'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.' [‎137] (170/782)

in.] COLONEL DISBROWE AT HA BA LAIN. 137
entirely to the opposite coast. After experience lias
certainly passed an unmistakable decision against the
original selection, though it has in no way impugned
the wisdom and expediency which occasioned it under
peculiar and urgent circumstances.
Colonel Disbrowe, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Maskat, had
on the 8 th January 1864, in anticipation of Colonel
Stewart's arrival with the cable, proceeded to the locali
ties which he, intelligibly but in somewhat technical
parlance, designated the " Masandam Districts," to make
inquiries beaung on, and with a view to forward gene
rally, the interests of the undertaking. The steamer
Victoria had conveyed him to Malcolm's Inlet, and in
company with her commander, Lieutenant Arnott, of the
Indian Navy, and Lieutenants Pierson and St. John of the
Bengal Engineers, he had visited the isthmus of Maklab,
the spot marked out by Lieutenant Stiffe for temporarily
interrupting the submarine cable by the intervention of
a short land line. It had been proposed to substitute
here, at a later date, an underground for an aerial tele
graph; but the distance under consideration was less
than half a mile, and no physical obstructions of con
sequence had presented themselves. After re-embarka-
tion of the exploring party, the Victoria had re-landed
Colonel Disbrowe in another part of the inlet, and
ea\iiig him there with a couple of small soldiers' tents,
servants and horse, had steamed away, with her remain
ing passengers, to Bushahr and Basrah.
A brief account of this self-imposed but useful
mission is procurable from existing data. The village
chosen for preliminary inspection was Habalam, situ
ated on the southern side of the inlet and at an easy
stance from the recently visited isthmus. It was