civ MEMOIR 



after nightfall. S brought a little dog to amuse them, 



such a jolly, ugly little cur without a tail, but full of fun ; he 

 will be better than quinine. 



' The wind drove a barque which had anchored near us for 

 shelter, out to sea. We started, however, at 2 P.M., and had a 

 quick passage but a very rough one, getting to Bona by Day- 

 light [on the 11 th]. Such a place as this is for getting anything 



done ! The health boat went away from us at 7.30 with W 



on board ; and we heard nothing of them till 9.30, when 



W came back with two fat Frenchmen who are to look on 



on the part of the Government. They are exactly alike : only 

 one has four bands and the other three round his cap, and so I 

 know them. Then I sent a boat round to Fort Genois [Fort 

 Geneva of 1858] where the cable is landed, with all sorts of things 

 and directions, whilst I went ashore to see about coals and a 

 room at the fort. We hunted people in the little square in 

 their shops and offices, but only found them in cafes. One 

 amiable gentleman wasn't up at 9.30, was out at 10, and as soon 

 as he came back the servant said he would go to bed and not 

 get up till 3 : he came however to find us at a cafe, and said 

 that, on the contrary, two days in the week he did not do so ! 

 Then my two fat friends must have their breakfast after their 

 " something " at a cafe ; and all the shops shut from 10 to 2 ; 

 and the post does not open till 12 ; and there was a road to 

 Fort Genois, only a bridge had been carried away, &c. At last 

 I got off, and we rowed round to Fort Genois, where my men had 

 put up a capital gipsy tent with sails, and there was my big board 

 and Thomson's number 5 in great glory. I soon came to the 

 conclusion there was a break. Two of my faithful Cagliaritans 

 slept all night in the little tent, to guard it and my precious in- 

 struments ; and the sea, which was rather rough, silenced my 

 Frenchmen. 



' Next day I went on with my experiments, whilst a boat 

 grappled for the cable a little way from shore and buoyed it 

 where the Elba could get hold. I brought all back to the 

 Elba, tried my machinery and was all ready for a start next 

 morning. But the wretched coal had not come yet ; Government 



