132 
characters have been fuffered to flip out 
ef the world, without any record -being 
fet up, of what they were, and what 
they had done. This negleét is to be 
feelingly deplored. 
When we read the labours of literary 
men, in particular, we are naturally de- 
firous to know fomething of their man- 
ner of life, where they firft. drew the 
vital air, and what circumftances of for- 
tune characterized their days. And yet 
of how few, comparatively fpeaking, 
can we enjoy this kind of fatisfaction ! 
On looking over the names of the 
Britith authors and artifts, I am really 
aftonithed and grieved at the great num- 
ber, of whom no other memorial remains 
than the fimple catalogue of their works. 
It were, then, devoutly to be wished, 
that fome inquifitive perfons would take 
up this defideraivm, and endeavour to 
fill up the numerous chaims in the Bio- 
graphical Hiftory of Great Britain. 
Though many might ftill efcape all 
difcovery, and be remembered no other 
wile than as men, wio deferved better 
attention from their cotemporaries, and 
Admiralty Telegraph. 
{March 
their immediate furvivors, yet the ap- 
plication would be produCtive of fome 
fruit with refpeét to others. Tnquirtes 
made on the fpots where they were 
born, lived, or were buried, would be 
attended, we fhould fuppofe, with fome 
information, and though that fhould be 
but fcanry, it would be far better than 
total oblivion. By bringing forward 
even thetfe {craps of intelligence, addi- 
tional illuftration might be given ta cha- 
racters and to circumftances. Befides, 
thefe informations might fall in the way 
of readers, poffeffed ot fome knowledge 
on the fubjeét, who from the peruial, it 
is not unlikely, weuld be induced to 
contribute alfo their atoms of difcovery. 
I beg, therefore, Sir, to call the at- 
tention of your numerous readers, to the 
confideration of this interefting and en- 
tertaining fubje&t; and hope, through 
the channel of your refpeétable Publica- 
tion, that Britiih Biography, im particu- 
lar, will receive fome additional and vae 
Juable materials, 
Iam, &c J. W. 
London, March 18, 1796. 
a ES 
DESCRIPTION or true ADMIRALTY TELEGRAPH. 
(With an Engraved Reprefentation of the fame.) 
"THE art of conveying intelligence 
from one place to another by fignals 
is of very ancient date, and many of our 
hills ftill retain the name of the beacen- 
hills, from the fignals, which ufed to be 
made upon them. Fire and fmoke were 
by land the chief things employed; the 
fire by night, and the fmoke fy day ; and 
within a very few years, fignals made 
by them were very common amongtt the 
fmugglers on our coafts. In the navy, 
fignals were, in general, made by the 
firing of cannon, or the pofition of co- 
Jours on different parts of the fhip. 
Sometimes the meaning of a fignal is 
afcertained by the continuance or difap. 
pearance of fire and fmoke ima particular 
pe, or by the firing of a certain num- 
er of guns, or particular pofition of a 
colour; and in other cafes the whole art 
of making fignals is reduced to very ealy 
principles. In the day time, the fmoke 
on a particular hill may give notice to an 
obferver on the next hill, that a com- 
munication is to be made; he of courfe 
will anfwer it by fmoke to thew, that he 
is upon his watch. The fmoke will 
then difappear on both hills by a cover 
being placed over the fire, which being 
ken of and we om again repeatedly, 
will thew a fucceffion of clouds of fmoke» 
rifing, at proper intervals in the air 
The obferver notes the number of times 
that the {moke rifes without a confiderable 
interval, fuppofe three times, and he 
then writes down the number three: 
aiter an interval determined on by the 
parties, the fmoke rifes again, we will 
fuppofe four times; he writes down the 
number four, and has now the number 
34 to communicate by fignais to the next 
poft. Atnight, this is done by the fuc- 
ceflive appearance and difappearance of 
fire, or by the firing of cannon; and at 
fea, a colour placed on a particular part 
of the fhip, may denote a number. 
In making fignals by numbers, it is fup- 
pofed, that the perfons at two remote 
places, have a fentence, or word, ane 
{wering to every number which is to be 
denoted by thefe fignals, and, in that 
cafe, the laft perfon who receives the 
fignal has nothing to do but to refer 
to his book for the meaning of the fignal 
made to him; or in the day time at fea, 
the meaning of colours at different 
places, as afcertained by agreement. As 
the number denoted by the fucceffive 
firing of guns, or appearance of fmoke 
or fixe, may, if it is a large number, be 
liable 
