HUNTING AND SHOOTING 119 



to Penzance." The captain was still suave, but 

 even more obstructive than before ; at length it turned 

 out that he had no idea of sailing beyond the Solent 

 and its neighbourhood. Being resourceful, I accord- 

 ingly went to Lymington, and used the yacht as an 

 hotel, getting a couple of days' hunting in the New 

 Forest, and compromising about the hire of the yacht. 



It will be thought from what appears in this 

 chapter that I was leading a very idle life, but it was 

 not so. I read a good deal all the time, and digested 

 what I read by much thinking about it. It has 

 always been my unwholesome way of work to brood 

 much at irregular times. 



The one definite scientific piece of work in these 

 years that is worth mentioning refers to the then 

 newly introduced electric telegraph. I had always a 

 liking for electricity, and had some cells in a drawer 

 of my study table with wires leading from them 

 through the woodwork, to which apparatus could be 

 attached. All this would be thought very elementary 

 now, but some new things have to be done by such 

 means when a science is in its infancy. I wished to 

 print telegraphic messages and to govern heavy 

 machinery by an extremely feeble force. 



The method adopted may be explained thus. 

 Suppose a telegraphic needle of the most delicate 

 construction conceivable, having the three possible 

 movements of right, neutral, left, to be momentarily 

 lifted off its support by an arm that squeezes it against 

 a little cushion above. However delicate the needle 

 may be, its projecting ends will be stiff enough to 

 push another freely suspended (but non-magnetic) 

 needle of a much stronger and heavier build, in the 



