We were all mustered along the side while
the doctor counted us; the letters were popped into a little tin
box and taken away to be smoked; the guardians put on board to see
that we held no communication with the shore - without them we
should still have had four more days' quarantine; and with twelve
Greek sailors besides, we started merrily enough picking up the
Canea cable. . . . To our utter dismay, the yarn covering began to
come up quite decayed, and the cable, which when laid should have
borne half a ton, was now in danger of snapping with a tenth part
of that strain. We went as slow as possible in fear of a break at
every instant. My watch was from eight to twelve in the morning,
and during that time we had barely secured three miles of cable.
Once it broke inside the ship, but I seized hold of it in time -
the weight being hardly anything - and the line for the nonce was
saved. Regular nooses were then planted inboard with men to draw
them taut, should the cable break inboard. A-, who should have
relieved me, was unwell, so I had to continue my look-out; and
about one o'clock the line again parted, but was again caught in
the last noose, with about four inches to spare.
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