Reddy wigwagged back O. K., and then the first
heliographic message was sent from the ledge to the island. It was a
rather mixed-up message, and kept Jim and Reddy wigwagging back and forth
very strenuously to straighten matters out. It was my duty to keep the
mirror focused. As the sun moved across the sky the shadow spot would move
off the disk, and I had to keep shifting the mirror to bring the spot back
where it belonged. We used the International Telegraph Code, which we had
been studying every evening for a week, but it was many weeks before we
learned how to use it correctly, even slowly. The International Telegraph
Code is as follows:
A . - B - . . . C - . - . D - . . E -
F . . - . G - - . H . . . . I . . J . - - -
K - . - L . - . . M - - N - . O - - -
P. - - . Q - - . - R . - . S . . . T -
U . . - V . . . - W . - - X - . . - Y - . - -
Z - - . . 1 . - - - 2 . . - - - 3 . . . - - 4 . . . . -
5 . . . . . 6 - . . . . 7 - . . . 8 - - - . 9 - - - - .
0 - - - - -
The three short flashes Bill sent represented the letter S, which stood
for the word "signal." A was formed by a short flash followed by a long
flash; B by a long flash followed by three short ones, and so on.
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