"_Sir_,--I am instructed by the directors to inform you that owing to some cause not at present ascertained, but believed to arise from a fault existing in the cable at a point hitherto undiscovered, there have been no intelligible signals from Newfoundland since one o'clock on Friday, the 3d inst. The directors are now at Valentia, and, aided by various scientific and practical electricians, are investigating the cause of the stoppage, with a view to remedying the existing difficulty. Under these circumstances no time can be named at present for opening the wire to the public. "GEORGE SAWARD." Before the end of the month these telegrams were published in the New York papers: "NEW YORK, _September 24, 1858_, 12 M. "To DE SAUTY, Trinity Bay, N. F.: "Despatches from you and Mackay are contradictory. Now please give me explicit answers to the following inquiries: "First: Are you now, or have you been within three days, receiving distinct signals from Valentia? "Second: Can you send a message, long or short, to the directors at London? "Third: If you answer 'no' to the above, please tell me if the electrical manifestations have varied essentially since the 1st of September. CYRUS W. FIELD." "TRINITY BAY, N. F., _September 24, 1858_. "C. W. FIELD, New York: "We have received nothing intelligible from Valentia since the 1st of September, excepting feeling a few signals yesterday. I cannot send anything to Valentia. There has been very little variation in the electrical manifestations. "DE SAUTY." "TRINITY BAY, N. F., Saturday, _September 25th_. "PETER COOPER, C. W. FIELD, W. G. HUNT, and E. M. ARCHIBALD, New York: "I have not the least wish to withhold particulars as to the working of the cable, and until I have communicated with headquarters and ascertained the directions of the manager of the company, I will send a daily report of proceedings. We were not working to-day, but receiving occasionally from Valentia some weak reversals of the current, which, when received, are unintelligible. "C. V. DE SAUTY." "TRINITY BAY, N. F., Saturday, _September 25th_. "C. W. FIELD, New York: "Your message received. The day before yesterday commenced receiving current from Valentia and was in hopes that I should be at work again soon after. So I informed Mr. Mackay. Then the current failed. This will explain the discrepancy between his and my message. "C. V. DE SAUTY." On the last page of the "Service Message-book" kept at the company's station, Trinity Bay, this entry was made on the 30th of September: "Receiving good currents, but no intelligible signals." For a short period there was again a feeling of encouragement, and there seemed to be a possibility that the electrical current was not lost, and a full month later the following letter was written: