THE QUICKEST WAY OF COMMUNICATING WITH ENGLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 89, 27 February 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE QUICKEST WAY OF COMMUNICATING WITH ENGLAND.

(From the. WvMington Independent, Fi:h. 1-1.) i V\*c v.-ere not aware that telegraphic romnrer.i-: cation had been established between California j ftinl Newfoundland, but by the subjoined exi.-i'.etj taken from ilvj llluxtriilc'd UmiUm News of tiiej IGtii of November lust, it would appear that it j liiiil. | The first telegram sent ironi the Pacific to tlej Atlantic wiis sent by Chief Justice Field, of, California, to the President. It was us follows: —• Sacramento, Oct. 24. In the temporary absence of tin: Governor ot the Shite, I am requested to send you the first message j that will ha- transmitted over the wires of the telegraphic line which connect the Pacific am! the Atjunlic Status. The people of California item to conjrraf.ulnte you upon the completion of (he great work. Tliey hejiove that, it will ho the means ofstrensifheiiinp; the "attachment which binds both the Hast and the| "West to the Union ; and they desire in this, the first message across the Continent, to express their loyalty to that Union, and their determination to stand by the Government in this its day of trial. They regard that Government with affection, and will adhere to it under fill fortunes. The Europna,n news which starts from Newioundland at, say 4p.ni. would reach _ Sun Francisco at 830 p.m., or four hours and a half a-head of time. If the statement be correct, it is of considerable importance to this colony, and shows how anxious we ought to be; to get steam between Panama and New Zealand established as soon as possible. We may be assured it will not be long before a telegraph will again be in operation between Ireland and Newfoundland, when California will be in possession of London news most probably no more than four days old. Fast steam boats are frequently and regularly running beween San Francisco and Panama. We do not know the length of passage, but we thinkit does not exceed ten days by steam. The passage between Panama and New Zealand, we believe, is estimated to be made by steam vessels in twenty days. If these statements be correct, New Zealand would be able to communicate with Great Britain by way of Panama and California in thirty days. We suspect it will be a long- time before we shall be able to communicate with England by the way of Australia and the Bed Sea at an equal rate ; but even should we be, in an equally short time, it would still be weil to be able to communicate by the way of Panama, as we should then in all probability have the security of one line upon the temporary failure of the other.

We see that there is a great inclination on the part of several of the Provinces of New Zealand to expend money in extending the steam service from Melbourne by way of Otago, and the Government of this Province have been invited to devote funds for this service. So far as communication with Europe is concerned, we say let ■well alone, and expend all the funds we can command upon steam between New Zealand and Panama. We have no trade strictly speaking with Australia, or at least we should have bnt little. To subsidize steam to Australia is to place the direct trade with India and China at a disadvantage, while our interest demands that we should do nothing of the kind. Indeed, if we were foolish enough to expend sufficient of our colonial funds upon steam between New Zealand and Australia, we might render direct trade with India and China impossible, and effectually secure to ourselves dear uud bad, instead of cheap and good, tea and sugar. As .Australia had a large community, and was nearer to India than New Zealand, arrangements for the mails by that route were properly made with Victoria and New South Wales ; but we think that the arrangements for the Panama route ought to bo made with this colony, and that our General Government will fail in their duty if it do not take the lead, and that at an early date, in this important matter.

A Reminiscence of the Eomnton Tournament. —A writer in the Morning Chronicle,, of the 7th October, says :—At the present moment, when the public attention lias been excited by the announcement of the sudden death of the Earl of Eg] in ton, I may be pardoned for recalling a few of the leading features of that splenid pageant of meclireval chivalry. It took place on the 25th August, 1859, and the tilting was intended to have occupied an entire week ; but a pouring rain put an end to the entertainment, drenched the ladies' rich silks, canopies, and caparisons, and forced the " Queen of Beauty" herself to appear upon the ground—not, as had been intended, on horseback, but in a carriage and four. The ground selected was about a quarter of a mile from Eglinton Castle, Ayrshire, and the area for the purpose enclosed a space of C3O feet long, by 200 wide. The barrier in the centre parallel to which the knights charged each other in the tilts, was 300 foot lons, and about 4?> feet high, and the ground was thickly strewed with, sawdust for 25 feet on cither side. " At the four corners of the area the lances of the knights were piled, and at either extremity the pavilions of the knights, their squires and retainers were arranged. The grand stand accommodated seven hundred of the elite of the visitors; it was erected in a Gothic style, and the throne for the Queen of lieauty, which formed its centre, caught the eye less by its prominence than by the elaborate carved work. Ovei-laid with gold, and hung with rich drapery of crimson damask, east and west of this gorgeous receptacle, was a gallery of inferior splendour,' calculated to contain from 600 to 700 spectators each. From this selected spot, near which the knights displayed their dexterity in the use of ancient weapons of wax, the ground afforded accommodation for thousands of spectators, who could not possibly have gained admittance within the lists. The armour worn by some of the chevaliers was of the most sorgcous and costly description. The Earl of Eglinton, who himself presided as King of the Tournament, appeared in a suit of brass armour, and the crest which surmounted his helmet was decorated with plumes of blue and yellow feathers. His horse, too, was richly caparisoned with blue satin and cloth of gold. The second tilt, perhaps the most gallant, and certainly the most interesting, joust of the day, was between the Knight and the Dragon (the Marqiiisof Waterford) and the King of the Tournament (the Earl of Bgliutou). The knights mot as eombatautsyi spits of the rain, in a truly gallant style. In the first course both lances were shivered, and thai shock was heard throughout the whole amphitheatre, j the sound being answered and re-echoed by the en-] thusiasting cheering of the spectators, who were look-j ing on in thousands. In the second joust the Marquis: of Waterford started a little before his antagonist, and. thus meeting unequally they raised their lances and] passed without actually encountering each other. In I the third course the noblo earl fairly splintered his1 lance upon the shield of the marquis—a feat whioh I was answered by another burst of prolonged applause, i He was then led by a herald to the Grand Stand, andi paid his devoirs to the Queen of Beauty as victor. It js not a "little singular that out of the young nobleman who took part in the proceedings of that memorable day, three if they havtJ not died young men, at least; lie in early graves. One of them was Lord Alibrd, ' the heir to the princely estates of the Earl of Brown- j low and of the Earl of Bridge water : another was tliej Marquis of Waterford, who was killed by falling from; his horse in the hnntiug field ; and now the generous: and liberal founder of the pageant, who spent (it] is said) nearly .£BO,OOO in his attempt to revive a chivalrie pageant from the records of the Middle ages, has been consigned to the tomb whila yet in tlu prime of life. ■ A Viktuous Peopw. oi? BuNfiAi..—lt :s truly; Observed that a man's conduct to woman is always one of the best tests of.Jiis manners; and both Bodosj and Dhimnls use their wives and daughters well, treating them with confidence and kindness. The women are exempt from all out-i'opr work: they aye consulted by their husbands as the safest advisers in all domestic concerns; indeed, all others that women are supposed likely to understand. Their manners. towards their parents and ciders are very pleasing.l When one of them meets his parent qy i>;se of tin; eldew of the community, he touches tin; ground with joined hands, and then raises them to his forehead. If abroad, he says, "Father, I am on my way," to which the parent or elder replies, " May it be well with thee." Visiting- and amusements are little thought of amongst these simple people.— United Service Maytn.ine. ■ Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning—an emdeavour to find our place on a cloudy sea. by measuring the distance we have run, and without any observation of the heavenly bodies.

Dr. Parr was very fond of his choir, and always encouraged them to sing a long hymn or anthem before i the sermon, .during which he \ised to steal into the vestry and .smoke his pipe. When they had done, I the clerk informed him, and if the Doctor had not! finished, he would say, "John, tell them to sing the two last verses over again ; my people love singing, and I love.smoking.'' The Imperial Ukown of England.—There are comprised in the crown 1 large ruby, irregularly'] polished, 1 large broad-spread sapphire, 16 sapphires,) 11 emeralds, 4 rubies, 1303 brilliant diamonds, 1273 rose diamonds, 147 table diamonds, 4 dropshaped pearls, and 273 pearls.

i THE BLACKS ON THE UTPJiiI JJ U RJS'IiTT. ] 1 hay: to inform you the blades are now ? alhereu Iliere in J.'itai, numbers, and from tlwir appearance | said actions, we do not believe they liave any good :intent. Somii short time hauk public attention was loaliod to a paragraph which appeared in your paper, jin reference to ".Mr. Watthio. over.-cor to .Messrs.; jKidle:-, of Caiiia, who had been knocked down, by tlus, Ibi.-iclcs, and alio that 300 valuable rams had been M.-iven off the station. With reference to the iirst Iwrtiou of the piiivtrraph, it was too tine he war, 'knocked dow.i, but no'thin;: farther occurred. Lio.u|ien:i.iii Miirrnv arrived on the ground, ar.d iinuin'! tho| case of ko tiiliiiic: a- character, left in di?S'.-.st. Tin; blii'.'ks were quiet onor.yii liil hi.s dcpirtiue, lint nus thoy .ire all congi-ctmtcrl tlioro t'j the amount of eoi.io iiiundreds. A police force should be established there without delay. The uovenuneiiO are bomiil to protect persuns, ' the nature of whose vocation l.'ias led theui to suoii outliuidish ]-,iaces. ITiiless this |is speeiiily done thcTu will be anuihur edition of the Nogoa tragedy. At- Ouuiii 11.0 Harks arc far from quiet, as the following facts v.i',l kliow :—Tv.o vea.rs a^o a German ishepherd was met by two Watts on l:is run. Ti;ey asked him for tol&eco, nud whilst iji tlio act cS LakiMC it fi-oiii his pockot, ono of the wielc'nes struck hi.s arm with a tomahawk ; v.i the same instant the other also inflicted a wound on Iris head. He sank on his kuoas, but recovering hinii-eif quickly, sprang up and fired at them without effect. This man is now de.'a!: but his murderers may commonly be seen at _tlio stotion. One of them rejoices in bha name of Hilly, and the other stylos himself Mr. Peter. They are always in the scrub when the police come, and the latter, who is notorious as the murderer of several white men, is allowed to walk about these stations with impunity, either through men wanting the courage or ability to shoot him.

Eighteen months back, a man of the name of Belmartin, lost his son. It was thought he had absconded, arid no tale or tidings heard of him since : but from strict enquiries it turns cut thai the " very blacks" have turned informers, and it appears by their statement that one " walk about .Tacky" and two others met the boy as he was Koiny homa late in the evening;, killed and then threw him into a waterhole.

Twelve months since a hutkeepor, at an outstation, whilst titting at the door-step, was struck on his face and nearly killed. The} would-be murderers then fee lire to the yards, which were burned to ashes, and in consequence the station was abandoned. Now, whether these ca^es have ever been brought to public notice I am not aware ; but from all I have heard it is said there are not wanting those who would screen such murderers. I therefore fee! it a duty to mention these things at the present time, as showing that what blacks have boon guilty of before, they have the will to accomplish at present. Men carry fire-arms here, but what of that ; a few hundred blacks may come on them in an unguarded moment, and then what will avail their anna % Let the police but establish their station here, and distribute a few ounce balls among the ringleaders, and then we shall have no alarm in their future gatherings. Correspondent of the Queensland Guardian.