year, the attempt was made, and this time connection was successfully made.  The first message over the line was sent August 7, 1858.  The insulation of this cable, however, was defective, and by September 4th had quite failed.  Some time was now spent in experiments, conducted by scientists, to secure a more perfect cable.  A new company was formed, and in 1865 the work again began.  The Great Eastern was employed to lay the cable, but when it was partly laid serious defects in the line were discovered and in repairing these it broke.  The apparatus for recovering the wire proving insufficient the vessel returned to England.  A new company, called the Anglo-American, was formed in 1865, and again the Great Eastern was equipped for the enterprise.  The plan of the new expedition was not only to lay a new cable, but also to take up the end of the old one and join it to a new piece, thus obtaining a second telegraph line.  The vessel sailed from Valencia July 13, 1866, and July 27 the cable was completely laid to Heart’s Content, Newfoundland, and a message announcing the fact sent over the wire to Lord Stanley.  Queen Victoria sent a message of congratulation to President Buchanan on the 28th.  September 2d the lost cable of 1865 was recovered and its laying completed at Newfoundland September 8, 1866.

ENGRAVING ON EGGS.—­The art of engraving on eggs is very puzzling to the uninitiated, but in reality it is very simple.  It merely consists in writing upon the egg-shell with wax or varnish, or simply with tallow, and then immersing the egg in some weak acid, such, for example, as vinegar, dilute hydrochloric acid, or etching liquor.  Wherever the varnish or wax has not protected the shell, the lime of the latter is decomposed and dissolved in the acid, and the writing or drawing remains in relief.  In connection with this art a curious incident is told in history.  In the month of August, 1808, at the time of the Spanish war, there was found in a church in Lisbon an egg, on which was plainly foretold the utter destruction of the French, who then had control of the city.  The story of the wonderful prophecy spread through the town, causing the greatest excitement among the superstitious populace, and a general uprising was expected.  This, however, the French commander cleverly thwarted by causing a counter-prophecy, directly denying the first, to be engrossed on several hundred eggs, which were then distributed in various parts of the city.  The astonished Portuguese did not know what to think of this new phenomenon, but its “numerousness,” if we may so call it, caused it to altogether outweigh the influence of the first prediction, and there were no further symptoms of revolt against the French.