248 /. Locke on the Electro- Chronograph. 



of observing, or in other words my own invention, acknowledged 

 to be so by him, it would seem by the above phrase, that Dr. 

 Bache was apprised of its existence before it was invented, and 

 that he directed " the necessary researches to be instituted for the 

 purpose of introducing it into use in the coast survey service. 5 ' 

 But when Mr. Walker proceeds to say, u That of Mr. Wheatstone," 

 &c, and again that " this mode enables the primitive clock to 

 control any number of clocks in connexion with it/' it appears 

 that he uses " Automatic clock Register 77 to signify merely the 

 common magnetic clock of Europe, or the mere clock interrup- 

 tor, and with this interpretation the absurdity alluded to vanishes. 



23. In the next paragraph, Mr. Walker relieves the reader en- 

 tirely of all ambiguity by saying, " I find, as yet, no account ot 

 the application of these electro-magnetic circuits, and astronomi- 

 cal clocks to the purpose of permanently registering the current 

 of time on the running fillet of paper, as used in Morse's Electro- 

 magnetic Telegraph," p. 3. He goes on to state, that " It is, how- 

 ever, this latter combination which we must employ in our tele- 

 graphic operations for longitude/' 



24. Mr. Walker next describes the various kinds of break-cir- 

 cuits, or clock interruptors, including my own, with reference to 

 the connexion with the registering machine according to my 

 " printing method," and adds: 



"I think it is manifest that either method will succeed in prac- 

 tice, which alone can test their relative excellence. To Mr. 

 Wheatstone, however, belongs the merit of priority in effecting 

 the primary object of causing the astronomical clock to make and 

 break the circuit of a galvanic battery, without injury to the ma- 

 chinery or movement of the clock." 



I have shown, that none of these interruptors will perform 

 in connexion with the registering apparatus unless they be es- 

 sentially modified. If Mr. Wheatstone's contact wheel were 

 made with slight breeches only, thus permitting the circuit to 

 remain closed nearly all of the time, and rendering it possible 

 to mark the observation, it would answer the purpose well. But 

 this would be an essential modification, and would make it the 

 equivalent of my own inveution for the same purpose. Here 

 Mr. Walker ought to have given me credit not only for combining 

 the clock and the registering apparatus for the purpose of print- 

 ing time and observations at a distance, but also for the inven- 

 tion of such a clock interruption of electricity as rendered the 

 imprinting of observations possible. But I have already shown 

 that this has been, in some way, naturally an obscure point, hav- 

 ing been overlooked by others besides Mr. Walker. It is un- 

 doubtedly the misty point which had so far prevented the inven- 

 tion from having been made at an earlier period. 



