COLIN LAMB wrote:

I just reviewed the 1845 Telegraphers Handbook. I suspect that telegraphers
were the first to use acronyms, since they charged by the word and could
increase the amount of coins in their pocket by shortening words. Most of
the acronyms or abbreviations were recognized, but one that caught me by
surprise was "Pascoela = Natives have plundered everything from the wreck".
Not too sure it would be useful today. I am guessing Pascoela is an acronym
from another language.

Pascoela is the Sunday after Easter, or alternately the week after Holy
Week. I think the word is Portuguese; in English we call it St. Thomas'
Sunday.

Could well have been the name of a ship that was plundered by natives at
one point.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."