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Updated: May 26, 2025
This is the battery that fires two signal-guns every day at one o'clock one at Newcastle, the other at South Shields, and supplies Greenwich time to all our principal stations over a radius of three hundred miles. I sent the contents of one hundred and twenty jars through you just now!"
Meantime, the British troops numbering eight hundred men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, were on their way to Lexington. But before they had gone far they were made aware, by the ringing of church-bells, the firing of signal-guns, the beating of drums, and the gleaming of beacon-fires from the surrounding hilltops, that their secret was out, and that the minutemen knew what was going on.
"Be comforted, ladies," the captain said; "there are at least no signs of any vessel in distress; if any such were near, she would undoubtedly be firing signal-guns. So I think we may hope my conjecture that our boys are safe in harbor somewhere, is correct." "And the storm is passing over," said Mr. Dinsmore; "the thunder and lightning have almost ceased."
Everything seemed propitious, a thick haze and falling night concealing the French ships from the land, while not preventing their sight of each other, when an English frigate loomed up in the near distance. As soon as she saw the fleet, knowing they must be enemies, she hauled in for the land and began firing signal-guns. Pursuit was useless; flight alone remained.
The use of signal-guns was soon thought of, and war-ships used their guns for signal purposes as early as the sixteenth century. Not long after came the square-rigged ship, and it soon occurred to some one that signals could be made by dropping a sail from the yard-arm a certain number of times.
From both banks of the river there came at intervals the sound of signal-guns, fired according to our orders, with the view of acquainting both our host in Rolandseck and the inhabitants in the neighbourhood with our approach.
From the report of several signal-guns fired in Brest soon after the sudden change of wind, I have no doubt of the preparatory movements of the enemy to put to sea, had the wind continued favourable for them; and I carried a press of sail during the night, in order to be off St. Matthew's Point early this morning to watch their motions.
"What can the rascals be about?" growled Williams impatiently. "I'll bet anything they are off skylarking in the woods, instead of hurrying back to the ship, as they ought. For'ard, there! pass the word for the boatswain to clear away one of those signal-guns. We'll give them a shot by way of a reminder to quicken their motions."
In the course of the first and second watches, the enemy's signal-guns were distinctly heard; and, as he noticed them sounding more and more audibly, Sir John made more earnest enquiries as to the compact order and situation of his own ships, as well as they could be made out in the darkness. Long before break of day, he walked the deck in more than even his usual silence.
The sun had barely risen when three signal-guns boomed from the heights of the Alhambra, and the Christian army began its march across the vega. To spare the feelings of the citizens it was decided that the city should not be entered by its usual gates, and a special road had been opened leading to the Alhambra.
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