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possible distance between the continents of Europe and America. As it lies directly in the track of the Atlantic steamers between the United States and Europe, public attention has naturally been directed towards its harbor as a position of prominent and striking importance on this side the Atlantic. It therefore deserves something more than a passing notice.

It has recently been proposed that St. John should be established as a port of call for at least one line of Atlantic steamers, and that the intelligence brought by this line from the Old World should be thence transmitted by telegraph to the whole of North America.

The route for the line of the proposed telegraph from St. John to Cape Ray, the southwestern extremity of Newfoundland, was explored during the latter part of the season of 1851, in a very energetic and successful manner, by Mr. Gisborne; and it was found, that beyond the question of expense, there were no unusual obstacles to prevent the construction of the line. From Cape Ray to Cape North, at the northeastern extremity of Cape Breton, the distance is forty-eight miles, across the great entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is proposed that telegraphic communication shall be maintained across this passage by a submarine cable, similar to that now successfully in operation between England and France. From Cape North to the town of Sydney, in Cape Breton, the distance is but short; and Sydney already communicates by telegraph with every place in America to which the wires are extended.

Another proposition is to carry the submarine cable at once from Cape Ray to the east cape of Prince Edward island; then traversing a portion of that island, to pass across the straits of Northumberland into New Brunswick, there to connect at the first convenient station with all the telegraph lines in North America.

It is alleged that a fast steamer, having on board only the small quantity of coals which so short a trip would require, might cross the Atlantic from Galway to St. John in five days; and, if so, information from all parts of Europe could be disseminated over the whole of our Union, even to the Pacific-from Moscow to San Francisco-within six days.

The harbor of St. John is one of the best in all Newfoundland, where good harbors abound. It is formed between two mountains, the eastern points of which have an entrance called "the Narrows."

From the circumstance of this harbor being only accessible by one large ship at a time, and from the numerous batteries and fortifications erected for its protection, St. John is a place of very considerable strength. There are about twelve fathoms water in mid-channel of the entrance, which, although but one hundred fathoms wide, is only one hundred fathoms long; and, when the Narrows are passed, the harbor trends off to the southwest, affording ample space for shipping, with good anchorage, in perfect shelter.

Some very interesting testimony was taken before the Legislative Assembly of Newfoundland in 1845, with reference to the advantages of St. John as a port of call for Atlantic steamers. Among other witnesses who were examined was Captain John Cousins, an old and respectable shipmaster, who stated as follows:

"I am a master-mariner, and I have been engaged in the trade fortyfour years. I have arrived at Newfoundland from England and foreign countries during each month in the year. The coast of Newfoundland, from Conception bay to Cape Race, is a fine, bold shore; there is not a rock or shoal to take up a vessel in making the land. The harbor of St. John is safe and commodious; it is as fine a harbor as any in the colony; the water is deep enough for a line-of-battle ship. There are no perceptible tides. The light-house on Cape Spear affords a fine light, which can be seen upwards of twenty miles at sea. There is a good harbor light, also.

"The northern ice along the eastern side of Newfoundland is generally to be found in greatest quantities during the months of March and April. The ice in April is softer, more honey-combed, than in March; by April, the great body of field-ice has generally passed to the southward, and is found as far as the bank off Cape Race. I have, as master, made several voyages to Nova Scotia, the coast of which is a very dangerous one, from the shoals that lie off it at a considerable dis

tance.

"Fogs prevail along the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia chiefly during the months of May, June, and July; they are thickest on the Banks. Those that are acquainted with the navigation of Newfoundland boldly run through the fog for the land, and find the atmosphere clear within a mile, or a mile and a half, of this shore; and the safety and boldness of our coast permit the running close inshore with impunity.

"Between St. John and Cape Race,* a distance of about fifty miles, there are seven harbors, into which vessels of any size could enter easily and lie safely. A straight line from Liverpool to Halifax would cut St. John harbor. From St. John to Cape Clear is 1,700 miles, or thereabouts."

In a representation made very recently by the people of St. John to the imperial government, it is set forth that the geographical position of St. John as the most eastern land on the American side of the Atlantic, situated on a promontory directly in the route between the other North American provinces and the United Kingdom, and distant from Ireland 1,665 miles only, obviously points it out as a port of call for Atlantic steamers. That in addition to its favorable position, the harbor of St. John possesses the advantages of being capacious yet landlocked; of having a depth of water and absence of tides which enable the largest ships that float to enter and leave it at all hours; of being easy of access and free from shoals or hidden dangers, as none exist along the line of bold coast between Cape St. Francis and Cape Race,

*A beacon has recently been erected on Cape Race, on the southern coast of Newfoundland, by the imperial government. The total height of the beacon is 65 feet. It stands on the rising ground, 140 feet high, immediately behind Cape Race rock; so that the top of the beacon is at an elevation of 205 feet above the level of the sea. It is of hexagonal shape, 22 feet in diameter at the base, and 11 feet on each face. It tapers upwards to a height of 56 feet, where its diameter is but 2 feet 9 inches, and is then surmounted by a skeleton ball 9 feet in diameter-making the total height 65 feet. The faces of the beacon are painted alternately white and red, and the ball at the top red. The Cape Pine light-house is also painted white and red, but in horizontal alternate stripes; whereas, Cape Race beacon is painted in vertical alternate stripes.

which may everywhere be approached with safety. It is, therefore, said to be manifest that the port of St. John presents facilities and conveniences for steamers which cannot be surpassed in any port in the world. There is said to be less fog on the coast of this part of Newfoundland than on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia; and oftentimes when the fog is thick on the Banks of Newfoundland, this coast is free from it.

A good land fall is of great value to the navigator, and it is asserted that none better can be found for trans-Atlantic steamers than St. John, as the royal mail steamers for Halifax usually endeavor to make the land about thirty miles to the southward of St. John. Hence it is argued that their call at St. John would detract nothing from their safety, and but little from their despatch.

All history and experience prove that the necessities of commerce seek out the nearest and shortest routes for travel and business. Calais and Dover have been the points of embarkation between England and the continent of Europe ever since the invasion of Britain by Cæsar, and for the sole reason that they are the nearest points between the island of Great Britain and the continent. Where Cæsar crossed the straits of Dover, the submarine telegraph now transmits intelligence from every portion of Europe, on its way to North America. A glance at the map of the world shows that in all time past, the points of islands or continents which approach the nearest have become the highways of their intercourse and commerce. Cape Surium was the point of concentration for the trade of Greece, because it was the nearest point to Egypt. The Appian Way was extended from Capua to Brundusium, on the Adriatic gulf, because that was the nearest good harbor, near the narrowest part of the Adriatic sea, in the most direct line from Rome to Constantinople. In modern times, that most wonderful and costly work, the Britannia tubular bridge across the Menai strait, has been erected at vast expense, simply because it is in the most direct line from London to Dublin and Ireland.

Under the impulse given to communication between Europe and America by the fast ocean steamers now traversing the Atlantic with speed and certainty, and the quickening influence of the electric telegraph, spreading its network of wires over the length and breadth of the continent for the instant communication of intelligence, it is but reasonable to believe that the nearest points between the continents of Europe and America-between the west coast of Ireland and the easternmost point of Newfoundland-will be established as the highway for communication between this country and Europe, to insure the transmission of intelligence in the shortest possible space. Nature appears to have decreed this; and it only remains for man to carry out, in the most advantageous manner, what has been thus decreed.

The legislature of Newfoundland appears to be fully alive to the importance of the geographical position of the harbor of St. John, and firmly impressed with the belief that, by means of steam communication with Ireland, it must be the point from which, without dispute, the earliest and latest intelligence will be transmitted between Europe and America. Influenced by this impression, it has made liberal offers to parties who will undertake to make St. John a port of call for

trans Atlantic steamers, and will establish a line of electric telegraph from thence to Cape Breton, within a given period. Besides other advantages, it has voted to pay a bonus of $7,500 for each one hundred miles of telegraph line, and $12,500 per annum for five years to a line of steamers, calling twice each month at the port of St. John.

LIGHT-HOUSES ON THE EASTERN COAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND.

These light-houses are said to be as good as any in the world, and are thus described:

At Cape Bonavista there is a powerful light, revolving every two minutes, red and white alternately; elevation, one hundred and fifty feet above the sea; seen at a distance of thirty miles. This light is in longitude 52° 8' west, latitude 48° 42' north.

At Cape Spear, distant from Cape Bonavista seventy-three miles, there is a powerful revolving light, showing a brilliant flash at intervals of one minute; elevation, two hundred and seventy-five feet above the sea; seen in all directions seaward at the distance of thirty miles. In longitude 52° 37' 5" west; latitude 47° 30' 20" north.

At Cape Race is fixed a beacon-tower, in longitude 52° 59' west, latitude 46° 40′ north; distant from Cape Spear fifty-six miles. This beacon-tower is hexagonal, painted in vertical stripes, red and white alternately. It has a skeleton ball at the top, painted red; its height is sixty-five feet, and it stands on ground one hundred and forty feet above the level of the sea.

At Cape Pine, distant from Cape Race thirty-two miles, is a powerful revolving light, three times a minute; its elevation above the sea is three hundred and two feet, and it can be seen from all points to seaward at the distance of thirty miles. Longitude 53° 32′ 12" west; latitude 46° 37′ 12′′ north.

In addition to these lights, there is a good fixed light at the entrance of the harbor of St. John, on the southern head, in longitude 52° 40′ 50" west, and latitude 47° 33′ 50′′ north. In foggy weather a heavy eighteen-pound gun is fired by day every half hour, thus enabling vessels to run at all times for the Narrows, the water being deep and the shore bold. The greatest distance between any two lights on this coast is eighty-eight miles; and as each light can be seen thirty miles in clear weather, there would be but twenty-eight miles to run without seeing a light.

The cost of the best coals for steam purposes, at the port of St. John, is as follows:

Coals from Sydney, Cape Breton...

Coals from Pictou, Nova Scotia...

Coals from Troon and Ardrossan, Scotland...

$4 90 per ton.

4 60 do.

4 96 do.

The duty on coals at Newfoundland is 30 cents per chaldron, equal to 25 cents per ton, which is included in the above rates.

The trade and commerce of the port of St. John is very considerable, as will be seen by the various statements which follow.

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In the years 1850 and 1851 the number of vessels which entered inward at the port of St. John, Newfoundland, was as follows:

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The number of vessels which cleared from St. John in the same years was as follows:

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