chap. x. WONDER EXCITED BY THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. 261 
while it would heighten their sense of the amazing resources 
of civilised nations, and the many advantages to be derived 
from upright and amicable intercourse with them. 
With this object in view, I had asked Mr. Cook, chairman 
of the International Telegraph Company, with whom I had 
some previous acquaintance, if it would be possible to acquire 
sufficient skill in manipulation during the two or three months 
I might remain in England to enable me to exhibit the work¬ 
ing of the telegraph to the Malagasy. He kindly introduced 
me to Mr. Latimer Clark, the engineer of the company, who 
very readily directed me to the most useful publications on the 
subject, and gave me access to the working premises of the 
company, where I was shown the several parts of the ma¬ 
chinery and instructed in the most simple methods of work¬ 
ing the telegraph. I had also obtained from the company the 
needful batteries, instruments, and two miles of galvanised 
wire, which I had taken out with me. When these were 
opened at the custom house and their use became known, it 
was some time before any other business could be attended to, 
so anxious were the chiefs present to look at them, and learn 
their mode of operation. 
The governor and his companions had heard of the tele¬ 
graphic apparatus, and he had repeatedly expressed his desire 
to come and see it. He now asked if I could show it to him, 
and also the photographic camera; but as there was a perfect 
crowd at my own residence, the instruments were, at his sug¬ 
gestion, taken to the house of M. Provint, a friendly mer¬ 
chant, whose kindness and hospitality I had uniformly shared. 
Here the governor and his friends examined, most minutely 
and attentively, the different parts of the apparatus, particu¬ 
larly the connecting of the wires with the batteries, the instru¬ 
ments and the mode of working them, and seemed to be at a 
loss to express his astonishment and delight, when informed 
that the movements of the needles which they saw produced 
