The telegraph manual: a complete history and description of the semaphoric, electric and magnetic telegraphs of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, ancient and modern.

628 ATLANTIC OCEAN TELEGRAPHY.
made 214 miles from shore, being then in lat. 52~ 27' 50" N.,
long. 16~ 00' 15" W. At this time we experienced an increased swell, followed late in the day by a strong breeze.
From this period, having reached 2,000 fathoms water, it
was necessary to increase the strain to a ton, by which the rate
of the cable was maintained in due proportion to that of the
ship.
At six in the evening some difficulty arose through the cable
getting out of the sheaves of the paying-out machine, owing to
the tar and pitch hardening in the grooves, and a splice, of large
dimensions, passing over them. This was rectified by fixing
additional guards, and softening the tar with oil.
It was necessary to bring up the ship, holding the cable by
stoppers, until it was again properly disposed around the pulleys. Some importance is due to this event, as showing that it
is possible to lay to in deep water without continuing to pay out
the cable-a point upon which doubts have frequently been
expressed. Shortly after this, the speed of the cable gained
considerably upon that of the ship, and up to nine o'clock, while
the rate of the latter was about three knots by the log, the
cable was running out from five and a half to five and three
quarter knots per hour. The strain was then raised to twentyfive cwt., but the wind and sea increasing, and a current at
the same time carrying the cable at an angle from the direct
line of the ship's course, it was not found sufficient to check the
cable, which was at midnight making two and a half knots
above the speed of the ship, and sometimes imperilling the safe
uncoiling in the hold.
The retarding force was, therefore, increased at two o'clock
to an amount equivalent to thirty cwt., and then again, in consequence of the speed continuing to be more than it would have
been prudent to permit, of thirty-five cwt.
By this the rate of the cable was brought to a little short
of five knots, at which it continued steadily until 3.45, when
it parted; the length paid out at that time being 380 statute
miles.
I had up to this time attended personally to the regulation
of the brakes; but finding that all was going on well, and it
being necessary that I should be temporarily away from the
machine, to ascertain the rate of the ship, and to see how the
cable was coming out of the hold, and also to visit the electrician's room, the machine was for the moment left in charge of
a mechanic, who had been engaged from the first in its construction and fitting, and was acquainted with its operation.
I was proceeding toward the fore part of the ship, when I heard