;36 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



that six miles of it may be suspended vertically in water of that 

 depth without breaking. 



u The sea is smooth," — we quote the extremely interesting 

 journal of an eye-witness*, writing upon the first day, — " the 

 barometer well up ; and, if we can only do for the next seven 

 days as well as we have done since one o'clock, we shall be at 

 Newfoundland by the 5th of August, and in New York some 

 time between the 15th and 20th of the same month. But we 

 have been somewhat too hasty in our calculations, for our ship 

 has just slowed down, and the propeller has ceased working for 

 the last ten minutes. There must be something wrong to cause 

 this interruption. Let us take a look at the machine. The 

 cable still goes out, which certainly would not be the case 

 if it had parted. Ah ! the continuity ! That's it : there's where 

 the difficulty lies; and, as the electricians are the only parties 

 who can inform us on that point, we at once go in search of 

 them. A visit to their office explains the whole matter. The 

 continuity is not gone altogether, but is defective, — so defective 

 that it is impossible to get a signal through the cable. Still, 

 there is not ' dead earth' upon it, and all hope, therefore, is 

 not lost. When dead earth, as it is termed, is on the con- 

 ductor, then, indeed, the difficulty is beyond remedy; for it 

 shows that the conductor must be broken and is thrown under 

 the influence of terrestrial magnetism. But the continuity is 

 not gone; and, although with darkening prospects, we are still 

 safe while it remains, imperfect as it is. It would be absurd to 

 say that the occurrence was not discouraging : it was painfully so ; 

 for the hopes of some of us had really begun to revive, and we 

 were gaining confidence every hour. Now nothing could be 

 done. We must wait until the continuity should return or take 

 its final departure. And it did return, and with greater strength 

 than ever. At ten minutes past nine p.m., the electrician on 

 duty observed its failing, and at half-past eleven he had the 



* Mr. John Mullaly. 



