210 THE CABLE BREAKS. TRIP TO ALMERIA. 



so that my hope of success already noticeably rose. 

 the cable suddenly broke and sank in the rather deep 

 water, without any apparent reason. It was impossible 

 to pick up again the cable already laid, as it was 

 held fast at the sea -bottom by huge boulders. We 

 had in consequence not sufficient cable left to under- 

 take a laying to Cartagena, determined therefore to 

 take the shorter course to Almeria, and in the first 

 place to run across, with the object of searching for 

 a suitable landing place. 



The trip to Almeria with glorious weather and 

 mirror-like sea was enchanting. The town is masked 

 by a hilly neck of land, which stretches far into the 

 sea. For our purpose this fine situation was certainly 

 rather unfavourable, for it compelled us to make so 

 wide a circuit round the promontory that the smaller 

 linear distance from Oran was thereby almost neutralised. 

 We landed however in order to take in stores, and 

 enjoyed the hospitality of the inhabitants, who would 

 not be denied giving us a festive reception and im- 

 provising in our honour an entertainment in the theatre. 

 What most surprised us at this entertainment was the 

 classical beauty of the women, whose features were 

 undoubtedly of Moorish type. One young girl in par- 

 ticular struck us, who by the unanimous vote of our 

 ship's company, composed of all nationalities of western 

 Europe, was pronounced the ideal of female beauty. 



We did not dream on that enjoyable evening that 

 the next day would bring us dangers, the surmounting 

 of which still appears to me little short of miraculous. 



