216 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



my readers. As an artist, I felt deeply grateful to 

 the Directors of the Telegraph Construction and 

 Maintenance Company for the permission, so cour- 

 teously accorded me, to join the expedition ; for I 

 fondly hoped, and fully believed that, both during 

 the voyage, and more especially at its successful ter- 

 mination at Newfoundland, some incidents would 

 occur which would form the materials for an interest- 

 ing picture ; so that I, too, might have a share, how- 

 ever humble, in transmitting to posterity the success 

 of so noble an undertaking. With the temporary 

 failure of the present expedition this hope has not 

 finally vanished; for I still trust that, through the 

 kindness of the Directors, the chief object I then had 

 in view may at some no distant period be fully at- 

 tained. In the meantime, I hope that the notes I 

 have collected during the voyage, and which I now 

 lay before the public, may not be wholly devoid of 

 interest, even though they do not at present appear 

 on canvas. 



At noon on Saturday, July 15th, 1 1865, the Great 

 Eastern left her moorings at the Nore, and, guided by 

 the Government steamer Porcupine, proceeded on her 

 voyage amidst the most enthusiastic cheers from the 

 crews and passengers of the various yachts around 

 her. Her course was down a new channel called the 

 " Bullock," which had been sounded and buoyed by 

 the Admiralty. One of the most exciting scenes I 

 1 Ship's time is used throughout this paper. 



