Correspondence and Papers on Persia [‎26r] (52/107)

My Dear Mr. HENNlKER-HEATON,
Rome ay, ^nd January, 1890.
The little pamphlet l gave you the other clay re an overland line of
telegraph between India and Europe will acquaint you with the views I held
and made public more than four years ago.
Not only do 1 adhere to the opinions I then expressed, but 1 am more
than ever convinced—
(I ) of the necessity for such a line ;
(II.) the possibility of constructing it at a remunerative rate; and
(III.) the possibility of maintaining it without serious difficulty and
for a reasonable amount.
As regards (I), the lines of telegraphic communication between Europe
and India ; at the present time there are the cables of the Eastern Telegraph
Company to Alexandria, an overland line thence to Suez, whence a couple
of cables run to Aden and Bombay.
Another route from the East of Europe passes through the Caucasus,
via Tiflis to Tabriz and Teheran; thence southward through Ispahan and
Shiraz to Bushire, where the Indian Government cable to Kurrachee is
joined.
From Bushire a cable runs to Fao at the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and
from that place to Constantinople there is a Turkish line of telegraph running
through Bus rah, Baghdad, xMosul, Diarbekir and Angora.
A fourth line of communication bgtween Europe.and India is the very
roundabout and expensive route known as the “ Amoor.” This line runs
through Russia and Siberia to Vladivostock, and is connected with India bv
a series of cables.
Now all cables are more liable to serious damage than land lines. Their
original cost is great, their maintenance costly, and when interrupted it fre
quently happens that communication is not restored for a considerable time
In time of war an enemy would certainly endeavour to cut them not
withstanding any convention to the contrary, and not only this, but in the
case of the Eastern Telegraph Company’s land line across Egypt—a country
where we most assuredly would be attacked-it would be liable to constant
interruption; so that altogether this route is a very insecure one, and it
should not be forgotten that the many coral reefs of the Red Sea are a con
stant source of danger to the cables in those waters and that they have at
tunes been interrupted for a considerable period.
I he Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. route is equally exposed to accidental and intentional
injury, and as for the existing line through Turkey in Asia it may be dis-