EYES ON THE PACIFIC 217 
Imperial Highness, and for the interest you have taken in the 
subject I have so much at heart. 
I beg to subscribe myself 
With great respect, 
Your most obedient servant, 
Cyrus W. Field. 
The enclosed letter or ““memorial” addressed to the Czar 
was a long and formal document written by a man who had 
received little regular education but had mingled for years 
with the great and near-great. The boy from Stockbridge did 
not hesitate to express his convictions to the formidable 
Father of All the Russias. His memorial seems, in general, 
well phrased and convincing. It was as follows: 
To His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia: 
The memorial of Cyrus West Field, a citizen of the United 
States of America, respectfully thereto, 
That having taken an active part in the establishment of elec- 
tric telegraph communication across the Atlantic Ocean between 
America and Europe, and having been also interested in the lay- 
ing of the existing submarine telegraph lines between Europe 
and the East, he is now desirous of submitting to your Majesty a 
project for completing the electric telegraph circle round the 
globe by uniting by submarine cables the western coast of America 
with the eastern shores of your Majesty’s dominions, and with 
China or Japan, or both, as may be found most expedient. 
Having regard to the complete success, both scientific and prac- 
tical, of the submarine telegraph cables now working, which are 
in the aggregate about 40,000 miles in length, your memorialist 
deems it wholly unnecessary to enlarge on the perfection attained 
in the manufacture of telegraph cables, or the facility and cer- 
tainty with which they are laid in all parts of the world. 
Experience has proved that submarine telegraph cables can 
readily be recovered and repaired in case of accident, so that there 
is practically no limit to the length of line which may be employed 
or the depth of the water in which they may with perfect safety 
be submerged. 
Memorialist is aware of the strong desire existing in the United 
