpUSc anu DuSiueSS
prescience of the Anglo Saxon race,
for whether under the imperial flag
of England, the starry ensign of the
Great Republic or the probable indie
pendent banner of Australia, the
destinies of the Pacific lie, in good
measure, in the hollow of the hands
of the great kindred peoples who
aside from the admirable quarter oc-
cupied by Japan are impregnably
planted on the most commanding po-
sitions and resourceful countries of
its vast shores, already giving a com
mon language to the formulas of its
commerce and asserting dominant
control of its political thought and
action.
In a lesser degree the BONN ISL
ands must also be regarded as an i'm
portant point in the Pacific as tele-
graphic station and coal depot in the
coming dav of cable extension and
increased commercial activity.
The distance from Port Lloyd of
the Bonin's to the entrance of Yoko-
hama Bay is some 500 miles. On
that line the "Tuscarora made IA
soundings only 8 of which were in
depths greater than 500 fathoms.
The deepest cast was had in 2435
fathoms- --23 statute miles-the sim
gle depth beyond 2000 fathoms found
on that line.
The laying of cable to Port
Lloyd from Cape King or its imme-
date vicinity would therefore be an
easy matter.
Between Port Lloyd and Homo
luiu 80 sonndings were made, the
deepest being in 32S7 fathoms or
81 statute miles. The depths were
found to he irregular and the CON
tour of The ocean bed anything but
Il plateau like the bed of the Atlantic
where ,he cables connecting Europe
with North America were laid. In.
deed, the existence of six submarine
mountains was disclosed varying in
height from 1000 to II 900 feet. AS
the distance between the soundings,
however, was from 40 to 100 miles
or more, it is believed that the accli-
vities of these elevations are so geutle
that no serious obstruction to the
successful laying of cable would
result from such irregularity of the
ocean bed in that region.
The routes from Honolulu either
to San Diego or to San Francisco
present no special difficulties. On
both lines with the exception of one
submarine elevation found on each
route, the descent of the ocean bed
from the coast of California to the
Hawaiian Islands is gentle and regu-
lar and the bottom most favorable
for the reception of a cable The
deepest water found on the San
Diego line was 1854 fathoms on the
San Francisco line 3ll5 fathoms-
both depths close to the islands OF
some 800 miles only from Maui OF
that group.
The money recently appropriated
by Congress for the further work on
the routes will be expended by the
u. s. photographic Office IN making
supplementary survey. Soundings
will be made between the positions
or stations of the 'Iuscarora" sur
veys; the shorter intervals will thus
determine more closely and perfectly
the contour of the ocean bed, pre-
paratory to the actual laying of the
cable.
The San Francisco line will doubt.
less be adopted, not only because OF
the greater Importance of that city
as commercial centre but alst
owing to the fact of shorter distance
as compared with the route to Sal
Diego.
When once cable communication
is established between North Americ
and the Hawaiian Islands, extension
to other points in the Pacific will
surely follow.
Australia, now sending her Euro
pean mails across the continent o
America, already clamors for direc
telegraphic touch with the Unite
States and the Dominion of Canada
In connection with her neighbor an
sister colony New Zealand, she i
fast becoming such a giant in increas
of population, growth of wealth, an
fervor or political aspiration and de
mand, that she will he apt to ge
what she wants or know the reason
to the contrary.
The preliminary survey for cabl
line to Brisbane from Honolulu vi
the Phoenix and FIJI Groups ha
already been made. This was don
in 1876 by Captain j. N. Miller, [
S. N, then in command of the ''Tu.
, carora." The deepest water foun
in the l07 soundings made was 344
fathoms 50 that that route may /
> deemed to be practicable.
: am, sir, your obedient servant,