LANDING THE SHORE END. 645 



that morning, and that the operator of the New York, New- 

 foundland, and London telegraph was absent at the time. 

 He also ascertained that the nearest station at which he 

 could find an operator was fifteen miles distant, and that the 

 only way of getting there was on foot. Now, fifteen miles in 

 Newfoundland is about equal to twice the distance in a civilized 

 country, and is a tolerably long walk ; but it was something to 

 be the bearer of such news to a whole continent, and so two 

 of the young men willingly volunteered for the journey, bearing 

 with them, for transmission to New York and the whole United 

 States, the despatch which contained the first announcement 

 of the successful accomplishment of the work." 



Upon the eighth day the cable was landed, the ships being 

 dressed with flags in honor of the occasion. Sixty men from 

 the Niagara, and forty from the British ships Gorgon and 

 Porcupine, took part in this task and the attendant ceremonies. 

 "The landing-place for the cable is a very picturesque little 

 beach, on which a wharf has been constructed. A road, about 

 the dimensions of a bridle-path, has been cut through the forest, 

 and up this road, through bog and mire, you find your way to 

 the telegraph station, about half a mile distant. Alongside of 

 this road a trench has been dug for the cable, to preserve it 

 from accidents to which it might otherwise be liable. 



" When the boats arrived at the landing, the officers and 

 men jumped ashore, and Mr. North, first lieutenant of the 

 Niagara, presented Captain Hudson with the end of the cable. 

 Captain Otter, of the Porcupine, and Commander Dayman, of 

 the Gorgon, now took hold of it, and, all the officers and men 

 following their example, a procession was formed along the 

 line. The road or path over which we had to take the cable 

 was a most primitive affair. It led up the side of a hill a couple 

 of hundred feet high, and had been cut out of the thick forest 

 of pines and other evergreens. In some places the turf — which 

 is to be found here on the top of the highest mountains — was so 



