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SIGNALS.

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25 37 49

4961 73

14 26 38 50

85|97| 109|| 121 | 133 | 145

850 62 74 86 98 110 122 134 146

15 27 39 51 63 75 87 | 99 || 111 123 135 147

16 28 40 52 64 76 88 100 112 124 196 1,8

17 29 41 53 65 77 89 101 13 125 137 149

18 30 42 54 66 78 90 102 114 126 138 150

19 31 43 55 67 79 91 103 115 127 139 151

20 32 44 56 68 80 92 104 116 128 140 152

21 33 45 57 69 81 93 105 117 129 141 153

22 34 46 58 70

10

12

Substi

-tute

Flag.

82 94 106 118 130 142 154

23 35 47 59 71 83 95 107 119 131 143 155
| |

24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144 156

MB. The Colours of the Flags are indicated thus. For RED, vertical lines, for BLUE, horizontal, and for YELLOW, small dots.

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London Published by Thomas Tegg. 73, Cheapside.

J. Shury sculp.

PLATE I.

on silk or vellum, may be made to shift or slide on thin box-wood attached to the upper and lateral columns, in order that the order or place of the flags may be changed or transposed to different numbers, when the admiral may think it necessary, so that nothing need be apprehended from the code of signals falling into the hands of an enemy. In this respect the substitute flag may, when hoisted over any other flag, indicate the transposition of that tabular flag to the place of No. 1, and the other eleven flags are to follow such change of place in the progressive order they stand, whereby the tabular system, with respect to flags indicating numbers, becomes totally changed, while the original significations of the signals remain permanent.*

Numerary and alphabetic combinations, with the thirteen flags of the table in plate I.-The plan is not confined solely to the simple tabular form already explained, and which would suffice to denote a greater number of signals than has heretofore been practised in the navy; but it is susceptible of a numerary combination capable of expressing 20,000 additional ideas, applicable to so many words of a dictionary or vocabulary regularly numbered from 1, to 20,000. The letters of the alphabet can also be easily denoted, by applying as marked in the table the signals first in order from 1 to 26 inclusive. This is so obvious that it requires no further explanation. For the better understanding of the numerary combination, reference will be first made to the ten flags numbered in the lateral column from one to ten, which, with the aid of the substitute, can express 10,000 signals, by hoisting the flags in the proper order as represented; and, when these flags are shown inverted or reversed, 10,000 additional ideas can be denoted.

1. With one or two flags.-The signal flags from 1 to 9, hoisted singly, will express their corresponding numbers as units, and flag 10 is to be considered the cypher flag. When two flags are shown at the same time, the one hoisted superior will express tens, and the under one units: thus flag over flag 4 would express 24: flag 3 over flag 10, or cypher, would express 30: and flag 4 hoisted over the substitute would denote 44. The substitute in this combination being always considered a repetition in units of the number immediately above it; the signals, therefore, that can be expressed by one or two flags are 99 in number.

2. With three flags. When three flags are shown at the same time, the superior denotes hundreds, the next tens, and the lower one units. Thus, if 346 were to be expressed, flag 3 would be hoisted superior for hundreds, the flag 4 next for tens, and flag 6 for units; consequently, the number of signals, with the combination of three flags, will be 999 in number.

3. With four flags.—When four flags are

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shown, at the most conspicuous parts of a ship, the superior flag will denote thousands, and the three others hundreds, tens, and units, as in the preceding article. The number of signals, with the combination of four flags, will be 9999 in number.

Additional substitute flags.-Having assigned one substitute flag for the first combination with two flags, which for distinction's sake is termed the integral substitute, it is proper that a second and third should be assigned to the other combinations, so as to leave no chasm in the progressive numbering of hundreds and thousands; therefore the flag 11, with the letter W prefixed, is termed the decimal substitute, when three flags, including it, are hoisted: and flag 12, with the letter X prefixed, is termed the centesimal substitute when four flags are hoisted.

Example with three flags.-If 333 were to be expressed, flag. 3 would be hoisted uppermost; next to it the decimal substitute, and the lowest would be the integral substitute.

Example with four flags.-If 4444 were to be denoted, the flag 4 would be superior, the centesimal substitute next, then the decimal and integral subtitutes. If 4044, the cypher-flag would be under flag 4 the superior, then the decimal and integral substitutes, and so on of the other numbers wherever a substitute flag was necessary to the last in the combination; namely, 9999, which would be expressed by flag 9 superior to the three substitutes in their proper order.

To complete the series to 10,000, the cypherflag is to be hoisted superior to the three substi tutes in their natural order.

By inverting or reversing the numerical flags, the value of 10,000 is added to each signal, whereby 10,000 additional ideas on the same principles can be expressed; consequently, the two arrangements, with only thirteen flags, will denote 20,000 signals or words of a dictionary.

Example in the inverted order of the tabular flags. If 10,023 were to be expressed, it would only be necessary to hoist flag 2 inverted ove flag 3, also inverted. To denote 10,123, the three flags 1, 2, 3, would be inverted. To denote 12,345, the superior flag 2 for so many thousands would be shown inverted, next flag 3 would be shown inverted, then the diagonal flags 4 and 5 would be shown reversed; that is, the white part next the mast, and so forth, always bearing in mind that by this order of inverting or reversing the flags, there are 10,000 added to the original numbers which the signals would otherwise express, if the flags were hoisted in the original or proper order.

The above plan of tabular and numerary signals was illustrated by plates containing a variety of essential evolutions in the order of sailing and lines of battle. But although it was allowed to possess great ingenuity, and met with a favorable reception from the admiralty, there appears to have been an insurmountable obstacle to its adoption, principally, it was said, arising from a numerary plan of day signals digested by earl Howe, then in contemplation to have been brought into general practice, wi.en an opportunity offered.

Alterations and improvements to the code of day and night signals now established in the navy. In the Spanish armament of 1790, and Russian armament of 1791, earl Howe's day signals, printed in quarto, with instructions, also his night signals, were issued to his majesty's ships under the orders of admiral lord Hood, commander-in-chief, then also one of the lords commissioners of the admiralty. In the summer of 1792, when a rupture with the French republic was apprehended, lord Hood was appointed to the command of a squadron in the Channel, for the purpose of exercising the officers and men in the order of battle, and of sailing, and other duties in their several stations, which might best qualify them for service, preparatory to and in battle against an enemy.'

During this service, in which a squadron of fifteen sail, including frigates, was exercised in the various evolutions indicated by earl Howe's day signals, Mr. M'Arthur, the admiral's secretary, turned his attention to render them more simple and perspicuous, by preparing a new arrangement, in which several important alterations and additions were incorporated, drawn from the code which he had, as already noticed, presented two years antecedently to the admiralty. From motives of respect and delicacy towards earl Howe, sir Hyde Parker, then acting as captain of the fleet under lord Hood, transmitted to the former a copy of Mr. M'Arthur's explanatory observations on the proposed new arrangement of day signals and instructions. The whole having been subsequently laid before the lords commissioners of the admiralty, they were approved of and printed in the latter end of 1792, under Mr. M'Arthur's superintendence, with all the alterations and additions he had suggested, together with a new code of night signals, he had at the same time compiled, and submitted for approval.

From that period these day signals and instructions, together with the new code of night signals alluded to, and to be hereafter noticed, have been issued to his majesty's ships, with little or no variation in form or substance. The following being the principal heads of the explanatory observations prefixed to the new arrangement of lord Howe's signals, submitted to the admiralty, they will suffice to give the reader a competent idea of the improvements suggested, and which were ultimately adopted.

Signal book-1. The column of purport in earl Howe's quarto Signal Book is proposed to be done away entirely, and a copious alphabetical and numerical index substituted; the present arrangement, therefore, may be printed in a convenient octavo size, with as large a type as lord Howe's quarto impression.

2. By leaving a small blank space on the outer margin of the leaves, the index to the signals and instructions, as well as the numbers on each page, may be exhibited in the form cut out in the accompanying Signal Book; whereby both books become at once arranged either for a flag or private ship. Similar attention has been paid to private ships' signals, to which is added a numerical index, whereby signals are made with facility, and their significations found without any further arrangement.

3. Every signal has immediate reference to the article relative to it in the Instruction Book; and, that the articles may not be mistaken for the pages, they are always referred to in Roman numerals. The like is attended to in the indices, and the numbers of the signals are placed in figures on the left hand, so as not to be mistaken for the pages referred to on the right.

4. Instead of the leaves formerly allotted to the supplemental flags, they are now exhibited to view on two pages only, under the title of Single Flags appropriated to particular Signals independent of the Numerals; therefore no number or article is attached to them as formerly, but the purport of each retained, by which it is distinguished when referred to, either in the Signal or Instruction Book; thus, affirmative flag, annulling flag, rendezvous, preparative, &c.

5. The single flags appropriated to particular signals being arranged as in the preceding article, the numeral signals are made to commence at No. 1, instead of No. 13, as formerly in lord Howe's code, and from 13 the numbers and significations follow as heretofore.

6. To the end that the numbers and significations may be permanent, and to remove every apprehension of their being useful to the enemy in case of getting possession of them in this regular form, in the accompanying model of a signal board, the numerical flags, painted in a duplicate order, are made to change or slide, with observations on an additional signal proposed to be inserted in the department allotted. Single flags (namely, by the introduction of what is called a key or transposition flag, which, when hoisted, denotes that the numeral or integral flag hoisted under it is to be transposed or changed to the upper place allowed, No. 1 ;) and the other eight integral flags are to follow such change of place in the progressive order they stand, whereby the numeral system becomes totally changed. This suggestion may, perhaps, on a due consideration, be deemed worthy of adoption.

7. The table of triangular flags, page 6, Signal Book, is proposed to be substituted for the former one, as being more simple in form.

8. In some signals it has been thought necessary to insert a N. B. illustrative of them taken from the Instructions; such as signals, 24, 25, &c., whereby signals that formerly appeared on a perusal of the Instructions only, are now brought forward to view in the proper departments of the respective signals.

9. Should the new signals 10, 11, and 12, relative to enforcing the general station signal, No. 4, not be deemed essential, they may remain blanks, or be appropriated for other significations.

10. If the Signal Book were printed on stout paper, and half bound, it would admit the margin to be cut out in the form submitted, with great regularity, as alphabetical and numerical indices, and be equally adapted for a commander-in-chief to make signals, as well as private ships to refer immediately to the significations indicated. Eight plates are annexed of the most essential evolutions, with instructions on the principal move ments. These are entirely new, and have been introduced for the reasons to be noticed in the subsequent article.

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