622 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Mr. Hildreth proceeded to narrate some interesting facts in 

 regard to the origin of the electro-magnetic telegraph, which he 

 ascribed to Dr. Charles T. Jackson, of Boston, whom he stated 

 had described this invention, complete, wuth all its devices, to 

 Samuel F. B. Morse, in the year 1831, on board the ship Sully, 

 upon a voyage from France to New- York; and that Dr. Jackson 

 had made, in his pocket memorandum book, drawings of all the 

 essential devices of the telegraph, as since put in operation by 

 Mr. Morse, to explain the same to Mr. Morse; and that he (Mr. 

 Hildreth) had seen these drawings made upon the leaves of this 

 memorandum book; upon alternate leaves of which were minutes 

 of the dissection of a porpoise, made by Dr. Jackson, on board 

 the Sully, at the time; and that Dr. Jackson had with him at the 

 time the first electro-magnet which was ever brought to this coun- 

 try. Without an electro-magnet, and a knowledge of its principles 

 of action, it would be preposterous to suppose that any one could 

 have invented the electro-magnetic telegraph. Mr. Hildreth 

 related a part of the conversation which took place on board the 

 Sully, at the cabin table, between Dr. Jackson and Mr. Morse. 

 Dr. Jackson had been describitig the experiments which he had 

 witnessed in Paris, of sending currents of electricity through wire 

 arranged around the great hall of the :Sorbonne. Mr. Morse 

 enquired of Dr. Jackson, " Why we could not send intelligence 

 through the electric wires'?" Dr. Jackson replied, " We can." 

 Mr. Morse then asked, " How ?" Dr. Jackson then proceeded to 

 unfold to him the details of the means and appliances by which 

 it might be accomplished. Mr. Morse, after his arrival, attempted 

 to avail himself of Dr. Jackson's method of telegraphing, but was 

 not able to do so, and was compelled to write to Dr. Jackson, 

 while the Doctor was engaged upon the State geological survey of 

 Maine. Dr. Jackson answered his enquiries. These letters were 

 placed in evidence in two suits in the United States Courts, in 

 both of which Mr. Morse was defeated. These suits, oneS. F.B. 

 Morse vs. Hugh Downing and others, which was tried at Boston, 

 and the other suit 9. F. B. Morse vs. O'Reiley, was tried in Ken- 

 tucky. Mr. Hildreth said, that the court house containing these 

 records was burned in Kentucky at a suspicious time, and that a 



