180 Transactions. 
It is but twelve years ago that publie meetings were held in Otago to 
discuss ihe possibility of establishing an overland mail between Dunedin 
and Christchurch, the country lying between the two towns being then a 
terra incognita. Within the last few weeks we have witnessed the successful 
laying of the Cook Strait cable, connecting the seat of Government in the 
North Island with all the prineipal towns of the Middle Island, and have 
had laid on our breakfast tables the printed reports of the debates with 
which the walls of the legislative chambers at Wellington were echoing but 
a few hours previously. 
It may be interesting to record the dates of the successive steps by 
which this result has been attained. 
The first telegraph line opened in New Zealand was a short line, con- 
structed under the direction of the Provincial Engineer, between Lyttelton 
and Christchurch, which was opened to the public 1st July, 1862. 
The line between Port Chalmers and Dunedin was opened a few days 
afterwards. 
These first efforts were followed by the construction of the main line 
through the Middle Island, from Bluff Harbour to Nelson, under the direc- - 
tion of Mr. A. Sheath, the Telegraphic Engineer to the General Government, 
the communication between the extreme points just named being completed 
23rd March, 1866. 
Next in order must be recorded the erection of the line between Christ- 
ehurch and Hokitika, which was commenced in August, 1865, and opened 
to Hokitika, one of the ports of the western gold fields, 14th February, 1866. 
This line has since been extended northwards along the coast as far as 
Greymouth, another gold fields port, the connection between Hokitika and 
Greymouth having been established 9th July, 1866. 
And, lastly, the whole scheme of telegraphic communication in the 
Middle Island has been connected with the seat of Government by a cable 
laid across Cook Strait, the first official message between the Middle and 
North Islands haying been flashed across the Straits 26th August, 1866. 
The total length of telegraph now open in the Middle Island, including the 
line across Cook Strait, is 986 miles, of which 199 belong to the communica- 
tion between Christchurch and Greymouth. 
Every new country presents special features which affect the character 
of its publie works: this is well exemplified by the working of our telegraphs. 
There are two special causes of interruption to our lines which are worth 
: recording. First, the breakage of the wire by falling trees. The trees of 
the New — forests have no tap-roots, and depend upon each other for 
if the edge of the forest is abruptly exposed, as when a 
itself pet ine; tivi the boss un when a wide clearing 
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