but；　alas；　the　rheumatism　got　into　the　joints　and　caused　me
  terrible　pain　so　that　I　could　not　sleep。　　I　bore　it　as　long　as　I
  could　in　order　to　disturb　no　one；　for　all　were　tired；　but　at　last　I
  could　bear　it　no　longer　and　managed　to　wake　the　steward　and　got　a
  mustard　poultice　which　took　the　pain　from　the　shoulder；　but　then
  the　elbow　got　very　bad；　and　I　had　to　call　the　second　steward　and
  get　a　second　poultice；　and　then　it　was　daylight；　and　I　felt　very
  ill　and　feverish。　　The　sea　was　now　rather　rough　…　too　rough　rather
  for　small　boats；　but　luckily　a　sort　of　thing　called　a　scoot　came
  out；　and　we　got　on　board　her　with　some　trouble；　and　got　on　shore
  after　a　good　tossing　about　which　made　us　all　sea…sick。　　The　cable
  sent　from　the　CAROLINE　was　just　60　yards　too　short　and　did　not
  reach　the　shore；　so　although　the　CAROLINE　did　make　the　splice　late
  that　night；　we　could　neither　test　nor　speak。　　Reuter　was　at
  Norderney；　and　I　had　to　do　the　best　I　could；　which　was　not　much；
  and　went　to　bed　early；　I　thought　I　should　never　sleep　again；　but　in
  sheer　desperation　got　up　in　the　middle　of　the　night　and　gulped　a
  lot　of　raw　whiskey　and　slept　at　last。　　But　not　long。　　A　Mr。　F…
  washed　my　face　and　hands　and　dressed　me：　　and　we　hauled　the　cable
  out　of　the　sea；　and　got　it　joined　to　the　telegraph　station；　and　on
  October　3rd　telegraphed　to　Lowestoft　first　and　then　to　London。
  Miss　Clara　Volkman；　a　niece　of　Mr。　Reuter's；　sent　the　first　message
  to　Mrs。　Reuter；　who　was　waiting　（Varley　used　Miss　Clara's　hand　as　a
  kind　of　key）；　and　I　sent　one　of　the　first　messages　to　Odden。　　I
  thought　a　message　addressed　to　him　would　not　frighten　you；　and　that
  he　would　enjoy　a　message　through　Papa's　cable。　　I　hope　he　did。
  They　were　all　very　merry；　but　I　had　been　so　lowered　by　pain　that　I
  could　not　enjoy　myself　in　spite　of　the　success。'
  V。
  Of　the　1869　cruise　in　the　GREAT　EASTERN；　I　give　what　I　am　able；
  only　sorry　it　is　no　more；　for　the　sake　of　the　ship　itself；　already
  almost　a　legend　even　to　the　generation　that　saw　it　launched。
  'JUNE　17；　1869。　…　Here　are　the　names　of　our　staff　in　whom　I　expect
  you　to　be　interested；　as　future　GREAT　EASTERN　stories　may　be　full
  of　them：　　Theophilus　Smith；　a　man　of　Latimer　Clark's；　Leslie　C。
  Hill；　my　prizeman　at　University　College；　Lord　Sackville　Cecil；
  King；　one　of　the　Thomsonian　Kings；　Laws；　goes　for　Willoughby　Smith；
  who　will　also　be　on　board；　Varley；　Clark；　and　Sir　James　Anderson
  make　up　the　sum　of　all　you　know　anything　of。　　A　Captain　Halpin
  commands　the　big　ship。　　There　are　four　smaller　vessels。　　The　WM。
  CORY；　which　laid　the　Norderney　cable；　has　already　gone　to　St。
  Pierre　to　lay　the　shore　ends。　　The　HAWK　and　CHILTERN　have　gone　to
  Brest　to　lay　shore　ends。　　The　HAWK　and　SCANDERIA　go　with　us　across
  the　Atlantic　and　we　shall　at　St。　Pierre　be　transhipped　into　one　or
  the　other。
  'JUNE　18。　　SOMEWHERE　IN　LONDON。　…　The　shore　end　is　laid；　as　you　may
  have　seen；　and　we　are　all　under　pressing　orders　to　march；　so　we
  start　from　London　to…night　at　5。10。
  'June　20。　　OFF　USHANT。　…　I　am　getting　quite　fond　of　the　big　ship。
  Yesterday　morning　in　the　quiet　sunlight；　she　turned　so　slowly　and
  lazily　in　the　great　harbour　at　Portland；　and　bye　and　bye　slipped
  out　past　the　long　pier　with　so　little　stir；　that　I　could　hardly
  believe　we　were　really　off。　　No　men　drunk；　no　women　crying；　no
  singing　or　swearing；　no　confusion　or　bustle　on　deck　…　nobody
  apparently　aware　that　they　had　anything　to　do。　　The　look　of　the
  thing　was　that　the　ship　had　been　spoken　to　civilly　and　had　kindly
  undertaken　to　do　everything　that　was　necessary　without　any　further
  interference。　　I　have　a　nice　cabin　with　plenty　of　room　for　my　legs
  in　my　berth　and　have　slept　two　nights　like　a　top。　　Then　we　have　the
  ladies'　cabin　set　apart　as　an　engineer's　office；　and　I　think　this
  decidedly　the　nicest　place　in　the　ship：　　35　ft。　x　20　ft。　broad　…
  four　tables；　three　great　mirrors；　plenty　of　air　and　no　heat　from
  the　funnels　which　spoil　the　great　dining…room。　　I　saw　a　whole
  library　of　books　on　the　walls　when　here　last；　and　this　made　me　less
  anxious　to　provide　light　literature；　but　alas；　to…day　I　find　that
  they　are　every　one　bibles　or　prayer…books。　　Now　one　cannot　read
  many　hundred　bibles。　。　。　。　As　for　the　motion　of　the　ship　it　is　not
  very　much；　but　'twill　suffice。　　Thomson　shook　hands　and　wished　me
  well。　　I　DO　like　Thomson。　。　。　。　Tell　Austin　that　the　GREAT　EASTERN
  has　six　masts　and　four　funnels。　　When　I　get　back　I　will　make　a
  little　model　of　her　for　all　the　chicks　and　pay　out　cotton　reels。　。
  。　。　Here　we　are　at　4。20　at　Brest。　　We　leave　probably　to…morrow
  morning。
  'JULY　12。　　GREAT　EASTERN。　…　Here　as　I　write　we　run　our　last　course
  for　the　buoy　at　the　St。　Pierre　shore　end。　　It　blows　and　lightens；
  and　our　good　ship　rolls；　and　buoys　are　hard　to　find；　but　we　must
  soon　now　finish　our　work；　and　then　this　letter　will　start　for　home。
  。　。　。　Yesterday　we　were　mournfully　groping　our　way　through　the　wet
  grey　fog；　not　at　all　sure　where　we　were；　with　one　consort　lost　and
  the　other　faintly　answering　the　roar　of　our　great　whistle　through
  the　mist。　　As　to　the　ship　which　was　to　meet　us；　and　pioneer　us　up
  the　deep　channel；　we　did　not　know　if　we　should　come　within　twenty
  miles　of　her；　when　suddenly　up　went　the　fog；　out　came　the　sun；　and
  there；　straight　ahead；　was　the　WM。　CORY；　our　pioneer；　and　a　little
  dancing　boat；　the　GULNARE；　sending　signals　of　welcome　with　many…
  coloured　flags。　　Since　then　we　have　been　steaming　in　a　grand
  procession；　but　now　at　2　A。M。　the　fog　has　fallen；　and　the　great
  roaring　whistle　calls　up　the　distant　answering　notes　all　around　us。
  Shall　we；　or　shall　we　not　find　the　buoy？
  'JULY　13。　…　All　yesterday　we　lay　in　the　damp　dripping　fog；　with
  whistles　all　round　and　guns　firing　so　that　we　might　not　bump　up
  against　one　another。　　This　little　delay　has　let　us　get　our　reports
  into　tolerable　order。　　We　are　now　at　7　o'clock　getting　the　cable
  end　again；　with　the　main　cable　buoy　close　to　us。'
  A　TELEGRAM　OF　JULY　20：　　'I　have　received　your　four　welcome　letters。
  The　Americans　are　charming　people。'
  VI。
  And　here　to　make　an　end　are　a　few　random　bits　about　the　cruise　to
  Pernambuco：…
  'PLYMOUTH；　JUNE　21；　1873。　…　I　have　been　down　to　the　sea…shore　and
  smelt　the　salt　sea　and　like　it；　and　I　have　seen　the　HOOPER　pointing
  her　great　bow　sea…ward；　while　light　smoke　rises　from　her　funnels
  telling　that　the　fires　are　being　lighted；　and　sorry　as　I　am　to　be
  without　you；　something　inside　me　answers　to　the　call　to　be　off　and
  doing。
  'LALLA　ROOKH。　　PLYMOUTH；　JUNE　22。　…　We　have　been　a　little　cruise　in
  the　yacht　over　to　the　Eddystone　lighthouse；　and　my　sea…legs　seem
  very　well　on。　　Strange　how　alike　all　these　starts　are　…　first　on
  shore；　steaming　hot　days　with　a　smell　of　bone…dust　and　tar　and　salt
  water；　then　the　little　puffing；　panting　steam…launch　that　bustles
  out　across　a　port　with　green　woody　sides；　little　yachts　sliding
  about；　men…of…war　training…ships；　and　then　a　great　big　black　hulk
  of　a　thing　with　a　mass　of　smaller　vessels　sticking　to　it　like
  parasites；　and　that　is　one's　home　being　coaled。　　Then　comes　the
  Champagne　lunch　where　everyone　says　all　that　is　polite　to　everyone
  else；　and　then　the　uncertainty　when　to　start。　　So　far　as　we　know
  NOW；　we　are　to　start　to…morrow　morning　at　daybreak；　letters　that
  come　later　are　to　be　sent　to　Pernambuco　by　first　mail。　。　。　。　My
  father　has　sent　me　the　heartiest　sort　of　Jack　Tar's　cheer。
  'S。　S。　HOOPER。　　OFF　FUNCHAL；　JUNE　29。　…　Here　we　are　off　Madeira　at
  seven　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　Thomson　has　been　sounding　with　his
  special　toy　ever　since　half…past　three　（1087　fathoms　of　water）。　　I
  have　been　watching　the　day　break；　and　long　jagged　islands　start
  into　being　out　of　the　dull　night。　　We　are　still　some　miles　from
  land；　but　the　sea　is　calmer　than　Loch　Eil　often　was；　and　the　big
  HOOPER　rests　very　contentedly　after　a　pleasant　voyage　and
  favourable　breezes。　　I　have　not　been　able　to　do　any　real　work
  except　the　testing　＇of　the　cable＇；　for　though　not　sea…sick；　I　get　a
  little　giddy　when　I　try　to　think　on　board。　。　。　。　The　ducks　have
  just　had　their　daily　souse　and　are　quacking　and　gabbling　in　a
  mighty　way　outside　the　door　of　the　captain's　deck　cabin　where　I
  write。　　The　cocks　are　crowing；　and　new…laid　eggs　are　said　to　be
  found　in　the　coops。　　Four　mild　oxen　have　been　untethered　and
  allowed　to　walk　along　the　broad　iron　decks　…　a　whole　drove　of　sheep
  seem　quite　content　while　licking　big　lumps　of　bay　salt。　　Two
  exceedingly　impertinent　goats　lead　the　cook　a　perfect　life　of
  misery。　　They　steal　round　the　galley　and　WILL　nibble　the　carrots　or
  turnips　if　his　back　is　turned　for　one　minute；　and　then　he　throws
  something　at　them　and　misses　them；　and　they　scuttle　off　laughing
  impudently；　and　flick　one　ear　at　him　from　a　safe　distance。　　This　is
  the　most　impudent　gestur