218 A SAGA OF THE SEAS 
States of America for the establishment of a telegraph cable across 
the Pacific Ocean in order to the furtherance of commercial inter- 
ests and to the strengthening of the friendly relations which have 
for so many years existed between the United States and. your 
Imperial Majesty’s government. 
From communications which memorialist has had with the 
government of the United States and with many leading mem- 
bers of Congress, he is able to say with confidence that both the 
government and the legislature take a deep interest in the sub- 
ject, and that, as memorialist believes, they will readily join with 
your Majesty in making such arrangements as may be found neces- 
sary to carry out the enterprise. 
Memorialist has made diligent inquiry from the persons best 
able to advise with respect to the practicability of uniting the two 
great continents by telegraphic cable, and he has received most 
satisfactory assurances on the subject. 
The proposed line would be about 6000 miles in length, and 
would be made in at least two lengths, landing at one or more of 
the islands of the Pacific Ocean. 
From this point the line would extend on the one hand to Rus- 
sian territory, where it would be connected with the imperial 
system of land lines, and on the other hand it would run to the 
western coast of the United States, joining there the American 
wires, and thus give direct communication between Russia and 
the whole continent of America, and, by means of the cables now 
laid with every important telegraph line in the world. 
Your Majesty will not fail to appreciate the importance and 
value of such a communication to Russia as well as to the United 
States of America. 
It would be an act of presumption on the part of memorialist 
to affect to point out to your Majesty the advantages of the line 
in its international and political aspect. The cost of the line can- 
not be ascertained until the route is definitely settled, but it will 
be manifest that for such an undertaking the very best descrip- 
tion of cable must be used. 
From the best information which could be obtained, and from 
the experience of existing lines, memorialist is led to believe that 
for some years such a line would not in itself be remunerative as 
a commercial speculation, although there would doubtless be a 
large amount of business passing through it; and, further, that 
having regard to the risks necessarily incident to so great a work, 
