PROCEEDINGS OF 
154 
[Feb, 
First and Second Book of Natural History, by W. S. W. Ruschen- 
berger, Surgeon U. S. Navy .—From the Author. 
History of the Bible, (in Chinese characters .)—From Geo. Fuller. 
The Corresponding Secretary reported the following letters and 
communications. 
From Henry J. Rogers, of Baltimore: 
Baltimore, January 10, 1842. 
Sir: I have the honor to present for consideration before the “National Insti¬ 
tution for the Promotion of Science,” the model of a Land and Marine Telegraph, 
of which I am the inventor. 
For land operations, its simplicity may recommend it to favorable notice. 
For sea service, it has been pronounced by several nautical gentlemen as being 
better adapted than any other system of telegraph now in use, as the signals are 
made with the same means on land or afloat. 
The nature of my invention for sea service, consists in the application of balls, 
by being placed opposite to corresponding balls, which are attached to cordage at 
equal distances apart. 
For land service, five circular boards of equal diameter, and of equal distance 
apart, attached to a perpendicular staff of sufficient size and elevation, with four 
or more additional balls raised by chains opposite to the circular boards or nume¬ 
rators. 
I will proceed to describe its construction and operation for land service, which 
is as follows: I construct in the first place, a staff or mast sixty feet in height; 
which has attached to it, at the distance, of twenty-three feet above the earth, a 
circular board of three feet diameter, and at intervals of three feet, I place four 
more circular boards or numerators. 
The circular boards and interstices, I term numerators; the first circular board 
I count as one, the second as three, the third as five, the fourth as seven, and the 
fifth as nine; also, I count the first interstice as two, the second as four, the third 
as eight, and the fifth as ten; each of which being counted, numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 
6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 
The circular boards of three feet diameter being placed at intervals of three feet 
apart on the perpendicular staff, and facing the observer, can be seen at a great dis¬ 
tance, and are easily distinguished from the interstices. I also use a horizontal 
yard-arm, which is attached at the centre horizontally to the staff, and six feet 
above the highest circular board, on which yard there is attached a board of a 
quarter of a circle, one of a semi-circle, and one of a segment or three-fourths of a 
circle, which I designate as markers. The last mentioned is placed on one end of 
the arm, presenting the same face as the circular boards, the next at a distance of 
four and a half or five feet, the other is placed five feet from the opposite end of the 
yard arm, to which there is a block ; and to each of the markers I have a block, 
through which blocks pass light chains, and these chains run to windlasses within 
the “ telegraph house,” for the purpose of elevating the balls termed denominators, 
attached to the chains. 
