masking　those　confounded　marshes　at　the　back。　　One　would　have
  thought　the　Cagliaritans　were　in　a　conspiracy　to　frighten　the　two
  poor　fellows；　who　（I　believe）　will　be　safe　enough　if　they　do　not　go
  into　the　marshes　after　nightfall。　　S…　brought　a　little　dog　to　amuse
  them；　such　a　jolly；　ugly　little　cur　without　a　tail；　but　full　of
  fun；　he　will　be　better　than　quinine。
  'The　wind　drove　a　barque；　which　had　anchored　near　us　for　shelter；
  out　to　sea。　　We　started；　however；　at　2　P。M。；　and　had　a　quick
  passage　but　a　very　rough　one；　getting　to　Bona　by　daylight　＇on　the
  11th＇。　　Such　a　place　as　this　is　for　getting　anything　done！　　The
  health　boat　went　away　from　us　at　7。30　with　W…　on　board；　and　we
  heard　nothing　of　them　till　9。30；　when　W…　came　back　with　two　fat
  Frenchmen　who　are　to　look　on　on　the　part　of　the　Government。　　They
  are　exactly　alike：　　only　one　has　four　bands　and　the　other　three
  round　his　cap；　and　so　I　know　them。　　Then　I　sent　a　boat　round　to
  Fort　Genois　＇Fort　Genova　of　1858＇；　where　the　cable　is　landed；　with
  all　sorts　of　things　and　directions；　whilst　I　went　ashore　to　see
  about　coals　and　a　room　at　the　fort。　　We　hunted　people　in　the　little
  square　in　their　shops　and　offices；　but　only　found　them　in　cafes。
  One　amiable　gentleman　wasn't　up　at　9。30；　was　out　at　10；　and　as　soon
  as　he　came　back　the　servant　said　he　would　go　to　bed　and　not　get　up
  till　3：　　he　came；　however；　to　find　us　at　a　cafe；　and　said　that；　on
  the　contrary；　two　days　in　the　week　he　did　not　do　so！　　Then　my　two
  fat　friends　must　have　their　breakfast　after　their　〃something〃　at　a
  cafe；　and　all　the　shops　shut　from　10　to　2；　and　the　post　does　not
  open　till　12；　and　there　was　a　road　to　Fort　Genois；　only　a　bridge
  had　been　carried　away；　&c。　　At　last　I　got　off；　and　we　rowed　round
  to　Fort　Genois；　where　my　men　had　put　up　a　capital　gipsy　tent　with
  sails；　and　there　was　my　big　board　and　Thomson's　number　5　in　great
  glory。　　I　soon　came　to　the　conclusion　there　was　a　break。　　Two　of　my
  faithful　Cagliaritans　slept　all　night　in　the　little　tent；　to　guard
  it　and　my　precious　instruments；　and　the　sea；　which　was　rather
  rough；　silenced　my　Frenchmen。
  'Next　day　I　went　on　with　my　experiments；　whilst　a　boat　grappled　for
  the　cable　a　little　way　from　shore　and　buoyed　it　where　the　ELBA
  could　get　hold。　　I　brought　all　back　to　the　ELBA；　tried　my　machinery
  and　was　all　ready　for　a　start　next　morning。　　But　the　wretched　coal
  had　not　come　yet；　Government　permission　from　Algiers　to　be　got；
  lighters；　men；　baskets；　and　I　know　not　what　forms　to　be　got　or　got
  through　…　and　everybody　asleep！　　Coals　or　no　coals；　I　was
  determined　to　start　next　morning；　and　start　we　did　at　four　in　the
  morning；　picked　up　the　buoy　with　our　deck　engine；　popped　the　cable
  across　a　boat；　tested　the　wires　to　make　sure　the　fault　was　not
  behind　us；　and　started　picking　up　at　11。　Everything　worked
  admirably；　and　about　2　P。M。；　in　came　the　fault。　　There　is　no　doubt
  the　cable　was　broken　by　coral　fishers；　twice　they　have　had　it　up　to
  their　own　knowledge。
  'Many　men　have　been　ashore　to…day　and　have　come　back　tipsy；　and　the
  whole　ship　is　in　a　state　of　quarrel　from　top　to　bottom；　and　they
  will　gossip　just　within　my　hearing。　　And　we　have　had；　moreover；
  three　French　gentlemen　and　a　French　lady　to　dinner；　and　I　had　to
  act　host　and　try　to　manage　the　mixtures　to　their　taste。　　The　good…
  natured　little　Frenchwoman　was　most　amusing；　when　I　asked　her　if
  she　would　have　some　apple　tart　…　〃MON　DIEU；〃　with　heroic
  resignation；　〃JE　VEUX　BIEN〃；　or　a　little　PLOMBODDING　…　〃MAIS　CE　QUE
  VOUS　VOUDREZ；　MONSIEUR！〃
  'S。　S。　ELBA；　somewhere　not　far　from　Bona：　　Oct。　19。
  'Yesterday　＇after　three　previous　days　of　useless　grappling＇　was
  destined　to　be　very　eventful。　　We　began　dredging　at　daybreak　and
  hooked　at　once　every　time　in　rocks；　but　by　capital　luck；　just　as　we
  were　deciding　it　was　no　use　to　continue　in　that　place；　we　hooked
  the　cable：　　up　it　came；　was　tested；　and　lo！　another　complete　break；
  a　quarter　of　a　mile　off。　　I　was　amazed　at　my　own　tranquillity　under
  these　disappointments；　but　I　was　not　really　half　so　fussy　as　about
  getting　a　cab。　　Well；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　grappling　again；
  and；　as　you　may　imagine；　we　were　getting　about　six　miles　from
  shore。　　But　the　water　did　not　deepen　rapidly；　we　seemed　to　be　on
  the　crest　of　a　kind　of　submarine　mountain　in　prolongation　of　Cape
  de　Gonde；　and　pretty　havoc　we　must　have　made　with　the　crags。　　What
  rocks　we　did　hook！　　No　sooner　was　the　grapnel　down　than　the　ship
  was　anchored；　and　then　came　such　a　business：　　ship's　engines　going；
  deck　engine　thundering；　belt　slipping；　fear　of　breaking　ropes：
  actually　breaking　grapnels。　　It　was　always　an　hour　or　more　before
  we　could　get　the　grapnel　down　again。　　At　last　we　had　to　give　up　the
  place；　though　we　knew　we　were　close　to　the　cable；　and　go　further　to
  sea　in　much　deeper　water；　to　my　great　fear；　as　I　knew　the　cable　was
  much　eaten　away　and　would　stand　but　little　strain。　　Well；　we　hooked
  the　cable　first　dredge　this　time；　and　pulled　it　slowly　and　gently
  to　the　top；　with　much　trepidation。　　Was　it　the　cable？　was　there　any
  weight　on？　it　was　evidently　too　small。　　Imagine　my　dismay　when　the
  cable　did　come　up；　but　hanging　loosely；　thus
  ＇Picture＇
  instead　of　taut；　thus
  ＇Picture＇
  showing　certain　signs　of　a　break　close　by。　　For　a　moment　I　felt
  provoked；　as　I　thought；　〃Here　we　are　in　deep　water；　and　the　cable
  will　not　stand　lifting！〃　　I　tested　at　once；　and　by　the　very　first
  wire　found　it　had　broken　towards　shore　and　was　good　towards　sea。
  This　was　of　course　very　pleasant；　but　from　that　time　to　this；
  though　the　wires　test　very　well；　not　a　signal　has　come　from
  Spartivento。　　I　got　the　cable　into　a　boat；　and　a　gutta…percha　line
  from　the　ship　to　the　boat；　and　we　signalled　away　at　a　great　rate　…
  but　no　signs　of　life。　　The　tests；　however；　make　me　pretty　sure　one
  wire　at　least　is　good；　so　I　determined　to　lay　down　cable　from　where
  we　were　to　the　shore；　and　go　to　Spartivento　to　see　what　had
  happened　there。　　I　fear　my　men　are　ill。　　The　night　was　lovely；
  perfectly　calm；　so　we　lay　close　to　the　boat　and　signals　were
  continually　sent；　but　with　no　result。　　This　morning　I　laid　the
  cable　down　to　Fort　Genois　in　style；　and　now　we　are　picking　up　odds
  and　ends　of　cable　between　the　different　breaks；　and　getting　our
  buoys　on　board；　&c。　　To…morrow　I　expect　to　leave　for　Spartivento。'
  IV。
  And　now　I　am　quite　at　an　end　of　journal　keeping；　diaries　and　diary
  letters　being　things　of　youth　which　Fleeming　had　at　length
  outgrown。　　But　one　or　two　more　fragments　from　his　correspondence
  may　be　taken；　and　first　this　brief　sketch　of　the　laying　of　the
  Norderney　cable；　mainly　interesting　as　showing　under　what　defects
  of　strength　and　in　what　extremities　of　pain；　this　cheerful　man　must
  at　times　continue　to　go　about　his　work。
  'I　slept　on　board　29th　September　having　arranged　everything　to
  start　by　daybreak　from　where　we　lay　in　the　roads：　　but　at　daybreak
  a　heavy　mist　hung　over　us　so　that　nothing　of　land　or　water　could　be
  seen。　　At　midday　it　lifted　suddenly　and　away　we　went　with　perfect
  weather；　but　could　not　find　the　buoys　Forde　left；　that　evening。　　I
  saw　the　captain　was　not　strong　in　navigation；　and　took　matters　next
  day　much　more　into　my　own　hands　and　before　nine　o'clock　found　the
  buoys；　（the　weather　had　been　so　fine　we　had　anchored　in　the　open
  sea　near　Texel）。　　It　took　us　till　the　evening　to　reach　the　buoys；
  get　the　cable　on　board；　test　the　first　half；　speak　to　Lowestoft；
  make　the　splice；　and　start。　　H…　had　not　finished　his　work　at
  Norderney；　so　I　was　alone　on　board　for　Reuter。　　Moreover　the　buoys
  to　guide　us　in　our　course　were　not　placed；　and　the　captain　had　very
  vague　ideas　about　keeping　his　course；　so　I　had　to　do　a　good　deal；
  and　only　lay　down　as　I　was　for　two　hours　in　the　night。　　I　managed
  to　run　the　course　perfectly。　　Everything　went　well；　and　we　found
  Norderney　just　where　we　wanted　it　next　afternoon；　and　if　the　shore
  end　had　been　laid；　could　have　finished　there　and　then；　October　1st。
  But　when　we　got　to　Norderney；　we　found　the　CAROLINE　with　shore　end
  lying　apparently　aground；　and　could　not　understand　her　signals；　so
  we　had　to　anchor　suddenly　and　I　went　off　in　a　small　boat　with　the
  captain　to　the　CAROLINE。　　It　was　cold　by　this　time；　and　my　arm　was
  rather　stiff　and　I　was　tired；　I　hauled　myself　up　on　board　the
  CAROLINE　by　a　rope　and　found　H…　and　two　men　on　board。　　All　the　rest
  were　trying　to　get　the　shore　end　on　shore；　but　had　failed　and
  apparently　had　stuck　on　shore；　and　the　waves　were　getting　up。　　We
  had　anchored　in　the　right　place　and　next　morning　we　hoped　the　shore
  end　would　be　laid；　so　we　had　only　to　go　back。　　It　was　of　course
  still　colder　and　quite　night。　　I　went　to　bed　and　hoped　to　sleep；
  but；　alas；　the　rheumatism　got　into　the　joints　and　caused　me
  terrible　pain　so　that　I　could　not　sle