cviii MEMOIR 



had stuck on shore, and the waves were getting up. We had 

 anchored in the right place and next morning we hoped the 

 shore end would be laid, so we had only to go back. It was of 

 course still colder and quite night. I went to bed and hoped 

 to sleep, but, alas, the rheumatism got into the joints and 

 caused me terrible pain so that I could not sleep. I bore it 

 as long as I could in order to disturb no one, for all were 

 tired ; but at last I could bear it no longer and managed to 

 wake the steward and got a mustard poultice which took the 

 pain from the shoulder ; but then the elbow got very bad, and I 

 had to call the second steward and get a second poultice, and 

 then it was daylight, and I felt very ill and feverish. The 

 sea was now rather rough too rough rather for small boats, 

 but luckily a sort of thing called a scoot came out, and we 

 got on board her with some trouble, and got on shore after a 

 good tossing about which made us all sea-sick. The cable 

 sent from the Caroline was just 60 yards too short and did 

 not reach the shore, so although the Caroline did make the 

 splice late that night, we could neither test nor speak. 

 Reuter was at Norderney, and I had to do the best I could 

 which was not much, and went to bed early ; I thought I 

 should never sleep again, but in sheer desperation got up in 

 the middle of the night and gulped a lot of raw whiskey and 



slept at last. But not long. A Mr. F washed my face 



and hands and dressed me ; and we hauled the cable out of the 

 sea, and got it joined to the telegraph station, and on October 3rd 

 telegraphed to Lowestoft first and then to London. Miss Clara 

 Volkman a niece of Mr. Renter's sent the first message to Mrs. 

 Reuter who was waiting (Varley used Miss Clara's hand as a 

 kind of key) and I sent one of the first messages to Odden. I 

 thought a message addressed to him would not frighten you, and 

 that he would enjoy a message through Papa's cable. I hope 

 he did. They were all very merry, but I had been so lowered 

 by pain that I could not enjoy myself in spite of the success.' 



