294 On the Estahlishmeni of Telegraphs 



rived from the West Indies." Then these two pieces of in- 

 telligence will be successively communicated by the two 

 signals. Fig. 2, 2. 



But this telegraph has another property, 1 believe entirely 

 new, of expressing words or parts of words not exceeding 

 four letter?, by a single signal. For instance, let it be re- 

 quired to communicate the following orders alphabetically: 

 *' Send 1000 Tficn to Dover." or, '' Three regiments ivill 

 march to Lcith :" the first will be effected by five signals, and 

 the second by seven, as in fig. 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 4, 4, 4, 4, 

 4,4,4. 



In working this telegraph no signal is required to denote 

 the end of a word, it being sufficient to mark a pause by 

 leaving one of the posts in its quiescent state. And to di- 

 stinguish between the numerical signals referring to the 

 book or code, and such as are really intended to denote 

 numbers, the unit place of the latter must never, but that 

 of the former must always, be placed on the fourth or right- 

 hand post of the telegraph. Hence this post, when left 

 quiescent between two numbers, will not be considered to 

 denote a pause or break, as it would between two words. 

 Thus, fig. 3 will signify one thousand, whilst fig. 6 will 

 denote the lOOOdth word or sentence in the book, and must 

 be referred to there for its signification. Also, incon- 

 sequence of the last remark, the signals 5th, 6th, 7th, 

 and Sib, the fig. 7, 8, 9, 10, will signify 104, 506, 820 

 pounds. 



Observing this restriction, it will be found that a signal 

 book may be formed, containing 10,999 words and sen- 

 tences, if thought neccssarv, each to be expressed by one 

 change on this telegraph, whilst all unforeseen intelligence 

 can be communicated by an improved alphabetical mode, 

 without these two methods interfering in the least with each 

 other ; so that I trust it will be allowed, that the object I 

 had in view, namely, increased dispatch in signal making 

 without loss of clearness or precision, is fully obtained. 



C, Paslev, Capt. Royal Engineers. 

 P. S. In 



