THE LAYING OF THE ATLANTIC CABLE. 



BY THE LATE HENRY O'NEIL, A.R.A. 

 [MAG A. OCTOBER 1865.] 



IX writing this simple narrative of the voyage of 

 the Great Eastern, it is not my intention to enter 

 unnecessarily into any scientific details, either as 

 regards the vessel itself, the Cable, or the machinery 

 used for paying it out or picking it up, and this for 

 two reasons : Firstly, because these details have 

 already been placed fully before the public in other 

 forms ; and secondly, were I to do so, I feel that the 

 blunders I should make would probably be so nu- 

 merous that my statements would be comparatively 

 worthless. 



The narrative of any event, and especially of this 

 expedition, naturally takes its tone from the temper 

 of the writer, and its character will be mainly in- 

 fluenced by his profession and pursuits. So there 

 may be the purely historical description there may 

 be the political, the philosophical, the scientific, the 

 poetical, dramatic, or the artistic description and it 

 is in the spirit of the last that I venture to address 



VOL. IV. P 



