The following copy of a letter, addressed to the Chairman of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, relative to the working of the Great Northern Cables in China waters, lias been received by the Chamber of Commerce here, and is published by permission for general information.
Copenhagen, 7th October, 1873.
The Chairman of the Boxaxone GeNeRat CHAMBER OF
Stn,—In reply to your esteemed letter of 9th August we at once telegraphed to our j manager, Mr, Dreyer, to inform you that we are preparing steps to insure a perma-iment and satisfactory working of all our telegraph lines in China and Japan. interruption has been caused We are happy to state that not
deficiency in the electrical condition of cables, which are superior to most cables The frequent interruptions have, with a single exception—on the Nagasaki-Wiadiwostock line—nearly all taken place in the mouth of the Yangtse river or close to Hongkong. They have all been caused by ships or junks anchors, in a fow instances also by violence from Uhinese thieves, We believe that there is not another line of telegraph-cables so much exposed as ours between Hongkong Shanghai and Na-sasaki. In many places cables are exposed to anchorage, and many Companies have been obliged to alter tie position of their cables several times, before they have been able to insure them against outward violence; but nowhere have they been exposed to have their cables wilfully out by the craft which accidentally got across them, Our Company will of course have to pro pare against these accidents and difficulties, and our not having done #o yet is not due to any neglect or want of prevision. If we had at once commenced to alter the position of our cables or to lay down stronger cables, it would have been a mere waste of money and would not in the Toast have improved the communication, It was necessary first to gain sufficient experience as to the causes of the breakages and the exposed places, before steps were taken to ingure permanent improvement. Under circumstances s0 extraordinary as those in China waters, such experience is not gained in less time than a couple of years, Our present experience has, however, sufficed to indicate the exact' course we have to pursue in our alterations, and we are happy to inform you that we are at this moment preparing steps which, we trust, will insure not only a permanent and satisfactory working between Hongkong and the Northern Ports, but also between China and Europe via Siberia, Inn, Sir, Your most obedient servant, (Signed) C, F, Treraxx, Chairman,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.