DIRECT ATLANTIC CABLE. 347 



a violent mirror- vibration! The end of the copper- 

 wire must be in metallic contact. Then for several 

 hours feeble regular twitching of the reflected image 

 of the scale, from which I inferred a jerky lifting of 

 the cable -end by the grapnel. However succeeding 

 quiet for hours together caused hope to sink again. 

 Then once more strong mirror - vibration produced 

 by a current from the ship, w r hich was greeted with 

 reiterated hurrahs by the workers at the "station. 

 The incredible had been realised. From a depth ex- 

 ceeding the height of Mont Blanc the cable had been 

 found by a single operation, and what is more, had 

 been brought up to the surface unbroken. Many favou- 

 rable circumstances must have combined to make this 

 possible. Good sandy sea-bottom, fine weather, suitable 

 appliances for seeking and lifting the cable, and a good 

 manageable ship with a skilful captain, happily con- 

 curred, and made the apparently impossible possible 

 with the help of much luck and self-confidence. Brother 

 Charles, however, confessed to me afterwards that 

 during the uninterrupted lowering of the grapnel, 

 which took seven hours, to reach the sea - bottom, 

 giving him for the first time a clear idea of the known 

 depth, he had lost all hope of success and was him- 

 self astounded when it came. 



After successful removal of the fault and re-esta- 

 blishment of connection with the land the laying was 

 continued for some days without disturbance. Then 

 the ship reported rough weather, and soon after a 

 small fault again occurred in the cable, which was 



