I -Memoir of fleeming Jenkin

In the chapter outlining Jenkin’s experiences from 1858 to 1873, we delve into the intimate and adventurous letters he penned during his telegraph voyages. Early messages to Miss Austin, his betrothed, and later correspondences to Mrs. Jenkin, couple insights into his professional endeavors with personal revelations, painting a vivid picture of his life at sea. Despite the trials of sea-sickness and relentless responsibilities, Jenkin’s letters are brimming with an undying zest for his work and adventure. They reveal his robust character—fueled by indomitable courage, unwavering self-confidence, and an eagerness to confront each challenge with a blend of seriousness and jest.

Jenkin narrates the intense yet thrilling task of laying submarine telegraph cables, intricately detailing the technical challenges and the solutions ingeniously devised to overcome them. From struggling with the placement and recovery of cables beneath the sea, spanning distances as vast as from Sardinia to Africa, to the almost casual, yet deeply informed conversations about deep water cables’ engineering troubles, each anecdote embodies the relentless spirit of Victorian engineering ambition. His dispatches provide an intimate glimpse into the mechanical and logistical nightmares faced, battling the elements, machinery malfunctions, and the unpredictability of deep-sea operations, all while maintaining a light-hearted tone, underpinned by a serious undertone about the gravity of their mission.

The technological feats Jenkin describes, such as grappling for lost cables, dealing with “kinks” that jeopardize the integrity of the line, and the minutiae of the telegraph technology of the era, are juxtaposed with personal reflections and the emotional highs and lows accompanying each venture. The camaraderie aboard the ELBA, the interactions with diverse crew members, and the glimpses of pastimes and distractions that weave through the narrative, are poignant reminders of the human element that underpins even the most groundbreaking technological enterprises.

In essence, this chapter is not just a recounting of the awe-inspiring tasks of laying the telegraph cables that would revolutionize global communications but also an intimate portrait of Jenkin himself. It showcases a man who, in the face of overwhelming challenges, remained committed to his work, driven by the joy of invention and discovery, and sustained by the love and thoughts of his dear ones far ashore.