ather is squally and the rain comes in
frequent gusts.

"_June 25._

"To-day about 1 o'clock we hooked the three-wire cable, buoyed the
long sea end, and picked up the short [or shore] end. Now it is dark,
and we must wait for morning before lifting the buoy we lowered to-day
and proceeding seawards.--The depth of water here is about 600 feet,
the height of a respectable English hill; our fishing line was about a
quarter of a mile long. It blows pretty fresh, and there is a great
deal of sea.

"_26th._

"This morning it came on to blow so heavily that it was impossible to
take up our buoy. The _Elba_ recommenced rolling in true Baltic style,
and towards noon we ran for land.

"_27th, Sunday._

"This morning was a beautiful calm. We reached the buoys at about 4.30
and commenced picking up at 6.30. Shortly a new cause of anxiety
arose. Kinks came up in great quantities, about thirty in the hour. To
have a true conception of a kink, you must see one; it is a loop drawn
tight, all the wires get twisted and the gutta-percha inside pushed
out. These much diminish the value of the cable, as they must all be
cut out, the gutta-percha made good, and the cable spliced. They arise
from the cable having been badly laid down, so that it forms folds and
tails at the bottom of the sea. These kinks have another disadvantage:
they weaken the cable very much.--At about six o'clock [P.M.] we had
some twelve miles lifted, when I went to the bows; the kinks were
exceedingly tight and were giving way in a most alarming manner. I got
a cage rigged up to prevent the end (if it broke) from hurting any
one, and sat down on the bowsprit, thinking I should describe kinks to
Annie:--suddenly I saw a great many coils and kinks altogether at the
surface. I jumped to the gutta-percha pipe, by blowing through which
the signal is given to stop the engine. I blow, but the engine does
not stop: again--no answer; the coils and kinks jam in the bows and I
rush aft shouting Stop! Too late: the cable had parted and must lie in
peace at the bottom. Some one had pulled the gutta-percha tube across
a bare part of the steam pipe and melted it. It had been used hundreds
of times in the last few days and gave no symptoms of failing. I
believe the cable must have gone at any rate; however, since it went
in my watch, and since I might have secured the tubing more strongly,