heroes of the telegraph-第27部分

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rling　shells。　　No　portion　of　the　dirty　black　wire　was　visible；　instead　we　had　a　garland　of　soft　pink；　with　little　scarlet　sprays　and　white　enamel　intermixed。　　All　was　fragile；　however；　and　could　hardly　be　secured　in　safety；　and　inexorable　iron　crushed　the　tender　leaves　to　atoms。'

JUNE　24。'The　whole　day　spent　in　dredging；　without　success。　　This　operation　consists　in　allowing　the　ship　to　drift　slowly　across　the　line　where　you　expect　the　cable　to　be；　while　at　the　end　of　a　long　rope；　fast　either　to　the　bow　or　stern；　a　grapnel　drags　along　the　ground。　　The　grapnel　is　a　small　anchor；　made　like　four　pot…hooks　tied　back　to　back。　When　the　rope　gets　taut　the　ship　is　stopped　and　the　grapnel　hauled　up　to　the　surface　in　the　hopes　of　finding　the　cable　on　its　prongs。　　I　am　much　discontented　with　myself　for　idly　lounging　about　and　reading　WESTWARD　HO！　for　the　second　time　instead　of　taking　to　electricity　or　picking　up　nautical　information。'

During　the　latter　part　of　the　work　much　of　the　cable　was　found　to　be　looped　and　twisted　into　'kinks'　from　having　been　so　slackly　laid；　and　two　immense　tangled　skeins　were　raised　on　board；　one　by　means　of　the　mast…head　and　fore…yard　tackle。　　Photographs　of　this　ravelled　cable　were　for　a　long　time　exhibited　as　a　curiosity　in　the　windows　of　Messrs。　Newall　&　Co's。　shop　in　the　Strand；　where　we　remember　to　have　seen　them。

By　July　5　the　whole　of　the　six…wire　cable　had　been　recovered；　and　a　portion　of　the　three…wire　cable；　the　rest　being　abandoned　as　unfit　for　use；　owing　to　its　twisted　condition。　　Their　work　was　over；　but　an　unfortunate　accident　marred　its　conclusion。　　On　the　evening　of　the　2nd　the　first　mate；　while　on　the　water　unshackling　a　buoy；　was　struck　in　the　back　by　a　fluke　of　the　ship's　anchor　as　she　drifted；　and　so　severely　injured　that　he　lay　for　many　weeks　at　Cagliari。　　Jenkin's　knowledge　of　languages　made　him　useful　as　an　interpreter；　but　in　mentioning　this　incident　to　Miss　Austin；　he　writes；　'For　no　fortune　would　I　be　a　doctor　to　witness　these　scenes　continually。　　Pain　is　a　terrible　thing。'

In　the　beginning　of　1859　he　made　the　acquaintance　of　Sir　William　Thomson；　his　future　friend　and　partner。　　Mr。　Lewis　Gordon；　of　Messrs。　R。　S。　Newall　&　Co。；　afterwards　the　earliest　professor　of　engineering　in　a　British　University；　was　then　in　Glasgow　seeing　Sir　William's　instruments　for　testing　and　signalling　on　the　first　Atlantic　cable　during　the　six　weeks　of　its　working。　　Mr。　Gordon　said　he　should　like　to　show　them　to　'a　young　man　of　remarkable　ability；'　engaged　at　their　Birkenhead　Works；　and　Jenkin；　being　telegraphed　for；　arrived　next　morning；　and　spent　a　week　in　Glasgow；　mostly　in　Sir　William's　class…room　and　laboratory　at　the　old　college。　　Sir　William　tells　us　that　he　was　struck　not　only　with　Jenkin's　brightness　and　ability；　but　with　his　resolution　to　understand　everything　spoken　of；　to　see；　if　possible；　thoroughly　into　every　difficult　question；　and　to　slur　over　nothing。　　'I　soon　found；'　he　remarks；　'that　thoroughness　of　honesty　was　as　strongly　engrained　in　the　scientific　as　in　the　moral　side　of　his　character。'　Their　talk　was　chiefly　on　the　electric　telegraph；　but　Jenkin　was　eager；　too；　on　the　subject　of　physics。　　After　staying　a　week　he　returned　to　the　factory；　but　he　began　experiments；　and　corresponded　briskly　with　Sir　William　about　cable　work。　That　great　electrician；　indeed；　seems　to　have　infected　his　visitor　during　their　brief　contact　with　the　magnetic　force　of　his　personality　and　enthusiasm。

The　year　was　propitious；　and；　in　addition　to　this　friend；　Fortune　about　the　same　time　bestowed　a　still　better　gift　on　Jenkin。　　On　Saturday；　February　26；　during　a　four　days'　leave；　he　was　married　to　Miss　Austin　at　Northiam；　returning　to　his　work　the　following　Tuesday。　　This　was　the　great　event　of　his　life；　he　was　strongly　attached　to　his　wife；　and　his　letters　reveal　a　warmth　of　affection；　a　chivalry　of　sentiment；　and　even　a　romance　of　expression；　which　a　casual　observer　would　never　have　suspected　in　him。　　Jenkin　seemed　to　the　outside　world　a　man　without　a　heart；　and　yet　we　find　him　saying　in　the　year　1869；　'People　may　write　novels；　and　other　people　may　write　poems；　but　not　a　man　or　woman　among　them　can　say　how　happy　a　man　can　be　who　is　desperately　in　love　with　his　wife　after　ten　years　of　marriage。'　Five　weeks　before　his　death　he　wrote　to　her；　'Your　first　letter　from　Bournemouth　gives　me　heavenly　pleasure　for　which　I　thank　Heaven　and　you；　too；　who　are　my　heaven　on　earth。'

During　the　summer　he　enjoyed　another　telegraph　cruise　in　the　Mediterranean；　a　sea　which　for　its　classical　memories；　its　lovely　climate；　and　diversified　scenes；　is　by　far　the　most　interesting　in　the　world。　　This　time　the　Elba　was　to　lay　a　cable　from　the　Greek　islands　of　Syra　and　Candia　to　Egypt。　　Cable…laying　is　a　pleasant　mode　of　travel。　Many　of　those　on　board　the　ship　are　friends　and　comrades　in　former　expeditions；　and　all　are　engaged　in　the　same　venture。　　Some　have　seen　a　good　deal　of　the　world；　both　in　and　out　of　the　beaten　track　；　they　have　curious　'yarns　to　spin；'　and　useful　hints　or　scraps　of　worldly　wisdom　to　bestow。　　The　voyage　out　is　like　a　holiday　excursion；　for　it　is　only　the　laying　that　is　arduous；　and　even　that　is　lightened　by　excitement。　Glimpses　are　got　of　hide…away　spots；　where　the　cable　is　landed；　perhaps。　on　the　verge　of　the　primeval　forest　or　near　the　port　of　a　modern　city；　or　by　the　site　of　some　ruined　monument　of　the　past。　　The　very　magic　of　the　craft　and　its　benefit　to　the　world　are　a　source　of　pleasure　to　the　engineer；　who　is　generally　made　much　of　in　the　distant　parts　he　has　come　to　join。　　No　doubt　there　are　　hardships　to　be　borne；　sea…sickness；　broken　rest；　and　anxiety　about　the　workfor　cables　are　apt　suddenly　to　fail；　and　the　ocean　is　treacherous；　but　with　all　its　drawbacks　this　happy　mixture　of　changing　travel　and　profitable　labour　is　very　attractive；　especially　to　a　young　man。

The　following　extracts　from　letters　to　his　wife　will　illustrate　the　nature　of　the　work；　and　also　give　an　idea　of　Jenkin's　clear　and　graphic　style　of　correspondence　：…

May　14。'Syra　is　semi…eastern。　　The　pavement；　huge　shapeless　blocks　sloping　to　a　central　gutter；　from　this　base　two…storeyed　houses；　sometimes　plaster；　many…coloured；　sometimes　rough…hewn　marble；　rise；　dirty　and　ill…finished；　to　straight；　plain；　flat　roofs；　shops　guiltless　of　windows；　with　signs　in　Greek　letters；　dogs；　Greeks　in　blue；　baggy；　Zouave　breeches　and　a　fez；　a　few　narghilehs；　and　a　sprinkling　of　the　ordinary　continental　shop…boys。　　In　the　evening　I　tried　one　more　walk　in　Syra　with　A；　but　in　vain　endeavoured　to　amuse　myself　or　to　spend　money；　the　first　effort　resulting　in　singing　DOODAH　to　a　passing　Greek　or　two；　the　second　in　spendingno；　in　making　A　spendthreepence　on　coffee　for　three。'

Canea　Bay；　in　Candia　（or　Crete）；　which　they　reached　on　May　16；　appeared　to　Jenkin　one　of　the　loveliest　sights　that　man　could　witness。

May　23。'I　spent　the　day　at　the　little　station　where　the　cable　was　landed；　which　has　apparently　been　first　a　Venetian　monastery　and　then　a　Turkish　mosque。　　At　any　rate　the　big　dome　is　very　cool；　and　the　little　ones　hold　batteries　capitally。　　A　handsome　young　Bashi…Bazouk　guards　it；　and　a　still　handsomer　mountaineer　is　the　servant；　so　I　draw　them　and　the　monastery　and　the　hill　till　I'm　black　in　the　face　with　heat；　and　come　on　board　to　hear　the　Canea　cable　is　still　bad。'

May　23。'We　arrived　in　the　morning　at　the　east　end　of　Candia；　and　had　a　glorious　scramble　over　the　mountains；　which　seem　built　of　adamant。　　Time　has　worn　away　the　softer　portions　of　the　rock；　only　leaving　　sharp；　jagged　edges　of　steel；　sea　eagles　soaring　above　our　headsold　tanks；　ruins；　and　desolation　at　our　feet。　　The　ancient　Arsinoe　stood　here：　　a　few　blocks　of　marble　with　the　cross　attest　the　presence　of　Venetian　Christians；　but　nowthe　desolation　of　desolations。　　Mr。　Liddell　and　I　separated　from　the　rest；　and　when　we　had　found　a　sure　bay　for　the　cable；　had　a　tremendous　lively　scramble　back　to　the　boat。　　These　are　the　bits　of　our　life　which　I　enjoy；　which　have　some　poetry；　some　grandeur　in　them。

May　29。…'Yesterday　we　ran　round　to　the　new　harbour　（of　Alexandria）；　landed　the　shore　end　of　the　cable　close　to　Cleopatra's　Bath；　and　made　a　very　satisfactory　start　about　one　in　the　afternoon。　　We　had　scarcely　gone　200　yards　when　I　noticed　that　the　cable　ceased　to　run　out；　and　I　wondered　why　the　ship　had　stopped。'

The　Elba　had　run　her　nose　on　a　sandbank。　　After　trying　to　force　her　over　it；　an　anchor　was　put　out　astern　and　the　rope　wound　by　a　steam　winch；　while　the　engines　were　backed；　but　all　in　vain。　　At　length　a　small　Turkish　steamer；　the　consort　of　the　Elba；　came　to　her　assistance；　and　by　means　of　a　hawser　helped　to　tug　her　off：　　The　pilot　again　ran　her　aground　soon　after；　but　she　was　delivered　by　the　same　means　without　much　damage。　When　two…thirds　of　this　cable　was　laid　the　line　snapped　in　deep　water；　and　had　to　be　recovered。　　On　Saturday；　June　4；　they　arrived　at　Syra；　where　they　had　to　perform　four　days'　quarantine；　during　which；　however；　they　started　repairing　the　Canea　cable。

Bad　weather　coming　on；　they　took　shelter　in　Siphano；　of　which　Jenkin　writes：　　'These　isles　of　Greece　are　sad；　interesting　places。　　They　are　not　really　barren　all　over；　but　they　are　quite　destitute　of　verdu