THE LAYIXG OF SUBJIABINE CABLES. 125 



manner generally to that described above, with one slight 

 difference — namely, that instead of leaving the end buoyed 

 after laying as before, the next length of cable is spliced on 

 at once, and the ship proceeds to lay the entire cable up to 

 the first buoyed end. 



In this case the seaward end of the length laid by the 

 lighter must not be buoyed but laid hold of by ship. 

 When this has to be done, the tug is stopped when the 

 end on board the lighter is nearly approached. The tow 

 rope is cast off, the lighter anchored and the ship comes 

 up and anchors as close as possible with the lighter under 

 her stern. A rope is then passed round the paying-out drum 

 and over ship's stern sheave to lighter. The rope end is made 

 fast to end of cable on lighter, the bight thrown overboard, and 



FxG. 58.-— Landing an Atlantic Cable Shore-End. 



ship heaves in on paying-out machine, veering away on anchor 

 chain if necessary until enough of cable end for splice is 

 inboard. The angles and latitude and longitude are observed 

 at this position. Stoppers having been bent on cable and turns 

 taken off drum the end of next section in tank is got up, taken 

 three times round the drum, passed along to quarter-deck and 

 opened out for splicing to the end stoppered at stern. Before 

 making the joint, shore is spoken through the length laid and 

 tests taken. The tests being satisfactory, the joint is made and 

 tested and splice made, after which ship heaves up anchor, easing 

 out cable from stern with engines of paying-out gear, and is then 

 in a position to set on her course paying-out cable seawards. 



Wherever the conditions permit, the most convenient way to 

 land the end is by a lighter without cutting the cable In the 



