This morning I laid the
cable down to Fort Genois in style; and now we are picking up odds
and ends of cable between the different breaks, and getting our
buoys on board, &c. To-morrow I expect to leave for Spartivento.'
IV.
And now I am quite at an end of journal keeping; diaries and diary
letters being things of youth which Fleeming had at length
outgrown. But one or two more fragments from his correspondence
may be taken, and first this brief sketch of the laying of the
Norderney cable; mainly interesting as showing under what defects
of strength and in what extremities of pain, this cheerful man must
at times continue to go about his work.
'I slept on board 29th September having arranged everything to
start by daybreak from where we lay in the roads: but at daybreak
a heavy mist hung over us so that nothing of land or water could be
seen. At midday it lifted suddenly and away we went with perfect
weather, but could not find the buoys Forde left, that evening. I
saw the captain was not strong in navigation, and took matters next
day much more into my own hands and before nine o'clock found the
buoys; (the weather had been so fine we had anchored in the open
sea near Texel).
Pages:
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197