'File VII/1. Telegraphic Connection to Kuwait.' [‎259v] (548/574)

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and Gwadur to Karachi in May, 1864, thus completing the connection between
Karachi and Fao in readiness for the Turkish line on to Constantinople, which
was completed some months later in January, 1865.
Before this Mr. Walton of the Indian Telegraph Department had been
deputed to construct the land line from Karachi to Gwadur ; he commenced
the work in June, 1862, and completed it the following April. In constructing
this 400 miles of line Mr. Walton encountered very great hindrances, not only
because of the utterly barren and inhospitable nature of the country with the
consequent lack of water and difficulties of transport, but also from the
jealousies, bickerings and opposition of the local petty Chiefs, and that he
was able to construct it at all is a testimony to Mr. Walton’s perseverance
and ability.
It has been stated above that the Turkish line from Baghdad to Khanikin
on the Persian frontier was completed in October, 1864. The line from Khanikin
to Teheran and thence south to Bushirewas constructed on behalf of Persia by
British Engineers under Major Champain, an officer of the Royal
Engineers; it was commenced in 1863 and was completed in October, 1864, but
the line was so continuously interrupted that it was never really opened, and
in fact, the Baghdad to Teheran section has never been used for international
telegraph traffic with India.
The first telegraphic communication between Europe and India was effected
on the completion of the Baghdad Fao section of the Turkish line on January
27th, 1865, just 63 years ago. It is pathetic to recall that Col. Patrick Stewart,
to whose energy, perseverance and remarkable abilities the success of the project
was mainly due, died at the early age of 33, in Constantinople, on the 16th
January, 1865, a few days only before the completion of the connection between
Europe and India for which he had worked so strenuously.
In the month after the opening the number of messages exchanged was 62
only, but this number quickly increased, and in the December following 2,365
messages were exchanged, the charge for a telegram being £5 for 20 words or
part of 20 words, while the average time of transit was 6 days 8 hours and 44
minutes. At this time a letter to Bombay took just over a month on the way,
being carried by sea to Alexandria, across Egypt to Suez, and thence by sea to
Bombay. In the same year efforts were made to transmit messages via the
Russian lines, which had been extended through Tiflis to Teheran, but the
service was found to be most indifferent, the average time of transit being 17
days 5 hours and 5 minutes, while messages were so badly mutilated as to be
unintelligible.
The delays to messages between England and India was the subject of
communications, including telegraphs,” sat and took evidence in 1866, and
various proposals were made for the improvement of the telegraph service ;
alternative schemes were submitted and diplomatic representations made, but