our　own　anchor　is　foul　of　it　and　has　been　the　means　of　bringing　it
  to　light。　　We　let　go　a　grapnel；　get　the　cable　clear　of　the　anchor
  on　to　the　grapnel　…　the　captain　in　an　agony　lest　we　should　drift
  ashore　meanwhile　…　hand　the　grappling　line　into　the　big　boat；　steam
  out　far　enough；　and　anchor　again。　　A　little　more　work　and　one　end
  of　the　cable　is　up　over　the　bows　round　my　drum。　　I　go　to　my　engine
  and　we　start　hauling　in。　　All　goes　pretty　well；　but　it　is　quite
  dark。　　Lamps　are　got　at　last；　and　men　arranged。　　We　go　on　for　a
  quarter　of　a　mile　or　so　from　shore　and　then　stop　at　about　half…past
  nine　with　orders　to　be　up　at　three。　　Grand　work　at　last！　　A　number
  of　the　SATURDAY　REVIEW　here；　it　reads　so　hot　and　feverish；　so
  tomblike　and　unhealthy；　in　the　midst　of　dear　Nature's　hills　and
  sea；　with　good　wholesome　work　to　do。　　Pray　that　all　go　well　to…
  morrow。
  'June　10。
  'Thank　heaven　for　a　most　fortunate　day。　　At　three　o'clock　this
  morning　in　a　damp；　chill　mist　all　hands　were　roused　to　work。　　With
  a　small　delay；　for　one　or　two　improvements　I　had　seen　to　be
  necessary　last　night；　the　engine　started　and　since　that　time　I　do
  not　think　there　has　been　half　an　hour's　stoppage。　　A　rope　to
  splice；　a　block　to　change；　a　wheel　to　oil；　an　old　rusted　anchor　to
  disengage　from　the　cable　which　brought　it　up；　these　have　been　our
  only　obstructions。　　Sixty；　seventy；　eighty；　a　hundred；　a　hundred
  and　twenty　revolutions　at　last；　my　little　engine　tears　away。　　The
  even　black　rope　comes　straight　out　of　the　blue　heaving　water：
  passes　slowly　round　an　open…hearted；　good…tempered　looking　pulley；
  five　feet　diameter；　aft　past　a　vicious　nipper；　to　bring　all　up
  should　anything　go　wrong；　through　a　gentle　guide；　on　to　a　huge
  bluff　drum；　who　wraps　him　round　his　body　and　says　〃Come　you　must；〃
  as　plain　as　drum　can　speak：　　the　chattering　pauls　say　〃I've　got
  him；　I've　got　him；　he　can't　get　back：〃　whilst　black　cable；　much
  slacker　and　easier　in　mind　and　body；　is　taken　by　a　slim　V…pulley
  and　passed　down　into　the　huge　hold；　where　half　a　dozen　men　put　him
  comfortably　to　bed　after　his　exertion　in　rising　from　his　long　bath。
  In　good　sooth；　it　is　one　of　the　strangest　sights　I　know　to　see　that
  black　fellow　rising　up　so　steadily　in　the　midst　of　the　blue　sea。
  We　are　more　than　half　way　to　the　place　where　we　expect　the　fault；
  and　already　the　one　wire；　supposed　previously　to　be　quite　bad　near
  the　African　coast；　can　be　spoken　through。　　I　am　very　glad　I　am
  here；　for　my　machines　are　my　own　children　and　I　look　on　their
  little　failings　with　a　parent's　eye　and　lead　them　into　the　path　of
  duty　with　gentleness　and　firmness。　　I　am　naturally　in　good　spirits；
  but　keep　very　quiet；　for　misfortunes　may　arise　at　any　instant；
  moreover　to…morrow　my　paying…out　apparatus　will　be　wanted　should
  all　go　well；　and　that　will　be　another　nervous　operation。　　Fifteen
  miles　are　safely　in；　but　no　one　knows　better　than　I　do　that　nothing
  is　done　till　all　is　done。
  'June　11。
  '9　A。M。　…　We　have　reached　the　splice　supposed　to　be　faulty；　and　no
  fault　has　been　found。　　The　two　men　learned　in　electricity；　L…　and
  W…；　squabble　where　the　fault　is。
  'EVENING。　…　A　weary　day　in　a　hot　broiling　sun；　no　air。　　After　the
  experiments；　L…　said　the　fault　might　be　ten　miles　ahead：　　by　that
  time；　we　should　be　according　to　a　chart　in　about　a　thousand　fathoms
  of　water　…　rather　more　than　a　mile。　　It　was　most　difficult　to
  decide　whether　to　go　on　or　not。　　I　made　preparations　for　a　heavy
  pull；　set　small　things　to　rights　and　went　to　sleep。　　About　four　in
  the　afternoon；　Mr。　Liddell　decided　to　proceed；　and　we　are　now　（at
  seven）　grinding　it　in　at　the　rate　of　a　mile　and　three…quarters　per
  hour；　which　appears　a　grand　speed　to　us。　　If　the　paying…out　only
  works　well！　　I　have　just　thought　of　a　great　improvement　in　it；　I
  can't　apply　it　this　time；　however。　…　The　sea　is　of　an　oily　calm；
  and　a　perfect　fleet　of　brigs　and　ships　surrounds　us；　their　sails
  hardly　filling　in　the　lazy　breeze。　　The　sun　sets　behind　the　dim
  coast　of　the　Isola　San　Pietro；　the　coast　of　Sardinia　high　and
  rugged　becomes　softer　and　softer　in　the　distance；　while　to　the
  westward　still　the　isolated　rock　of　Toro　springs　from　the　horizon。
  …　It　would　amuse　you　to　see　how　cool　（in　head）　and　jolly　everybody
  is。　　A　testy　word　now　and　then　shows　the　wires　are　strained　a
  little；　but　everyone　laughs　and　makes　his　little　jokes　as　if　it
  were　all　in　fun：　　yet　we　are　all　as　much　in　earnest　as　the　most
  earnest　of　the　earnest　bastard　German　school　or　demonstrative　of
  Frenchmen。　　I　enjoy　it　very　much。
  'June　12。
  '5。30　A。M。　…　Out　of　sight　of　land：　　about　thirty　nautical　miles　in
  the　hold；　the　wind　rising　a　little；　experiments　being　made　for　a
  fault；　while　the　engine　slowly　revolves　to　keep　us　hanging　at　the
  same　spot：　　depth　supposed　about　a　mile。　　The　machinery　has　behaved
  admirably。　　Oh！　that　the　paying…out　were　over！　　The　new　machinery
  there　is　but　rough；　meant　for　an　experiment　in　shallow　water；　and
  here　we　are　in　a　mile　of　water。
  '6。30。　…　I　have　made　my　calculations　and　find　the　new　paying…out
  gear　cannot　possibly　answer　at　this　depth；　some　portion　would　give
  way。　　Luckily；　I　have　brought　the　old　things　with　me　and　am　getting
  them　rigged　up　as　fast　as　may　be。　　Bad　news　from　the　cable。　　Number
  four　has　given　in　some　portion　of　the　last　ten　miles：　　the　fault　in
  number　three　is　still　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea：　　number　two　is　now
  the　only　good　wire　and　the　hold　is　getting　in　such　a　mess；　through
  keeping　bad　bits　out　and　cutting　for　splicing　and　testing；　that
  there　will　be　great　risk　in　paying　out。　　The　cable　is　somewhat
  strained　in　its　ascent　from　one　mile　below　us；　what　it　will　be　when
  we　get　to　two　miles　is　a　problem　we　may　have　to　determine。
  '9　P。M。　…　A　most　provoking　unsatisfactory　day。　　We　have　done
  nothing。　　The　wind　and　sea　have　both　risen。　　Too　little　notice　has
  been　given　to　the　telegraphists　who　accompany　this　expedition；　they
  had　to　leave　all　their　instruments　at　Lyons　in　order　to　arrive　at
  Bona　in　time；　our　tests　are　therefore　of　the　roughest；　and　no　one
  really　knows　where　the　faults　are。　　Mr。　L…　in　the　morning　lost　much
  time；　then　he　told　us；　after　we　had　been　inactive　for　about　eight
  hours；　that　the　fault　in　number　three　was　within　six　miles；　and　at
  six　o'clock　in　the　evening；　when　all　was　ready　for　a　start　to　pick
  up　these　six　miles；　he　comes　and　says　there　must　be　a　fault　about
  thirty　miles　from　Bona！　　By　this　time　it　was　too　late　to　begin
  paying　out　today；　and　we　must　lie　here　moored　in　a　thousand　fathoms
  till　light　to…morrow　morning。　　The　ship　pitches　a　good　deal；　but
  the　wind　is　going　down。
  'June　13；　Sunday。
  'The　wind　has　not　gone　down；　however。　　It　now　（at　10。30）　blows　a
  pretty　stiff　gale；　the　sea　has　also　risen；　and　the　ELBA'S　bows　rise
  and　fall　about　9　feet。　　We　make　twelve　pitches　to　the　minute；　and
  the　poor　cable　must　feel　very　sea…sick　by　this　time。　　We　are　quite
  unable　to　do　anything；　and　continue　riding　at　anchor　in　one
  thousand　fathoms；　the　engines　going　constantly　so　as　to　keep　the
  ship's　bows　up　to　the　cable；　which　by　this　means　hangs　nearly
  vertical　and　sustains　no　strain　but　that　caused　by　its　own　weight
  and　the　pitching　of　the　vessel。　　We　were　all　up　at　four；　but　the
  weather　entirely　forbade　work　for　to…day；　so　some　went　to　bed　and
  most　lay　down；　making　up　our　leeway　as　we　nautically　term　our　loss
  of　sleep。　　I　must　say　Liddell　is　a　fine　fellow　and　keeps　his
  patience　and　temper　wonderfully；　and　yet　how　he　does　fret　and　fume
  about　trifles　at　home！　　This　wind　has　blown　now　for　36　hours；　and
  yet　we　have　telegrams　from　Bona　to　say　the　sea　there　is　as　calm　as
  a　mirror。　　It　makes　one　laugh　to　remember　one　is　still　tied　to　the
  shore。　　Click；　click；　click；　the　pecker　is　at　work：　　I　wonder　what
  Herr　P…　says　to　Herr　L…；　…　tests；　tests；　tests；　nothing　more。　　This
  will　be　a　very　anxious　day。
  'June　14。
  'Another　day　of　fatal　inaction。
  'June　15。
  '9。30。　…　The　wind　has　gone　down　a　deal；　but　even　now　there　are
  doubts　whether　we　shall　start　to…day。　　When　shall　I　get　back　to
  you？
  '9　P。M。　…　Four　miles　from　land。　　Our　run　has　been　successful　and
  eventless。　　Now　the　work　is　nearly　over　I　feel　a　little　out　of
  spirits　…　why；　I　should　be　puzzled　to　say　…　mere　wantonness；　or
  reaction　perhaps　after　suspense。
  'June　16。
  'Up　this　morning　at　three；　coupled　my　self…acting　gear　to　the　brake
  and　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　it　pay　out　the　last　four　miles
  in　very　good　style。　　With　one　or　two　little　improvements；　I　hope　to
  make　it　a　capital　thing。　　The　end　has　just　gone　ashore　in　two
  boats；　three　out　of　four　wires　good。　　Thus　ends　our　first
  expedition。　　By　some　odd　chance　a　TIMES　of　June　the　7th　has　found
  its　way　on　board　through　the　agency　of　a　wretched　old　peasant　who
  watches　the　end　of　the　line　here。　　A　long　accou