MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH. 13 



not the others ; and Henry did it by devices of his 

 own invention, unaided by anything which Faraday 

 had discovered or produced, while Faraday used 

 Henry's electro-magnet in performing his most 

 important experiment. 



The towering heights which were scaled by the 

 daring spirit of Faraday from the East, were at the 

 same time surmounted from the West by our own 

 countryman. Both were climbing from opposite 

 sides at the same time, and neither was conscious 

 of the other's efforts till both stood, face to face, 

 upon the summit. Had Henry been furnished 

 with the corps of trained mountain guides, and 

 Alpine- stocks, such as attended Faraday in his 

 ascent, perhaps his foot would have first trodden 

 the peak, and Prof. Tyndall's song of triumph have 

 been addressed to him. 



But when we compare Henry with Faraday, 

 who is the acknowledged unit of comparison, the 

 accidental conditions under which both existed 

 and worked must be known, or justice cannot be 

 done. Electrical science was the field to which 

 both spontaneously directed their studies. Its 

 mysteries at once excited curiosity, and baffled re- 

 search. Its most obvious phenomena had only for 

 a short time been recognized, and everything was 

 to be learned. What they did in that science, not 

 only constitutes the greater part of their claims 

 to reputation as investigators, but is almost the 



