HISTORY AND PROGRESS. 7 



things constructed as above, and the minute previously fixed, I begin 

 the conversation with my distant friend in this manner: Having set 

 the electrical machine a-going as in ordinary experiments, suppose 

 I am to pronounce the word Sir : with a piece of glass, or any other 

 electric per se, I strike the wire S, so as to bring it in contact with 

 the ban-el, then , then r, all in the same way ; and my correspondent, 

 almost in the same instant, observes these several characters rise in 

 order to the electrified balls at his end of the wires. Thus I spell 

 away as long as I think fit ; and my correspondent, for the sake of 

 memory, writes the characters as they rise, and may join and read 

 them afterwards as often as he inclines. Upon a signal given, or 

 from choice, I stop the machine ; and taking up the pen in my turn, 

 I write down whatever my friend at the other end strikes out. 



" If anybody should think this way tiresome, let him, instead of 

 the balls, suspend a range of bells from the roof, equal in number to 

 the letters of the alphabet, gradually decreasing in size from the bell 

 A to Z ; and from the horizontal wires let there be another set 

 reaching to the several bells ; one, viz. from the horizontal wire A 

 to the bell A, another from the horizontal wire B to the bell J3, &c. 

 Then let him who begins the discourse bring the wires in contact 

 with the barrel, as before ; and the electric spark, breaking on bells 

 of different size, will inform his correspondent by the sound what 

 wires have been touched : and thus, by some practice, they may 

 come to understand the language of the chimes in whole words, 

 without being put to the trouble of noting down every letter. 



" The same thing may be otherwise effected. Let the balls be 

 suspended over the characters as before, but instead of bringing the 

 ends of the horizontal wires in contact with the barrel, let a second 

 set reach from the electrified cable, so as to be in contact with the 

 horizontal ones ; and let it be so contrived at the same time, that 

 any of them may be removed from its corresponding horizontal by 

 the slightest touch, and may bring itself again into contact when 

 set at liberty. This may be done by the help of a small spring and 

 slider, or twenty other methods, which the least ingenuity will 

 discover. In this way, the characters will always adhere to the 

 balls, excepting when any one of the secondaries is removed from 

 contact with its horizontal ; and then the letter at the other end of 

 the horizontal will immediately drop from its ball. But I mention 

 this only by way ,of variety. 



" Some may, perhaps, think that, although the electric fire has 

 not been observed to diminish sensibly in its progress through any 



