To: the Right Honorable Adm Moriarty
From: Lieutenant Henry Wooster, 1st Lt. HMS Robust
Oct 24 1874
Post voyage report of HMS Cuttlefish.
The test voyage that we finished performing today, with the attendance of Seaman 1st Class Gythorpe and Seaman 1st Class Whistleton to our stricken vessel's side, found some significant challenges with regard to the art, if not eventually science, of undersea vessel navigation.
At about half past one in the afternoon when we started the second descent we had good progress when the tide changed and we drifted into some unseen obstacle that had us stuck jolly good.
We proceeded through all of our contingency steps finding each one impotent to resolve our situation. Finally with some excellent work on the part of Mr Caine and Seaman First Class (insert other crew's name) the crew on the surface were not signaled and started searching for us.
Suggest the addition of a messenger pigeon in a miniature diving apparatus be positioned on exterior of the vessel, with a release cable run to the interior, that in the event of an accident such as the pickle we found ourselves in this afternoon, the bird would be released to rise to the surface and fly off to alert the nearby crew of the submerged vessel's plight.
I have some preliminary drawings of the mechanism that brought out an enthusiastic response from a number of the engineering lads here.
Also request that rumbustious vegetables not
be included in the diet of all submariners.
Also suggest that the men of the fisheries be more careful of
where they lose their nets.
Also the telegraph cable that we snapped--It is my understanding that it was already broken before we broke it.
Yrs faithfully,
Lt. H. Wooster
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