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HUNTING AND SHOOTING   rig

to Penzance." The captain was still suave, but even more obstructive than before; at length it turned out that he had no idea of sailing beyond the Solent and its neighbourhood. Being resourceful, I accord

ingly went to Lymington, and used the yacht as an hotel, getting a couple of days' hunting in the New Forest, and compromising about the hire of the yacht.

It will be thought from what appears in this chapter that I was leading a very idle life, but it was not so. I read a good deal all the time, and digested what I read by much thinking about it. It has always been my unwholesome way of work to brood much at irregular times.

The one definite scientific piece of work in these years that is worth mentioning refers to the then newly introduced electric telegraph. I had always a liking for electricity, and had some cells in a drawer of my study table with wires leading from them through the woodwork, to which apparatus could be attached. All this would be thought very elementary now, but some new things have to be done by such means when a science is in its infancy. I wished to print telegraphic messages and to govern heavy machinery by an extremely feeble force.

The Ined)(0 adf)pfcd 111ay he explain

Suppose a telegraphic needle of the most delicate construction conceivable, having the three possible movements of right, neutral, left, to be momentarily lifted off its support by an arm that squeezes it against a little cushion above. However delicate the needle may be, its projecting ends will be stiff enough to push another freely suspended (but non-magnetic) needle of a much stronger and heavier build, in the