500 Proceedings. 
mate, which I annex, are of course subject to the uncertainty which 
attends the cost of labour and materials in Van Diemen’s Land, and 
which can he best judged of by persons resident on the spot. 
The following is the Estimate which I now submit to you:— 
‘ Gees: od: 
Passage Money and other preliminary payments to 
Inspector and his Assistants ..- ssseeereeereers 200 0 0 
Four Instruments, at £45 each on JEL U) @ 
Four Station Houses, Say .......ssssoccssesesssecsevees 1s0 0 O 
£560 0 O 
Conducting Wire and Fittings.— Cost per Mile. 
£ 8. d 
Wire, 4 cwt. at 40s. as per former Estimate... 8 0 0 
Freight, 4 cwt., at 5s., a8 before .......-seeeeeeeee iW dv 
Thirty Insulators, at 1s. 3d., as before......... 117 6 
Cost, per mile, of materials to be sent from 
Britain, 28 before ...sssscsseveseceeserevesecaseees 6 
Thirty Posts, at 2s. .+.-.....60+ (0) 
Labour, 4 days, at 12s. ...- 0 
Ditto 4 days, at 6s. 
Carriage—4 days, horse, cart and driver, 15s. 3 0 0 
TMSPeCtiOn ..csccssecesseccessscecssvcencecsressnsessees 110 0 
120 miles conducting wire, at #22 per mile .,....+6008 £2640 0 0 
£3200 0 0 
Contingencies, 10 per CONt......csecserssresrerenrererserss : 820 0 0 
Totaliveresssrere £3520 0 0 
I am, dear Sirs, 
Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) W. J. Macquorn Ranxine, 
P.S.—I beg leave to add a few remarks respecting the line of ‘Telegraph 
which I suggested at the end of my Report, to Sydney, Melbourne, and 
Geelong. 
A gentleman well acquainted with the navigation of Bass’s Straits has 
suggested to me that by carrying the Submarine Telegraphic Cable across 
the western end of these Straits, from Cape Grim to King’s Island and to 
- Cape Otway, instead of across the eastern end, as I originally suggested, 
the advantages would be gained of having a sandy instead of a rocky 
bottom, and of placing Geelong on the main line instead of on a branch. 
Against this must be set the advantages of the other route, in having 
several islets in its course, which would enable the cable to be sunk in 
short lengths, 
