.S7A 1 \\-Il.l.IAM S/KMKNS, J-'.K.X. Ill 



being in accordance with the proportions he had recommended, 

 when the question was referred to him by the Indian Government 

 in the first instance. Messages could be sent through it, with the 

 instruments used, at almost any speed at which the clerks were 

 rapuble of working the keys. He did not think the form of the 

 ((inductor was, however, one that would be generally adopted here- 

 after. It was certainly very tempting, to adopt a conductor of 

 several wires, with the guarantee of the tenacity of the different 

 members of the whole, and at the same time presenting the least 

 development of surface for conductivity ; but he believed there 

 were risks connected with it, particularly as regarded the joints, 

 which had to be made the same as in a solid wire. The outer 

 covering seemed to have succeeded perfectly. He had had some 

 fear lest the application of the hot material on the outside of the 

 cable might, at a moment when perhaps the machine was badly 

 attended to, cause the more fusible gntta-pefcha to melt ; but that 

 did not appecir to have been the case. His experience rather went 

 to prove that a cable would work (provided it had been manu- 

 factured under proper superintendence) exactly as long as the 

 outer covering lasted ; therefore every effort should be concen- 

 trated on making an outer covering which should be durable for 

 many years. With regard to shallow sea cables, there was a 

 remedy, though perhaps a coarse one, by using large galvanized 

 wires. The covering which Messrs. Bright and Clark had applied 

 to the Persian Gulf cable was another solution ; but such an outer 

 covering could not be used for deep seas, and he thought the most 

 important question of the present day, in regard to deep sea 

 telegraphs, was what outer covering would combine lightness with 

 permanent strength ? The solution which Mr. Siemens had 

 worked out, was a flexible armour of copper or iron, which had 

 already been brought before the Institution.* He was gratified at 

 hearing the high eulogium which the author had passed upon the 

 late Colonel Patrick Stewart. Too high praise could not be 

 bestowed upon that most able and disinterested officer, who had 

 fallen a victim to his anxiety in carrying out this great work. 



Mr. C. W. Siemens had intended to enter into some explanations 

 with regard to the electrical tests, and of the value of the different 



* Vide Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Vol. XXI. 

 p. 529. 



