898 THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. 



US sensible of our littleness. After all, though we 

 can make signals through the cable, and see how 

 they work at the two extremities, what do we know 

 of the whole chain of communication, or of the 

 power which we have so audaciously forced into our 

 service ? We are ignorant of a thousand mysteries 

 in the route, and the work of the ocean goes on 

 with small respect for the noble destination of the 

 electric submarine conductor of thought. Sponges, 

 algse, polypiers, anatiferse, and serpulariae freely make 

 use of it as their abode — feeling no disquiet, whatever 

 secrets of human grief, or joy, or ambition traverse 

 their support. A rupture occurs, however, and they 

 who laid the cable fish it up again, at the same time 

 lifting out of their element the imprudent adven- 

 turers who had fastened upon the rope. He studies 

 them, and consoles himself for his ignorance, as the 

 hare laughed at the fright which the frog caused him. 

 The multitude of animals which cover the cable 

 serve not only to hide it from view, but to increase 

 its volume three or fourfold. That represented in 

 the engraving has certainly not been very long 

 under the water. The animals and plants, at first 

 taken by surprise, have to get accustomed to its 

 presence before they weave around it its oceanic 

 vestment. 



When the cable is laid at the depth of some 



