194 Scientific Intelligence, 
flying home with its honey, and pursue it ; but they often would 
not succeed following the bee, were they not assisted by the 
honey-eater birds, which perceive the intention of the men. The 
bird now pursues the bee, and gives the Hottentots, who pur- 
sue both, a signal by a whistle where the honeycomb is ; and 
when they have taken out the honey, they throw some to the 
bird, as a reward for his service.*— Kotzebue-s Voyage of Dis^- 
covery^ vol, ii. p. 282. 
34. String Alphabet for the Use of the BMnd.—’Yhe string 
alphabet is formed by so knitting a cord, a ribbon, or the like, 
that the protuberances made upon it may be qualified by their 
shape, size, and situation, for signifying the elements of lan- 
guage. The letters of this alphabet are distributed into seven 
classes, which are distinguished by certain knots or other marks ; 
each class comprehends four letters, except the last, which com- 
prehends but two. The first, or A class, is distinguished by a 
large round knot ; the second, or E class, by a knot projecting 
from the line ; the third, or I class, by the series of links, vul- 
garly called the drummer’s plait ; the fourth, or M class, by a 
simple noose ; the fifth, or Q class, by a noose with a line drawn 
through it ; the sixth, or U class, by a noose with a net-knot 
cast on it ; and the seventh, or Y class, by a twisted noose. The 
first letter of each class is denoted by the simple characteristic of 
its respective class ; the second by the characteristic, and a common 
knot close to it ; the third, by the characteristic and a common 
knot half an inch from it ; and the fourth, by the characteristic 
and a common knot ^ inch from it. Thus A is simply a large 
round knot ; B is a large round knot, with a common knot 
close to it; C is a large round knot, with a common knot half 
an inch from it ; and H is a large round knot, with a common 
knot an inch from it, and so on.- — ^^The alphabet above described, 
is found by experience to answer completely the purpose for 
which it was invented. The inventors, Robert Milne and Da- 
vid Macbea,th, who are both blind, being in the habit of corre- 
sponding by its means, not only with each other, but with seve- 
ral individuals whom they have taught its use. It must readily 
occur to every one, that the employment of an alphabet com- 
posed in the manner which has been explained, will ever be ne- 
cessarily tedious ; but it shovtld be borne in mind, that thet’e is 
