The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-27 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EWNING, SEPTEMBER, 27, 1855.

5.
C.bf?;r

LOSS OF THE NEW YORK, NEWFOUNI)-
LAND, AND LONDON SUBMARINE
TELEGRAPH.

( From the New York Journal of Commerce.)
An attempt has just bee❑ made by the "New York,
Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company " to
lay a submarine cable from the Island of Cape Breton to
Newfoundland, with the expectation and under a con-
tract that the Transatlantic Company, composed of
French and English capitalists, will by January, 1858,
connect with them at St. Johns, N.F.

These united companies propose building a line from
Halifax across the Island of Cape Breton to Cape North,
thence across the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape Ray, op
the south-western shore of Newfoundland, the'llee along
the southern coast of the latter island tO`St. John's, on
its eastern side, and there to connect with a great sub-
marine cable having its terminus at Cork, Ireland ; thr
distance across the ocean between those points not being
more than 1,650 miles. The land portion of the line is
being rapidly built, while the submarine part of it, be-
tween Cape Breton and Newfoundland, the company are
sanguine will be completed next year. Along this pro-
posed route from Cork to St. Johns, the bottom of the
sea is a plateau or ridge, as discovered by Lieutenant
Maury in 1853, which, front its apparent purpose of
holding the wires of a submarine telegraph, has been
called the Telegraph Plateau. It is about 70 fathoms
deep, gradually increasing in depth from the shores of
Newfoundland to near those of Ireland, and some two
or three miles in width. i
St. John's is about two days nearer• England thad
Halifax, and contains equal facilities for coaling large
steamers. A dangerous rock, called the Merlin Rock,
at the narrow entrance to the harbour, 18 feet below the
surface of low water, has just been successfully removed
by the orders and at the expense of the New York,
Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company, under
the supervision of Mr. Husted of New York ; so that
now the largest steamers in the world can with safety
pass in and out of that land-locked harbour. The com-
pany have now in process of erection commodious wharf
accommodation, and such other conveniences as will 5,.!-
cure to the oceanic steamers all that, is necessary for

their success.
Although the zeal and perseverance of this company
have been seriously tried by the failure of this their first
attempt to connect Cape Breton with Newfouncl'ancl,
and by the severe loss to which they have been sub-I
jetted thereby, yet they are not at all discouraged, but'
they will be ready at the earliest practicable moment to
try again. They were fully aware at the outset that serious
obstacles were to be overcome before their object
would be accomplished. They had bought out the
charter of an old company, which had failed in
its project of uniting those shores, though partially
successful in building the line. They bad the oppor-
tunity of profiting by the previous experience of that
_old company in laying the submarine cable which
connects New Brunswick with Prince Edward's Island

—a distance of about ten miles. They also brought to
their work the experience of a gentleman in laying the
cable which connects Genoa with Corsica—a distance of
95 miles. They had the counsel and advice of those
who have had the charge of laying the wires across the
British Channel, the Black Sea, and elsewhere. Still,/
in this enterprise they have been unsuccessful. They.,
have, however, learned a lesson from which they can!
derive much profit. They have seen the mistaken eco=
nomy of employing a sailing vessel in tow of a large
steamer rather than one steamer of sufficient strength
and capacity to carry the cable and to pay it out from
her own hold. They have also seen the importance of
commencing their operations earlier in the season, andr
of having the management of their steamer in the con.:
trol of one man, nautically and mechanically skilled,;
wbo is thoroughly and experimentally acquainted with
all the coast, the sea-soundings, the oceanic and tidal
currents, and the winds !prevalent at a given season of
the year.
If they have learned this lesson, i Tapir
,I,ocr
too dearly bought at an expense of 30,09, :sr
The following are details of the attempt
The steam-ship Jas. Adger, Capt. ti. C. Turner, of the ,
Charleston line, after an absence of a month, arrived at
this port Sept. 5, at 11.30 a.m., from an excursion to
Newfoundland, where she had been employed in laying
the Submarine Telegraph which was to connect that
island with Cape Breton and the Continent of .A merica.
The points of attachment for this submarine cable
were, in general, Cape Ray on the Newfoundland coast,
and Cape North on the Cape Breton shore ; the distance
between these points being 554 nautical
miles, as given
by the English Admiralty. The 'ength of the cable was
74 statute miles, being an increase of a little over 14
per cent. over the exact distance between these points
—a greater allowance for the lee-way and unevenness of
bottom than had ever before been nia49l.ll.4,Artgetilitt
being the greatest ever allowed. The womeetl cape;
Ray point was found to be shoal, and ice .ryas said
to accumulate in large quantities there and in- its '
immediate neighbourhood. The engineers in the em..l
ploy of the company recommended, therefore; that'
the point of attachment should be a little further'
to the east—namely, Port-au-Basques, about seven
miles ea4t of Cape Ray, and making the distance abou
three miles farther from Cape North on the opposite'.
shore. The decision ultimately arrived at was that ther
cable should start from a point within a cove just to the
east of Cape Ray, and a mile and a half from its extreme,
point. Here it was considered safe from the ice. It'
was thence to proceed directly across the Gulf, leaving,
St. Paul's Island on the right, and to be landed within'
a bay just to the east of Cape Nortn, and some five miles;
from its extreme point. It there should not be cable)
enoughto reach this
on point, it was deeld'eld—tMaica
temporaryattachment Cape North Pant itself ;
not enough to reach this, to fasten it on the south-eastern!
shore of St. Paul's (this island being only 14 miles die-'
tant from Cape North), and to complete the connexion
next year.

On Wednesday, the 22d inst. the machinery on boar(
the barque being all in readiness, she was towed by the
Adger to the Cape Ray Cove. By night of the follow-
irg day, the end of the telegraph cable was landed, by"
means of boats, which was attended with great difficulty,
owing to a dense fog and a heavy sea-swell setting in
towards the shore, making it dangerous for any of ourl
vessels to approach near the land. The following day,
was spent in making a sure fastening upon shore, and in
waiting for the heavy fog to lift, that we might proceed
out to sea. On Saturday, the 25th ult., a strong wind
from the N.W. prevailed, rendering it exceedingly diffi-
cult, as well as dangerous, for the steamer to attach her-
self to the barque Sarah Bryant which had brought the
cable out from England. After some unsuccessful at-
tempts, it was accomplished.. It became necessary,,
however, for the barque to " slip " one of her anchors
before the attempt succeeded-. Such was the strength
of the wind, however, the roughness of the sea, and the,
lightness of the steamer, that it was impossible for her
to keep directly ahead of the barque, with her beam to
the wind, and with only sufficient steam upon her td
propel her with the barque in, tow at the rate of two or
three miles an hour.
Unfortunately a collision be:tween the vessels ensued,
and the hawser connecting us was cut ; so perilous was
our condition in this narrow cove in a gale of wind. The
Bryant still held on to the telegraph cable over her stern,
and after our separation fro m her, cut anchor. The
Adger steamed up some little distance to the windward
and anchored, while the Victoria, the company's small
propeller, remained near by. It was evident that all we
could then do was to ride out the gale at our anchors.
In a few moments after, signals of distress were hoisted on
the Bryant. The Victoria near by went to her relief, but
being of insufficient strength, w as of no avail it. towing her
out from the lee shore, upon which she was fast drifting
—her anchor cable having prihrted. The Adger promptly
slipped her own anchor and bore down to her, but EO
near was she upon the rocks, that it was hazardous for
us to venture near her. For her own safety, therefore,
she was compelled to cut ltbie telegraph cable, which,
attached to her stern, was thee cause of her swinging
round upon the rocks, after her anchor cable was parted.
Captain Pousland, by his presence of mind and skill,

succeeded in getting enough sail to bear upon her to
bring her into safer and deeper water, while Captain
Turner, of the Adger, by his dexterms manoeuvres,
passed under her lee while in Kier strong sail and a heavy
sea, gave her a line and took her in tow, and so rescued
the vessel, cabla, and the lives of those on board from a
common destruction. The anchor which the Adgei
slipped was before night passed to the Bryant, and wt
all once more lay safely aftchored, but with the loss of
two miles of telegraph cable. In the collision in the
morning it was found that no serious damage was done
to either vessel. The Bryant hail a part of her a#ter•

bulwarks, with her mizen shrouds on her starboard side
carried away.

The next day, the 26th inst., the wind and sea having
lulled, the lost end of the cable was recovered, and by
night was spliced to the end on board the barque. The
Victoria commenced towing her out into such depth of
water as that the Adger might take her in the morning.
The attempt was unsuccessful, fur the cable parted just
where the union had been effected. This day's labour
was therefore entirely lost. On the subsequent day it
was thought best to take the end ashore in boats, and
to make a fresh start from the land. This was success-
fully accomplished, and the Victoria at night towed the
barque out into deep water, making all things ready for
the morning.

Early on Tuesd4. Morning, the 28th, the Adger
passed a hawser to the bark, and commenced towing her,
she paying out the cable at about a mile and a half a❑
hour. After passing out of the Cove into the Gulf the
current was found to be strongly setting up the Gulf to
the north, and in a few hours after setting equally strong
in an opposite direction. The cable was paid out at the
rate of about a mile and a half a❑ hour, with frequent
interruptions by the kinking of the coils as they passed
up from the bold of the ship. Early in the morning it
was found that one of the wires was deficient, no electri-
cal current from the shore reaching the ship. About
midnight, on Tuesday, the cable broke in the hold of the
barque, which was not spliced until about seven o'clock
the next morning. After this the cable was paid out
more rapidly. On the noon of Wednesday it was found
that the electrical current was interrupted in the second
On the afternoon of this day a strong wind sprung
up from the S.W. Late in the afternoon another break
occurred, which was finally spliced, but the last and only
remaining wire was now found defective. While laying
.to, repairing this, the wind bloviing almost a hurricane,
this la-t wire was found entirely useless—such had been
the strain upon the cable ; and for the safety of the bark
now pitching and surging most frightfully in a heavy
sea, the whole cable was ordered to be cut, and with it
was severed the high hopes and joyous anticipations of
all concerned.

It was too evident that the bark must either go down,
with all on board, and her remaining cargo of telegraphic
wire, or the cable must be cut. There was no alterna-
tive. As soon as the cable was cut, the bark swung
around with such force as nearly threw her on her beam
ends. Most of the cable that had been " paid out" had
been taken from her stern, so that her bows were still
loadd heavily, and it was quite problematic whether
•sti(eivosiild be able to ride out the gale, though in tow
'by the Adger. Just at this juncture, the British war
steamer Argos hove in sight, and remained with us until
morning. But, fortunately, her assistance was not
needed ; for by morning the gale had subsided, and the
bark was gallantly riding behind us.

About noon of Thursday, Mr. Canning, under whose
supervision the cable was being laid, and many of our
fellow-passengers, who were on board the bark when the
gale sprung up, succeeded in getting on board the Adger.
They were welcomed to our circle once more, with
thankful hearts and tearful eyes. We proceeded to Syd-
ney, keeping the bark in tow, whera we arrived about
four o'clock.

By our unfortunate detention at Cape Ray, we had
already exhausted our stock of fresh provisions and our
coal was getting low. It became nece-sary to replenish
these there, and to repair the bark for sea again. We
accomplished this by Sunday morning, the 2d instant,
when, about six o'clock, we turned our course home-
ward, leaving the bark behind us, unloading upon the
wharf the remaining 32 miles of cable, which was now
abandoned to the underwriters. The run from Sydney
has been delightful, and was accomplished in three days
and five hours. The Adger came to her pier at twelve
o'clock yesterday noon, having been out on the expedi-
tion 29 days and two hours.

To the untiring energy and indefatigable zeal of such
men as Peter Cooper, Esq,, and Cyrus W. Field, Esq.,
Atiaki444.#l4tliallesucimuswied exertions of Samuel Can-
%ir k:,-.sinstotitilli,., are indebted for this first at-
'tfirn to linktkilie Etirofiean continent with the western
.... .
world in an instant communication. No like company
has ever had to contend against such natural obstacles,
nr to labour against greater difficulries ; and though, f. 1
the time being, they have been unsuccessful, another
season will probably witness the complete triumph of
their perseverance and energy, in the successful estab-
lishment of their telegraph Line from Halifax to St.
Johns.

We understand that the actual cost of the cable de•

livered at Port.au-Basques, in3luding the expense of in-
surance and the cost of transportation, was 75,000 dole.,
upon which there was a full iLsurance in England, the
policy covering the transportation and the process of
laying the cable. There had been 401 miles paid out
when the cable was cut, and we were within 12 miles of
.A 3 4,1,1!5, had been determined to make a
temporary point (attachment, and which in all proba-
bility would have been accomplished, had it not been for
a detention of seven hours the night previous. It is
,not improbable that a part of the lost cable, if not all of
it, may be recovered, but it can only be done by a heavy
expenditure of time and money. Such is the weight of

it (between five and six tons to the mile), and such the
depth of water, and the perils of the sea, that it will be
a dangerous and expensive undertaking.

The process of making the cable is simple. Copper
wire of a small size, of the requisite length, is taken and
-completely insulated by means of gutta percha. Three
copper wires thus enveloped are placed together side by
side in as compact a space as possible, all the interstices
being filled with rope yarn. Those three insulated wires
are then twisted round each other by means of machi-
-ivitt,Uin'tbitstlrands•of a rope, and the whole is corn-
)piat.t6 surrontided•by another envelope of gutta percha.
4.ll:tranverse section of this cable now gives the appear-
ance of a solid gutta percha rope, in which appear three
.copper wires, running through its whole length. This
is now enveloped by 12 distinct large iron wires, run-
ning parallel to it, which are strongly twisted around
-the gutta, rope, as before, by means of machinery, at an
angle of 45 degrees. This is then smeared with tsr, and
is ready for use. Its diameter is an inch and a half.
This cable was coiled in the hold of the vessel in two
large horizontal coils, as a rope is coiled upon the floor,
filling the entire hold of the vessel. A. small hole was
made in the deck, through which the cable was passed
over an iron roller to a large iron drum of 12 feet
diameter, around which it was passed three times, From
this it passed to a second iron drum of equal size,

around which it passed the same number of times, From
-tilial49inOt pissed oYer,a huge iron cylinder on the
-steinof the vessel into-the sea. These revolving drams

were readily stopped by means of powerful brakes when-
ever it was necessary. The number of revolutions was
indicated by a register attached, thus marking the
amount of cable paid out per hour. Thirty-two men
were constantly employed in the hold of the ♦essel in
throwing over the coils of cable, to avoid, as far as
possible, any kinks which ,might occur from its rigidity,
and also to stand by the brakes whenever kinks should
occur. Notwithstanding all the care exercised, it was
impossible to prevent these interruptions, and on one or
two occasions to prevent even a break in the cable itself.
By means of signals shown from the bark our steamer
was promptly stopped at each occurrence of these un-
fortunate kinks.

[ADVE RTISE ENT. 1— Medicine always aggravates chronic
CoMplatnts, and it is therefore with peculiar pleasure we no-
tice 'the beneficial effect of Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica
Food., which cures indigestion (dyspepsia), flatulency, consti-
pation, nervous, bilious, and liver complaints, cough,
asthma, consumption, and debility. We quote a few
out of many thousand cases of cures by this deli-
cious food : From the Dowager Countess of Castle-
stuart. Cure 52,612.R05s
Dowager Countesstrevor,Countyof of le
Downdasltre:
nclapecelesmibnedru9ce' 1854.—Thed, in the interest of suffering humanity, to
Ire-
land,
feels
that Du Barry's excellent Revalenta Arabica Food has
cured her, after all medicines had failed, of indigestion, bile,
great nervousness and irritability of many years' standing.
This food deserves the confidence of all sufferers, and may be
considered a real blessing. Inquiries will be cheerfully
answered.—Cure No. 71, of dyspepsia, from the Right Hon.
the Lord Stuart de Decies.—l have derived considerable
benefit from Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica Food, and con•
sider it due to yourselves and the public to authorise the pub-
lication of these HUM —STUART DE DECIES.—From the Vener-
able Archdeacon of Ross. No. 32,836.—Three years' exces-
sive nervousness, with pains in my neck and left arm, and
'general dt ilitq,'Whicih'rendered my life very miserable, has
been radically removed by Du Barry's health-restoring
food.—ALEX., STUART, Archdeacon of Ross, Skibereen.—
In canisters, 11b. 2s. 9,1.; 21b. 48. 6d.; 51b. lls. ; 121 b. 225.
rhe 121 b., carriage free, on receipt of Post-offlce order. Barry
Du Barry & Co., 77, Regent-street, London ; also at Ib2,
Piccadilly; 60; Gracecourch-street ; 330, and 451, Strand; j
Cheapside ; 60 and 68, Coruhill ; 49, Bishopsgate-street;
Charing-cross; 54, Upper Baker-street; 63 and 150,
Oxford-street ; 89, High-street, Camden-town ; 18, Pall-
mall; 7, Pall-mall-East ; 132, Now Bond-street ; 24, Mot •
.:olub-street ; 13, King William-street, City ; 30, Conduit.
street; 21, Cockspur-street ; 95, Farringdon-street ; 67, St.
Paul's Churchyard; 6, Edward-street, Portman-squire.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNAL'.

THE FALL OF SEBASTOPOL.
( From the Times of this day.)
The narrative of the ever-memorable assault and
fall of Sebastopol which was published yesterday
in these columns so far surpasses all ordinary
events in terror and in gloom, in the glory of our
conquest and in the grief for our losses, that we
know not in what terms to convoy the feelings
which still agitate the country, and which the
perusal of this extraordinary relation will extend
as widely as the English language -s spoken and will
renew as long as the destruction of Sebastopol glows
upon the page of history. The spectacle of that
appalling catastrophe--the pitiless conflict of the
day, followed by the mute unyielding retreat of the
night—the torrent of fire which had raged against
the city, stilled at last by the dreadful explosions
of the magazines and forts of the enemy—the
superhuman efforts of valour and endurance,
which seem on both sides to have exhausted all
that man can dare or suffer, until humanity sickens
over the recital—all tell us of 'the cost of such a
victory, and fascinate the mind as it lingers with
unmitigated pain over these scenes of anguish and
of horror. But, if war drenches the earth with
blond, and sports with the life of man, it dignifies
these frightful contests by the noblest qualities of
our nature ; it shows men superior to the crash of
falling cities and the volleys of instant death ; it
pursues with undaunted resolution the objects
for which we took up arms ; and in the de-
struction of Sebastopol it discovers not a
mere scene of carnage and of ruin, but the
triumph of that moral energy which ennobles even
man's fiercest passions. If there be any who have
doubted till now of what the allied armies before
Sebastopol were capable when their whole force is
directed against the enemy, those devastated ruins
tell the tale of their avenging power. Happily for
mankind the violence of the storm of war has as
yet fallen exclusively on ono isolated point ; but
it may well serve hereafter as a warning to those
who, like the Emperor Nicholas, so wantonly pro-
voke such awful calamities.
The painful feelings which this narrative must
everywhere excite are greatly aggravated in this
country by the details of the attack on the Great
Redan by the British troops, and by the confir-
mation of the unfavourable remarks which we have
already been constrained to make upon General
Simpson's despatch. We are now enabled to com-
pare the attack by the French on the Malakhoff
with the unsuccessful assault on the Reclan by our
own forces, and we regret to say that this com-
parison is greatly to the disadvantage of the British
army in all that relates to the previous arrange-
ments, to the conduct of the attack, and to the
final result. With regard to the previous ar-
rangements, it must, in the first place, be observed
that the French had brought the head of their double
sap to within 10 yards of the point of attack ; our
advanced parallel was two hundred yards from
the salient of the Redan, and in crossing
that fatal space under fire (as on the 18th of
June) a very large number of officers and men
were struck. A few planks thrown over the ditch
brought the French storming column into the
work ; the Russians were surprised ; and, the
work being a closed redoubt, could be held with
success against the reinforcements of the enemy
when the garrison was overpowered. In our as-
sault the ladders were, as usual, too short ; and
the men having clambered over the salient angle
of the Redan found themselves exposed to most
formidable obstacles, which were increased by their
peculiar position. A Redan is a triangular fortifi-
cation, open at the base. Our men held the angle
of the work ; the Russians retained possession of
the base, and threw their reinforcements into it.
It is evident that a column of assailants in such a
position must he destroyed, because their fire is to
that of the enemy in the ratio of the base to the
angle. The only chance of success was to assault
both the sides of the Redan simultaneously, and
to charge the breastwork which partly closed the
gorge of the work and sheltered the Russians.
But the want of reinforcements prevented the first
of these attempts, and the men's notion that the
whole place was undermined materially checked the
vigour of our attack, in which alone safety lay.
Of Colonel Windham's heroic valour, coolness, and
determination it is impossible to speak too highly,
and he retrieved in his own person the honour of
the army on that day, aided by those brave men
who fell for the most part at his side in the attempt
to sustain this unequal contest. We trust that
they and their gallant leader will instantly receive
from the Government the honours and promotions
their intrepid carriage deserves, and we are glad
to see that General Simpson has appointed Colonel
Windham Commandant of the Karabelnaia, with
the rank of a Brigadier-General. But what are we
to say of the unexampled conduct of the Generals
commanding this critical attack, when we find that
no reserves ever reached the scene of action in a
condition to be of use, and that the only officer
who survived to command the troops inside was at
last obliged to go himself to make General Codring-
ton comprehend the position in which his men were
placed ?
Another great error seems to have been com-
mitted in the choice and in the numbers of the
troops engaged. General Simpson states that he
selected the Second and Light Divisions because
they best knew the ground ; but, independently of
the injustice of selecting for this service regiments
which had already suffered so severely in previous
actions and in the trenches, the Commander-in Chief
appears to have overlooked the fact that thesegallant
corps, which we may remark had already failed in a
similar operation on the 18th of June, had more raw
recruits and inexperienced officers in their ranks
than any other divisions of the army—the inevita-
ble result of their previous losses. Had the attack
been made or supported by the veterans of the
Highland Brigade or the Guards, who would at once
have borne down upon the enemy at the breast-
work, very little doubt can he entertained that the
result would have been different. But it is now
demonstrated that our inferences on this subject
from General Simpson's own despatch were per-
fectly correct. The attack was ill-directed, in spite
of the warning of a previous defeat ; the troops
were not judiciously chosen and well handled ; the
reserves did not come up in time, and the Rus-
sians recovered their ground after a furious con-
test of more than an hour. The officers who en-
tered the work showed the most brilliant courage,
and the men, considering that they fought at such
a disadvantage, held their ground with extreme
firmness ; but their task was a hopeless one,
from the want of intelligent and energetic
support outside. It must, however, be stated
that of the three French attacks two failed, like
our own, and that the strength of the Russian
army in the defences of the town was surpris-
ingly great. The French fortunately carried the
Malakhoff in 10 minutes, and were able, by a fly-
ing sap and a rapid intrenchment, to establish
themselves in it ; but for four hours more they had
to withstand'the efforts of the Russians to recover
the work, all of which were repulsed with great
slaughtet on both sides, the French loss on that
eventful day amounting in killed and wounded to
more than 7,000 men. These attacks would have
been more formidable if the whole enceinte of the
town had not been simultaneously threatened and
Assailed, and General Niel states in his report
that, although the importance of the secondary
attacks was not overrated by himself and General
Jones, yet they were considered essential to the
success of the main operation. The feeling of the
army is, that both nations have contributed to
the best of their ability to the grand result, and we
do not remember a more touching example of gene-
rous gallantry than the hearty and spontaneous
cheer raised by the men of the British Second
Division on the following day when the French
Zouaves, more successful than themselves, marched
past their quarters. The British army is proud,
but vanity and envy are not among its defects.
It is grievous to turn from these examples of the
nobler spirit of a soldier's life to the scenes of horror
and bartelrity witnessed by those who first pene-
trated into the recesses of the beleaguered city.
The Russian General had effected his retreat, but
he left behind him the most hideous evidence of
the straits to which he had been reduced and of
the indifference to human life which disgraces the
Russian army. Fort Paul and the adjacent build-
ings were used as hospitals, in which, after an in-
terval of three days, hundreds of corpses were found
of those who bad perished from their untended
wounds or the unsatisfied cravings of nature. To all
appearance these unhappy beings bad been aban-
doned to their fate, just as the wounded after the
battle of the Borodino were left to perish in the fire
of Moscow in 1812 ; and that fate, inflicted by their
own savage countrymen, was infinitely worse than
aught that can be conceived of the horrors of a
field of battle. It was surely in Prince Gortscha-
koff's power, when he resolved to evacuate the
town, to leave behind him persons qualified to re-
' live the immediate wants of the sick, whose office
would have been respected by any civilised Power.
Instead of this, he abandoned them to their fate,
well knowing that the sea of fire he had kindled,