ANXIOUS WORK xcix 



' June . 



' We left Syra the morning after our arrival on Saturday 

 the 4th. This we did (first) because we were in a hurry to do 

 something and (second) because, coming from Alexandria, we 

 had four days' quarantine to perform. We were all mustered 

 along the side while the doctor counted us ; the letters were 

 popped into a little tin box and taken away to be smoked ; the 

 guardians put on board to see that we held no communication 

 with the shore without them we should still have had four 

 more days' quarantine ; and with twelve Greek sailors besides, 

 we started merrily enough picking up the Canea cable. . . . 

 To our utter dismay, the yarn covering began to come up quite 

 decayed, and the cable, which when laid should have borne 

 half a ton, was now in danger of snapping with a tenth part of 

 that strain. We went as slow as possible in fear of a break at 

 every instant. My watch was from eight to twelve in the 

 morning, and during that time we had barely secured three 

 miles of cable. Once it broke inside the ship, but I seized hold 

 of it in time the weight being hardly anything and the line 

 for the nonce was saved. Regular nooses were then planted in- 

 board with men to draw them taut, should the cable break in- 

 board. A , who should have relieved me, was unwell, so 



I had to continue my look-out ; and about one o'clock the line 

 again parted but was again caught in the last noose, with about 

 four inches to spare. Five minutes afterwards it again parted 

 and was yet once more caught. Mr. Liddell (whom I had 

 called) could stand this no longer ; so we buoyed the line and 

 ran into a bay in Siphano, waiting for calm weather, though I 

 was by no means of opinion that the slight sea and wind had 

 been the cause of our failures. All next day (Monday) we lay 

 off Siphano, amusing ourselves on shore with fowling pieces 

 and navy revolvers. I need not say we killed nothing ; and 

 luckily we did not wound any of ourselves. A guardiano accom- 

 panied us, his functions being limited to preventing actual contact 

 with the natives, for they might come as near and talk as much as 

 they pleased. These isles of Greece are sad, interesting places. 



