No.17. The first message sent on the 1866 cable was: 'A treaty of peace has been signed between Austria and Prussia'. Queen Victoria, then at Osborne, in the Isle of Wight, sent a message to the President of the United States. 'The Queen congratulates the President on the successful completion of an undertaking which she hopes may serve as an additional bond of Union between the United States and England'. People were amazed that messages would actually be received hours before they were sent (due to the time zone difference at the two ends of the cable).