cable? was
there any weight on? it was evidently too small. Imagine my dismay
when the cable did come up, but hanging loosely, thus:

[Illustration]

instead of taut, thus:

[Illustration]

showing certain signs of a break close by. For a moment I felt
provoked, as I thought 'Here we are, in deep water, and the cable will
not stand lifting!' I tested at once, and by the very first wire found
it had broken towards shore and was good towards sea. This was of
course very pleasant: but from that time to this, though the wires
test very well, not a signal has come from Spartivento. I got the
cable into a boat, and a gutta-percha line from the ship to the boat,
and we signalled away at a great rate--but no signs of life. The tests
however make me pretty sure one wire at least is good; so I determined
to lay down cable from where we were to the shore, and go to
Spartivento to see what had happened there. I fear my men are ill. The
night was lovely, perfectly calm; so we lay close to the boat and
signals were continually sent, but with no result. This morning I had
the cable down to Fort Genois in style; and now we are picking up odds
and ends of cable between the different breaks, and getting our buoys
on board, etc. To-morrow I expect to leave for Spartivento."

IV

And now I am quite at an end of journal-keeping; diaries and diary
letters being things of youth which Fleeming had at length outgrown. But
one or two more fragments from his correspondence may be taken, and
first this brief sketch of the laying of the Norderney cable; mainly
interesting as showing under what defects of strength and in what
extremities of pain this cheerful man must at times continue to go about
his work.

"I slept on board 29th September, having arranged everything to start
by daybreak from where we lay in the roads: but at daybreak a heavy
mist hung over us so that nothing of land or water could be seen. At
midday it lifted suddenly, and away we went with perfect weather, but
could not find the buoys Forde left, that evening. I saw the captain
was not strong in navigation, and took matters next day much more into
my own hands, and before nine o'clock found the buoys (the weather had
been so fine we had anchored in the open sea near Texel). It took us
till the evening to reach the buoys, get the cable on board, test the
first half, speak to Lowestoft, make the splice, and