150 MEMOIR OF FLEEMING JENKIN 



de Gonde, and pretty havoc we must have made 

 with the crags. What rocks we did hook ! No 

 sooner was the grapnel down than the ship was 

 anchored ; and then came such a business : ship's 

 engines going, deck engine thundering, belt slipping, 

 fear of breaking ropes ; actually breaking grapnels. 

 It was always an hour or more before we could get 

 the grapnel down again. At last we had to give 

 up the place, though we knew we were close to 

 the cable, and go further to sea in much deeper 

 water ; to my great fear, as I knew the cable was 

 much eaten away and would stand but little 

 strain. Well, we hooked the cable first dredge 

 this time, and pulled it slowly and gently to the 

 top, with much trepidation. Was it the cable ? 

 was there any weight on ? it was evidently too 

 small. Imagine my dismay when the cable did 

 come up, but hanging loosely, thus 



instead of taut, thus 



showing certain signs of a break close by. For a 

 moment I felt provoked, as I thought "Here we 



