HIS PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA 79 



in the summer of 1855 to witness the laying of that part 

 of the cable between Newfoundland and Cape Breton. 

 He also gave permission that the National Observatory- 

 should be the first to use the telegraph to determine 

 longitude across the Atlantic. In giving this assurance, 

 Field wrote of the great help which Maury was rendering 

 in "illuminating the path for the lightning". 



In the year 1856, Lieutenant Berryman in the Arctic 

 made soundings from St. Johns, Newfoundland to 

 Queenstown, Ireland, both on the outward and home- 

 ward passages. But these soundings were very care- 

 lessly made, and finally had to be declared worthless by 

 Maury. In the summer of the following year Lieutenant 

 Dayman, Royal Navy went over the same course in the 

 Cyclops and made satisfactory soundings, which con- 

 firmed Maury's earlier statements as to the existence 

 of the telegraphic plateau. 



The company met with many discouragements in the 

 laying of the cable. An unsuccessful attempt was made 

 in the summ.er of 1857, and three, other failures followed 

 the next year. But perseverance finally had its reward ; 

 the U. S. Steamer Niagara and H. B. M. Steamer 

 Agamemnon, after having m.et in mid-ocean and joined 

 cables, set out for opposite shores where they arrived 

 at Trinity Bay and Valentia Harbor, respectively, about 

 the fifth of August, 1858. There was great rejoicing on 

 both sides of the Atlantic, and a great banquet was 

 given in Field's honor by the city of New York at the 

 Metropolitan Hotel on September 2, 1858. In his ad- 

 dress on that occasion. Field referred to the many to 

 whom he was indebted and mentioned "those never-to- 

 be-forgotten philosophers Lieutenant Maury, Professor 



