110 THE SEA. 



Great Eastern had left the offing, with a view of telegraphing to St. John's to hire a vessel 



to repair the cable unhappily broken between Cape Ray, in Newfoundland, and Cape 



North, in Breton Island. Before a couple of hours the shore end will be landed, and it is 



impossible to conceive a finer day for effecting this our final operation. To-morrow 



Heart's Content w r ill awaken to the fact that it is a highly-favoured place in the world's 



esteem, the western landing-place of that marvel of electric communication with the eastern 



hemisphere which is now happily, and we hope finally, established/' The foregoing simple 



record tells the great story of this memorable voyage. In England the progress of the 



expedition was known from day to day, but on the American side of the ocean all was 



uncertainty. Some had gone to Heart's Content hoping to witness the arrival of the fleet, 



but not so many as the year before, for the memory of the last failure was too fresh, and they 



feared another disappointment. But still a faithful few were there who kept their daily 



wafoh. The correspondents of the American papers reported only a long and anxious suspense 



till that morning when the first ship was seen in the offing. And now the hull of the 



Great Eastern looms up all glorious in that morning sky. They are coming ! Instantly all 



was wild excitement on shore. Boats put off to row towards the fleet. The Albany was 



the first to round the point and enter the bay. The Terrible came close behind. The 



Medway stopped an hour or two to join on the heavy shore end, while the Great Eastern, 



gliding calmly in as if she had done nothing remarkable, dropped her anchor in 



front of the telegraph house, having trailed behind her a chain of two thousand miles, to 



bind the Old World to the New. That same afternoon, as soon as the shore end was 



landed, Captain Anderson and the officers of the fleet went in a body to the little church 



of Heart's Content to render thanks for the success of the expedition. A sermon was 



preached on the text, " There shall be no more sea," and all joined in the sublime prayers and 



thanksgivings of the Church of England. Thus the voyage ended as it began. 



Although the expedition reached Newfoundland on Friday the 27th, yet as the cable 

 across the Gulf of St. Lawrence was broken, the news was not received in New York 

 until the 29th. It was early Sunday morning, before the Sabbath bells had rung their 

 call to prayer, that the tidings came. The first announcement was brief " Heart's Content, 

 July 27th. We arrived here at nine o'clock this morning. All well. Thank God the 



o 



cable is laid, and is in perfect working order. CYRUS W. FIELD." Soon followed the 

 despatch to the Associated Press, giving the details of the voyage, and ending with a just 

 tribute to the skill and devotion of all who had contributed to its success. Said Mr. Field : 

 " I cannot find words suitable to convey my admiration for the men who have so ably con- 

 ducted the nautical, engineering, and electrical departments of this enterprise, amidst difficulties 

 which must be seen to be appreciated ; in fact, all on board of the telegraph fleet, and all 

 connected with the enterprise, have done their best to have the cable made and laid in a 

 perfect condition.'-' Other despatches followed in quick succession, giving the latest events 

 of the war in Europe. All this confirmed the great triumph, and filled the breasts of many 

 with wonder and gratitude that Sabbath day as they went up to the house of God and 

 rendered thanks to Him who is Lord of the earth and sea. 



