its　way　on　board　through　the　agency　of　a　wretched　old　peasant　who
  watches　the　end　of　the　line　here。　　A　long　account　of　breakages　in
  the　Atlantic　trial　trip。　　To…night　we　grapple　for　the　heavy　cable；
  eight　tons　to　the　mile。　　I　long　to　have　a　tug　at　him；　he　may　puzzle
  me；　and　though　misfortunes　or　rather　difficulties　are　a　bore　at　the
  time；　life　when　working　with　cables　is　tame　without　them。
  '2　P。M。　…　Hurrah；　he　is　hooked；　the　big　fellow；　almost　at　the　first
  cast。　　He　hangs　under　our　bows　looking　so　huge　and　imposing　that　I
  could　find　it　in　my　heart　to　be　afraid　of　him。
  'June　17。
  'We　went　to　a　little　bay　called　Chia；　where　a　fresh…water　stream
  falls　into　the　sea；　and　took　in　water。　　This　is　rather　a　long
  operation；　so　I　went　a　walk　up　the　valley　with　Mr。　Liddell。　　The
  coast　here　consists　of　rocky　mountains　800　to　1；000　feet　high
  covered　with　shrubs　of　a　brilliant　green。　　On　landing　our　first
  amusement　was　watching　the　hundreds　of　large　fish　who　lazily　swam
  in　shoals　about　the　river；　the　big　canes　on　the　further　side　hold
  numberless　tortoises；　we　are　told；　but　see　none；　for　just　now　they
  prefer　taking　a　siesta。　　A　little　further　on；　and　what　is　this　with
  large　pink　flowers　in　such　abundance？　…　the　oleander　in　full
  flower。　　At　first　I　fear　to　pluck　them；　thinking　they　must　be
  cultivated　and　valuable；　but　soon　the　banks　show　a　long　line　of
  thick　tall　shrubs；　one　mass　of　glorious　pink　and　green。　　Set　these
  in　a　little　valley；　framed　by　mountains　whose　rocks　gleam　out　blue
  and　purple　colours　such　as　pre…Raphaelites　only　dare　attempt；
  shining　out　hard　and　weird…like　amongst　the　clumps　of　castor…oil
  plants；　oistus；　arbor　vitae　and　many　other　evergreens；　whose　names；
  alas！　I　know　not；　the　cistus　is　brown　now；　the　rest　all　deep　or
  brilliant　green。　　Large　herds　of　cattle　browse　on　the　baked　deposit
  at　the　foot　of　these　large　crags。　　One　or　two　half…savage　herdsmen
  in　sheepskin　kilts；　&c。；　ask　for　cigars；　partridges　whirr　up　on
  either　side　of　us；　pigeons　coo　and　nightingales　sing　amongst　the
  blooming　oleander。　　We　get　six　sheep　and　many　fowls；　too；　from　the
  priest　of　the　small　village；　and　then　run　back　to　Spartivento　and
  make　preparations　for　the　morning。
  'June　18。
  'The　big　cable　is　stubborn　and　will　not　behave　like　his　smaller
  brother。　　The　gear　employed　to　take　him　off　the　drum　is　not　strong
  enough；　he　gets　slack　on　the　drum　and　plays　the　mischief。　　Luckily
  for　my　own　conscience；　the　gear　I　had　wanted　was　negatived　by　Mr。
  Newall。　　Mr。　Liddell　does　not　exactly　blame　me；　but　he　says　we
  might　have　had　a　silver　pulley　cheaper　than　the　cost　of　this　delay。
  He　has　telegraphed　for　more　men　to　Cagliari；　to　try　to　pull　the
  cable　off　the　drum　into　the　hold；　by　hand。　　I　look　as　comfortable
  as　I　can；　but　feel　as　if　people　were　blaming　me。　　I　am　trying　my
  best　to　get　something　rigged　which　may　help　us；　I　wanted　a　little
  difficulty；　and　feel　much　better。　…　The　short　length　we　have　picked
  up　was　covered　at　places　with　beautiful　sprays　of　coral；　twisted
  and　twined　with　shells　of　those　small；　fairy　animals　we　saw　in　the
  aquarium　at　home；　poor　little　things；　they　died　at　once；　with　their
  little　bells　and　delicate　bright　tints。
  '12　O'CLOCK。　…　Hurrah；　victory！　for　the　present　anyhow。　　Whilst　in
  our　first　dejection；　I　thought　I　saw　a　place　where　a　flat　roller
  would　remedy　the　whole　misfortune；　but　a　flat　roller　at　Cape
  Spartivento；　hard；　easily　unshipped；　running　freely！　　There　was　a
  grooved　pulley　used　for　the　paying…out　machinery　with　a　spindle
  wheel；　which　might　suit　me。　　I　filled　him　up　with　tarry　spunyarn；
  nailed　sheet　copper　round　him；　bent　some　parts　in　the　fire；　and　we
  are　paying…in　without　more　trouble　now。　　You　would　think　some　one
  would　praise　me；　no；　no　more　praise　than　blame　before；　perhaps　now
  they　think　better　of　me；　though。
  '10　P。M。　…　We　have　gone　on　very　comfortably　for　nearly　six　miles。
  An　hour　and　a　half　was　spent　washing　down；　for　along　with　many
  coloured　polypi；　from　corals；　shells　and　insects；　the　big　cable
  brings　up　much　mud　and　rust；　and　makes　a　fishy　smell　by　no　means
  pleasant：　　the　bottom　seems　to　teem　with　life。　…　But　now　we　are
  startled　by　a　most　unpleasant；　grinding　noise；　which　appeared　at
  first　to　come　from　the　large　low　pulley；　but　when　the　engines
  stopped；　the　noise　continued；　and　we　now　imagine　it　is　something
  slipping　down　the　cable；　and　the　pulley　but　acts　as　sounding…board
  to　the　big　fiddle。　　Whether　it　is　only　an　anchor　or　one　of　the　two
  other　cables；　we　know　not。　　We　hope　it　is　not　the　cable　just　laid
  down。
  'June　19。
  '10　A。M。　…　All　our　alarm　groundless；　it　would　appear：　　the　odd
  noise　ceased　after　a　time；　and　there　was　no　mark　sufficiently
  strong　on　the　large　cable　to　warrant　the　suspicion　that　we　had　cut
  another　line　through。　　I　stopped　up　on　the　look…out　till　three　in
  the　morning；　which　made　23　hours　between　sleep　and　sleep。　　One　goes
  dozing　about；　though；　most　of　the　day；　for　it　is　only　when
  something　goes　wrong　that　one　has　to　look　alive。　　Hour　after　hour；
  I　stand　on　the　forecastle…head；　picking　off　little　specimens　of
  polypi　and　coral；　or　lie　on　the　saloon　deck　reading　back　numbers　of
  the　TIMES　…　till　something　hitches；　and　then　all　is　hurly…burly
  once　more。　　There　are　awnings　all　along　the　ship；　and　a　most
  ancient；　fish…like　smell　beneath。
  '1　O'CLOCK。　…　Suddenly　a　great　strain　in　only　95　fathoms　of　water　…
  belts　surging　and　general　dismay；　grapnels　being　thrown　out　in　the
  hope　of　finding　what　holds　the　cable。　…　Should　it　prove　the　young
  cable！　　We　are　apparently　crossing　its　path　…　not　the　working　one；
  but　the　lost　child；　Mr。　Liddell　WOULD　start　the　big　one　first
  though　it　was　laid　first：　　he　wanted　to　see　the　job　done；　and　meant
  to　leave　us　to　the　small　one　unaided　by　his　presence。
  '3。30。　…　Grapnel　caught　something；　lost　it　again；　it　left　its　marks
  on　the　prongs。　　Started　lifting　gear　again；　and　after　hauling　in
  some　50　fathoms　…　grunt；　grunt；　grunt　…　we　hear　the　other　cable
  slipping　down　our　big　one；　playing　the　selfsame　tune　we　heard　last
  night　…　louder；　however。
  '10　P。M。　…　The　pull　on　the　deck　engines　became　harder　and　harder。
  I　got　steam　up　in　a　boiler　on　deck；　and　another　little　engine
  starts　hauling　at　the　grapnel。　　I　wonder　if　there　ever　was　such　a
  scene　of　confusion：　　Mr。　Liddell　and　W…　and　the　captain　all　giving
  orders　contradictory；　&c。；　on　the　forecastle；　D…；　the　foreman　of
  our　men；　the　mates；　&c。；　following　the　example　of　our　superiors；
  the　ship's　engine　and　boilers　below；　a　50…horse　engine　on　deck；　a
  boiler　14　feet　long　on　deck　beside　it；　a　little　steam　winch　tearing
  round；　a　dozen　Italians　（20　have　come　to　relieve　our　hands；　the　men
  we　telegraphed　for　to　Cagliari）　hauling　at　the　rope；　wiremen；
  sailors；　in　the　crevices　left　by　ropes　and　machinery；　everything
  that　could　swear　swearing　…　I　found　myself　swearing　like　a　trooper
  at　last。　　We　got　the　unknown　difficulty　within　ten　fathoms　of　the
  surface；　but　then　the　forecastle　got　frightened　that；　if　it　was　the
  small　cable　which　we　had　got　hold　of；　we　should　certainly　break　it
  by　continuing　the　tremendous　and　increasing　strain。　　So　at　last　Mr。
  Liddell　decided　to　stop；　cut　the　big　cable；　buoying　its　end；　go
  back　to　our　pleasant　watering…place　at　Chia；　take　more　water　and
  start　lifting　the　small　cable。　　The　end　of　the　large　one　has　even
  now　regained　its　sandy　bed；　and　three　buoys　…　one　to　grapnel　foul
  of　the　supposed　small　cable；　two　to　the　big　cable　…　are　dipping
  about　on　the　surface。　　One　more　…　a　flag…buoy　…　will　soon　follow；
  and　then　straight　for　shore。
  'June　20。
  'It　is　an　ill…wind；　&c。　　I　have　an　unexpected　opportunity　of
  forwarding　this　engineering　letter；　for　the　craft　which　brought　out
  our　Italian　sailors　must　return　to　Cagliari　to…night；　as　the　little
  cable　will　take　us　nearly　to　Galita；　and　the　Italian　skipper　could
  hardly　find　his　way　from　thence。　　To…day　…　Sunday　…　not　much　rest。
  Mr。　Liddell　is　at　Spartivento　telegraphing。　　We　are　at　Chia；　and
  shall　shortly　go　to　help　our　boat's　crew　in　getting　the　small　cable
  on　board。　　We　dropped　them　some　time　since　in　order　that　they　might
  dig　it　out　of　the　sand　as　far　as　possible。
  'June　21。
  'Yesterday　…　Sunday　as　it　was　…　all　hands　were　kept　at　work　all
  day；　coaling；　watering；　and　making　a　futile　attempt　to　pull　the
  cable　from　the　shore　on　board　through　the　sand。　　This　attempt　was
  rather　silly　after　the　experience　we　had　gained　at　Cape
  Spartivento。　　This　morning　we　grappled；　hooked　the　cable　at　once；
  and　have　made　an　excellent　start。　　Though　I　have　called　this　the
  small　cable；　it　is　much　larger　than　the　Bona　one。　…　Here　comes　a
  break　down　and　a　bad　one。
  'June　22。
  'We　got　over　it；　however；　but　it　is　a　warning　to　me　that　my　future
  difficulties　will　arise　from　parts　wearing　out。　　Yesterday　the
  cable　was