'Telegraph and travel. A narrative of the formation and development of telegraphic communication between England and India, under the orders of Her Majesty's Government, with incidental notices of the countries traversed by the lines.' [‎22] (55/782)

22
TELEGRAPH AND TRAVEL.
[chap.
the land ; no wonder that he felt ^gratified at the compli-'
ment paid to his talents and industry. v
His early observations, on taking charge of the Tele
graph in Bengal, are syfficiently relevant,to the present
work to call for passing record. He writes from Calcutta
in May:— 44 The lightning has come into the offices
several times lately, destroying parts of the instruments
completely, and sounding all the alarms. I have now
before me one of the coils of fine wire, the cardboard of
which was burned to a cinder last night, and the wire
itself melted by the lightning, without injuring seriously
anyone in the office. On the lo^er parts of the line
near the bay, there are immense numbers of wild buffa
loes that continually come to rub themselves on the
posts of the telegraph, and not unfrequently knock them
down, or break them. I hope to pay my respects to,
some of them this week. Great numbers of birds,, such
as crows, kites, fishing eagles^ &c., have been killed
while sitting on the iron rods, by flashes of lightning,
passing along them." About a fortnight later the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping.
reports fulfilment of his hopes of encountering the buffa
loes, and that he is expecting two pairs of horns, which
are to be sent home should they arrive in tolerably good
condition.
^Lieutenant Stewart, besides making tours of inspec-
tion, was employed in arranging for the transmission
and 'distribution of stores and instruments for the whole
line from Calcutta to Lahor, and from Agra to Indor,
1,7Q0 miles of telegraph. Nor did the lines down the
river escape -his attention. Among his first acts was
to lay down and put in working order a 10-mile line
from the Diamond Harbour Station to a dangerous
shoal in the Hugli, the progress of vessels over which