FREE-TRADE HALL, MANCHESTER. 85 



REPLY. 



" 9,55 p,m. — John , Edinburgh, to Henry , Manchester. — Father 



and family are well and hearty. Expect to see you soon." 



The time occupied in transmission and delivery of these and many mes- 

 sages to other places manifests not only the advantages derivable from 

 this method of communication, but also the means which the Electric and 

 International Telegraph Company have to ensure despatch in transmission 

 and promptness in delivery ; for it is but fair to state that no intimation 

 was previously given to the several offices spoken to that such messages 

 would be sent them. But when we come to speak of the communications 

 this company made with Continental towns, the preceding instances appear 

 a simple and easy matter. They had in attendance Mr Fischer, of their 

 " foreign office," whose proficiency as a linguist very much facilitated the 

 transmission of messages, by addressing the respective Continental clerks 

 in their own languages. 



At 8.0 p.m., messages were exchanged with Amsterdam ; at 8.10 p.m., 

 with Hamburgh ; and at 8.20 pjn., with Berlin. At 8.51 p.m., a message 

 regarding the weather was sent to St Petersburg, and at 8.52 the answer 

 was returned. At 8.55, the second question about the temperature was 

 sent to St Petersburg, and at 8.57 the reply was received. 



At 9.5 p.m., St Petersburg joined up the St Petersburg and Moscow 

 lines, when Manchester put the following question to Moscow : 



MESSAGE. 



" 9.6 p.m. — Please say what weather you have, and also your time." 



REPLY. 



- "9.7 p.m. — It is raining. It is thirty-six minutes past eleven." 

 At 9.17 p.m., Moscow joined up the Moscow and Odessa lines, when the 

 following correspondence ensued : 



MESSAGE. 



u 9.18 p.m. — -Manchester asks—' What is your weather and time V " 



REPLY. 



" 9.20 p.m. — Weather cool, but very clear. Windy. Six minutes past 

 eleven." 



MESSAGE. 



" 9.21 p.m. — Manchester asks — ■ Is the harvest over T " 

 (Here is rather a long interval, the Odessa clerk having been called 

 away from his instrument.) 



- REPLY. 

 " 9.32 p.m. — The harvest is over, and the grapes are now in season." 

 Odessa then joined up the Odessa and Nicolaev lines (it will be remem- 

 bered Nicolaev is the Russian naval yard on the north-west coast qf the 

 Black Sea), when the usual compliments were exchanged by the two clerks ; 

 but the occurrence of a violent storm in some locality through which the 

 telegraph line passed, and the currents of atmospheric electricity which it 

 imparted to the wire, led to the abandonment of the intention to extend 

 the circuit to Taganrog, on the north-east coast of the Sea of Azoff, which 



