Mechanical Philosophy, 5i 



system, or much known, till the beginning of 

 the eighteenth century," when M. Amontons, of 

 France, exhibited a telegraph on a new and con- 

 venient plan. It was not, however, until after 

 the commencement of the French Revolution that 

 this machine was generally applied to useful pur- 

 poses, or became an object of much attention. 

 Toward the end of the year 1793 M. Chappe 

 announced an invention under this name. Whe- 

 ther he was acquainted with the contrivance of 

 M. Amontons is not known; but be this as it 

 may, his was nearly on the same plan. The in- 

 vention of M. Chappe immediately became an 

 object of pubhc attention. Additions and alter- 

 ations in his plan were proposed, and some of 

 them highly advantageous; and telegraphs of dif- 

 ferent kinds came into use in various parts of the 

 continent of Europe, and in Great-Britain. How^ 

 great the importance of this channel of intelli- 

 gence is at present, and how much more so it may 

 be rendered by those improvements in its construc- 

 tion and management which we may reasonably 

 expect to take place, will readily occur to every 

 mind. To say nothing of the dispatch with which 

 information may be conveyed, by this means, in 

 time of war, and thus prevent much evil of vari^ 

 ous kinds, it may hereafter become an instrument 

 of commercial communication of the highest uti- 

 lity, and may be rendered subservient to many va- 

 luable national purposes." 



The late experiments and conclusions of Dr. 

 Herschel, with respect to the rays of light and 



V It is said by a writer In the PLilojophical Magazine of London, that 

 the celebrated Robert Hooke, the contemporary and friend of Boylc^ 

 invented a Telegraphy on the same general plan of those which have been 

 •ince used; and formally announced and described it, in a paper read before 

 the Royal Society, May aist, 1684. 



u Sec Encyclopedia, art. Telegraph, and a paper on the same subject, in 

 vol. i. of the Monthly Magazine of London. 



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