THE CABLE SHIP ON KEPAIRS. 263 



introduction of brass-taped cores, that faults are of less frequent 

 occurrence than in former years, and are consequently removed 

 upon their first appearance. Thirty years ago, before the 

 introduction of these cables, and in the days when there was 

 one ship operating over the same mileage where now there 

 are two — it was a common tning for iaults to be so numerous 

 that the ship had only time to deal with those which either 

 totally interrupted traflSc or through which messages were trans- 

 mitted with great difficulty. Especially in the Straits, Java, and 

 China Seas, the happy hunting grounds of the teredo, cables 

 used to be in a chronic state of weak insulation, with, perhaps, 

 bad faults on three or four at one time. In those days many 

 laborious hours were spent in deciphering Morse signals on the 

 recorder slip, shattered by kicks from the fault, and only saved 

 from dying down to a straight line by frequent applications of 

 copper current. Such faults could be easily broken down to 

 from 10 to 40 ohms with 50 cells, and it was deemed a high 

 resistance fault that could not be got down to a hundred or 

 two. Now faults are commonly about 200 to 600 ohms and some- 

 times of enormously high resistance, varying from 5,000 to 100,000 

 ohms or more. The higher the resistance of the fault the 

 longer the charge current lasts, and the longer the testing 

 current must be kept on before a reading can be taken. 

 Further, as the fault polarises rapidly, it is very difficult to 

 get a satisfactory test. 



But we must take a turn in the testing-room and make our- 

 selves acquainted with the apparatus used. The testing-room 

 on board is situated on the main deck, and generally about 

 midships. In climes under 



" Tho3e blazing suns that dart a downward ray, 

 And fiercely shed intolerable day," 



the door is kept wide open on the hook, and a hanging curtain 

 takes its place, allowing air to play in, while the light admitted 

 can be modulated at will. The testing-table is arranged with 

 all the necessary instruments, and the insulation of all the 

 various pieces is very carefully ensured. The table is covered 

 with sheet gutta-percha, and all the insulated wire used in the 

 connections is fixed in position with small gutta-percha straps 

 or staples. Besides the testing-table, there is usually a folding 

 writing-table and chair, also a nest of drawers for keeping small 



