THE CABLE SHIP ON K|;PAIRS. 311 



of July 10 tb, when the three cables between Java and Australia 

 were simultaneously interrupted near the former island. There 

 exists, of course, a large number of single cables which it would 

 not pay at present to duplicate, but the foregoing allusions 

 have been made to what might be called the great trunk 

 systems connecting China, Japan, India, Australia, America and 

 Africa with the continent of Europe. 



But to return. The ship, having called up the buoyed end, 

 asks for "Free five minutes," in order to prove insulation good, 

 and then " Earth five miuutes," to ascertain correct resistance of 

 conductor and distance from shore. Likewise, having cut the 

 end of payed-out cable to allow sufficient length for splice, this 

 end is connected to testing-room, and a similar " free " and 

 " earth " taken.-' This gives the correct length of the line in 

 ohms, and is compared with the length of cable in knots as in- 

 creased by the repair. Sometimes the capacity is measured as 

 well, but only if there has been some doubt about it in a recent 

 localisation test. These tests finished, a message is sent to 

 headquarters in terms somewhat as follow : — " Communication 

 restored; now make final splice and return." It happens some- 

 times that a fault has broken out in some other cable and 

 ship receives instructions to proceed thither as soon as 

 she has completed this one. The electrician also sends the 

 message "Free one hour, then look out" to the superintendents 

 at each station to cover the time for making the joint and 

 splice. Meanwhile the revolutions of the drum during paying 

 out, as seen by the rotometer, are noted, from which the length 

 of cable payed out is calculated. This will exceed the length 

 picked up by a small amount, and is worked out to three places 

 of decimals, and the record of the length of cable corrected 

 accordingly. Further, while the splice is being made a sounding 

 IS taken, with specimen of bottom and the temperature ; also 

 the latitude and longitude of the position are entered in the log, 

 together with the type of the two ends of cable joined together. 



Turning now to the splice, it has been observed that both 

 ends are stoppered at the bows, and further secured by slip 

 ropes stoppered to the cables at C C (as in Fig. 187), and wound 

 round the bollards at B B. The joint and splice having been 

 made as previously described, all is got ready for slipping it 

 overboard. For this purpose the stoppers are cast off and a turn 



