“Above my head the heavy rumbling of the great wheels, over which the cable was passing and was being regulated, every now and then giving a tremendous thump like the discharge of artillery, kept me from sleep, and I knew they were approaching the critical point.  Presently it came.  The machinery stopped, and soon amid the voices I heard the unwelcome intelligence—­’The cable is broke.’  Sure enough the smaller cable at this point had parted, but, owing to the prudent precautions of those superintending, the end of the great cable had been buoyed and the hawsers which had been attached secured it.  The sea was moderate, the moonlight gave a clear sight of all, and in half an hour the joyous sound of ‘All right’ was heard, the machinery commenced a low and regular rumbling, like the purring of a great cat, which has continued from that moment (midnight) till the present moment uninterrupted.

“The coil on deck is most beautifully uncoiling at the rate of three nautical miles an hour.  The day is magnificent, the land has almost disappeared and our companion ships are leisurely sailing with us at equal pace, and we are all, of course, in fine spirits.  I sent you a telegraph dispatch this morning, thirty miles out, which you will duly receive with others that I shall send if all continues to go on without interruption.  If you do receive any, preserve them with the greatest care, for they will be great curiosities.”

“August 10. Thus far we have had most delightful weather, and everything goes on regularly and satisfactorily.  You are aware we cannot stop night nor day in paying out.  On Saturday we made our calculations that the first great coil, which is upon the main deck, would be completely paid out, and one of our critical movements, to wit, the change from this coil to the next, which is far forward, would be made by seven or eight o’clock yesterday morning (Sunday).  So we were up and watching the last flake of the first coil gradually diminishing.  Everything had been well prepared; the men were at their posts; it was an anxious moment lest a kink might occur.  But, as the last round came up, the motion of the ship was slightly slackened, the men handled the slack cable handsomely, and in two minutes the change was made with perfect order, and the paying out from the second coil was as regularly commenced and at this moment continues, and at an increased rate to-day of five miles per hour.

“Last night, however, was another critical moment.  On examining our chart of soundings we found the depth of the ocean gradually increasing up to about four hundred fathoms, and then the chart showed a sudden and great increase to seventeen hundred fathoms, and then a further increase to two thousand and fifty, nearly the greatest depth with which we should meet in the whole distance.  We had, therefore, to watch the effect of this additional depth upon the straining of the cable.  At two in the morning the effect