1857.] oji the Submarine Telegraph, 395 



experiment to place Dublin Castle in instantaneous communica- 

 tion with Downing Street, provided £20,000 was advanced by 

 the State towards the expense. This offer not being accepted, I 

 turned my attention to the Continent, which I visited, and spent 

 large sums of money in endeavouring to promote the electric 

 telegraph in France, Prussia, and other Continental States. In 

 1847, I succeeded in obtaining permission from Louis Philippe 

 to unite England with France by a submarine line, but failed to 

 obtain the attention of the public, it being considered too hazardous 

 for their support. 



When the course of events placed Louis Napoleon at the head 

 of the French nation, I brought the subject under his notice, 

 soliciting such protection as I thought would induce the public to 

 support the undertaking, and received an encouraging reply ; 

 nevertheless, £2000 only was subscribed for the first experiment. 



The first attempt to connect England and France by a sub- 

 marine telegraph was made in 1850, with a copper wire inclosed 

 in gutta-percha, a material which opportunely came to our aid 

 about that time. About 27 miles of this wire were conveyed on 

 board the Goliath steam-tug, and wound round a large iron 

 cylinder or drum to facilitate the paying it out, and the vessel 

 started from Dover, exciting little or no curiosity at the time. The 

 end of the wire attached to land was carried into a horse-box at the 

 South-Eastern Railway Terminus, and we commenced paying out 

 the wire, pieces of lead being fastened to it at intervals to facilitate 

 the sinking. Electric communication from the vessel to the shore 

 being kept up hourly, during its progress, the only drawback was a 

 fear lest this frail experimental thread should snap, and involve the 

 undertaking in ridicule. The trial was, however, successful ; and 

 the Times of the day justly remarked, " the jest of yesterday has 

 become the fact of to-day." 



The place chosen on the French coast for landing the wire was 

 Cape Grinez, under a cliff among rocks ; being purposely selected, 

 because it afforded no anchorage to vessels, and was difficult of 

 approach. 



My station at the Dover Railway afforded an elevated position, 

 from whence, by the aid of a glass, I was able to distinguish the 

 light-house and cliff at Cape Grinez. A declining sun enabled 

 ifie to discern the moving shadow of the steamer's smoke on 

 the white cliffs, thus indicating her progress. At length the shadow 

 ceased to move. The vessel had evidently come to an anchor. 

 We gave them half an hour to convey the end of the wire to shore, 

 and attach the printing instrument ; and then I sent the first electric 

 message across the Channel — this was reserved for Louis Napoleon, 

 I was afterwards informed that some French soldiers who saw the 

 slip of printed paper running from the little telegraph instrument, 

 bearing a message from England, enquired, " how it could possibly 

 have crossed the Channel ?" and when it was explained that it was 



