“I am very truly yours,
“Henry Ward Beecher.”
It was about this time that Mr. Field’s thoughts were turned to the possibility of laying a cable across the Pacific, and in that way carrying out his favorite project of completing the circuit of the globe.
In writing on April 22, 1870, he says:
“I enclose a memorial and bill before Congress in regard to a submarine cable from California to China and Japan.”
On April 23d:
“If I obtain (as I hope) my telegraph bill, I propose that the Pacific Submarine Telegraph Company make an agreement, offensive and defensive, with the submarine lines from England to China via India. Our cable would give an alternate route from China to England, and I would suggest that we have a joint office in China, and that parties there have the option of sending by either line; and in case one line should be down, messages should be immediately forwarded by the other.”
“August 20, 1870.
“At the request of prominent members of the United States government we have decided to adopt the following route for the Pacific cable:
| San Francisco to Sandwich Islands | 2,080 | miles. |
| Sandwich Islands to Medway Island | 1,140 | “ |
| Medway Island to Yokohama | 2,260 | “ |
| Yokohama to Shang-Hai | 1,035 | “ |
| 6,515 | “ |
“Medway Island is the new coaling station of the steamers between California and Japan.”