THE LAYING OF THE ATLANTIC CABLE. 221 



tage of knowing that the scene, with all its accessories, 

 was sternly real. Throughout the night the wind 

 blew hard, but she held on bravely, her crew, what- 

 ever apprehension her wretched state gave rise to, 

 knowing well that, without our assistance, there 

 would be probably such a delay as might prove fatal 

 to the undertaking. Nothing occurred until we. had 

 passed the Skilligs, two islands about eight miles 

 distant from Valentia, when the rope gave way just 

 over the bow of the Caroline, and she parted from 

 us ; but with a fair wind, and being so near her 

 destination, we had no further fears for her safety. 

 At the same time, about 5 A.M. on Wednesday the 

 1 9th of July, we came up with the Terrible and the 

 Sphinx, the two war-steamers appointed to convoy 

 the Great Eastern across the Atlantic. 



As the laying of the shore-end of the Cable would 

 necessarily occupy some days, Captain Anderson 

 thought it prudent to seek safer quarters than the 

 immediate neighbourhood afforded ; so, sending Mr 

 Canning, the chief engineer, on shore to superintend 

 the laying of the shore-end, we turned south and 

 steered for Bantry Bay, where we anchored at 4 P.M. 

 towards the east end of Bear Haven, there to await 

 further orders. Immediately on our arrival we were 

 invaded by a fleet of boats containing the whole 

 commercial population of Bear Island and the 

 adjacent mainland. From the rough appearance of 

 the natives, and the rude simplicity of their naval 



