As an example of the crude notions prevailing in the mind of one gentleman with a proposed invention, to whom was shown an inch specimen of the cable, he remarked: "Now I understand how you stow it away on board. You cut it up into bits beforehand, and then join up the pieces as you lay." Some again absolutely went so far as to take out patents for converting the laying vessel into a huge factory, with a view to making the cable on board in one continuous length, and submerging it during the process! Finally, one naval expert assured the company that "no other machinery for paying out was necessary than a _handspike_ to stop the egress of the cable." CHAPTER II THE MANUFACTURE OF THE LINE Design and Construction--Ships--Testing, Shipment, and Stowage--Paying-out Machinery--Staff--Preparations for the Expedition. The construction of the cable was taken in hand the following February (1857). The distance from Valentia, on the western Irish coast, to Trinity Bay, Newfoundland--the two landing-points selected[14]--being 1,640 nautical miles, it was estimated that a length of 2,500 N.M.[15] would be sufficient to meet all requirements. This would provide sufficient margin for a considerable amount of "slack" cable for accommodating the irregularities of the bottom. The Gutta-Percha Company of London were entrusted with the manufacture of the "core," consisting of a strand of seven No. 22 B.W.G. copper wires (total diameter No. 14 gage) weighing 107 pounds per N.M. insulated, with three coatings of gutta-percha (to 3/8-inch diameter) weighing 261 pounds per N.M., the conductor being, in fact, covered to No. 00 B.W.G. This formed a far heavier core than had been previously adopted, and on this account the difficulties of manufacture were proportionately increased. The enormous pressure of the ocean at such depths involved also a much severer test for the core.