118 



Commendatore G. Marconi 



[March 13, 



mountains do not bring about any considerable reduction in the 

 distance over which it is possible to communicate. Thus messages 

 and press despatches were received from Poldhu at the positions 

 marked on the map (Fig. 9), which map is a copy of the one accom- 

 panying the official report of the experiments.* 



In December 1902, messages were for the first time exchanged at 

 night between the stations at Poldhu and Glace Bay, but it was found 

 that communication was exceedingly difficult and unreliable from 

 England to Canada, whilst it was good in the opposite direction. The 

 reason for this is that the Glace Bay station was equipped with more 

 powerful and more expensive machinery — a condition rendered 

 possible by the subsidy granted by the Canadian Government ; whilst 

 as regards Poldhu, owing to the uncertainty of what might or might 

 not be the attitude of the British Government at that time towards 

 the working of the station, my company was unwilling to expend 



EUROPE 



FIG. 9 



TRACK or RXCARLO'ALBERTO 



isbz 



large sums of money for the purpose of increasing its range of trans- 

 mission. 



As, however, messages could be sent tlien for the first time by 

 wireless telegraphy from Canada to England, inaugural messages were 

 despatched to the Sovereigns of England and Italy, both of wdiom had 

 previously given me much assistance and encouragement in my work, 

 and who, by their gracious replies, attested their aj^preciation of the 

 results which had been achieved. 



Other messages were also sent to England by the Government of 

 Canada. 



I should perhaps mention that officers delegated by the Italian 

 Government, and a representative of the London Times, were present 

 at the transmission of the messages. 



Further tests were shortly afterw^ards carried out with the long- 

 distance station at Cape Cod in the United States of America, and a 



* Revista Marittima, Rome, Oct. 1902, 



