heroes of the telegraph-第25部分

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May　14。'Syra　is　semi…eastern。　　The　pavement；　huge　shapeless　blocks　sloping　to　a　central　gutter；　from　this　base　two…storeyed　houses；　sometimes　plaster；　many…coloured；　sometimes　rough…hewn　marble；　rise；　dirty　and　ill…finished；　to　straight；　plain；　flat　roofs；　shops　guiltless　of　windows；　with　signs　in　Greek　letters；　dogs；　Greeks　in　blue；　baggy；　Zouave　breeches　and　a　fez；　a　few　narghilehs；　and　a　sprinkling　of　the　ordinary　continental　shop…boys。　　In　the　evening　I　tried　one　more　walk　in　Syra　with　A；　but　in　vain　endeavoured　to　amuse　myself　or　to　spend　money；　the　first　effort　resulting　in　singing　DOODAH　to　a　passing　Greek　or　two；　the　second　in　spendingno；　in　making　A　spendthreepence　on　coffee　for　three。'

Canea　Bay；　in　Candia　（or　Crete）；　which　they　reached　on　May　16；　appeared　to　Jenkin　one　of　the　loveliest　sights　that　man　could　witness。

May　23。'I　spent　the　day　at　the　little　station　where　the　cable　was　landed；　which　has　apparently　been　first　a　Venetian　monastery　and　then　a　Turkish　mosque。　　At　any　rate　the　big　dome　is　very　cool；　and　the　little　ones　hold　batteries　capitally。　　A　handsome　young　Bashi…Bazouk　guards　it；　and　a　still　handsomer　mountaineer　is　the　servant；　so　I　draw　them　and　the　monastery　and　the　hill　till　I'm　black　in　the　face　with　heat；　and　come　on　board　to　hear　the　Canea　cable　is　still　bad。'

May　23。'We　arrived　in　the　morning　at　the　east　end　of　Candia；　and　had　a　glorious　scramble　over　the　mountains；　which　seem　built　of　adamant。　　Time　has　worn　away　the　softer　portions　of　the　rock；　only　leaving　　sharp；　jagged　edges　of　steel；　sea　eagles　soaring　above　our　headsold　tanks；　ruins；　and　desolation　at　our　feet。　　The　ancient　Arsinoe　stood　here：　　a　few　blocks　of　marble　with　the　cross　attest　the　presence　of　Venetian　Christians；　but　nowthe　desolation　of　desolations。　　Mr。　Liddell　and　I　separated　from　the　rest；　and　when　we　had　found　a　sure　bay　for　the　cable；　had　a　tremendous　lively　scramble　back　to　the　boat。　　These　are　the　bits　of　our　life　which　I　enjoy；　which　have　some　poetry；　some　grandeur　in　them。

May　29。…'Yesterday　we　ran　round　to　the　new　harbour　（of　Alexandria）；　landed　the　shore　end　of　the　cable　close　to　Cleopatra's　Bath；　and　made　a　very　satisfactory　start　about　one　in　the　afternoon。　　We　had　scarcely　gone　200　yards　when　I　noticed　that　the　cable　ceased　to　run　out；　and　I　wondered　why　the　ship　had　stopped。'

The　Elba　had　run　her　nose　on　a　sandbank。　　After　trying　to　force　her　over　it；　an　anchor　was　put　out　astern　and　the　rope　wound　by　a　steam　winch；　while　the　engines　were　backed；　but　all　in　vain。　　At　length　a　small　Turkish　steamer；　the　consort　of　the　Elba；　came　to　her　assistance；　and　by　means　of　a　hawser　helped　to　tug　her　off：　　The　pilot　again　ran　her　aground　soon　after；　but　she　was　delivered　by　the　same　means　without　much　damage。　When　two…thirds　of　this　cable　was　laid　the　line　snapped　in　deep　water；　and　had　to　be　recovered。　　On　Saturday；　June　4；　they　arrived　at　Syra；　where　they　had　to　perform　four　days'　quarantine；　during　which；　however；　they　started　repairing　the　Canea　cable。

Bad　weather　coming　on；　they　took　shelter　in　Siphano；　of　which　Jenkin　writes：　　'These　isles　of　Greece　are　sad；　interesting　places。　　They　are　not　really　barren　all　over；　but　they　are　quite　destitute　of　verdure；　and　tufts　of　thyme；　wild　mastic；　or　mint；　though　they　sound　well；　are　not　nearly　so　pretty　as　grass。　　Many　little　churches；　glittering　white；　dot　the　islands；　most　of　them；　I　believe；　abandoned　during　the　whole　year　with　the　exception　of　one　day　sacred　to　their　patron　saint。　　The　villages　are　mean；　but　the　inhabitants　do　not　look　wretched；　and　the　men　are　capital　sailors。　　There　is　something　in　this　Greek　race　yet；　they　will　become　a　powerful　Levantine　nation　in　the　course　of　time。'

In　1861　Jenkin　left　the　service　of　Newall　&　Co。；　and　entered　into　partnership　with　Mr。　H。　C。　Forde；　who　had　acted　as　engineer　under　the　British　Government　for　the　Malta…Alexandria　cable；　and　was　now　practising　　as　a　civil　engineer。　　For　several　years　after　this　business　was　bad；　and　with　a　young　family　coming；　it　was　an　anxious　time　for　him；　but　he　seems　to　have　borne　his　troubles　lightly。　　Mr。　Stevenson　says　it　was　his　principle　'to　enjoy　each　day's　happiness　as　it　arises；　like　birds　and　children。'

In　1863　his　first　son　was　born；　and　the　family　　removed　to　a　cottage　at　Claygate；　near　Esher。　　Though　ill　and　poor　at　this　period；　he　kept　up　his　self…confidence。　　'The　country；'　he　wrote　to　his　wife；　'will　give　us；　please　God；　health　and　strength。　　I　will　love　and　cherish　you　more　than　ever。　　You　shall　go　where　you　wish；　you　shall　receive　whom　you　wish；　and　as　for　money；　you　shall　have　that　too。　　I　cannot　be　mistaken。　I　have　now　measured　myself　with　many　men。　　I　do　not　feel　weak。　　I　do　not　feel　that　I　shall　fail。　　In　many　things　I　have　succeeded；　and　I　will　in　this。。。。　And　meanwhile；　the　time　of　waiting；　which；　please　Heaven；　shall　not　be　so　long；　shall　also　not　be　so　bitter。　　Well；　well；　I　promise　much；　and　do　not　know　at　this　moment　how　you　and　the　dear　child　are。　　If　he　is　but　better；　courage；　my　girl；　for　I　see　light。'

He　took　to　gardening；　without　a　natural　liking　for　it；　and　soon　became　an　ardent　expert。　　He　wrote　reviews；　and　lectured；　or　amused　himself　in　playing　charades；　and　reading　poetry。　　Clerk　Maxwell；　and　Mr。　Ricketts；　who　was　lost　in　the　La　Plata；　were　among　his　visitors。　　During　October；　1860；　he　superintended　the　repairs　of　the　Bona…Spartivento　cable；　revisiting　Chia　and　Cagliari；　then　full　of　Garibaldi's　troops。　　The　cable；　which　had　been　broken　by　the　anchors　of　coral　fishers；　was　grapnelled　with　difficulty。　　'What　rocks　we　did　hook！'　writes　Jenkin。　'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；　tear　of　breaking　ropes；　actually　breaking　grapnels。　　It　was　always　an　hour　or　more　before　we　could　get　the　grapnels　down　again。'

In　1865；　on　the　birth　of　his　second　son；　Mrs。　Jenkin　was　very　ill；　and　Jenkin；　after　running　two　miles　for　a　doctor；　knelt　by　her　bedside　during　the　night　in　a　draught；　not　wishing　to　withdraw　his　hand　from　hers。　　Never　robust；　he　suffered　much　from　flying　rheumatism　and　sciatica　ever　afterwards。　　It　nearly　disabled　him　while　laying　the　Lowestoft　to　Norderney　cable　for　Mr。　Reuter；　in　1866。　　This　line　was　designed　by　Messrs。　　Forde　&　Jenkin；　manufactured　by　Messrs。　W。　T。　Henley　&　Co。；　and　laid　by　the　Caroline　and　William　Cory。　　Miss　Clara　Volkman；　a　niece　of　Mr。　Reuter；　sent　the　first　message；　Mr。　C。　F；　Varley　holding　her　hand。

In　1866　Jenkin　was　appointed　to　the　professorship　of　Engineering　in　University　College；　London。　　Two　years　later　his　prospects　suddenly　improved；　the　partnership　began　to　pay；　and　he　was　selected　to　fill　the　Chair　of　Engineering；　which　had　been　newly　established；　in　Edinburgh　University。　　What　he　thought　of　the　change　may　be　gathered　from　a　letter　to　his　wife：　　'With　you　in　the　garden　（at　Claygate）；　with　Austin　in　the　coach…house；　with　pretty　songs　in　the　little　low　white　room；　with　the　moonlight　in　the　dear　room　upstairsah！　it　was　perfect；　but　the　long　walk；　wondering；　pondering；　fearing；　scheming；　and　the　dusty　jolting　railway；　and　the　horrid　fusty　office；　with　its　endless　disappointments；　they　are　well　gone。　　It　is　well　enough　to　fight；　and　scheme；　and　bustle　about　in　the　eager　crowd　here　（in　London）　for　awhile　now　and　then；　but　not　for　a　lifetime。　　What　I　have　now　is　just　perfect。　　Study　for　winter；　action　for　summer；　lovely　country　for　recreation；　a　pleasant　town　for　talk。'

The　liberality　of　the　Scotch　universities　allowed　him　to　continue　his　private　enterprises；　and　the　summer　holiday　was　long　enough　to　make　a　trip　round　the　globe。

The　following　June　he　was　on　board　the　Great　Eastern　while　she　laid　the　French　Atlantic　cable　from　Brest　to　St。　Pierre。　　Among　his　shipmates　were　Sir　William　Thomson；　Sir　James　Anderson；　C。　F。　Varley；　Mr。　Latimer　Clark；　and　Willoughby　Smith。　　Jenkin's　sketches　of　Clark　and　Varley　are　particularly　happy。　　At　St。　Pierre；　where　they　arrived　in　a　fog；　which　lifted　to　show　their　consort；　the　William　Cory；　straight　ahead；　and　the　Gulnare　signalling　a　welcome；　Jenkin　made　the　curious　observation　that　the　whole　island　was　electrified　by　the　battery　at　the　telegraph　station。

Jenkin's　position　at　Edinburgh　led　to　a　partnership　in　cable　work　with　Sir　William　Thomson；　for　whom　he　always　had　a　love　and　admiration。　Jenkin's　clear；　practical；　and　business…like　abilities　were　doubtless　an　advantage　to　Sir　William；　relieving　him　of　routine；　and　sparing　his　great　abilities　for　higher　work。　　In　1870　the　siphon　recorder；　for　tracing　a　cablegram　in　ink；　instead　of　merely　flashing　it　by　the　moving　ray　of　the　mirror　galvanometer；　was　introduced　on　long　cables；　and　became　a　source　of　profit　to　Jenkin　and　Varley　as　well　as　to　Sir　William；　its　inventor。

In　1873　Thomson　and　Jenkin　were　engineers　for　the　Western　and　Brazilian　cable。　　It　was　manufactured　by　Messrs。　Hooper　&　Co。；　of　Millwall；　and　the　wire　was　coated　with　india…rubber；　then　a　new　insulator。　　The　Hooper　left　Plymouth　in　June；　and　after　touching　at　Madeira；　where　Sir　William　was　up　'sounding　with　his　special　toy'　（the　pianoforte　wire）　'at　half…　past　three　in　the　morning；'　they　reached　Pernambuco　by　the　beginning　of　August；　and　laid　a　cable　to　Para。

During　the　next　two　years　the　Brazilian　system　was　connected　to　the　West　Indies　and　the　River　Plate；　but　Jenkin　was　not　present　on　the　expeditions。　　While　engaged　in　this　work；　the　ill…fated　La　Plata；　bound　with　cable　from　Messrs。　　Siemens　Brothers　to　Monte　Video；　perished　in　a　cyclone　off　Cape　Ushant；　with　the　loss　of　nearly　all　her　crew。　　The　Mackay…Bennett　Atlantic　cables　were　also　laid　under　their　charge。

As　a　professor　Jenkin's　appearance　was　against　him；　but　he　was　a　clear；　fluent　speaker；　and　a　　successful　teacher。　　Of　medium　height；　and　very　plain；　his　manner　was　youthful；　and　alert；　but　unimposing。　nevertheless；　his　class　was　always　in　good　order；　for　his　eye　instantly　lighted　on　any　unruly　member；　and　his　reproof　was　keen。

His　experimental　work　was　not　strikingly　original。　　At　Birkenhead　he　made　some　accurate　measurements　of　the　electrical　properties　of　materials　used　in　　submarine　cables。　　Sir　William　Thomson　says　he　was　the　first　to　apply　the　absolute　methods　of　me