THE TELEGRAPH IN DORSET. 139 



Dr. "Wake Smart I have permission to print in extenso, and, 

 thinking it of great interest and importance, I venture to run 

 the risk of its overwhelming the original communication. He 

 writes : 



" CRANBORNE, 



"MARCH 13TH, 1890. 

 "DEAR SIR, 



"I read your paper on Telegraphy as reported in the D.C.C. with 

 much interest, and am able, I think, to give you some information from 

 my own observations. Your mention of "High Stoy" reminded me 

 forcibly of a visit I paid to that Telegraph Station in or about the year 

 1816 when a youngster in statu pupillari under the Rev. John Davis, 

 Vicar of Cerne Abbas, one very fine summer afternoon with Mr. Davis. 

 I believe the real object of the visit was that I might see the magnificent 

 prospect from that high land over the Vale of Blackmore and part of 

 Somerset, for the extensive and charming views from some of the Cerne 

 hills always delighted and fascinated my young mind. But we also 

 called on the Lieutenant in charge of the Station, his name I forget, who 

 received us kindly and interested me very much by showing the way of 

 managing the signals by acting on the shutters above by means of cords 

 within, and he, by improvising a short friendly message to his next 

 neighbour, whose Station was, I believe, at Toller, and, receiving his 

 answer, showed us how the Telegraph was worked. It was altogether a 

 delightful visit which time has not effaced from my memory. I believe 

 that at this time there was a continuous line of Telegraphs on Murray's 

 system from Plymouth to Portsmouth. I am unable to carry the line 

 through Dorset westward farther than Toller ; but, to the north, High 

 Stoy commanded a Station on the hills above Melcombe Horsey, from 

 thence to Belchallwell, above Shillingstone, on Bullbarrow. Thence the 

 line turned eastward to Blandford Race-down to the Station above 

 Launceston, thence to Chalbury Hill ; thence to Alderholt Common, 

 which brought it to the Dorset County bounds, and from thence it ran 

 through the New Forest, where I cannot follow farther than Bramshaw. 

 If there were another Station intermediate with this and Alderholt I am 

 unable to say. All these Telegraphs in Dorset were worked in the same 

 manner on the shutter principle, and there never was any change made 



to another system From my own observation and 



enquiries I have made I believe that this Telegraph system was worked 

 to about the year 1825, and we may say that the Telegraphs on our 



