To see the transcribed text with images (if possible) use the FB2 version. The author has chosen a very large and important theme for this book, namely the laying of telegraph cables across the oceans of the world, thus bringing most places in the civilised world into immediate contact with most others. This was a totally new phase of engineering history at the time of which Ballantyne was writing. Furthermore there was available for this work a very large vessel, originally intended as a passenger liner, the Great Eastern, no less, Brunel's failed masterpiece. Your reviewer has a great interest in this bit of history, for not only was the Great Eastern built within a few miles of where he is sitting now, but also the cable works was only a mile or two further away, and both, of course, were on the River Thames, a waterway well known to him, as a canoeist. Of course Ballantyne has in his usual manner wrapped this piece of history into a human tale as interesting as the historical theme it adorns. First published in 1883.