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Excerpt from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin, by Robert Louis Stevenson

                                                          ‘May 29 (?).

‘Yesterday we ran round to the new harbour [of Alexandria], landed the
shore end of the cable close to Cleopatra’s bath, and made a very
satisfactory start about one in the afternoon. We had scarcely gone 200
yards when I noticed that the cable ceased to run out, and I wondered why
the ship had stopped. People ran aft to tell me not to put such a strain
on the cable; I answered indignantly that there was no strain; and
suddenly it broke on every one in the ship at once that we were aground.
Here was a nice mess. A violent scirocco blew from the land; making
one’s skin feel as if it belonged to some one else and didn’t fit, making
the horizon dim and yellow with fine sand, oppressing every sense and
raising the thermometer 20 degrees in an hour, but making calm water
round us which enabled the ship to lie for the time in safety. The wind
might change at any moment, since the scirocco was only accidental; and
at the first wave from seaward bump would go the poor ship, and there
would [might] be an end of our voyage. The captain, without waiting to
sound, began to make an effort to put the ship over what was supposed to
be a sandbank; but by the time soundings were made, this was found to be
impossible, and he had only been jamming the poor Elba faster on a
rock. Now every effort was made to get her astern, an anchor taken out,
a rope brought to a winch I had for the cable, and the engines backed;
but all in vain. A small Turkish Government steamer, which is to be our
consort, came to our assistance, but of course very slowly, and much time
was occupied before we could get a hawser to her. I could do no good
after having made a chart of the soundings round the ship, and went at
last on to the bridge to sketch the scene. But at that moment the strain
from the winch and a jerk from the Turkish steamer got off the boat,
after we had been some hours aground. The carpenter reported that she
had made only two inches of water in one compartment; the cable was still
uninjured astern, and our spirits rose; when, will you believe it? after
going a short distance astern, the pilot ran us once more fast aground on
what seemed to me nearly the same spot. The very same scene was gone
through as on the first occasion, and dark came on whilst the wind
shifted, and we were still aground. Dinner was served up, but poor Mr.
Liddell could eat very little; and bump, bump, grind, grind, went the
ship fifteen or sixteen times as we sat at dinner. The slight sea,
however, did enable us to bump off. This morning we appear not to have
suffered in any way; but a sea is rolling in, which a few hours ago would
have settled the poor old Elba.

                                                              ‘June —.

Explanation ​

This excerpt from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin (1887) by Robert Louis Stevenson is a vivid, first-person account of a maritime mishap during the laying of an underwater telegraph cable near Alexandria, Egypt. The text is part of a larger memoir Stevenson wrote about his cousin, Fleeming Jenkin, a prominent engineer and professor who played a key role in the development of submarine telegraphy. The passage captures a moment of crisis aboard the cable-laying ship Elba, blending technical detail with dramatic tension.

Context & Background ​

  1. Submarine Telegraphy in the 19th Century

    • The laying of underwater cables was a high-stakes, technologically challenging endeavor in the Victorian era. These cables connected continents, revolutionizing global communication.
    • Jenkin was involved in several such projects, including the Eastern Telegraph Company’s cables in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
    • Stevenson, though best known for fiction (Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), had a keen interest in engineering and science, likely inherited from his family (his father and cousin were engineers).

  2. The Elba Incident

    • The ship Elba was tasked with laying a cable near Alexandria, a critical hub for British imperial communication.
    • The excerpt describes a near-disaster when the ship runs aground twice in quick succession, risking both the vessel and the expensive cable.

Themes in the Excerpt ​

  1. Human vs. Nature

    • The scirocco (a hot, sand-laden wind from the Sahara) is personified as an oppressive force, disrupting senses and raising temperatures abruptly. The wind’s unpredictability ("might change at any moment") heightens the tension.
    • The sea, initially calm, becomes a threat as waves begin to roll in, risking the ship’s destruction ("bump would go the poor ship").

  2. Technology & Fallibility

    • The passage underscores the fragility of human engineering in the face of natural obstacles. Despite careful planning, the ship is twice grounded, first on a supposed sandbank (later revealed to be a rock), then again in nearly the same spot.
    • The cable itself—a symbol of progress—is constantly at risk ("the cable was still uninjured astern"), emphasizing how easily technological triumphs can unravel.

  3. Leadership & Chaos

    • The captain’s hasty decision to move the ship without proper soundings worsens the situation, jamming the Elba further. This critiques poor judgment under pressure.
    • The collaborative yet frantic efforts to free the ship (using winches, anchors, and a Turkish steamer) show both teamwork and the desperation of the moment.

  4. Impermanence & Luck

    • The crew’s fortunes shift rapidly: from relief ("our spirits rose") to disbelief ("will you believe it?") when they run aground again.
    • The arbitrary nature of survival is highlighted—had the sea risen earlier, the Elba would have been destroyed.

  5. Colonial & Imperial Undertones

    • Alexandria was a strategic British-controlled port, and the cable was part of Britain’s global communication network.
    • The mention of a "Turkish Government steamer" assisting (slowly) subtly reflects the power dynamics of the era—British reliance on local resources, but with an implied superiority ("of course very slowly").

Literary Devices & Style ​

  1. First-Person Immediacy

    • Stevenson writes in Jenkin’s voice, using present-tense urgency ("Here was a nice mess") and colloquial exclamations ("will you believe it?") to immerse the reader in the chaos.
    • The diary-like format (dated entries) adds authenticity, making the account feel raw and unfiltered.

  2. Vivid Imagery & Sensory Detail

    • The scirocco is described with tactile and visual intensity:
      • "making one’s skin feel as if it belonged to some one else and didn’t fit" (a surreal, almost grotesque sensation).
      • "the horizon dim and yellow with fine sand" (evoking a hazy, apocalyptic atmosphere).
    • The sounds of the ship grounding ("bump, bump, grind, grind") create a rhythmic, ominous cadence, mirroring the crew’s helplessness.

  3. Irony & Dark Humor

    • The absurd repetition of the ship running aground twice in the same spot is almost comical in its misfortune.
    • The understated reaction to danger ("Dinner was served up, but poor Mr. Liddell could eat very little") contrasts with the life-threatening situation, adding dark humor.

  4. Technical Precision Mixed with Dramatic Flair

    • Jenkin’s engineering mindset shines through in details like:
      • "made a chart of the soundings round the ship" (methodical even in crisis).
      • "the carpenter reported that she had made only two inches of water" (a precise measure of damage).
    • Yet, the narrative never becomes dry—Stevenson balances factual reporting with cinematic tension.

  5. Foreshadowing & Suspense

    • The shifting wind and rising sea are ominous harbingers—the crew’s survival hangs on a thin thread of luck.
    • The abrupt ending ("This morning we appear not to have suffered...") leaves the reader with a sense of uneasy relief, knowing how close disaster was.

Significance of the Passage ​

  1. Historical Insight

    • The excerpt provides a ground-level view of the challenges of Victorian engineering, where human error, natural forces, and technological limits often clashed.
    • It reflects the risks taken in the name of progress, a common theme in Stevenson’s work (e.g., The Wrecker, which also deals with maritime disaster).

  2. Stevenson’s Hybrid Style

    • While Stevenson is famous for adventure fiction, this memoir shows his non-fiction prowess—blending technical writing with narrative drama.
    • His ability to humanize engineering (through Jenkin’s voice) makes the text accessible and gripping.

  3. Universal Themes of Resilience & Fragility

    • The passage resonates beyond its historical context, exploring how humans react to crisis—with a mix of ingenuity, panic, and dark humor.
    • The precariousness of success (the cable and ship survive by a thread) mirrors broader existential themes in Stevenson’s work (e.g., the duality of luck and ruin in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde).

  4. Colonial Narratives & Infrastructure

    • The cable-laying mission was part of Britain’s imperial infrastructure, connecting colonies and facilitating control.
    • The excerpt subtly reveals the logistical vulnerabilities of empire—even a superpower’s technology could be undone by a sandbank and a shift in wind.

Close Reading of Key Lines ​

  1. "making one’s skin feel as if it belonged to some one else and didn’t fit"

    • The scirocco’s effect is described with body horror, emphasizing how nature distorts human perception.
    • This alienation from one’s own body mirrors the crew’s disorientation in the crisis.

  2. "bump, bump, grind, grind, went the ship fifteen or sixteen times as we sat at dinner"

    • The repetition of "bump" and "grind" creates a hypnotic, nightmarish rhythm, contrasting with the mundanity of dinner.
    • The number of impacts ("fifteen or sixteen") suggests relentless, mechanical suffering, as if the ship is being tortured.

  3. "after going a short distance astern, the pilot ran us once more fast aground on what seemed to me nearly the same spot"

    • The repetition of failure is almost farce-like, highlighting the absurdity of human error.
    • The phrase "what seemed to me" introduces subjective disbelief, as if Jenkin can’t comprehend the incompetence.

  4. "a sea is rolling in, which a few hours ago would have settled the poor old Elba"

    • The personification of the ship ("poor old Elba") evokes sympathy for the vessel as a living entity.
    • The counterfactual ("would have settled") underscores how close they came to disaster, reinforcing the theme of narrow escapes.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters ​

This excerpt is more than just a technical log—it’s a microcosm of human struggle against nature and chance. Stevenson (through Jenkin’s voice) transforms a maritime mishap into a universal story of resilience, folly, and luck. The passage captures:

  • The tension between control and chaos in engineering.
  • The sensory and psychological toll of crisis.
  • The irony of progress, where cutting-edge technology is nearly undone by a rock and a wind.

In doing so, it reflects Stevenson’s broader literary concerns—adventure, risk, and the thin line between success and ruin—while grounding them in a real, gripping historical moment.