That aim fulfilled, after so much of failure and discouragement, other cables were put down in many other parts of the world. Beneath the sea in all directions they lie, joining countries widely separated. A year or two ago it was reckoned that the full extent of all submarine cables in the world had already reached a grand total of about two hundred thousand miles. Not much more will bring it to a length which might span the distance between Earth and Moon. Lately a splendid new scheme has come up, and has been adopted. This is--to unite the entire British Empire by one vast “All-British” telegraphic system. As is the nervous system to a man, so will be the said telegraphic system to the Empire. At present many telegrams have to be sent to outlying parts through foreign dominions--which is much as though a man’s brain should have to send messages to his fingers through another man’s arm. But when once this scheme has become a reality, the Mother-land will be able to convey, under the broadest ocean-reaches, to any of her Children in distant parts, her requests, her warnings, her sympathy, her secrets, her congratulations, without fear of being heard by outsiders; without risk of having her utterances stopped by perhaps “unfriendly” hands, at some critical moment. In this vast plan the chief cable will cover a distance of nearly nine thousand miles; and that will include a single stretch from Vancouver to Fanning Island, more than half as long again as the wire between Ireland and the United States, or about three thousand five hundred miles. No surprise need be felt at the frequent breaking of cables, strong though they may be. The great depth of water into which they have to be lowered, their own weight, the increased difficulties attendant upon stormy weather, and--when once they are down--the uneven character of the ocean-bed, have all to be reckoned with. Careful previous soundings are of course made, with a view to avoiding, if possible, abrupt descents and precipitous breaks in the line where the cable is to be. One can easily understand how, if a cable lies taut across from one ridge to another, it may snap with its own weight. But even upon a fairly smooth bed, other dangers exist. Sometimes, deep down, a big “landslip” takes place, and a vast mass of débris slides to a lower level. If such a mass happens to descend upon a cable, the breakage of the latter is no unlikely event. A hundred years ago, and less, Englishmen living and toiling in India reckoned themselves happy if, when they wrote “home,” a reply came by return of post in ten or twelve months. _Now_ answers to questions can be obtained in a few weeks, by post; and in cases of emergency, news of life or death, of safe arrival or recovery from illness, within a few hours.