In the American Civil War, Captain Clowry, a scout officer, wanted to give warning to a large force of his own army that the enemy was going to attack unexpectedly during the night. But he could not get to his friends because there was a flooded river between them which he could not cross, and a rain storm was raging.
What would you have done if you had been Captain Clowry?
A good idea struck him. He got hold of an old railway engine that was standing near him. He lit the fire and got up steam in her, and then started to blow the whistle with short and long blasts in the Morse alphabet. Soon his friends heard and understood, and answered back with a bugle. He then spelt out a message of warning to them, which they read and acted upon. And so their force of twenty thousand men was saved from surprise.
Certain tribes of natives in Africa signal news to each other by means of beats on a drum. Others use wooden war gongs.
Here is another kind of signal
“drum” used by natives of Africa.
Morse and Semaphore Signalling
Every Scout ought to learn the Morse code for signalling. It can be used to send messages by “dots” and “dashes” for some distance by flags; or by sounds, such as bugle; or by flashes (heliograph or electric light).
Semaphore signalling, which is done by waving your arms at different angles to each other, is even easier to learn. Here you form the different letters by putting your arms at different angles. Be sure to make these angles correctly. The diagram shows the signs as they appear to a
“reader”. It may look complicated in the picture, but when you come to work it out you will find it is very simple.
The sender must always face the station he is sending to. He gets the attention of the receiving station by the calling up signal VE-VE-VE or AAAA. When the receiving station is ready, it gives the carry on signal K. If it is not ready, it sends Q, meaning “Wait”.
The MORSE code letters and numerals are made up of dots and dashes.
When the receiving station has read a word correctly, it sends E or T (for Morse), or C or A (for
Semaphore). If any word is not answered, the sending station knows that the receiving station
has not read it and so repeats it until it is answered.
If you make a mistake, send the
If you are going to send numbers, use the regular Morse numerals, but in Semaphore spell the numbers out in letters. They will be checked by being repeated back by the receiving station.
End of word is indicated by a short pause in light and sound signalling, or, with flags, by bringing them down to the front.
You finish a message by sending the end of message signal AR. The receiving station answers with the message received signal R if the message has been received correctly.
Once you know the Morse or Semaphore alphabet, all you need is practice. A Scout is not asked
to send long sentences, or to send over long distances, or at a high speed. All that is expected of
you is that you should know your alphabet and read and send simple sentences or words really well. Do your best, so that when it comes to sending across a big field, or from hill to hill, your message will be easy to read.
Semaphore letters are made by holding two flags at different angles.
The letters appear this way as you face the sender
If you want to write a dispatch that will puzzle most people to read, use the Morse or Semaphore letters in place of the ordinary alphabet. It will be quite readable to any of your friends who understand signalling.
COMMANDS AND SIGNALS
A Patrol Leader often has a whistle, and a lanyard or cord for keeping it. The following commands and signals should be at your fingers’ ends, so that you can use them in your Patrol:
Words of Command
“Fall in” (in line).
“Alert” or “Attention” (stand up smartly). “Easy” or “At ease” (stand at ease).
“Sit easy” or “Sit at ease” (sit or lie down without leaving the ranks).
“Dismiss” (break off).
“Right turn” (or left turn); (each Scout turns accordingly).
“Patrol right turn” (or left turn); (each Patrol with its Scouts in line wheels to that hand).
“Quick march” (walk smartly, stepping off on the left foot).
“Double” or “On the double” (run at smart pace, arms hanging loose).
“Scout Pace” (walk so many paces and jog so many paces alternately—about 50 of each).
