Smoke signals have been used as early as the 2nd century BC. Smoke signals have many advantages; they could be used in wooded and hilly country and could be seen more clearly on sunny days than signal fires.
Also, smoke patterns may be created by using a blanket over the source of fire. These smoke patterns were actually coded messages. Unfortunately the codes of Indian smoke signals have long been lost.
Today, smoke flares are still used by military forces to communicate with friendly aircraft flying overhead and at sea to signal to rescue aircraft.
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
