KINKS 129 



rough but the weather is squally and the rain 

 comes in frequent gusts, 



'June 25, 

 'To-day about 1 o'clock we hooked the three- 

 wire cable, buoyed the long sea end, and picked 

 up the short [or shore] end. Now it is dark and 

 we must wait for morning before lifting the buoy 

 we lowered to-day and proceeding seawards. — 

 The depth of water here is about 600 feet, the 

 height of a respectable English hill ; our fishing 

 line was about a quarter of a mile long. It blows 

 pretty fresh and there is a great deal of sea. 



' 26th. 



' This morning it came on to blow so heavily that 

 it was impossible to take up our buoy. The Elba 

 recommenced rolling in true Baltic style and towards 

 noon we ran for land. 



' 27th, Sunday, 



' This morning was a beautiful calm. We reached 

 the buoys at about 4.30 and commenced picking up 

 at 6.30. Shortly a new cause of anxiety arose. 

 Kinks came up in great quantities, about thirty 

 in the hour. To have a true conception of a kink, 

 you must see one : it is a loop drawn tight, all the 

 wires get twisted and the gutta-percha inside 

 pushed out. These much diminish the value of 

 the cable, as they must all be cut out, the gutta- 

 percha made good, and the cable spliced. They 



