Happy is the Cable-laying that has no history. Here might the day’s record have well been closed. But it was not so to be. At 1·10 p.m. (ship’s time), an ill-omened activity about the Testing-Room, which had been visible for some time, reached its climax. The engines were slowed, in five minutes the great ship was motionless. In an instant afterwards every one was on deck, and the evil tidings flew from lip to lip. Something was wrong with the Cable again. But the worst was not known. “Another fault,” was the word. When I went into the Testing-Room and found all the electricians so grave, I suspected more serious mischief than a diminution of insulation; and so it was. They had found “dead earth”--in other words, a complete destruction of insulation, and an uninterrupted escape of the current into the sea. About 716 miles (nautical) had been payed-out when the ship stopped so suddenly. Up to 2·40 o’clock, p.m. (Greenwich time), signals had been received from the shore in regular routine. At 3 o’clock the electricians on board began to send the current through to the shore, and in three minutes afterwards the galvanometer indicated “dead earth.” So it was pretty clear the injury was close to the ship, and had gone over in the interval between 2·40 p.m. and 3·4 p.m. At 3^{h} 3´ 30´´ (Greenwich time), the electrician on duty saw the index light of Thomson’s galvanometer fly out of bounds whilst he was passing a current to Valentia. The nature of the injury was so decided as to admit of no doubt. But in order to make assurance doubly sure two cuts were made in the Cable, whilst the steam was being got up forward to be in readiness for the most retrograde of all backward movements--picking-up. The whole length of Cable in the tanks was first tested, and found to be in admirable condition. Then a test outward gave “dead earth” not far overboard. The next cut at the bottom of the coil in the after tank gave the same result. The third cut was near the top of the coil in the after tank, and confirmed the testimony of the other two tests. The usual preparations were then made to shackle the Cable ere it was cut and cast overboard with its tow rope of iron wire, an operation which always caused the gravest misgivings. It was admitted that there was a certain amount of danger in it, and more in the picking-up; but then, when the question was asked “What would you do?” the answer was not so easy. At first it might appear natural to back the ship, and take up the Cable from the stern; but unfortunately ships in general will not steer stern foremost, and the Great Eastern certainly would not. It was obvious that if Cables could not be secured against “faults,” the mode of taking them in would have to be amended.