heroes of the telegraph-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



JUNE　11。'It　would　amuse　you　to　see　how　cool　（in　head）　and　jolly　everybody　is。　　A　testy　word　now　and　then　shows　the　nerves　are　strained　a　little；　but　every　one　laughs　and　makes　his　little　jokes　as　if　it　were　all　in　fun。。。。I　enjoy　it　very　much。'

JUNE　13；　SUNDAY。'It　now　（at　10。30）　blows　a　pretty　stiff　gale；　and　the　sea　has　also　risen；　and　the　Elba's　bows　rise　and　fall　about　nine　feet。　We　make　twelve　pitches　to　the　minute；　and　the　poor　cable　must　feel　very　sea…sick　by　this　time。　　We　are　quite　unable　to　do　anything；　and　continue　riding　at　anchor　in　one　thousand　fathoms；　the　engines　going　constantly；　so　as　to　keep　the　ship's　bows　close　up　to　the　cable；　which　by　this　means　hangs　nearly　vertical；　and　sustains　no　strain　but　that　caused　by　its　own　weight　and　the　pitching　of　the　vessel。　　We　were　all　up　at　four；　but　the　weather　entirely　forbade　work　for　to…day；　so　some　went　to　bed；　and　most　lay　down；　making　up　our　lee…way；　as　we　nautically　term　our　loss　of　sleep。　　I　must　say　Liddell　is　a　fine　fellow；　and　keeps　his　patience　and　his　temper　wonderfully；　and　yet　how　he　does　fret　and　fume　about　trifles　at　home！'

JUNE　16。'By　some　odd　chance　a　TIMES　of　June　7　has　found　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　hookedthe　big　fellowalmost　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　up　the　valley　with　Mr。　Liddell。　　The　coast　here　consists　of　rocky　mountains　800　to　1000　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　there　in　a　little　valley；　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；　cistus；　arbor…vitae；　and　many　other　evergreens；　whose　names；　alas！　I　know　not；　the　cistus　is　brown　now；　the　rest　all　deep　and　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；　etc。；　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　short　length　（of　the　big…cable）　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。'

JUNE　19。'Hour　after　hour　I　stand　on　the　fore…castle…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　and　fish…like　smell　（from　the　decaying　polypi）　beneath。'

JUNE　22。'Yesterday　the　cable　was　often　a　lovely　sight；　coming　out　of　the　water　one　large　incrustation　of　delicate　net…like　corals　and　long　white　curling　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