of Mexico could have been, if the latter had been possessed by France. The French pursue what is known as the bultow system of fishing, and annually 360 vessels are on the Banks, each with 8 to 10,000 fathoms of bultows spreading over 500 miles of ground, and baiting over one million of hooks. The annual catch of all the fisheries-the American, French, and Colonial-amounts, in the aggregate, to a total of 4,400,000 quintals of codfish, valued at £3,038,675, or about $15,000,000.

The fishermen are an honest, frank, and generous class of men, for whom the elements seem to have no terrors. Their life is a continuous succession of perils and hardships, yet it has a strong fascination for them, and they rarely voluntarily retire from it till old age or premature decrepitude, arising from its exposure, compel them to do so.

They are, as a general thing, extremely improvident in the disposition of their limited means; which fact destroys, in a great measure, any thing like independence on their part in their dealings with the merchants of St. John's, who are the only purchasers of their fish. A considerable degree of ill feeling grows out of this state of things, and the fishermen would gladly find competitors with the merchants of St. John's for the purchase of their commodity.

After leaving St. John's, we discovered that many additions had been made to the live-stock on board our vessel, in the shape of numerous specimens of the Newfoundland dog. These animals abound in St. John's. You meet them at every step. They are at the door of every house, the entrance to every store, and in every room. Dogs are ever before, beside, and behind you; and though they are not at all fierce or belligerent in their character, still they evidently recognize a stranger in you, and seem to ask, by their looks, what you are about, how

you came there, and where you are going. Though there is no question about their being dogs of Newfoundland, it is very questionable whether they are all genuine thorough-bred Newfoundland dogs.

While in St. John's, nearly every one of our party seemed seized with an uncontrollable disposition to possess at least one of these dogs, while others, still more covetous of canine property, purchased whole families, including large litters of pups. The consequence was, that the good steamer, James Adger, became, in one sense at least, a regular "doggery." There were dogs on the quarter-deck, dogs forward, and dogs aft. Dogs in every coil of rope, and dogs basking in the heat of the smoke-stacks. Pups in boxes and baskets, pups in berths, puppies in ladies' arms and on ladies' laps. Go where you would, on board the steamer, dogs met you at every turn; and if we had climbed to the maintruck, we should not have been much surprised to have found one of our canine friends there, in the shape of a dog-vane! They yelped, and howled, and whined, and barked, through every note of the gamut; but, as an insane individual on board, given to the despicable practice of making bad jokes, observed, their "bark was on the C," as a general thing. Standing on the quarter-deck, and looking down the length of the vessel, the eye wandered through long vistas of dogs, the wagging of whose tails was enough to make a nervous man uneasy, and affected one like the monotonous ticking of a clock in a still room. Every body, too, that had a dog, imagined his dog better than the dog of any body else, and once, during our return voyage, when about half-way home, the excitement all over, and time hanging rather heavily on our hands, one of the reverend gentlemen on board worked himself into such a state of excitement on the merits of his own peculiar dog, that he proposed to the Captain a general dog fight, in

which his dog should take the field against all

comers.

It is a remarkable fact, that though our canine cargo indulged in their propensity for howling almost continuously, they never so thoroughly exhibited their powers in this way as during the performance of divine service in the cabin. The moment prayers commenced, or a psalm was sung, the rascals began, and kept up one unceasing howl until the act of devotion was over. This roused the superstitious fears of the sailors, who protested that we should never make port, and insisted that the presence of so many dogs and ministers on board would insure our finding our way to Davy Jones's Locker, and that we should all go to the dogs together. From the numerous advertisements which have appeared in the daily papers, announcing dogs for sale, since our return, we are of the opinion that many of those who made extensive purchases have grown sick of their bargains.

As we neared Port au Basque, the greatest anxiety prevailed on board to know whether the Sarah L. Bryant had arrived. We came in sight of Cape Ray about five o'clock on the morning of the 20th, and when we were sufficiently near to the place of our destination, every telescope was brought to bear upon the place, all being anxious to make the first announcement of the pleasing intelligence that the object of our search was within the harbor. Some of our company went aloft, and discovered a large vessel lying behind the high rocks at the mouth of the harbor; but, remembering our former disappointment, we did not like to be too sanguine. While we were thus in doubt and fear, a small boat put off from the shore. As soon as it came within hailing distance, the momentous question was asked:

"Has the bark arrived?" The reply came over the waters amidst a breathless silence:

"She has!" "When?"

"On Wednesday!"

The enthusiasm of all on board now broke out in such a volley of cheers as the hills on shore never echoed back since the creation. Every face beamed with joy, and every body shook hands with every body else. The very dogs wagged their tails more energetically than ever, as if they sympathized in our joy. Our faith in the success of our enterprise was restored. We should yet be able to lay the first link of the great electric chain, which should make the boasting gasconade of Puck practicable, and enable us "to put a girdle round the earth in forty minutes."

As we neared the entrance to the harbor, the masts of the long-expected vessel hove in sight. On our approach the stars and stripes were run up, and flouted the breeze from the mizzen peak, while a salute from our cannon roused the slumbering echoes of the hills. The little Victoria responded again and again, till a cloud of dense smoke almost hid her from our sight. The fisher folks of Port au Basque, the quiet of whose little village had never before been so boisterously intruded upon, hardly knew what to make of all this fuss.

In a short time we were alongside the barkbroadside to broadside-and all was excitement and curiosity. It was soon ascertained that, to give time for necessary preparations, the task of laying the cable could not be commenced for three or four days, so that there would be ample opportunity for us all to gratify our desire to go on shore. The fishing-boats soon put off from the land in great numbers, and in these we left the James Adger, and landing, once more stood on terra firma. The company divided itself into detached parties; the one to which I attached myself proceeding to the residence of one of the "codfish aristocracy." We were received with great courtesy and hospitality, and were treated

As the arrangements on board the bark for laying the cable were not completed, it was thought advisable that the steamer should proceed to Cape North, and select the best and nearest point to Cape Ray to make the connection. Mr. Cooper and some twenty or thirty of the passengers accordingly departed in the steamer, while the rest of our party remained at Port au Basque, on board the Sarah L. Bryant. We took advantage of the opportunity thus afforded to inspect the cable and the mechanical arrangements for paying it out. The cable weighed four hundred tons, and was seventy-four miles in length-thus allowing nine miles for the inequalities of the bottom of the sea, the distance between the points of connection being but sixty-five miles. The cable was stowed in the hold of the vessel, in gigantic coils. The machinery was of a simple kind, but seemed extremely well adapted for its purpose, and was the same as used in laying the Mediterranean cable. The cable passes from the hold over iron rollers, and thence between vertical guide rollers, from which it passes over two other rollers eight feet in diameter. As these revolve, it passes on to a cast iron saddle, and so over the stern of the vessel. The wheels are controlled by four breaks worked by long levers, and two compressors, which are employed to prevent the cable from surging as it passes round the wheels, as well as to prevent its being carried off by its own weight. This plan was found to work most successfully.

It was found that Cape Ray Cove, ten miles distant from Port au Basque, offered more facilities as a point of connection, besides being over five miles nearer to Cape North. The James Adger therefore returned on Tuesday evening, and

on Wednesday the Sarah L. Bryant was towed to that point, where a frame telegraph house was put up, the telegraph instruments conveyed, and a battery of one hundred cups erected.

Every thing being thus prepared, the operation of laying the cable was commenced on Friday, the 24th of August.

A sufficient length of cable was taken from the hold, and placed on board a boat to be conveyed to the beach. As soon as the boat approached near enough, the workmen stationed there rushed into the surf, and seizing the end of the cable, bore it to the place fixed upon as the point of connection-the Telegraph Housewhere it was firmly secured around the capstan under the floor, the three copper wires being placed in connection with the machine. Owing to a kink formed in the cable, while passing over the stern of the bark, it was found, on making the test, that the insulation was not perfect, so a buoy was attached to it at the weak point, in order that at some future time it might be repaired. So much time' was thus occupied, that it was thought better not to commence paying out until the next day, on account of the foggy weather. In the morning, a strong breeze from the northwest was blowing, but Mr. Canning, whose experience in laying the Mediterranean cable gave authority to his opinion, decided that the cable could be laid with safety in even a higher sea than that then running, so the order was given to commence operations. The bark was taken in tow by the James Adger, with the assistance of the Victoria, and after some difficulty in getting under weigh on the part of the bark, we attempted to start. by this time the sea ran so high, and the wind blew so furiously, that both bark and steamer

But