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SIR JOHN BARROW

595. SIR JOHN BARROW (1764-1848). British statesman and geographer after whom Point Barrow, the northernmost land point of the US was named; founder of Royal Geographical Society who encouraged Arctic exploration; secretary of the admiralty. ALS, 2½pp, "Admiralty," Oct 10, 1826. Good content. Barrow returns a letter, rejecting Mr. Favre's plans for a telegraph, which would send messages at a slower rate than the navy's own semaphore. He concludes, "...As to night telegraphs, they would be useless to us, but...we can convert our semaphore with the greatest ease...We have a hundred different plans for telegraphs, none of which...possess the simplicity...of our[s]..." Boldly penned and signed. Minor foxing; else Fine. Est: $150-250

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