Although the previous trials, with better gear, had proved unsuccessful; although the tackle now used was a thing of shreds and patches; although Mr. Canning and others said, “We are going to make this attempt because it is our duty to exhaust every means in our power,” and thereby implied they had little or no confidence of success; there was scarcely a man in the ship who did not think “there is just a chance,” and who would not have made the endeavour had the matter been left to his own decision. It was some encouragement to ascertain that there were only 1,950 fathoms of water below us. It was argued that, if the Cable could be broken at the bight, another drift about a mile from the loose end would be certain to succeed, as the loose end would twist round the eastward portion of the Cable, and come up at a diminished strain to the surface. A grapnel with a shorter shank was selected for the next trial. The cablemen were set to work to coil down the new rope and hawsers between a circular enclosure, formed by uprights on the deck behind the capstan. Ropemakers and artificers examined the rope which had been already used. They served the injured strands with yarn, renewed portions chafed to death, tested bolts and shackles and swivels, and bent on new lengths of rope and hawser, whilst the ship was proceeding to take up her position for another demonstration against the Cable. The line now employed, the last left in the ship, was a thing of shreds and patches. It consisted of 1,600 fathoms of wire rope, 220 fathoms of hemp, and 510 fathoms of Manilla hawser, of which 1,760 fathoms could be depended upon, the rest being “suspicious.” The morning was not very fine; but the wind was light, and on the whole favourable, and the only circumstance to cause doubt or uneasiness was the current, the influence of which could not be determined. The observations of the officers rendered it doubtful whether the buoy No. 2 had drifted, and it was rather believed that in the interval between the breaking of the grapnel and the letting-go of the buoy, the Great Eastern herself had drifted from the place, and thus caused the apparent discrepancy in position. At 7·45 a.m. the ship was alongside buoy No. 2 once more, and thence proceeded to an advantageous bearing for drifting down on the Cable with her grapnel. The Terrible kept about two miles away, regarding our operations with a melancholy interest. At 11·30 a.m., ship’s time, the Great Eastern signalled “We are going to make a final effort,” and soon afterwards, “We are sorry you have had such uncomfortable waiting.” At 1·56 p.m., Greenwich time, when buoy No. 2 was bearing E. by N. about two miles, the ship’s head being W. and by S., the grapnel was let go, and soon reached the bottom, as the improvements in the machinery and capstan enabled the men to pay it out at the rate of fifty fathoms a minute. The fore-and-aft canvas was set, to counteract the force of the current, and