heroes of the telegraph-第23部分

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Annie　Austin；　their　only　child；　had　been　highly　educated；　and　knew　Greek　among　other　things。　　Though　Jenkin　loved　and　admired　her　parents；　he　did　not　at　first　care　for　Annie；　who；　on　her　part；　thought　him　vain；　and　by　no　means　good…looking。　　Mr。　Stevenson　hints　that　she　vanquished　his　stubborn　heart　by　correcting　a　'false　quantity'　of　his　one　day；　for　he　was　the　man　to　reflect　over　a　correction；　and　'admire　the　castigator。'　Be　this　as　it　may；　Jenkin　by　degrees　fell　deeply　in　love　with　her。

He　was　poor　and　nameless；　and　this　made　him　diffident；　but　the　liking　of　her　parents　for　him　gave　him　hope。　　Moreover；　he　had　entered　the　service　of　Messrs。　Liddell　and　Gordon；　who　were　engaged　in　the　new　work　of　submarine　telegraphy；　which　satisfied　his　aspirations；　and　promised　him　a　successful　career。　　With　this　new…born　confidence　in　his　future；　he　solicited　the　Austins　for　leave　to　court　their　daughter；　and　it　was　not　withheld。　　Mrs。　Austin　consented　freely；　and　Mr。　Austin　only　reserved　the　right　to　inquire　into　his　character。　　Neither　of　them　mentioned　his　income　or　prospects；　and　Jenkin；　overcome　by　their　disinterestedness；　exclaimed　in　one　of　his　letters；　'Are　these　people　the　same　as　other　people？'　　Thus　permitted；　he　addressed　himself　to　Annie；　and　was　nearly　rejected　for　his　pains。　　Miss　Austin　seems　to　have　resented　his　courtship　of　her　parents　first；　but　the　mother's　favour；　and　his　own　spirited　behaviour；　saved　him；　and　won　her　consent。

Then　followed　one　of　the　happiest　epochs　in　Jenkin's　life。　　After　leaving　Penn's　he　worked　at　railway　engineering　for　a　time　under　Messrs。　Liddell　and　Gordon；　and；　in　1857；　became　engineer　to　Messrs。　R。　S。　Newall　&　Co。；　of　Gateshead；　who　shared　the　work　of　making　the　first　Atlantic　cable　with　Messrs。　Glass；　Elliott　&　Co。；　of　Greenwich。　　Jenkin　was　busy　designing　and　fitting　up　machinery　for　cableships；　and　making　electrical　experiments。　　'I　am　half　crazy　with　work；'　he　wrote　to　his　betrothed；　'I　like　it　though：　　it's　like　a　good　ball；　the　excitement　carries　you　through。'　　Again　he　wrote；　'My　　profession　gives　me　all　the　excitement　and　interest　I　ever　hope　for。'。。。　'I　am　at　the　works　till　ten；　and　sometimes　till　eleven。　　But　I　have　a　nice　office　to　sit　in；　with　a　fire　to　myself；　and　bright　brass　scientific　instruments　all　round　me；　and　books　to　read；　and　experiments　to　make；　and　enjoy　myself　amazingly。　　I　find　the　study　of　electricity　so　entertaining　that　I　am　apt　to　neglect　my　other　work。'。。。　'What　shall　I　compare　them　to；'　he　writes　of　some　electrical　experiments；　'a　new　song？　or　a　Greek　play？'　In　the　spring　of　1855　he　was　fitting　out　the　s。s。　Elba；　at　Birkenhead；　for　his　first　telegraph　cruise。　　It　appears　that　in　1855　Mr。　Henry　Brett　attempted　to　lay　a　cable　across　the　Mediterranean　between　Cape　Spartivento；　in　the　south　of　Sardinia；　and　a　point　near　Bona；　on　the　coast　of　Algeria。　　It　was　a　gutta…percha　cable　of　six　wires　or　conductors；　and　manufactured　by　Messrs。　Glass　&　Elliott；　of　Greenwicha　firm　which　afterwards　combined　with　the　Gutta…Percha　Company；　and　became　the　existing　Telegraph　Construction　and　Maintenance　Company。　　Mr。　Brett　laid　the　cable　from　the　Result；　a　sailing　ship　in　tow；　instead　of　a　more　manageable　steamer；　and；　meeting　with　600　fathoms　of　water　when　twenty…　five　miles　from　land；　the　cable　ran　out　so　fast　that　a　tangled　skein　came　up　out　of　the　hold；　and　the　line　had　to　be　severed。　　Having　only　150　miles　on　board　to　span　the　whole　distance　of　140　miles；　he　grappled　the　lost　cable　near　the　shore；　raised　it；　and　'under…run'　or　passed　it　over　the　ship；　for　some　twenty　miles；　then　cut　it；　leaving　the　seaward　end　on　the　bottom。　　He　then　spliced　the　ship's　cable　to　the　shoreward　end　and　resumed　his　paying…out；　but　after　seventy　miles　in　all　were　laid；　another　rapid　rush　of　cable　took　place；　and　Mr。　Brett　was　obliged　to　cut　and　abandon　the　line。

Another　attempt　was　made　the　following　year；　but　with　no　better　success。　Mr。　Brett　then　tried　to　lay　a　three…wire　cable　from　the　steamer　Dutchman；　but　owing　to　the　deep　waterin　some　places　1500　fathoms　its　egress　was　so　rapid；　that　when　he　came　to　a　few　miles　from　Galita；　his　destination　on　the　Algerian　coast；　he　had　not　enough　cable　to　reach　the　land。　　He　therefore　telegraphed　to　London　for　more　cable　to　be　made　and　sent　out；　while　the　ship　remained　there　holding　to　the　end。　　For　five　days　he　succeeded　in　doing　so；　sending　and　receiving　messages　；　but　heavy　weather　came　on；　and　the　cable　parted；　having；　it　is　said；　been　chafed　through　by　rubbing　on　the　bottom。　　After　that　Mr。　Brett　went　home。

It　was　to　recover　the　lost　cable　of　these　expeditions　that　the　Elba　was　got　ready　for　sea。　　Jenkin　had　fitted　her　out　the　year　before　for　laying　the　Cagliari　to　Malta　and　Corfu　cables；　but　on　this　occasion　she　was　better　equipped。　　She　had　a　new　machine　for　picking　up　the　cable；　and　a　sheave　or　pulley　at　the　bows　for　it　to　run　over；　both　designed　by　Jenkin；　together　with　a　variety　of　wooden　buoys；　ropes；　and　chains。　　Mr。　Liddell；　assisted　by　Mr。　F。　C。　Webb　and　Fleeming　Jenkin；　were　in　charge　of　the　expedition。　　The　latter　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　electrical　work；　his　care　being　the　deck　machinery　for　raising　the　cable；　but　it　entailed　a　good　deal　of　responsibility；　which　was　flattering　and　agreeable　to　a　young　man　of　his　parts。

'I　own　I　like　responsibility；'　he　wrote　to　Miss　Austin；　while　fitting　up　the　vessel；　'it　flatters　one；　and　then；　your　father　might　say；　I　have　more　to　gain　than　lose。　　Moreover；　I　do　like　this　bloodless；　painless　combat　with　wood　and　iron；　forcing　the　stubborn　rascals　to　do　my　will；　licking　the　clumsy　cubs　into　an　active　shape；　seeing　the　child　of　to…　day's　thought　working　to…morrow　in　full　vigour　at　his　appointed　task。'　Another　letter；　dated　May　17；　gives　a　picture　of　the　start。　　'Not　a　sailor　will　join　us　till　the　last　moment；　and　then；　just　as　the　ship　forges　ahead　through　the　narrow　pass；　beds　and　baggage　fly　on　board；　the　men；　half　tipsy；　clutch　at　the　rigging；　the　captain　swears；　the　women　scream　and　sob；　the　crowd　cheer　and　laugh；　while　one　or　two　pretty　little　girls　stand　still　and　cry　outright；　regardless　of　all　eyes。'

The　Elba　arrived　at　Bona　on　June　3；　and　Jenkin　landed　at　Fort　Genova；　on　Cape　Hamrah；　where　some　Arabs　were　building　a　land　line。　　'It　was　a　strange　scene；'　he　writes；　'far　more　novel　than　I　had　imagined；　the　high；　steep　bank　covered　with　rich；　spicy　vegetation；　of　which　I　hardly　knew　one　plant。　　The　dwarf　palm；　with　fan…like　leaves；　growing　about　two　feet　high；　forms　the　staple　verdure。'　After　dining　in　Fort　Genova；　he　had　nothing　to　do　but　watch　the　sailors　ordering　the　Arabs　about　under　the　'generic　term　〃Johnny。〃　'　He　began　to　tire　of　the　scene；　although；　as　he　confesses；　he　had　willingly　paid　more　money　for　less　strange　and　lovely　sights。　　Jenkin　was　not　a　dreamer；　he　disliked　being　idle；　and　if　he　had　had　a　pencil　he　would　have　amused　himself　in　sketching　what　he　saw。　　That　his　eyes　were　busy　is　evident　from　the　particulars　given　in　his　letter；　where　he　notes　the　yellow　thistles　and　'Scotch…looking　gowans'　which　grow　there；　along　with　the　cistus　and　the　fig…tree。

They　left　Bona　on　June　5；　and；　after　calling　at　Cagliari　and　Chia；　arrived　at　Cape　Spartivento　on　the　morning　of　June　8。　　The　coast　here　is　a　low　range　of　heathy　hills；　with　brilliant　green　bushes　and　marshy　pools。　　Mr。　Webb　remarks　that　its　reputation　for　fever　was　so　bad　as　to　cause　Italian　men…of…war　to　sheer　off　in　passing　by。　　Jenkin　suffered　a　little　from　malaria；　but　of　a　different　origin。　　'A　number　of　the　SATURDAY　REVIEW　here；'　he　writes；　'it　reads　so　hot　and　feverish；　so　tomb…like　and　unhealthy；　in　the　midst　of　dear　Nature's　hills　and　sea；　with　good　wholesome　work　to　do。'

There　were　several　pieces　of　submerged　cable　to　lift；　two　with　their　ends　on　shore；　and　one　or　two　lying　out　at　sea。　　Next　day　operations　were　begun　on　the　shore　end；　which　had　become　buried　under　the　sand；　and　could　not　be　raised　without　grappling。　　After　attempts　to　free　the　cable　from　the　sand　in　small　boats；　the　Elba　came　up　to　help；　and　anchored　in　shallow　water　about　sunset。　　Curiously　enough；　the　anchor　happened　to　hook；　and　so　discover　the　cable；　which　was　thereupon　grappled；　cut；　and　the　sea　end　brought　on　board　over　the　bow　sheave。　　After　being　passed　six　times　round　the　picking…up　drum　it　was　led　into　the　hold；　and　the　Elba　slowly　forged　ahead；　hauling　in　the　cable　from　the　bottom　as　she　proceeded。　　At　half…past　nine　she　anchored　for　the　night　some　distance　from　the　shore；　and　at　three　next　morning　resumed　her　picking　up。　'With　a　small　delay　for　one　or　two　improvements　I　had　seen　to　be　necessary　last　night；'　writes　Jenkin；　'the　engine　started；　and　since　that　time　I　do　not　think　there　has　been　half　an　hour's　stoppage。　　A　rope　to　splice；　a　block　to　change；　a　wheel　to　oil；　an　old　rusted　anchor　to　disengage　from　the　cable；　which　brought　it　up　these　have　been　our　only　obstructions。　　Sixty；　seventy；　eighty；　a　hundred；　a　hundred　and　twenty　revolutions　at　last　my　little　engine　tears　away。　　The　even　black　rope　comes　straight　out　of　the　blue；　heaving　water；　passes　slowly　round　an　open…hearted；　good…tempered…looking　pulley；　five　feet　in　diameter；　aft　past　a　vicious　nipper；　to　bring　all　up　should　anything　go　wrong；　through　a　gentle　guide　on　to　a　huge　bluff　drum；　who　wraps　him　round　his　body；　and　says；　〃　Come　you　must；〃　as　plain　as　drum　can　speak；　the　chattering　pauls　say；　〃I've　got　him；　I've　got　him；　he　can't　come　back；〃　whilst　black　cable；　much　slacker　and　easier　in　mind　and　body；　is　taken　by　a　slim　V…pulley　and　passed　down　into　the　huge　hold；　where　half　a　dozen　men　put　him　comfortably　to　bed　after　his　exertion　in　rising　from　his　long　bath。

'I　am　very　glad　I　am　here；　for　my　machines　are　my　own　children；　and　I　look　on　their　little　failings　with　a　parent's　eye；　and　lead　them　into　the　path　of　duty　with　gentleness　and　firmness。　　I　am　naturally　in　good　spirits；　but　keep　very　quiet；　for　misfortunes　may　arise　at　any　instant；　moreover；　to…morrow　my　paying…out　apparatus　will　be　wanted　should　all　go　well；　and　that　will　be　another　nervous　operation。　　Fifteen　miles　are　safely　in；　but　no　one　knows　better　than　I　do　that　nothing　is　done　till　all　is　done。'

JUNE　11。'It　would　amuse　you　to　see　how　cool　（in　head）　and　jolly　everybody　is。　　A　testy　word　now　and　th