The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-08 00:00:00

expedition arrived about 8 p.m. of the '2oth of May,
paying out about 230 miles of cable in 43 hours,
equal to a rate of 5 miles per hour. This was done
without a check of any sort or kind, or even with-
out a kink, or anything in the shape cf a misad-
venture which previous submarine ca: cs had been
so liable to.
The Scourge did good service on this occasion, as
she was sufficiently fast to proceed ahead and mark
and buoy fixed positions.
Two days were spent at Tripoli making the land
connexions and giving time to the engineers and
electricians to satisfy themselves that the cable was
good and in thorough working order.
The Malacca brought from England 518 miles or
knots of cable ; 230 were expended, leaving 288 yet
to be laid ; but to reach the next station, Benghazi,
required upwards of 500 miles of cable. It was
therefore only possible in this trip to lay a portion
of the section.

About 1 o'clock a.m., after the pre-arranged sig-
nal was made from the Malacca, the lights of the
Medina and Scourge were seen steadily to draw
ahead and take up their respective positions, by
which time the Malacca's anchor was up and a
second fair start made. On both occasions it hap-
pened that operations were commenced at night, but
so perfect was the machinery, and so well trained
were the hands employed in the execution of the
work, that not the slightest inconvenience occurred.
Once a start was made, all went merry as a mar-
riage bell.

During the night, as well as the day, watch after
watch was kept both by the representatives of the
contractors and the Government engineer and his
staff. •

At night nothing was seen but the Medina's two
lights at the peak, faithfully followed by the cable;
the light of the Scourge on the starboard or port
beam, or wherever she was most required; and a
brilliant illumination on board the Malacca, lighting
up the paying-out machinery and all parts of the
ship.
In the stillness of night on board the cable ship
almost the only noise heard was the constant buzz
of the cable steadily rising, coil after coil, out of
the hold, and proceeding on its way along the ship
until caught and kept in check by the paying-out
apparatus. This at last becomes monotonous, with
brakes all eased, when suddenly the revolutions of
the drum begin to quicken, and from 25 revolutions
per minute, 36 revolutions are reported to the engi-
neer on watch—evident signs that the Medina had
strayed from her course in the darkness of the night
—a gradual strain is brought to bear, the ship re-
ceives orders to go inside the Medina's course, and
soon after, and some time before the Medina is seen
to stop, take a sounding, and take the hint heiself
and proceed into shallower water. Daylight at last
comes, and then all positions are clearly seen. We
are now passing along a coast once famous, but in
times long gone by. The ruins of Lebidah or Leptis
Magna are passed about 3 p.m., and from time to
time ancient remains of cities famous in classic
times are seen, but now scarcely an Arab inhabits
these shores ; at least no signs of native boats could
be discovered.

At 4 o'clock in the morning of 3d June the Ma-
lacca signals to the Medina that at the end of three
hours she will be at the end of her tether ; where-
upon it becomes the duty of Capt. Spratt to lead her
into a suitable depth and position to buoy the end.
This is done before 8 o'clock. A buoy is dropped to
mark the site ; bearings and observations taken.
The Malacca soon after returns to Malta; the Me-
dina to proceed to take more soundings previous to
the arrival of the next ship ; and the Scourge, with
a portion of the Government staff, instruments, and
other materials, to Benghazi, to be landed there.
The time occupied in laying this portion was 55
hours, giving a similar average per hour as that
between Malta and Tripoli.
Thus during 98 hours occupied in paying out
518 miles of cable were successfully laid at the
bottom of the sea.

This, however, was considered the easy portion
of the work; the difficulties, according to Captain
Spratt and his soundings, were yet to come.

As it has been before mentioned, the uneven and
rocky bottom lay west of Alexandria ; in some
places a mile one way or the other would take you
either into a few fathoms or into nearly a thousand.
Nevertheless it was determined to stick to the shal-
low water principle first laid down and acted upon.
To accomplish this more detailed soundings and
connections of the coast on a large scale had to be
prepared, and, in additions to her Majesty's ships
Medina and Scourge, the Mohawk gunboat was
ordered by the Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral
Sir W. Martin, K.C.8., to accompany the expedi-
tion. This was a liberal and wise policy, and much
praise is due to the Commander-in-Chief for adopt-
ing it.
About the Ist of July the Rangoon, a sister ship
of the Malacca, and built purposely for this cable,
arrived at Alexandria with Mr. Forde, the Govern-
ment engineer, and his staff, and Mr. Canning, the
engineer of the contractors, with his assistants.
The Medina, Scourge, and Mohawk had previ-
ously arrived. The weather was then a little un-
settled, and it was not until the sth of July that
the sea was sufficiently smooth to admit of the
landing of the shore end.
This was accomplished in the New Port, and about
8 in the evening the end was introduced into the
cable-house by Mr. Colquhoun, her Majesty's Con-
sul-General in Egypt.

At daylight the next morning the ships got under
way, and continued on their course until 3 p.m.,
having paid out 67 knots of cable.

At this place all came to anchor for the night, as
ships and all might be risked by undue haste by
proceeding in the dark.
On the 7th, at daylight, blue peters were seen
flying from each masthead, and all hands were busy
raising their respective anchors. The Mohawk got
off first, and took a good lead, to do as she had done
on the previous occasion—viz., lay down buoys in
fixed positions.
These were strictly followed by the Medina, who
proceeded ahead to point them out to the cable-ship.
The Scourge took up a position about two cables'
length abeam of the Rangoon, sounding at intervals,
and giving the engineers the benefit of her informa-
tion, which was most important, as many miles of
cable, weighing as much as seven tons to the mile,
had to be laid on the most uneven bottom along this
course.

The Scourge had also to pick up all buoys previ-
ously placed by the Mohawk. She had, therefore,
like the other ships, no idle time.

Eleven hours were occupied this day in payingout
48 knots of cable, or at the rate of about 4 knots per
hour. At 7 p.m. all ships were again at ancLor.
On the Bth the bottom was so irregular and in-
tricate there were only 2:: knots of cable paid out but
more buoys laid down than on previous occasions.

On the 9th 33 knots of cable were laid.

On the 10th, during the whole of which day cable
weighing seven tons per knot was being paid out,
45 knots were laid.

Oa the 11th of July, after 12 hours' work, and
paying out 62 knots of cable, the Rangoon per-
formed her duty by discharging the last of her cargo,
the end of which was carefully sealed and dropped
in a well-known position.
The Rangoon and Malacca have since made
second trips, carrying the remaining portion of the
cable. On the 15th of September the former left
Malta, and proceeded to the buoyed end of the
Alelandria cable, and completed that section to
Benghazi on the 23d.
The Malacca joined the expedition at Benghazi,
and proceeded on the 25th to the buoyed end of
the Tripoli cable, and, notwithstanding that the
buoy got adrift, and the cable had to be dredged
for, this section was completed to Benghazi on the
afternoon of the 28th September, the cud being
landed the same evening under a Royal salute of 21
guns to do honour to the completion of a great
undertaking. On this occasion the Scourge being
employed on other important duties, her place was
filled by her Majesty's gunboat Assurance, under
the command of Lieut. Seward.

It is an interesting fact to know that this line,
owing to its peculiar construction and more than
usual perfect workmanship, tests far better than
any other previously laid cable, and the amount of
battery power used in the transmission of messages
has beezi rolueed to a miviumn ; for ingunce, Ulu