Opposition telegraph's, or, The little second-sighted lawyer gving a true specimen of patriotic information [graphic].

"The upper part of a telegraph, not the usual screen in one plane (cf. BMSat 8837), but two screens at right angles to each other, the point of junction in the centre of the design. This is supported on a rectangular structure the upper part of which is open, with an aperture below each telegraph. From each of these Jekyll looks out in profile to the left and right, respectively. The telegraph, which is in the foreground, the lower part cut off by the lower margin of the design, overlooks from a height two views of the mouth of the Bruges Canal, flowing from an undulating landscape with a small town and distant windmills. Each Jekyll pulls strings which are attached to circular disks (for letters) in the upper part of the apparatus. On the left he looks through a rolled paper inscribed 'Morning Chronicle' over the intact sluice at the mouth of the canal, outside which are a few boats. From the disks above floats a label: "Ay, now let us see what are the fruits of this miserable Ostend Expedition! - ay, I see that the intelligence I had from Bruges, was of undoubted authority! - yes, yes, our Informations are always to be depended upon! - ay! sure enough there's the great Sluice of Sluykens, which was blown up! - the damages have all been repaired in a Week, & the Canal is now as full as at any former period! - O Lord! O Lord! - this is the way that poor John Bull's money goes!" Above each telegraph floats a tricolour flag surmounted by a bonnet-rouge; on the left the flag is inscribed 'June 20 1798', on the right it is 'June 21. 1798'. On the right Jekyll looks through a rolled paper: 'Capt Pop'em's Information from Capn Winter'. The landscape below shows a block of masonry exploding in the middle of a turbulent flood in which are carried down timbers and wrecked boats. His telegraph signals: 'Why what the devil do I see? - sounds, why here's incontestable evidence that the Sluices are all destroyed! - the Masonry all blown up! - and the Navigation of the Canal at an end! O Lord! what damages they have done!- why it can't be repaird by any effort, in less than 12 Months! - Mercy upon me, what will my Lord Malagrida say when I tell him about the business?' Jekyll's two profiles are identical; both smile waggishly. ..."--British Museum online catalogue