ill…finished　to　straight；　plain；　flat　roofs；　shops　guiltless　of
  windows；　with　signs　in　Greek　letters；　dogs；　Greeks　in　blue；　baggy；
  Zouave　breeches　and　a　fez；　a　few　narghilehs　and　a　sprinkling　of　the
  ordinary　continental　shopboys。　…　In　the　evening　I　tried　one　more
  walk　in　Syra　with　A…；　but　in　vain　endeavoured　to　amuse　myself　or　to
  spend　money；　the　first　effort　resulting　in　singing　DOODAH　to　a
  passing　Greek　or　two；　the　second　in　spending；　no；　in　making　A…
  spend；　threepence　on　coffee　for　three。
  'May　16。
  'On　coming　on　deck；　I　found　we　were　at　anchor　in　Canea　bay；　and　saw
  one　of　the　most　lovely　sights　man　could　witness。　　Far　on　either
  hand　stretch　bold　mountain　capes；　Spada　and　Maleka；　tender　in
  colour；　bold　in　outline；　rich　sunny　levels　lie　beneath　them；　framed
  by　the　azure　sea。　　Right　in　front；　a　dark　brown　fortress　girdles
  white　mosques　and　minarets。　　Rich　and　green；　our　mountain　capes
  here　join　to　form　a　setting　for　the　town；　in　whose　dark　walls　…
  still　darker　…　open　a　dozen　high…arched　caves　in　which　the　huge
  Venetian　galleys　used　to　lie　in　wait。　　High　above　all；　higher　and
  higher　yet；　up　into　the　firmament；　range　after　range　of　blue　and
  snow…capped　mountains。　　I　was　bewildered　and　amazed；　having　heard
  nothing　of　this　great　beauty。　　The　town　when　entered　is　quite
  eastern。　　The　streets　are　formed　of　open　stalls　under　the　first
  story；　in　which　squat　tailors；　cooks；　sherbet　vendors　and　the　like；
  busy　at　their　work　or　smoking　narghilehs。　　Cloths　stretched　from
  house　to　house　keep　out　the　sun。　　Mules　rattle　through　the　crowd；
  curs　yelp　between　your　legs；　negroes　are　as　hideous　and　bright
  clothed　as　usual；　grave　Turks　with　long　chibouques　continue　to
  march　solemnly　without　breaking　them；　a　little　Arab　in　one　dirty
  rag　pokes　fun　at　two　splendid　little　Turks　with　brilliant　fezzes；
  wiry　mountaineers　in　dirty；　full；　white　kilts；　shouldering　long
  guns　and　one　hand　on　their　pistols；　stalk　untamed　past　a　dozen
  Turkish　soldiers；　who　look　sheepish　and　brutal　in　worn　cloth　jacket
  and　cotton　trousers。　　A　headless；　wingless　lion　of　St。　Mark　still
  stands　upon　a　gate；　and　has　left　the　mark　of　his　strong　clutch。　　Of
  ancient　times　when　Crete　was　Crete；　not　a　trace　remains；　save
  perhaps　in　the　full；　well…cut　nostril　and　firm　tread　of　that
  mountaineer；　and　I　suspect　that　even　his　sires　were　Albanians；　mere
  outer　barbarians。
  'May　17。
  I　spent　the　day　at　the　little　station　where　the　cable　was　landed；
  which　has　apparently　been　first　a　Venetian　monastery　and　then　a
  Turkish　mosque。　　At　any　rate　the　big　dome　is　very　cool；　and　the
  little　ones　hold　＇our　electric＇　batteries　capitally。　　A　handsome
  young　Bashibazouk　guards　it；　and　a　still　handsomer　mountaineer　is
  the　servant；　so　I　draw　them　and　the　monastery　and　the　hill；　till
  I'm　black　in　the　face　with　heat　and　come　on　board　to　hear　the　Canea
  cable　is　still　bad。
  'May　23。
  'We　arrived　in　the　morning　at　the　east　end　of　Candia；　and　had　a
  glorious　scramble　over　the　mountains　which　seem　built　of　adamant。
  Time　has　worn　away　the　softer　portions　of　the　rock；　only　leaving
  sharp　jagged　edges　of　steel。　　Sea　eagles　soaring　above　our　heads；
  old　tanks；　ruins；　and　desolation　at　our　feet。　　The　ancient　Arsinoe
  stood　here；　a　few　blocks　of　marble　with　the　cross　attest　the
  presence　of　Venetian　Christians；　but　now　…　the　desolation　of
  desolations。　　Mr。　Liddell　and　I　separated　from　the　rest；　and　when
  we　had　found　a　sure　bay　for　the　cable；　had　a　tremendous　lively
  scramble　back　to　the　boat。　　These　are　the　bits　of　our　life　which　I
  enjoy；　which　have　some　poetry；　some　grandeur　in　them。
  'May　29　（？）。
  'Yesterday　we　ran　round　to　the　new　harbour　＇of　Alexandria＇；　landed
  the　shore　end　of　the　cable　close　to　Cleopatra's　bath；　and　made　a
  very　satisfactory　start　about　one　in　the　afternoon。　　We　had
  scarcely　gone　200　yards　when　I　noticed　that　the　cable　ceased　to　run
  out；　and　I　wondered　why　the　ship　had　stopped。　　People　ran　aft　to
  tell　me　not　to　put　such　a　strain　on　the　cable；　I　answered
  indignantly　that　there　was　no　strain；　and　suddenly　it　broke　on
  every　one　in　the　ship　at　once　that　we　were　aground。　　Here　was　a
  nice　mess。　　A　violent　scirocco　blew　from　the　land；　making　one's
  skin　feel　as　if　it　belonged　to　some　one　else　and　didn't　fit；　making
  the　horizon　dim　and　yellow　with　fine　sand；　oppressing　every　sense
  and　raising　the　thermometer　20　degrees　in　an　hour；　but　making　calm
  water　round　us　which　enabled　the　ship　to　lie　for　the　time　in
  safety。　　The　wind　might　change　at　any　moment；　since　the　scirocco
  was　only　accidental；　and　at　the　first　wave　from　seaward　bump　would
  go　the　poor　ship；　and　there　would　＇might＇　be　an　end　of　our　voyage。
  The　captain；　without　waiting　to　sound；　began　to　make　an　effort　to
  put　the　ship　over　what　was　supposed　to　be　a　sandbank；　but　by　the
  time　soundings　were　made；　this　was　found　to　be　impossible；　and　he
  had　only　been　jamming　the　poor　ELBA　faster　on　a　rock。　　Now　every
  effort　was　made　to　get　her　astern；　an　anchor　taken　out；　a　rope
  brought　to　a　winch　I　had　for　the　cable；　and　the　engines　backed；　but
  all　in　vain。　　A　small　Turkish　Government　steamer；　which　is　to　be
  our　consort；　came　to　our　assistance；　but　of　course　very　slowly；　and
  much　time　was　occupied　before　we　could　get　a　hawser　to　her。　　I
  could　do　no　good　after　having　made　a　chart　of　the　soundings　round
  the　ship；　and　went　at　last　on　to　the　bridge　to　sketch　the　scene。
  But　at　that　moment　the　strain　from　the　winch　and　a　jerk　from　the
  Turkish　steamer　got　off　the　boat；　after　we　had　been　some　hours
  aground。　　The　carpenter　reported　that　she　had　made　only　two　inches
  of　water　in　one　compartment；　the　cable　was　still　uninjured　astern；
  and　our　spirits　rose；　when；　will　you　believe　it？　after　going　a
  short　distance　astern；　the　pilot　ran　us　once　more　fast　aground　on
  what　seemed　to　me　nearly　the　same　spot。　　The　very　same　scene　was
  gone　through　as　on　the　first　occasion；　and　dark　came　on　whilst　the
  wind　shifted；　and　we　were　still　aground。　　Dinner　was　served　up；　but
  poor　Mr。　Liddell　could　eat　very　little；　and　bump；　bump；　grind；
  grind；　went　the　ship　fifteen　or　sixteen　times　as　we　sat　at　dinner。
  The　slight　sea；　however；　did　enable　us　to　bump　off。　　This　morning
  we　appear　not　to　have　suffered　in　any　way；　but　a　sea　is　rolling　in；
  which　a　few　hours　ago　would　have　settled　the　poor　old　ELBA。
  'June　…。
  'The　Alexandria　cable　has　again　failed；　after　paying　out　two…thirds
  of　the　distance　successfully；　an　unlucky　touch　in　deep　water
  snapped　the　line。　　Luckily　the　accident　occurred　in　Mr。　Liddell's
  watch。　　Though　personally　it　may　not　really　concern　me；　the
  accident　weighs　like　a　personal　misfortune。　　Still　I　am　glad　I　was
  present：　　a　failure　is　probably　more　instructive　than　a　success；
  and　this　experience　may　enable　us　to　avoid　misfortune　in　still
  greater　undertakings。
  'June　…。
  'We　left　Syra　the　morning　after　our　arrival　on　Saturday　the　4th。
  This　we　did　（first）　because　we　were　in　a　hurry　to　do　something　and
  （second）　because；　coming　from　Alexandria；　we　had　four　days'
  quarantine　to　perform。　　We　were　all　mustered　along　the　side　while
  the　doctor　counted　us；　the　letters　were　popped　into　a　little　tin
  box　and　taken　away　to　be　smoked；　the　guardians　put　on　board　to　see
  that　we　held　no　communication　with　the　shore　…　without　them　we
  should　still　have　had　four　more　days'　quarantine；　and　with　twelve
  Greek　sailors　besides；　we　started　merrily　enough　picking　up　the
  Canea　cable。　。　。　。　To　our　utter　dismay；　the　yarn　covering　began　to
  come　up　quite　decayed；　and　the　cable；　which　when　laid　should　have
  borne　half　a　ton；　was　now　in　danger　of　snapping　with　a　tenth　part
  of　that　strain。　　We　went　as　slow　as　possible　in　fear　of　a　break　at
  every　instant。　　My　watch　was　from　eight　to　twelve　in　the　morning；
  and　during　that　time　we　had　barely　secured　three　miles　of　cable。
  Once　it　broke　inside　the　ship；　but　I　seized　hold　of　it　in　time　…
  the　weight　being　hardly　anything　…　and　the　line　for　the　nonce　was
  saved。　　Regular　nooses　were　then　planted　inboard　with　men　to　draw
  them　taut；　should　the　cable　break　inboard。　　A…；　who　should　have
  relieved　me；　was　unwell；　so　I　had　to　continue　my　look…out；　and
  about　one　o'clock　the　line　again　parted；　but　was　again　caught　in
  the　last　noose；　with　about　four　inches　to　spare。　　Five　minutes
  afterwards　it　again　parted　and　was　yet　once　more　caught。　　Mr。
  Liddell　（whom　I　had　called）　could　stand　this　no　longer；　so　we
  buoyed　the　line　and　ran　into　a　bay　in　Siphano；　waiting　for　calm
  weather；　though　I　was　by　no　means　of　opinion　that　the　slight　sea
  and　wind　had　been　the　cause　of　our　failures。　…　All　next　day
  （Monday）　we　lay　off　Siphano；　amusing　ourselves　on　shore　with
  fowling　pieces　and　navy　revolvers。　　I　need　not　say　we　killed
  nothing；　and　luckily　we　did　not　wound　any　of　ourselves。　　A
  guardiano　accompanied　us；　his　functions　being　limited　to　preventing