THE LAYING OP SUBMARINE CABLES. 123 



A surf boat now comes alongside lighter, and takes in one 

 spider sheave, one sand anchor, a few shovels, tools and sundry 

 gear, and a coil of 4in. manilla rope. Proceeding towards 

 shore, the boat pays out the manilla, one end of which is 

 retained on the lighter. The beach is by this time lined with 

 natives showing the liveliest interest in the proceedings, and 

 only too anxious, for a little backsheesh, to lend a hand 

 hauling, or anything else. As soon as they see the boat put 

 off from lighter, and understand that it carries a rope wanted 

 on the beach, many throw themselves into the surf and swim 

 out to meet the boat, racing for the honour of getting the end. 

 Seeing the natives approaching, as soon as within fair distance 

 the end of the line is thrown out from the boat, and the natives 

 seize it and swim ashore with it. It is then hauled up on the 

 beach, and passed through the spider sheave. When enough 

 has been hauled to allow a lot of hands to get hold of it 

 for pulling, the shore party signals this fact to hands on 

 lighter, who bend on cable to the end of rope. When all is 

 ready, the lighter signals to shore to heave away, and as the 

 cable goes overboard balloon buojs are bent on. These buoys 

 are only necessary where there is a heavy surf and boats 

 sannot land. The end can generally be landed on small boats 

 Dr rafts. When enough cable to reach cable hut is hauled in, 

 the shore party signal the same to hands on lighter, who then 

 ^jass the word to tug, prepare for paying-out and get up 

 anchor. When all is ready the lighter proceeds in tow, laying 

 cable seawards along the course indicated by the mark buoys. 



Meanwhile the surf boats proceed to detach buoys from 

 the cable and convey them with the other gear back to 

 the ship. As each quarter-mile mark on the cable appears 

 during paying out a flag is run up the tug mast as a signal 

 to the ship to take bearings. Besides the ship taking bear- 

 ings of the tug at these stated intervals, observations for 

 position are also taken on the tug by angles with points 

 on shore, and soundings taken at the same time, all being 

 for future reference. This is done without stopping, the 

 angles being taken within a few minutes of the quarter-mile 

 marks going overboard, and the time noted when each mark 

 goes over. When the laying is complete, the end is buoyed in 

 the usual manner, and soundings taken round the buoy to see 



