Communication by Signals. 
sides of the balls are to be turned to your correspondent, 
and it is advantageous to have the men in white or fa- 
tigue dresses. 
When stations are taken above the horizon, the black 
sides are to be turned towards your correspondent, and 
then it is advantageous to have the men in uniform. 
I am, sir, your obedient servant, 
Knight Spencer. 
Surry Institution, 
Nov. 6, 1810, ' 
No. 48. 
Invention of a Homograph , or Method of Communica- 
tion by Signals , on Sea or Land . By Lieutenant 
James Spratt, of the Boyal JSTavy 
Sir— With this you will receive a truly ingenious in- 
vention of Lieut. James Spratt, of the Royal Navy. This 
gallant officer, in the glorious action of the combined fleet 
at Trafalgar, on the &lst of October, 1805, was on board 
his majesty’s ship Defiance. When engaged within pis- 
tol shot with a French eighty-gun ship called 1’Aigle, he 
plunged into the sea, swam to the enemy’s stern, and en- 
tered the gun-room port alone, made his w ay courage- 
ously through the different decks, and succeeded in 
ntounting the enemy’s poop, where placing his hat on the 
pdint of his cutlass, he called out to his men to join him. 
In attempting to haul down the French colours, he was 
attacked by several of their grenadiers, w 7 hom he re- 
pulsed with success. He was soon followed by several 
of our jolly tars, and in the act of saving the life of a 
French officer who cried out for quarter, a musket was 
* Nicholson, vol. 25. p. 325. Transact, of the Society of Arts, vol. xxvii. p. 
i!S3. The silver medal was voted to Lieut. Spratt for this -invention. 
