Popular Science Lectures. 159 
friends, and so strengthening the links between the 
mother country and her distant possessions. There is 
now being made a vigorous attempt to still further reduce 
postal charges, in the belief that an universal rate of even 
one penny will so encourage correspondence that no loss 
of revenue will result. 
Development of Electrical Science is another great 
feature of the century. From FRANKLIN with his kite 
and Signora GALVANl'S lucky interference with her 
husband's laboratory arrangements, what an enormous 
advance is there to the present position which electricity 
occupies in relation to science and art ! The discovery that 
a current passes between two pieces of metal when con- 
nected — that this current renders the magnetic needle 
no longer " faithful to the Pole" but that with the direc- 
tion of the current, the position of the needle changes, 
has been worked out until it has resulted in the Electric 
Telegraph. Very different this from the old Semaphore 
of which we have an example here, with blackened limbs 
that slowly and only in clear weather jerked out messages 
legible at but short distances. We have doubtless all 
read of the old days of the threatened invasion of England 
by NAPOLEON, when these lifeless posts were watched 
with anxious eyes for the expected signal of the invaders' 
landing. Now the telegraph is sleepless and sends its 
continuous stream of messages in all seasons across long 
stretches of land and under the wide ocean itself. And, 
as if the wonders of electricity were inexhaustible, we 
have the telephone. It is hoped that one of the lectures 
to follow this will be on electricity, and we shall have 
the advantage of learning from a practical electrician 
all about telegraphs and the ingenious modes by which 
