All the preparations for the great enterprise of the laying of the cable proceeded slowly, and it was not until the latter part of July that the little fleet sailed from Liverpool on its way to the Cove of Cork and then to Valencia, on the west coast of Ireland, which was chosen as the European terminus of the cable.  Morse wrote many pages of minute details to his wife, and from them I shall select the most important and interesting:—­

“July 28. Here we are steaming our way towards Cork harbor, with most beautiful weather, along the Irish coast, which is in full view, and expecting to be in the Cove of Cork in the morning of to-morrow....  We left Liverpool yesterday morning, as I wrote you we should, and as we passed the ships of war in the harbor We were cheered from the rigging by the tars of the various vessels, and the flags of others were dipped as a salute, all of which were returned by us in kind.  The landing stage and quays of Liverpool were densely crowded with people who waved their handkerchiefs as we slowly sailed by them.

“Two steamers accompanied us down to the bar filled with people, and then, after mutual cheering and firing of cannon from one of the steamers, they returned to port....  We shall be in Cork the remainder of the week, possibly sailing on Saturday, go round to Valencia and be ready to commence on Monday.  Then, if all things are prosperous, we hope to reach Newfoundland in twenty days, and dear home again the first week in September.  And yet there may be delays in this great work, for it is a vast and new one, so don’t be impatient if I do not return quite so soon.  The work must be thoroughly and well done before we leave it....

“Evening, ten o’clock. We have had a beautiful day and have been going slowly along and expect to be in the Cove of Cork by daylight in the morning.  The deck of our ship presents a curious appearance just now; Between the main and mizzen masts is an immense coil of one hundred and thirty miles of the cable, the rest is in larger coils below decks.  Abaft the mizzen mast is a ponderous mass of machinery for regulating the paying out of the cable, a steam-engine and boiler complete, and they have just been testing it to see if all is right, and it is found right.  We have the prospect of a fine moon for our expedition.

“I send you the copy of a prayer that has been read in the churches.  I am rejoiced at the manner in which the Christian community views our enterprise.  It is calculated to inspire my confidence of success.  What the first message will be I cannot say, but if I send it it shall be, ‘Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will to men.’  ’Not unto us, not unto us, but to Thy name be all the glory.’”

“July 29, four o’clock afternoon. On awaking this morning at five o’clock with the noise of coming to anchor, I found myself safely ensconced in one of the most beautiful harbors in the world, with Queenstown picturesquely rising upon the green hills from the foot of the bay....”