graphic line was ordered in 1793: the first event communicated by it was the capture of Condé. The convention, having received the news at the opening of a session, forthwith decreed that Condé should be called, in future, Nord libre and was apprised in the same sitting that the edict had been delivered and published to the army. Chappe invented a machine the signals of which are very distinct, while its motions are easy and simple. It may be erected at any place, defies every kind of weather, and, notwithstanding its simplicity, contains signs enough to convey any ideas, in such a way that not more than two signals are commonly necessary. The honour of this invention was contested by many persons. The chagrin which these disputes produced in the mind of Chappe threw him into a deep melancholy, and, in 1805, he put a period to his existence by precipitating himself into a well. His brother, Jean Joseph, became director of the telegraph in Paris.
"'The telegraph at Liverpool communicated intelligence to that at Holy Head, 156 miles distant, and received an answer, the whole within the period of thirty-five seconds. This is supposed to be the quickest interchange of communication that ever took place.'—Atlas (London paper), Sept. 27, 1829."
Herbert B. Clayton.
A Hungarian traveller, Stephen Gorove, visited Strassburg in July, 1842, and was very much struck with the working of the semaphore telegraph fixed on "the central cone" of the cathedral roof. According to him, it took less than 6 minutes to send a message to Paris, 2 minutes to Lille, a little over 4 minutes to Calais, less than 7 minutes to Brest, 14 minutes to Bayonne, and from 13 to 50 minutes to Toulon. His book is in the British Museum. In bad
weather telegraphic communication was stopped for days. Thus, e.g., Capt. Long of the U.S. steamer Mississippi reports on 1 Oct., 1851, from Marseilles:—
"A rainstorm commencing that night, and continuing through the next day, I was informed by the [American] Consul, that, on account of the weather, an answer could not be expected to the telegraphic communication sent to Paris by the Prefect, at his (the Consul's) request, for some days yet."
The Consul himself reports on the same occasion that
"the telegraph [sic] was sent from Marseilles late in the afternoon of Friday. The Prefect told me. …that it was stormy at Lyons, and uncertain when it [the message] would reach Paris."
Near the site of the old semaphore telegraph on Putney Heath there is an inn called "The Telegraph" Inn. L. L. K.
To telegraph when it was one o'clock at Greenwich required only one movement of the arms of the semaphore, and of course only one turn of the winch; so there is no reason why the signal could not have gone from Whitehall to Portsmouth and back in 45 seconds, as the men on duty were waiting for the signal, and expert in working the machine. To send a message required much more time. Each word at Whitehall had to be spelt out for Chelsea, and Chelsea did not repeat till all the message had been received. Chelsea then spelt out the message word by word for Putney. If the message required 5 minutes to be spelt out, it could not reach Portsmouth in less than 1 hour and 10 minutes. So the statements of Mr. Parker and Mr. MacMichael do not contradict each other. M. N. G.
There was a station originally on Honor Oak, or One Tree Hill, near London.
Jas. Curtis, F.S.A.
Can F. K. P. or others tell me when the semaphore signal at Farley Chamberlayne, near Winchester, was first established, and relate its history? F. H. S.
Canopied Pews (10 S. xi. 169).—Dr. J. Charles Cox and Mr. Alfred Harvey, M.B., in their excellent volume entitled 'English Church Furniture' (1907) remark:—
"At Wensley Church (Yorks) is an interesting pew screen round the seats of the Scrope family. … In the time of James I. a top, or ceiling with pendants, was added to it. … It presents a most curious appearance."
These accomplished writers add:—
"To make the State pew cosy, and proudly distinctive from the rest in the church, the fashion set in, early in the seventeenth century, of having them roofed in with canopies or testers. … There is an instance of this at Madeley (Herefordshire). Others of the same character may be seen at Kedington (Suffolk) made in 1619, also at Ellington (Hants) and at Teversall (Notts). In the last of these the tester is supported by twisted shafts, which point to the latter part of the seventeenth century."
The so-called "Spring Pew" at Lavenham Church (Suffolk), which is really the chapel of "Sainte Kateryn," was erected in pursuance of the will of Thomas Spring, dated 1523. The oak parcloses surrounding it at the eastern end of the north aisle consist of continuous (exterior) canopies of most exquisite workmanship.
Mr. George H. Birch, F.S.A., in his fine book entitled 'London Churches' (1896), says there were four in London bearing the dedication of St. Margaret. One of them, distinguished by the affix of "Pattens," referred to by the Rev. St. B. S. Sladen, was in existence prior to the thir-
