THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH. 33I 



and fifty fathoms, and clianging her course only six times after 

 joining cables, would be enabled to reach her port by steering 

 straight courses. Lieutenant Aulick projected in duplicate the 

 sides of this polygon on charts, which were sent to the company 

 for the paying-out vessels to steer by. 



Lieutenant Bennett was called on to assist in the investigations 

 necessary to enable me to answer the question as to the best time 

 for laying the cable. For this the results of 260,000 days of ob- 

 servation at sea were consulted, and, after a laborious investiga- 

 tion, the company was informed of the result, which was, that the 

 " most propitious time for their undertaking was the last of July 

 and the first of August," and that "the steamer with the western 

 end of the telegraph cord on board would be less liable than the 

 other to encounter a gale." This proved true ; for the Agamem- 

 non came near losing her end of the cable, owing to the violence 

 of wind and waves, while the Niagara was sailing with the west- 

 ern end in smooth water and a tranquil sea ; and it also turned 

 out that '' between the 20th of July and 10th of August" was the 

 time which proved the best. 



1026. The attempt again to span the Atlantic Ocean with an 

 electrical cord will probably be made in the summer of 1860. 

 Let us consider the true nature of the Neptunian difficulties in the 

 way ; for it appears to me that the obstacles which the sea op- 

 posed to the attempt of 1857-8 are not rightly appreciated. 



1027. I leave out of view, at present, all questions relating to 

 the electrical conditions of the problem, and address myself ex- 

 clusively to the Neptunian difficulties with which the projectors 

 of any line of telegraph across the Atlantic Ocean will have to 

 contend ; for, had the true nature and extent of these difficulties 

 been properly considered by the London Company, I have no 

 doubt but that the Atlantic Telegraph would have, at this day, 

 been in successful operation. 



The facts which our system of deep-sea soundings has brought 

 to light concerning the status of the deep sea are such that, when 

 properly considered by the hydro-telegraphic engineer, will ren- 

 der hues of submarine telegraphs as cheap, if not cheaper, than 

 our overland lines are. A full account has been given of these 

 discoveries in this work, and in vol. i., 8th edition, Maury's Sailing 

 Directions. 



