,,memoirs                               
,,of ,,the                              
,,distinguished ,,men ,,of ,,science    
,,of ,,great ,,britain                  
,,living ,,in ,,the ,,years #ahjg-h4    
,,and ,,appendix4                       
,,with ,,an ,,introduction ,,by         
,,robert ,,hunt1 ,f4,r4,s41 c4          
,,compiled ,,and ,,arranged ,,by        
,,william ,,walker1 ,,junior4           
,second ,edition4                 ,the  
evil1 that men do1 lives after them2    
,the good is oft interred with their    
bones4                                  
,,shakspeare4                           
,,london3                   ,e4  ,f4 ,n4
 ,,spon1 #af1 ,,bucklersbury4           
#ahfd4                                  
,,london3               ,w4 ,,davy ,,and
 ,,son1 ,,printers1 ,,gilbert ,,street1 
,,oxford ,,street1 ,w4     ,,contents4  
,,page    ,,allen1 ,,william            
#a    ,,baily1 ,,francis                
#b    ,,banks1 ,,sir ,,joseph           
#d    ,,bentham1 ,,brigadier-,,general  

,,sir ,,samuel              #g          
,,boulton1 ,,matthew                    
#ac    ,,bramah1 ,,joseph               
#ae    ,,brown1 ,,robert                
#ah    ,,brunel1 ,,sir ,,mark ,,isambard
                         #ba            
,,cartwright1 ,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,edmund     
#bd    ,,cavendish1 ,,hon4 ,,henry      
#bg    ,,chapman1 ,,william             
#cj    ,,congreve1 ,,sir ,,william      
#cd    ,,crompton1 ,,samuel             
#ce    ,,dalton1 ,,john                 
#da    ,,davy1 ,,sir ,,humphry          
#dd    ,,dollond1 ,,peter               
#di    ,,donkin1 ,,bryan                
#ea    ,,frodsham1 ,,william ,,james    
#ec    ,,gilbert1 ,,davies ,,giddy      
#ec    ,,hatchett1 ,,charles            
#ef    ,,henry1 ,,dr4 ,,william         
#eh    ,,herschel1 ,,sir ,,william      
#fa    ,,howard1 ,,edward ,,charles     
#fc    ,,huddart1 ,,captain ,,joseph    
#fd    ,,jenner1 ,,dr4 ,,edward         
#fg    ,,jessop1 ,,william              
#gb    ,,kater1 ,,captain ,,henry       

#ge    ,,leslie1 ,,sir ,,john           
#gg    ,,maskelyne1 ,,dr4 ,,nevil       
#ha    ,,maudslay1 ,,henry              
#hc    ,,miller1 ,,patrick              
#hf    ,,murdock1 ,,william             
#hg    ,,mylne1 ,,robert                
#ij    ,,naysmith1 ,,alexander          
#ia    ,,playfair1 ,,john               
#ib    ,,rennie1 ,,john                 
#if    ,,ronalds1 ,,francis             
#ii    ,,rumford1 ,,count               
#ajb    ,,rutherford1 ,,dr4 ,,daniel    
#ajg    ,,smith1 ,,william              
#ajg    ,,stanhope1 ,,charles1 ,,earl   
#aab    ,,symington1 ,,william          
#aad    ,,telford1 ,,thomas             
#aag    ,,tennant1 ,,charles            
#abb    ,,thomson1 ,,dr4 ,,thomas       
#abd    ,,trevithick1 ,,richard         
#abf    ,,troughton1 ,,edward           
#acb    ,,watson1 ,,richard1 ,,bishop   
,,of ,,llandaff              #acd       
,,watt1 ,,james                         
#acg    ,,wollaston1 ,,dr4 ,,william ,h4
                        #adb    ,,young1

 ,,dr4 ,,thomas                         
#ade                       ,,appendix4  
,,black1 ,,dr4 ,,joseph                 
#aej    ,,cort1 ,,henry                 
#aeb    ,,ivory1 ,,james                
#aee    ,,priestly1 ,,joseph            
#aeg     ,,preface ,,to ,,second        
,,edition4   ,,the following brief      
memoirs were originally compiled for the
 purpose of accompanying the ,engraving 
of ,the ,distinguished ,men of ,science 
of ,great ,britain living in #ahjg-h1   
assembled at the ,royal ,institution4   
,as1 however1 ,the ,memoirs were found  
to have a considerable sale1 independent
 of the ,engraving1 it has been found   
necessary to produce a second edition4  
,all the lives have been carefully      
revised1 and considerable additions     
made1 while1 in order to render the     
present book a more complete compendium 
of the great men of that period1 an     
,appendix has been added1 containing the
 ,memoirs of ,black1 ,cort1 ,ivory1 and 
,priestly1 who unfortunately were1 from 

different reasons1 unable to be included
 in the group in the ,engraving4  ,with 
the exception of the notices of         
,trevithick1 ,tennant1 ,maudslay1       
,francis ,ronalds1 and one or two more1 
these memoirs necessarily contain little
 information which has not been         
previously published in some shape or   
other4 ,the authorities from which the  
present particulars have been taken are 
given at the end of each memoir2 and the
 writer claims no further merit than    
that of having compiled and arranged the
 works of others1 whose language1 in    
most cases1 it would indeed be          
presumption in him to alter1 further    
than was necessary to present to the    
public in a clear1 brief1 and 7it is    
hoped7 readable form1 the doings of men 
who must ever be held in the grateful   
remembrance of their country4           
,,introduction4   ,,the influences of   
human thought on the physical forces    
which regulate the great phenomena of   
the universe1--and the operation of the 

powers of mind1 on the material         
constituents of the planet1 which is    
man's abiding place1 form subjects for  
studies which have a most exalting      
tendency4 ,thought has made the subtile 
element of the thunderstorm man's most  
obedient messenger4 ,thought has        
solicited the sunbeam to betray its     
secrets2 and an invisible agent1        
controlled by light1 delineates external
 nature at man's request4 ,thought has  
subdued the wild impulses of fire1 and  
heat is made the willing power to propel
 our trains of carriages with a         
bird-like speed1 and to urge--in proud  
independence of winds or tides--our     
noble ships from shore to shore4        
,thought has penetrated the arcana of   
nature1 and1 by learning her laws1 has  
imitated her works4 ,thus1 ,chemistry   
takes a crude mass1--rejected as        
unworthy and offensive1--it recombines  
its constituent parts1 and gives us1 the
 grateful odours of the sweetest        
flowers1 and tinctures which rival      

nature in the intensity and the beauty  
of its dyes4  ,no truth was ever        
developed to man1 in answer to his      
laborious toils1 which did not sooner or
 later benefit the race4 ,every such    
development has been the result of the  
continuous efforts of an individual     
mind2 therefore it is that we desire to 
possess some memorial of the men to whom
 we are indebted4  ,we have advanced to 
our present position in the scale of    
nations by the efforts of a few chosen  
minds4 ,every branch of human industry  
has been benefited by the discoveries of
 science4 ,the discoverers are therefore
 deserving of that hero-worship which1  
sooner or later1 they receive from all4 
,the following pages are intended to    
convey to the general reader a brief but
 correct account of the illustrious     
dead1 whose names are for ever          
associated with one of the most         
brilliant eras in ,british science4 ,it 
will be remembered that1 in the earliest
 years of the present century1 the world

 witnessed the control and application  
of steam by ,watt1 ,symington and       
,trevithick2 the great discoveries in   
physics and chemistry by ,dalton1       
,cavendish1 ,wollaston and ,davy1--in   
astronomy by ,herschel1 ,maskelyne and  
,baily2 the inventions of the           
spinning-mule and power-loom by         
,crompton and ,cartwright2 the          
introduction of machinery into the      
manufacture of paper1 by ,bryan ,donkin 
and others2 the improvements in the     
printing-press1 and invention of        
stereotype printing1 by ,charles ,earl  
,stanhope2 the discovery of vaccination 
by ,jenner2 the introduction of gas into
 general use by ,murdock2 and the       
construction 7in a great measure7 of the
 present system of canal communication  
by ,jessop1 ,chapman1 ,telford and      
,rennie4 ,during the same period of time
 were likewise living ,count ,rumford2  
,robert ,brown1 the botanist2 ,william  
,smith1 ,the ,father of ,english        
,geology2 ,thomas ,young1 the natural   

philosopher2 ,brunei2 ,bentham2         
,maudslay2 and ,francis ,ronalds1 who1  
by securing perfect insulation1 was the 
first to demonstrate the practicability 
of passing an electric message through a
 lengthened space2 together with many   
others1 the fruits of whose labours we  
are now reaping4  ,the following pages  
briefly record the births1 deaths1 and  
more striking incidents in the lives of 
those benefactors to mankind4  ,lives of
 great men all remind us we may make our
 lives sublime4--,the truth of this is  
strongly enforced in the brief memoirs  
which are included in this volume4 ,they
 teach us that mental power1 used       
judiciously and applied with industry1  
is capable of producing vast changes in 
the crude productions of ,nature4       
,beyond this1 they instruct us that men1
 who fulfil the commands of the ,creator
 and employ their minds1 in unwearying  
efforts to subdue the ,earth1 are rarely
 unrewarded4 ,they aid in the march of  
civilization1 and they ameliorate the   

conditions of humanity4 ,they win a     
place amongst the great names which we  
reverence1 and each one                 
becomes like a star   ,from the abodes  
where the ,eternals are4                
,,robert ,,hunt4     ,,william ,,allen1 
,f4,r4,s4  ,born ,august #bi1 #aggj4    
,died ,december #cj1 #ahdc4   ,william  
,allen1 the eminent chemist1 was born in
 ,london4 ,his father was a silk        
manufacturer in ,spitalfields1 and a    
member of the ,society of ,friends4     
,having at an early period shown a      
predilection for chemical and other     
pursuits connected with medicine1       
,william was placed in the establishment
 of ,mr4 ,joseph ,gurney ,bevan in      
,plough ,court1 ,lombard ,street1 where 
he acquired a practical knowledge of    
chemistry4 ,he eventually succeeded to  
the business1 which he carried on in    
connection with ,mr4 ,luke ,howard1 and 
obtained great reputation as a          
pharmaceutical chemist4 ,about the year 
#ahjd1 ,mr4 ,allen was appointed        

lecturer on chemistry and experimental  
philosophy at ,guy's ,hospital1 at which
 institution he continued to be engaged 
more or less until the year #ahbg4 ,he  
was also connected with the ,royal      
,institution of ,great ,britain1 and was
 concerned in some of the most exact    
experiments of the day1 together with   
,davy1 ,babington1 ,marcet1 ,luke       
,howard1 and ,dalton4 ,in conjunction   
with his friend ,mr4 ,pepys1 ,allen     
entered upon his well known chemical    
investigations1 which established the   
proportion of ,carbon in ,carbonic      
,acid1 and proved the identity of the   
diamond with charcoal2 these discoveries
 are recorded in the ',philosophical    
,transactions' of the ,royal ,society1  
of which he became a member in #ahjg4   
,the ',transactions' for #ahbi also     
contain a paper by him1 based on        
elaborate experiments and calculations1 
concerning the changes produced by      
respiration on atmospheric air and other
 gases4 ,mr4 ,allen was mainly          

instrumental in establishing the        
,pharmaceutical ,society1 of which he   
was president at the time of his death4 
,besides his public labours as a        
practical chemist1 he pursued with much 
delight1 in his hours of relaxation1 the
 study of astronomy1 and was one of the 
original members of the ,royal          
,astronomical ,society4 ,in connection  
with this science1 he published1 in     
#ahae1 a small work entitled ',a        
,companion to the ,transit ,instrument4'
  ,many years before his death ,mr4     
,allen withdrew from business1 and      
purchased an estate near ,lindfield1    
,sussex4 ,here while still engaged in   
public schemes of usefulness and        
benevolence1 he also carried out various
 philanthropic plans for the improvement
 of his immediate dependants1 and poorer
 neighbours4 ,he erected commodious     
cottages on his property1 with an ample 
allotment of land to each cottage1 and  
established ,schools at ,lindfield for  
boys1 girls1 and infants1 with          

workshops1 outhouses1 and play-grounds4 
,about three acres of land were         
cultivated on the most approved system  
by the boarders1 who also took a part in
 household work4 ,the subjects taught   
were land-surveying1 mapping1 the       
elements of ,botany1 the use of the     
barometer1 rain-gauge1 c41 and there was
 a good library with various scientific 
and useful apparatus4  ,mr4 ,allen died 
at ,lindfield1 the scene of his zealous 
benevolence1 in the seventy-fourth year 
of his age4--,english ,cyclopdia1       
,london1 #ahef4--,monthly notices of the
 ,royal ,ast4 ,soc4 vol4 #f1 ,feb41     
#ahdd4     ,,francis ,,baily1 ,f4,r4,s4 
c4  ,born ,april #bh1 #aggd4 ,died      
,august #cj1 #ahdd4   ,this eminent     
,english astronomer was born at ,newbury
 in ,berkshire1 and received his        
education at the school of the ,rev4    
,mr4 ,best of that town1 where he early 
showed a propensity to physical inquiry1
 obtaining among his schoolmates the    
nickname of 'the ,philosopher of        

,newbury4' ,francis ,baily quitted this 
school1 when fourteen years old1 for a  
house of business in the city of        
,london1 and remained there until his   
twenty-second year1 when1 desirous of   
the enlargement of views which travel   
affords1 he embarked for ,america in    
#agie4 ,mr4 ,baily remained there nearly
 three years1 travelling over the whole 
of the ,united ,states and through much 
of the western country1 experiencing at 
various times great hardships and       
privations4  ,shortly after his return  
to ,england he commenced business in    
,london as a stockbroker1 and was taken 
into partnership by a ,mr4 ,whitmore1 in
 the year #agii4 ,while engaged in this 
business he published several works on  
,life ,annuities1 one of which1 entitled
 ',the ,doctrine of ,life ,annuities and
 ,insurances analytically investigated  
and explained1' was published in #ahaj1 
with an appendix in #ahac1 continuing to
 this day to be a standard work on the  
subject1 and it may serve to give some  

idea of the estimation in which it was  
held1 to mention1 that when out of      
print1 copies used to sell for four to  
five times their original value4        
,although ,mr4 ,baily was thus actively 
devoting himself to matters of a direct 
commercial interest1 he was still able  
to find time for works of a more general
 nature3 in #ahaj he wrote his first    
astronomical paper on the celebrated    
,solar ,eclipse1 said to have been      
predicted by ,thales1 published in the  
',philosophical ,transactions' for      
#ahaa1 and in #ahac published a work    
entitled ',an ,epitome of ,universal    
,history4' ,astronomy1 however1 was his 
chief pursuit2 and shortly after the    
celebrated fraud of ,de ,beranger on the
 ,stock ,exchange in #ahad1 7in the     
detection and exposure of which ,baily  
had a considerable share71 this science 
absorbed more and more of his attention4
 ,his accounts of the ,eclipse of #ahbj2
 of the ,annular ,eclipse of #ahcf1     
which he observed at ,jedburgh2 and the 

,total ,eclipse of ,july #h1 #ahdb1 with
 its marvellous revelation of the       
rose-coloured protuberances of the solar
 atmosphere1 since known as ',baily's   
,beads1' are among the most interesting 
and classical of his writings4  ,in     
,january1 #ahbc1 the ,royal             
,astronomical ,society was founded1     
chiefly through the suggestions of      
,francis ,baily and ,dr4 ,pearson1 and  
for the first three years of its        
existence ,mr4 ,baily filled the office 
of ,secretary1 sparing no exertions on  
its behalf1 watching over its early     
progress with paternal care1 and as the 
,society grew and prospered1            
contributing to its transactions many   
copious and valuable papers4  ,in #ahbe 
,baily retired from the ,stock          
,exchange1 having acquired a            
considerable fortune1 and shortly       
afterwards took a house in ,tavistock   
,place1 giving his whole attention to   
the furtherance of astronomical science4
 ,here1 he executed that grand series of

 labours which has perpetuated his name1
 and the building in which the          
,cavendish experiment of weighing the   
earth was repeated1 its bulk and figure 
determined1 and the standard of ,british
 measure perpetuated1 must continue to  
be a source of interest to scientific   
men for many generations to come4 ,the  
chief works to which ,mr4 ,baily devoted
 himself during this later portion of   
his life are3--    #a4 ,the ,remodelling
 of the ,nautical ,almanac4    #b4 ,the 
,determination of the length of the     
,seconds ,pendulum4    #c4 ,the         
,fixation of the ,standard of ,length4  
#d4 ,the ,determination of the ,density 
of the ,earth4    #e4 ,the ,revision of 
the ,catalogues of the ,stars4    #f4   
,the ,reduction of ,lacaille's and      
,lalande's ,catalogues2 and    #g4 ,the 
,formation of a ,new ,standard          
,catalogue4  ,the benefits which not    
only astronomy but all ,england have    
derived from these laborious            
investigations1 can hardly be too much  

appreciated4 ,but a short time elapsed1 
after ,baily had completed his          
observations on the pendulum1 and       
determined the standard of              
length1--being thereby enabled to       
compare his new scale with the imperial 
standard yard1--when the conflagration  
of the ,houses of ,parliament in #ahcd  
took place1 and both the latter         
standard1 and the original one by ,bird 
7that of #ageh7 were destroyed4 ,when it
 is considered that ,baily's repetition 
of the ,cavendish ,experiment involved  
untiring watching for more than #abjj   
hours1 and this1 too1 by one who in     
early life seemed only able to find food
 for his vigorous mind amidst the       
hardships and fatigues of travel1 it    
affords a remarkable instance how a man1
 active and full of ardour in early     
youth1 can yet be enabled1 by the       
strength of his character1 to           
concentrate the full force of his powers
 upon a series of researches apparently 
the most wearying and full of           

disappointment1 an example well fitted  
for the earnest consideration of all who
 imagine that the energies of their     
minds can alone be satisfied by stirring
 scenes or a life full of activity and  
adventure4 ,mr4 ,baily's last public    
appearance was at ,oxford1 to which     
place he went with some difficulty1 to  
receive the honorary degree of ,doctor  
of ,civil ,law4 ,he was distinguished by
 great industry1 which was made more    
effective by his methodical habits2 and 
also by a suavity of manner which       
greatly enlarged the circle of his      
friends4 ,in fact1 ,mr4 ,baily effected 
in the last #bj years of his life1 a    
greater number of complete and refined  
researches than most other philosophers 
have accomplished during a whole        
lifetime4--,memoir of ,francis ,baily1  
by ,sir ,john ,herschel1 ,bart4 ,london1
 #ahef4     ,,sir ,,joseph ,,banks1     
,,bart41 ,c4,b41 ,p4,r4,s4  ,,member    
,,of ,,the ,,institute ,,of ,,france1   
,,etc4  ,born ,february #ab1 #agdc4     

,died ,june #ai1 #ahbj4   ,sir ,joseph  
,banks1 ,president of the ,royal        
,society for upwards of forty years1 was
 born in ,argyle ,street1 ,london4 ,he  
was the eldest son of ,mr4 ,w4 ,banks1 a
 gentleman of considerable landed       
property1 whose family was originally of
 ,swedish extraction1 although it had   
been settled in ,england for several    
generations4 ,the early life of ,joseph 
,banks was passed principally at        
,revesby ,hall1 his father's seat in    
,lincolnshire1 and his education was for
 several years entrusted to a private   
tutor2 in his ninth year he was sent to 
,harrow and four years after to ,eton1  
from whence he proceeded to ,christ's   
,college1 ,oxford4  ,during his         
residence at college1 he made           
considerable progress in classical      
knowledge1 but evinced at the same time 
a decided predilection for the study of 
natural history4 ,botany in particular  
was his favourite occupation1 and one to
 which his leisure hours were devoted   

with enthusiastic ardour and            
perseverance4 ,an anecdote is told of   
,mr4 ,banks being on one occasion so    
intent on exploring ditches and secluded
 spots1 in search of rare plants1 as to 
have excited the suspicions of some     
countrymen1 who1 conceiving that he     
could have no innocent design in acting 
thus1 seized the young naturalist1 when 
he had fallen asleep exhausted with     
fatigue1 and brought him as a suspected 
thief before a neighbouring magistrate4 
,after a strict investigation he was    
soon liberated1 but the incident        
occasioned much amusement in the        
neighbourhood4  ,in the year #agfa ,mr4 
,banks lost his father1 and in #agfd1 on
 coming of age1 was put in possession of
 his valuable estates in ,lincolnshire4 
,mrs4 ,banks1 soon after the death of   
her husband1 removed with her family    
from ,lincolnshire to ,chelsea1 as a    
spot likely to afford her son ,joseph   
peculiar advantages in the study of     
botany1 from the numerous gardens in the

 vicinity devoted to the culture of rare
 and curious plants of every            
description4 ,and now it was that the   
great merit of ,mr4 ,banks shone forth4 
,with all the incitements which his age1
 his figure1 and his station naturally  
presented to leading a life of idleness1
 and with a fortune which placed the    
more vulgar gratifications of sense or  
of ordinary ambition amply within his   
reach1 he steadily devoted himself to   
scientific pursuits1 and only lived for 
the studies of a naturalist4 ,he        
remained out of ,parliament1 went little
 into any society but that of learned   
men1 while his relaxation was confined  
to exercise and to angling1 of which he 
was so fond1 that he would devote days  
and even nights to it4 ,whilst living at
 ,chelsea1 ,mr4 ,banks formed the       
acquaintance of ,lord ,sandwich1        
afterwards first ,lord of the           
,admiralty1 who as it happened had the  
same taste1 and to the friendship of    
whom he was in after life indebted for  

essential aid in the furtherance of his 
numerous projects for the advancement of
 scientific knowledge4 ,soon after      
attaining his #bast year1 ,mr4 ,banks   
undertook a voyage to ,newfoundland and 
the ,labrador coast1 for the purpose of 
exploring the botany of those           
unfrequented regions4 ,on his return1 he
 brought home valuable collections not  
only of plants1 but also of insects and 
other natural productions of that       
district4 ,in #agfh1 he obtained leave  
from ,government1 through the interest  
of ,lord ,sandwich1 to embark in the    
ship commanded by the great navigator   
,cook1 who had been commissioned to     
observe the transit of ,venus in the    
,pacific ocean1 by the observation of   
which phenomenon the sun's parallax     
might be measured1 and to fulfil also   
the usual object of a voyage of         
discovery4#a  ,in order to turn to the  
best account all opportunities that     
might occur during the voyage1 ,mr4     
,banks made most careful preparations4  

,he provided himself with the best      
instruments for making all kinds of     
scientific observations1 and for        
preserving specimens of natural history1
 and persuaded ,dr4 ,solander1 a        
distinguished pupil of ,linnus1 to      
become his associate in the enterprise4 
,he also took with him two draughtsmen1 
to delineate all objects of interest    
that did not admit of being transported 
or preserved1 and four servants4 ,this  
voyage occupied three years2 during that
 period all engaged in it incurred many 
and severe hardships2 several1 including
 three of the attendants of ,dr4        
,solander and ,mr4 ,banks1 losing their 
lives4 ,the results were highly         
important1 the observations necessary   
for making the solar parallax were made 
with perfect success4 ,the manners of   
the natives in the ,society ,islands had
 been examined1 and the singular state  
of their society ascertained4 ,their    
products1 vegetable1 mineral1 and       
animal1 as well as those of ,new        

,holland1 ,new ,zealand1 and ,new       
,guinea1 had been fully explored1 and a 
considerable share of the fame1 which   
accrued to ,captain ,cook and his       
associates in the enterprise1 was due to
 ,mr4 ,banks1 who brought home a        
splendid collection of specimens from   
those countries4  ,no sooner had ,mr4   
,banks returned from this expedition    
than he commenced1 with unabated vigour 
after a few months repose1 preparations 
for another4 ,having been prevented from
 joining ,captain ,cook's second        
expedition1 chiefly through the         
influence of ,sir ,hugh ,pallisser with 
the admiralty1 he undertook the         
equipment of a ship at his own expense2 
and1 taking with him ,dr4 ,solander1    
,dr4 ,lind1 ,dr4 ,von ,troil1 a ,swedish
 naturalist1 and others1 he sailed for  
,iceland in #aggb4 ,after exploring     
during two months that interesting      
region of volcanoes he returned to      
,england1 enriched with many valuable   
specimens1 and still more valuable      

information respecting the productions  
of the country4 ,a fine collection of   
books and manuscripts were purchased and
 presented by ,mr4 ,banks to the        
,british ,museum1 and ,dr4 ,von ,troil1 
in whose hands ,mr4 ,banks1 with his    
wonted aversion to literary fame1 left  
the subject1 published a full and       
interesting account of the voyage4  ,a  
great part of the knowledge resulting   
from the various travels of ,mr4 ,banks 
were communicated by him1 at different  
times1 in papers to the ,royal ,society1
 of which he had been elected a fellow  
as early as the year #agff4 ,on the     
resignation of ,sir ,john ,pringle1 in  
#aggh1 ,mr4 ,banks was elected          
,president of this ,society1 an honour  
he continued to hold until his death4   
,during the whole of his life ,sir      
,joseph enjoyed the favour of the king1 
forming a kind of connecting link       
between his scientific compeers1 and the
 courtly circles of the aristocracy4 ,in
 #agha he was made a baronet2 in #agie  

was invested with the order of the bath2
 and1 in #agig1 became a member of the  
privy council4 ,he did not1 however1    
engage much in politics1 but used the   
influence he had acquired chiefly in the
 promotion of scientific objects1 and   
the encouragement of those who pursued  
them4  ,sir ,joseph ,banks's published  
works bear little proportion either to  
his scientific labours or his exertions 
on behalf of learned men1 nor are his   
real claims to the gratitude of         
posterity much known4 ,he it was who may
 truly be said to have planted and      
founded the colony of ,botany ,bay4 ,he 
was the real founder of the ,african    
,association1 and by his scientific     
exertions the productions of other      
climates were diffused over each portion
 of the globe4 ,thus he brought over    
into ,europe the seeds of the ,south    
,sea lands1 having previously           
distributed to the latter those of      
,europe4 ,to him are we indebted for    
many of the beautiful plants which adorn

 our gardens and shrubberies4 ,the      
sugar-cane of ,otaheite was transplanted
 by him into the colonies1 the bread    
fruit tree of the ,pacific introduced   
into the tropical soil of ,america1 and 
the flax of ,new ,zealand brought into  
,europe4 ,while among animals1 the black
 swan and the kangaroo were brought from
 ,australia and introduced into this    
country by this eminent man4  ,sir      
,joseph ,banks was married but had no   
family4 ,he continued to fill the       
honourable office of ,president of the  
,royal ,society for the unprecedented   
period of nearly forty-two years1       
enjoying1 during that time1 the         
correspondence and confidence of most of
 the distinguished men of learning both 
of this and other nations4 ,his name was
 enrolled amongst the associates of     
almost every academy and learned society
 in ,europe4 ,his house and table were  
ever open for the reception and         
entertainment of all those who were     
eminent for their scientific            

attainments1 with that spirit of        
liberality so conducive to the union of 
interests and co-operation of efforts1  
requisite for the cultivation of        
knowledge4 ,during the latter part of   
his life ,sir ,joseph ,banks was a great
 sufferer from the gout1 and during the 
last fourteen years was almost deprived 
of the use of his feet and legs4 ,at    
last1 he gradually sank under the       
exhausting effects of this ailment1 and 
died at his villa at ,spring ,grove1    
,hounslow1 in the seventy-eighth year of
 his age4 ,he was succeeded in the chair
 of the ,royal ,society by ,dr4         
,wollaston for the remainder of the     
year1 until the election of ,sir        
,humphry ,davy on the anniversary of the
 ,society in ,november4--,memoir of ,sir
 ,j4 ,banks1 by ,dr4 ,p4 ,m4 ,roget1    
,encyclopdia ,britannica1 ,eighth       
,edition4--,welds' ,history of the      
,royal ,society1 with ,memoirs of the   
,presidents4 ,london1                   
#ahdh4--;,brougham's ,lives of          

,philosophers4 ,london and ,glasgow1    
#ahee4     ,,brigadier-,,general ,,sir  
,,samuel ,,bentham4  ,born ,january #aa1
 #ageg4 ,died ,may #ca1 #ahca4   ,sir   
,samuel ,bentham was the youngest son of
 ,jeremiah ,bentham1 and brother of     
,jeremy1 the celebrated jurist4 ,he was 
placed when very young at a private     
school1 from whence1 at the age of six1 
he was sent to ,westminster4 ,his father
 occupied a house in ,queen's ,square   
,place1 in the stable-yard of which were
 spacious workshops1 let to a carpenter2
 here ,samuel used to spend all his     
leisure time1 and soon acquired         
considerable skill in handling tools1   
for when only thirteen years old he had 
managed to construct with his own hands 
a carriage1 for a young friend and      
playmate1 ,miss ,cornelia ,knight4 ,at  
the age of fourteen he exhibited so     
strong a taste for naval matters1 that  
his father yielded to his wishes1 and   
bound him apprentice to the master      
shipwright of ,woolwich ,dockyard4 ,at  

that time the superior officers of a    
royal dockyard were exempted from       
keeping their apprentices at hard       
labour1 so that time might be allowed   
for general instruction4 ,samuel1       
however1 soon perceived that practical  
manipulation was no less essential than 
theoretical knowledge1 and used         
therefore to work at the dock side till 
breakfast-time1 and devote the rest of  
the day to scientific acquirements4 ,in 
time1 ,samuel and his master were       
removed from ,woolwich to ,chatham      
,dockyard1 by which he was enabled to   
obtain a practical knowledge of the     
behaviour of vessels at sea2 for he was 
often permitted to sail in the ,british 
,channel1 and sometimes extended his    
voyages further4 ,about this period his 
brother1 ,jeremy ,bentham1 had returned 
from college1 and used to instil into   
him many of the first ideas of political
 economy3 on these occasions ,samuel    
would take advantage of the ,saturday   
afternoons to walk from ,chatham to his 

brother's chambers in ,lincoln's ,inn4  
,at the end of his seven years'         
apprenticeship1 ,samuel spent another   
year in the other royal dockyards1 and  
at the ,naval ,college at ,portsmouth4  
,he then went to sea as ,captain        
,macbridge's guest1 whose ship was one  
of ,lord ,keppel's fleet1 and on this   
occasion he suggested sundry            
improvements in the apparatus of a ship1
 which were executed in ,portsmouth     
,dockyard4 ,in consequence of the       
abilities manifested by ,bentham1 many  
advantageous appointments were offered  
him2 these were1 however1 refused1 and  
in #aghj he embarked for the ,continent1
 in order to obtain greater experience  
in the different practices in the art of
 naval construction4 ,after having      
visited ,holland he proceeded to        
,russia1 and was well received at ,st4  
,petersburgh by the ,english            
,ambassador1 ,sir ,james ,harris1 who   
introduced him to the best society1 and 
through whose means he became           

acquainted1 among others1 with ,prince  
,potemkin1 and the celebrated traveller1
 ,pallas4 ,whilst on a visit to the     
large manufactory of ,count ,demidoff1  
,bentham constructed a sort of          
amphibious vehicle1 in the form of a    
boat1 and capable of serving as an      
ordinary wheel-carriage1 and also1 when 
necessity required1 of being navigated  
across1 or along a stream of water4     
,this invention he subsequently         
patented1 and likewise extended its     
utility by constructing the carriages so
 as to serve as army baggage-waggons1 a 
supply of which ,prince ,potemkin       
ordered to be furnished to a regiment at
 ,jassy4 ,they were also introduced into
 ,england about the year #agic1 when the
 ,duke of ,york requested that one      
should be built for the ,english        
service1 which was successfully tried on
 the ,river ,thames4 ,in gratitude to   
,count ,demidoff for the facilities     
which he had afforded him in            
constructing this carriage1 ,bentham    

invented for the use of the ,count's    
factory1 a wood-planing machine1 which  
could also be used for making mouldings 
by changing the cutting tool4           
,bentham's stay in ,russia was prolonged
 for a greater period than he originally
 intended1 from his having become       
attached to a ,russian lady of          
considerable rank and beauty2 but       
although this attachment was mutual1    
nothing came of it1 owing to the        
opposition of the lady's relatives1 on  
the score of ,bentham being a foreigner4
 ,during this period ,bentham had the   
direction of the ,fontanka ,canal1 in   
connection with which he invented a     
peculiar form of pile-driving machine1  
in which the weight was attached to a   
sort of endless ladder1 moved by a man  
stepping on it1 on the principle that a 
man's weight exceeds considerably his   
muscular strength4  ,after the          
completion of the canal1 ,prince        
,potemkin induced ,bentham to accept    
military service1 and appointed him to  

the command of a battalion stationed at 
,critcheff1 in ,white ,russia1 with the 
rank of lieutenant-colonel4 ,as the     
prince's manufactories were in the      
neighbourhood of ,critcheff1 ,bentham   
offered to superintend them4 ,this offer
 was gladly received2 and as the        
management of the works had been        
previously grossly misconducted1 the    
lieutenant-colonel soon perceived the   
necessity of his own constant inspection
 of what was going on1 and for this     
purpose contrived a panoptican building 
or inspection-house1 the centre of which
 commanded a view of all its parts4 ,his
 brother ,jeremy was on a visit whilst  
he was devising this panoptican1 and the
 contrivance has frequently on this     
account been attributed to ,jeremy1     
although in his works ,jeremy repeatedly
 says it was his brother's4 ,up to this 
time the panoptican principle has only  
been adopted in gaols2 but ,jeremy      
,bentham has shown that it is equally   
desirable for a great variety of        

buildings4  ,bentham's next invention   
was a sort of jointed vessel1 for the   
conveyance of the ,empress ,catherine   
down the ,dnieper and its affluents1    
which were shallow1 tortuous1 and their 
navigation much impeded by sandbanks and
 sunken trees4 ,this vessel was in six  
links1 drawing only six inches of water 
when loaded1 and with #abd men at the   
oars on board4 ,many more were          
constructed on the same principle1 for  
carrying the produce of the prince's    
establishments and manufactories to the 
,black ,sea4  ,on the breaking out of   
war with ,turkey1 ,bentham was sent to  
the south with his battalion1 of which1 
according to orders1 he had made sailors
 and shipwrights2 and shortly           
afterwards1 by the joint order of       
,souvaroff and ,admiral ,mardvinoff1 he 
was commanded to fit out vessels at     
,cherson to oppose the enemy4 ,it       
happened that he had the sole command of
 the arsenal at ,cherson1 in which he   
found an immense stock of ordnance of   

all descriptions1 but no better         
navigable vessels than the              
pleasure-galleys which had brought the  
empress and her suite down the ,dnieper4
 ,but nothing daunted1 ,bentham set to  
work4 ,he reflected that it is not size 
of vessel which ensures victory1 but    
that it is gained by the fleet that can 
throw the heaviest weight of missile in 
the shortest time1 joined to the        
facility of manuvring vessels4          
,strengthening his vessels as well as he
 could1 he fitted them with as heavy    
artillery as they could possibly bear1  
and when all was finished1 took the     
command of the flotilla himself1 and had
 the satisfaction of engaging the ,turks
 on three separate days1 in all of which
 actions he was equally victorious1     
notwithstanding the enemy's flotilla    
were doubly as numerous and powerful4   
,for these three victories ,bentham     
received from the empress a like number 
of honourable rewards--rank in the army1
 a gold-hilted sword1 and the ,cross of 

the ,order of ,st4 ,george4  ,sir       
,samuel ,bentham now returned to the    
army1 and by his own choice was         
appointed to the protection of the      
eastern frontier of ,siberia1 his       
command extending from the northern part
 of the ,ural ,mountains to the confines
 of ,russia in the ,chinese dominions4  
,after holding this appointment for a   
couple of years1 during which period he 
established schools for his troops1 and 
introduced other improvements into their
 condition1 ,bentham obtained leave of  
absence to visit ,england4  ,here       
commences another epoch in ,sir         
,samuel's life4 ,arrived in ,england1 he
 found his brother ,jeremy absorbed in  
investigations relative to              
jurisprudence4 ,jeremy1 however1 had not
 forgotten his brother's ,panoptican1   
but had proposed its adoption for the   
,county ,gaol of ,middlesex4 ,this led  
to some explanations with the ministers1
 who ultimately entrusted ,jeremy       
,bentham with a thousand convicts1 of   

whose labour he was to make the best use
 he could4 ,in the meanwhile ,samuel    
went to visit the principal             
manufactories in ,england2 he found that
 steam-engines were used for giving     
motion to machinery for spinning cotton1
 but in no case were they applied to    
machinery for the working of wood1      
metal1 c42 nor1 in fact1 were there any 
mechanical apparatuses for saving       
labour1 with the exception of           
turning-lathes1 and some boring tools   
worked by horses1 for making ships'     
blocks4 ,bentham therefore patented1 in 
#agia1 his machinery for planing and    
making mouldings1 specifying the        
improvements which he had made on the   
machine constructed ten years before for
 ,count ,demidoff4 ,his brother's       
arrangements for the industrial         
employment of convicts having been      
concluded1 ,sir ,samuel considered that 
the most profitable means of employing  
them would be the working of machines   
for saving manual labour1 which at the  

same time ensured accuracy of work2 he  
therefore exerted his mechanical genius 
to perfect several engines he had       
previously contrived in ,russia1 and    
patented his inventions in the          
specification 7,no4 #aiea74 ,this       
specification includes machines for     
sawing1 boring1 and many other          
operations necessary for the working of 
wood or metal4  ,nor did the general    
confine himself to mere verbal          
descriptions of his machines2 many of   
them were constructed and erected under 
his own eye1 in ,queen's ,square ,place1
 amongst which may be mentioned an      
apparatus for making wheels1 and another
 for making all the parts of a          
window-sash frame2 both of these leaving
 nothing for the skilled workman to do1 
save putting the pieces together4 ,there
 were also planes of various            
descriptions1 saws for cutting extremely
 fine veneers1 machines for boring1     
dovetailing1 cutting stone1 c41 c4      
,machines for metal-work were not1      

however1 attempted1 on account of the   
difficulty of obtaining the necessary   
power for working them1 the ,queen's    
,square ,place apparatus being all      
worked by men4 ,the fame of this        
machinery attracted many visitors1      
amongst others ,mr4 ,secretary ,dundas  
7afterwards ,lord ,melville71 who stated
 in the ,house of ,commons that it      
opened a new era in the manufacturing   
prosperity of the country4  ,but the    
circumstance which completely changed   
,bentham's future destiny1 was the      
frequent visits of ,earl ,spencer and   
the ,lords of the ,admiralty1 who soon  
perceived the advantages which would    
accrue to the state by engaging the     
general in the ,british service4        
,various proposals were made by the     
,admiralty to engage him permanently in 
the public service2 but ,bentham refused
 all in which he had not the individual 
responsibility4 ,ultimately a new office
 was created for him1 under the name of 
,inspector-,general of ,naval ,works2   

not1 however1 without the fierce        
opposition of the ,naval ,board1 who1   
although unable to change the title of  
the office1 managed to reduce the salary
 from the sum of #bjjjl4 per annum1 as  
originally proposed1 to #gejl4 nominal1 
with an addition finally agreed upon of 
#ejjl4 a year--in all1 #abejl4 per      
annum4 ,notwithstanding this opposition1
 ,bentham1 convinced of the services he 
could render1 gave up the honours and   
riches which awaited him in             
,russia--amongst others1 an estate      
promised him on his return--and         
determined to devote his energies to his
 native country1 regardless of all      
pecuniary advantages4 ,during the       
interval which elapsed before the actual
 institution of his new office1 ,bentham
 was authorized by the ,lords of the    
,admiralty1 early in #agie1 to build    
seven experimental vessels2 into these  
he introduced many improvements1 amongst
 which may be mentioned diagonal braces1
 metallic tanks for water1 metallic     

canisters for powder1 means for filling 
the magazine with water in case of fire1
 safety lamps1 c4  ,appointed           
,inspector-,general of ,naval ,works in 
#agif1 the whole of ,sir ,samuel's      
energies were henceforward directed     
towards the improvement of naval        
arsenals1 and the introduction of his   
machinery for shaping wood1 with        
steam-power to give it motion4 ,this    
introduction of steam-power into the    
naval dockyards of ,great ,britain      
experienced at first the most violent   
opposition2 and it was not until #agig  
that any progress was made towards the  
furtherance of his object4 ,during the  
same year ,sir ,m4 ,isambard 7then ,mr47
 ,brunel presented himself to the       
general1 for the purpose of bringing    
before his notice certain machinery for 
making blocks4 ,bentham was at that time
 fully engaged by ,lord ,st4 ,vincent in
 organizing a better mode of managing   
timber in the royal dockyards1 and it   
occurred to him that ,brunei would be   

likely to influence the public in favour
 of machinery for working wood1 and     
therefore proposed that he should be    
engaged for that purpose1 recommending  
at the same time the adoption of his    
apparatus for shaping blocks1 to which  
,brunel's machines were solely          
confined#b--;a measure which has had the
 effect of giving almost the entire     
merit of the ,portsmouth machinery to   
,brunel4 ,this statement is made without
 any intention of detracting from ,sir  
,isambard's well-earned reputation1 but 
simply in justice to ,bentham1 who1     
singularly free from an inventor's      
jealousy1 himself officially            
stated3--,in regard to the machinery1 ,i
 was afterwards satisfied that ,mr4     
,brunel had skill enough to have        
contrived machinery to have answered the
 same purposes1 had he not found mine   
ready to his hand4  ,to describe all    
,bentham's subsequent improvements1 not 
only in machinery1 but also in the      
economy of the management of the        

dockyards1 would take too much space4   
,by his energetic efforts and inventive 
genius1 the wood mills1 metal mills1 and
 millwrights' shop were established at  
,portsmouth4 ,in #ahjj1 he proposed to  
the ,admiralty a steam dredging-machine1
 of which he gave drawings1 similar to  
the ones now in such general use2 and   
the efficacy of this invention has since
 realized the most sanguine hopes of its
 designer4 ,notwithstanding the great   
value of ,bentham's services1 he seems  
to have experienced little gratitude on 
the part of the government4 ,during the 
year #ahje1 he was requested by the     
,admiralty to proceed to ,russia1 and   
commence building in that country ships 
of war for the ,british navy4 ,on his   
consenting1 and arriving at ,st4        
,petersburgh1 he found1 much to his     
surprise1 that nothing had been done to 
facilitate his mission2 and although    
personally received with great kindness 
by the emperor1 he was unable to obtain 
the required permission to build vessels

 of war for ,great ,britain4  ,returning
 to ,england in #ahjg1 he learnt that   
his office had been abolished1 and that 
henceforth he would be amalgamated with 
the ,naval ,board4 ,nothing but the     
necessity of supporting his family1 made
 ,bentham accept this new post1 which   
gave him the title of ,civil ,engineer  
and ,architect of the ,navy--an         
employment for which he had manifested  
peculiar talents1 although not educated 
for it1 but excluding him at the same   
time from all interference in           
ship-building1 for which he had served a
 regular apprenticeship1 and had        
subsequently manifested extraordinary   
talents4 ,when this office also was     
abolished1 about the year #ahab1 ,sir   
,samuel1 by the desire of ,lord         
,melville1 applied for some compensation
 for loss of office1 and likewise for a 
remuneration for his services4 ,on      
account of the loss of office1          
,bentham's salary was continued2 but    
during the discussion which arose       

regarding the statement of services     
which ,sir ,samuel had drawn up at the  
request of the ,admiralty1 although1 on 
coming to the metal mills1 ,lord        
,melville said1 ,there ,sir ,samuel     
stands upon a rock1 it proved a slippery
 one2 for under the pretext that it     
would be necessary to apply to          
parliament for so large a sum as a      
year's savings effected by the          
introduction of the metal mills1 no     
remuneration was ever accorded to       
,bentham for any one of his services4   
,after the restoration of peace in      
#ahad1 ,sir ,samuel retired to ,france1 
for the economical education of his     
children4 ,in #ahbg he returned to      
,england1 where he remained until his   
death in #ahca1 at the age of           
seventy-four4--,papers and ,practical   
,illustrations of ,public ,works of     
,recent ,construction1 c4 ,london1      
#ahef4     ,,matthew ,,boulton1         
,f4,r4,s4 ,l4 and ,e4 c4  ,born at      
,birmingham1 ,sept4 #c1 #agbh4 ,died    

,aug4 #ag1 #ahji4   ,this skilful1      
energetic1 and farseeing man1 who1 by   
his extended views and liberal spirit of
 enterprise1 contributed so greatly     
towards the successful introduction of  
,watt's condensing steam-engine1        
commenced life at ,birmingham as a maker
 of buttons and shoe-buckles4 ,matthew  
,boulton received an ordinary education 
at a school at ,deritend4 ,he was1      
however1 gifted with rare endowments1   
and of these he made the best use2 with 
a thorough knowledge of business1 great 
prudence1 and admirable tact1 he        
combined boldness of spirit1 quickness  
of thought1 and promptitude of action4  
,at the death of his father1 ,boulton   
became possessed of considerable        
property1 and desirous of extending his 
commercial operations1 purchased1 about 
the year #agfb1 a lease of ,soho1 near  
,handsworth1 where he founded that      
establishment which has become renowned 
as the nursery of ,english mechanics4   
,the hill from which this place derived 

its name was1 at that time1 a bleak and 
barren heath1 at the bottom of which    
rippled a small stream4 ,boulton's      
instinctive mind saw the uses to which  
these waters might be turned4 ,by       
collecting them into a pool1 and pouring
 their united weight upon a water wheel1
 he became possessed of a motive-power  
sufficient to set in motion various     
machines1 by whose agency were          
fabricated articles in gold1 silver1 and
 tortoise-shell1 and plated and inlaid  
works of the greatest elegance and      
perfection4 ,on the side of the hill1   
,boulton built extensive workshops1 and 
dwellings capable of holding many       
hundreds of workmen1 and erected a      
mansion for himself surrounded by       
beautiful grounds1 where he lived as a  
prince among his people1 extending      
hospitality to all around4 ,in #agfg1   
,boulton1 finding that the motive-power 
which he possessed was inadequate to the
 various purposes of his machinery1     
erected a steam-engine upon the original

 construction of ,savery4 ,this1        
however1 in turn was found to be        
insufficient for the objects required1  
and ,boulton then had the discernment to
 perceive that they might be very       
completely attained by the adoption of  
the various improvements lately made in 
the steam-engine by ,james ,watt4 ,in   
#aggc he entered into partnership with  
this great scientific inventor1 and     
induced him to settle at ,soho and      
superintend personally the erection of  
his new steam-engines4 ,this bold but   
clear-sighted act of ,boulton was       
destined to crown with honour a         
reputation1 already rising1 and built   
upon the firm foundation of uprightness 
and integrity4 ,had ,watt searched all  
,europe1 says ,playfair1 he could not   
have found another man so calculated to 
introduce the machine to the public in a
 manner worthy of its reputation4 ,its  
sale as an article of commerce was      
entirely conducted by him1 and the      
skilful and liberal way in which he     

performed this difficult task brought in
 time its own reward2 yet as great a sum
 as #dg1jjjl4 had to be expended upon   
the steam-engine before any profit      
resulted to its owners4 ,in process of  
time1 however1 wealth flowed into the   
hands of ,boulton and ,watt2 and in the 
year #ahjj ,mr4 ,watt was enabled to    
retire from the firm possessed of a     
large competency1 and leaving the       
exclusive privilege of the sale of the  
engine to ,boulton4 ,boswell1 who       
visited ,soho in #aggf1 shortly after   
the manufacture of steam-engines had    
been commenced there1 was greatly struck
 by the vastness and contrivance of the 
machinery4 ,i shall never forget1 he    
says1 ,mr4 ,boulton's expression to me  
when surveying the works3 ',i sell here1
 sir1 what all the world desires to     
have--,power4' ,he had1 continues       
,boswell1 about #gjj people at work2 ,i 
contemplated him as an iron chieftain1  
and he seemed to be the father of his   
tribe4#c  ,in #aghe ,mr4 ,boulton was   

elected a ,fellow of the ,royal         
,society1 and two or three years after  
this1 turned his attention to the       
subject of coining1 to the improvement  
of which art he devoted the last twenty 
years of his life4 ,he erected extensive
 machinery for this purpose1 and by     
uniting some processes originating in   
,france with new kinds of presses1 he   
was enabled to obtain great rapidity of 
action combined with the utmost         
perfection in the articles produced2 so 
much so1 that having been employed by   
the ,british ,government to recoin the  
whole of the ,british specie1 he        
rendered counterfeits nearly impossible 
by the economy and excellence of his    
work4 ,in addition to this1 ,mr4        
,boulton planned and directed the       
arrangement of the machinery in the     
,british ,mint1 and executed that for   
the coining department4 ,he also        
constructed the machinery for the great 
national mints of ,st4 ,petersburgh and 
,copenhagen2 his son1 to whom the       

establishment at ,soho devolved upon his
 death1 doing the same for the extensive
 and splendid establishments of the     
,east ,india ,company at ,bombay and    
,calcutta4  ,boulton died ,august #ag1  
#ahji1 in his eighty-first year1 and his
 remains were borne to the grave by the 
oldest workmen connected with the works 
at ,soho2 five hundred persons belonging
 to that establishment joined in the    
procession1 which numbered among its    
ranks several thousand individuals1 to  
whom medals were given recording the age
 of the deceased and the date of his    
death4--,stuart's ,anecdotes of the     
,steam ,engine4 ,london1                
#ahbi4--,muirhead's ,translation of     
,arago's ,life of ,j4 ,watt4 ,london1   
#ahci4     ,,joseph ,,bramah4  ,born    
,april #ac1 #agdi4 ,died ,december #i1  
#ahad4   ,this eminent practical        
engineer and machinist was born at      
,stainborough1 in ,yorkshire4 ,his      
father rented a farm on the estate of   
,lord ,strafford1 and ,joseph1 being the

 eldest of five children was intended   
for the same employment2 but fortunately
 for his subsequent career1 an          
accidental lameness1 which occurred when
 he was sixteen years old1 prevented his
 following agricultural pursuits4 ,when 
quite a boy1 ,bramah exhibited unusual  
mechanical talent2 he succeeded in      
constructing two violoncellos1 which    
were found to be very tolerable         
instruments1 and also managed to cut a  
violin out of a single block of wood1 by
 means of tools which were forged for   
him by a neighbouring smith1 whom in    
after life he engaged in ,london as one 
of his principal workmen4 ,after having 
served an apprenticeship to a carpenter 
and joiner1 ,bramah obtained employment 
in the workshop of a cabinetmaker in    
,london1 and soon afterwards established
 himself as a principal in the business4
 ,the history of his life after this is 
perhaps best given by a record of his   
numerous inventions1 all of which are1  
more or less1 of a highly useful        

character4 ,for the manufacture of      
these1 ,bramah first took up his        
residence in ,denmark ,street1 ,soho1   
but subsequently removed to ,piccadilly1
 and established the various branches of
 his manufactory in some extensive      
premises at ,pimlico4 ,in #aghc he took 
out a patent for an improved watercock1 
and in the year following1 completed the
 invention of his famous lock1 which for
 many years stood unrivalled in         
ingenuity of construction1 workmanship1 
and powers of resistance against all    
attempts to pick4#d ,bramah's           
indefatigable spirit of invention was   
stimulated to fresh efforts by the      
success of his lock1 and he now entered 
upon a more important and original line 
of action than he had yet ventured upon4
 ,in his patent of #aghe he indicated   
many inventions1 although none of them  
came into practical use--such as a      
,hydrostatical ,machine and ,boiler1 and
 the application of the power produced  
by them to the drawing of carriages and 

the propelling of ships1 by a           
paddle-wheel fixed in the stern of the  
vessel4 ,for different modifications of 
pumps and fire-engines1 ,mr4 ,bramah    
took out three successive patents1 the  
two last being dated in #agij and #agih4
 ,but in the year #agie he produced and 
patented the most important of all his  
inventions1 namely1 ',the ,hydraulic    
,press1' a machine which gives to a     
child the strength of a giant1 enabling 
him to bend a bar of iron as if it were 
wax4 ,the chief difficulty which ,bramah
 experienced in constructing this press 
was that of devising an efficient       
packing for the ram or solid piston1    
which1 while capable of keeping out the 
water under the tremendous internal     
pressure exercised by the pump1 should1 
on the withdrawal of that pressure1     
allow the ram to sink into its original 
place4 ,this was at length accomplished 
by the invention of the self-tightening 
leather-collar1 which was firmly secured
 in a recess at the top of a cylinder1  

with the concave side downwards4        
,consequently1 when the water was pumped
 into the cylinder1 it immediately      
forced its way between the bent edges of
 the collar2 and the greater the        
pressure of water1 the tighter became   
the hold which the collar took of the   
solid piston4 ,it appears from the      
testimony of ,mr4 ,james ,nasmyth1 that 
,bramah was indebted for this simple but
 beautiful contrivance1 to ,henry       
,maudslay1 who was at that time a       
workman in his shop1 and who had already
 greatly assisted him in the            
construction of his lock4  ,bramah      
continued his useful labours as an      
inventor for many years1 and his studies
 of the principles of ,hydraulics1 in   
the course of his invention of the      
press1 enabled him to introduce many    
valuable improvements in pumping        
machinery4 ,by varying the form of the  
piston and cylinder1 he was enabled to  
obtain a rotary motion1 which he adopted
 in the well-known fire-engine4 ,in     

#agig he took out a patent for the      
beer-machine1 now in such general use in
 public houses1 and in the description  
of this he includes a mode of converting
 every cask in a cellar into a force    
pump1 so as to raise the liquor to any  
part of the house2 a filtering machine2 
a method of making pipes2 a vent peg1   
and a new form of stop-cock4 ,bramah    
also turned his attention to the        
improvement of the steam-engine1 but in 
this1 ,watt's patent had left little    
room for other inventors3 and hence     
,bramah seems to have entertained a     
grudge against ,watt1 which was shown   
strongly in the evidence given by him in
 the case of ,boulton and ,watt versus  
,hornblower and ,maberly1 tried in      
,december #agif4 ,on the expiry1        
however1 of ,boulton and ,watt's patent1
 ,bramah introduced several valuable    
improvements in the details of the      
condensing engine1 the most important of
 which was his four-way cock1 which was 
so contrived as to revolve continuously 

instead of alternately1 thus insuring   
greater precision with less wear of     
parts4 ,in this patent1 which he secured
 in #ahja1 he also proposed sundry      
improvements in the boilers1 as well as 
modifications in various parts of the   
engine4 ,in the year #ahjb1 ,bramah     
obtained a patent for a very elaborate  
and accurate machine for producing      
smooth and parallel surfaces on wood and
 other materials4 ,this was erected on a
 large scale at ,woolwich ,arsenal1 and 
proved perfectly successful4 ,the       
specification of the patent includes the
 description of a mode of turning       
spherical surfaces either convex or     
concave1 by a tool moveable on an axis  
perpendicular to that of the lathe1 and 
of cutting out concentric shells1 by    
fixing in a similar manner a curved     
tool1 nearly of the same form as that   
employed by common turners for making   
bowls4 ,bramah also invented machinery  
for making paper in large sheets1 and   
for printing by means of a roller1      

composed of a number of circular plates1
 each turning on the same axis1 and     
bearing twenty-six letters capable of   
being shifted at pleasure1 so as to     
express any single line by a proper     
combination of the plates4 ,this was put
 in practice to number bank-notes1 and  
enabled twenty clerks to perform the    
labour which previously had required one
 hundred and twenty4 ,in #ahab he       
projected a scheme for main-pipes1 which
 was1 however1 in many respects1 more   
ingenious than practicable4 ,in         
describing this1 he mentions having     
employed a hydrostatic pressure equal to
 that of a column of water twenty       
thousand feet high 7about three and a   
half tons per square inch74 ,mr4 ,bramah
 made several improvements in the       
bearings of wheels1 and suggested the   
use of pneumatic springs formed by      
pistons sliding in cylinders1 in place  
of the usual metal springs for          
carriages4 ,he likewise improved the    
machines for sawing stones and timber1  

and suggested some alterations in the   
construction of bridges and canal locks4
 ,he died in his sixty-sixth year1 his  
last illness having been occasioned by a
 severe cold caught during the month of 
,november1 while making some experiments
 with his hydraulic press on the tearing
 up of trees in ,holt ,forest4 ,he was a
 cheerful1 benevolent1 and affectionate 
man1 neat and methodical in his habits1 
and knew well how to temper liberality  
with economy2 greatly to his honour he  
often kept his workmen employed solely  
for their sake1 when the stagnation of  
trade prevented him from disposing of   
the products of their labour4 ,as a     
manufacturer he was distinguished for   
his promptitude and probity1 and was    
celebrated for the exquisite finish     
which he gave to his productions4 ,at   
his death he left his family in affluent
 circumstances1 and his manufacturing   
establishments have since his death been
 continued by his sons4 ,unfortunately1 
,mr4 ,bramah had an invincible dislike  

to sitting for his portrait1 and there  
consequently exists no likeness of this 
distinguished man2 for1 although a cast 
of his face was taken after death by    
,sir ,francis ,chantry1 this1 together  
with many others was destroyed by ,lady 
,chantry after the death of her         
husband4--,memoir by ,dr4               
,brown4--,stuart's ,anecdotes of the    
,steam ,engine4 ,london1                
#ahbi4--,smiles's ,industrial           
,biography4 ,london1 #ahfc4     ,,robert
 ,,brown1 ,d4,c4,l41 ,f4,r4,s41         
,p4,l4,s41 c4  ,,member ,,of ,,the      
,,institute ,,of ,,france4  ,born       
,december #ba1 #aggc4 ,died ,june #aj1  
#ahei4   ,robert ,brown1 whom ,humboldt 
has designated as the ,prince of        
,botanists1 was the second and only     
surviving son of the ,rev4 ,james       
,brown1 ,episcopalian ,minister1 of     
,montrose4 ,several generations of his  
maternal ancestors were1 like his       
father1 ministers of the ,scottish      
,episcopalian ,church1 and from them he 

appears to have inherited a strong      
attachment to logical and metaphysical  
studies1 the effects of which are so    
strikingly manifested in the            
philosophical character of his botanical
 investigations4 ,at an early age he was
 sent to the grammar-school of his      
native town1 and in #aghg entered at    
,marischal ,college1 ,aberdeen1 where he
 immediately obtained a ,ramsay ,bursary
 in philosophy4 ,about two years        
afterwards1 on his father quitting      
,montrose to reside in ,edinburgh1 he   
was removed to the ,university of that  
city1 in which he continued his studies 
for several years2 but without taking a 
degree1 although destined for the       
medical profession4  ,in the year #agia1
 at the age of seventeen1 ,brown laid   
before the ,natural ,history ,society1  
of which he was a member1 his earliest  
paper1 which contained1 together with   
critical notes and observations1 an     
enumeration of such plants as had been  
discovered in ,north ,britain subsequent

 to the publication of ,lightfoot's     
,flora ,scotica4 ,although this paper   
was not intended for publication1 it    
brought the young botanist into         
communication with ,dr4 ,withering1 and 
laid the foundation of a warm and       
intimate friendship between them4 ,in   
the year #agie1 soon after the          
embodiment of the ,fifeshire ,regiment  
of ,fencible ,infantry1 ,brown obtained 
in it the double commission of ensign   
and assistant surgeon1 proceeding with  
the regiment to the north of ,ireland1  
in various parts of which he was        
stationed until the summer of #agih1    
when he was detached to ,england on     
recruiting service4  ,fortunately for   
himself and for science1 this service   
enabled him to pass some time in        
,london1 where his already established  
botanical reputation secured him a      
cordial reception from ,sir ,joseph     
,banks1 of whose library and collections
 he availed himself to the utmost4 ,in  
#agii he returned to his regimental     

duties in ,ireland1 from which he was   
finally recalled1 in ,december of the   
following year1 by a letter from ,sir   
,joseph ,banks1 proposing for his       
acceptance the post of naturalist in the
 expedition for surveying the coasts of 
,new ,holland1 then fitting out under   
the command of ,captain ,flinders4  ,in 
the summer of #ahja he embarked at      
,portsmouth and set out on this         
expedition4 ,his absence from ,england  
lasted more than four years1 during     
which period the southern1 eastern1 and 
northern coasts of ,new ,holland1 and   
the southern part of ,van ,diemen's     
,land were thoroughly explored2 and he  
arrived in ,liverpool1 in the month of  
,october1 #ahje1 enriched with a        
collection of dried plants amounting to 
nearly #djjj species1 a large proportion
 of which were not only new to science1 
but likewise exhibited extraordinary    
combinations of character and form4     
,immediately on his arrival in ,england1
 ,brown was appointed librarian of the  

,linnean ,society1 of which he had been 
elected an associate in #agih4 ,the     
materials which he had been             
indefatigable in collecting during this 
voyage1 and the vast store of facts and 
observations in relation to their       
structure and affinities which he had   
accumulated1 opened out to him new views
 upon a multitude of botanical subjects1
 which he was enabled by his position in
 the ,linnean ,society to enlarge1 and  
to perfect1 and ultimately to lay before
 the world in a series of masterly      
publications1 which at once stamped upon
 him the character of the greatest and  
most philosophical botanist that        
,england had ever produced4  ,in #ahaj  
appeared the first volume of his        
',prodromus ,flor nov ,hollandi et      
,insul ,van ,diemen4' ,this important   
work1 together with his memoirs on      
,proteaci and ,asclepiade1 which        
immediately followed1 and his ',general 
,remarks1 ,geographical and             
,systematical1 on the ,botany of ,terra 

,australis1' appended to the ',narrative
 of ,captain ,flinder's ,voyage1'       
published in #ahad1 by displaying in the
 most instructive form the superior     
advantages of the ,natural ,system1 gave
 new life to that system1 which had     
hitherto found little favour in ,france1
 and speedily led to its universal      
adoption4 ,a series of memoirs followed 
the above works1 chiefly in the         
,transactions of the ,linnean ,society1 
or in the appendices to various books of
 travel and survey1 which gave fuller   
and more complete development to his    
views upon almost every department of   
botanical science1 and induced the      
illustrious ,humboldt not only to confer
 upon ,brown the title mentioned at the 
beginning of this memoir1 but also to   
designate him as the ,glory and         
,ornament of ,great ,britain4#e  ,at the
 close of the year #ahaj1 on the death  
of his learned and intimate friend      
,dryander1 ,mr4 ,brown succeeded to the 
office of ,librarian to ,sir ,joseph    

,banks1 who 7on his death in #ahbj7     
bequeathed to him for life the use and  
enjoyment of his library and            
collections4 ,these were subsequently1  
with ,mr4 ,brown's consent1 and in      
conformity with the provisions of ,sir  
,joseph's will1 transferred1 in #ahbg1  
to the ,british ,museum2 and from this  
latter date1 until his death1 he        
continued to fill the office of ,keeper 
of the ,botanical ,collections in the   
,national establishment4 ,in #ahdi ,mr4 
,brown was elected ,president of the    
,linnean ,society1 of which1 soon after 
the death of ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 he had
 resigned the ,librarianship1 and had   
become a fellow4  ,in #ahaa he had been 
made a fellow of the ,royal ,society2   
and in #ahci received its highest honour
 in the ,copley medal1 awarded to him   
for his discoveries during a series of  
years on the subject of vegetable       
impregnation4 ,in the meantime1 honours 
and titles flowed in upon him from all  
quarters4 ,in #ahcb the ,university of  

,oxford conferred on him1 in conjunction
 with ,dalton1 ,faraday1 and ,brewster1 
the honorary degree of ,d4,c4,l42 and1  
in the succeeding year1 he was elected  
one of the eight foreign associates of  
the ,academy of ,sciences of the        
,institute of ,france1 his name being   
selected from a list1 including those of
 nine other savans of world-wide        
reputation1 nearly every one of whom has
 since been elected to the same         
distinguished honour4 ,during the       
administration of ,sir ,robert ,peel1 he
 received1 in recognition of his great  
eminence in botanical science1 a pension
 on the ,civil ,list of #bjjl4 per      
annum1 and shortly afterwards the ,king 
of ,prussia decorated him with the cross
 of the highest ,prussian ,civil        
,order--',pour le ,merite4'  ,of ,mr4   
,brown's later publications the most    
important are1 his ',botanical ,appendix
 to ,captain ,burt's ,expedition into   
,central ,australia1' published in      
#ahdi2 and his ,memoir ',on             

,triplosporite1 an undescribed ,fossil  
,fruit1' published in the ,linnean      
,transactions for #ahea4 ,the pervading 
and distinguishing character of all     
these writings1 is to be found in the   
combination of the minutest accuracy of 
detail with the most comprehensive      
generalization2 and no theory is        
propounded which does not rest for its  
foundation on the most circumspect      
investigation of all attainable facts4  
,among the most important anatomical and
 physiological subjects of which they   
treat1 particular mention is due to the 
discovery of the nucleus of the         
vegetable cell1 the development of the  
stamina1 together with the mode of      
fecundation in ,asclepiade and ,orchide2
 the development of the pollen and of   
the ovulum in ,phnogamous plants1 and   
the bearing of these facts upon the     
general subject of impregnation2 also   
the origin and development of the spores
 of mosses2 and the discovery of the    
peculiar motions which take place in the

 active molecules of matter when seen   
suspended in a fluid under the          
microscope4 ,of structural              
investigations1 the most important are  
those which establish the relation of   
the flower to the axis from which it is 
derived1 and of the parts of a flower to
 each other1 as regards both position   
and number2 the analogy between stamina 
and pistilla2 the neuration of the      
corolla of composit1 their stivation and
 inflorescence2 and the structure of the
 stems of cycade1 both recent and       
fossil4  ,mr4 ,brown was also strongly  
attached to the study of fossil botany1 
and1 with a view to its prosecution1 he 
formed an extensive and valuable        
collection of fossil woods1 which he has
 bequeathed1 under certain conditions1  
to the ,british ,museum4  ,after the    
death of ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 who       
bequeathed to him his house in ,soho    
,square1 ,mr4 ,brown continued to occupy
 that portion of it which opened upon   
,dean ,street2 and it was in the library

 of that illustrious man1 the scene of  
his labours for sixty years1 surrounded 
by his books and by his collections1    
that ,robert ,brown breathed his last1  
on the #ajth of ,june1 #ahei1 in the    
eighty-fifth year of his age4--,memoir  
by ,john ,j4 ,bennett1 ,f4,r4,s41 read  
at the ,anniversary ,meeting of the     
,linnean ,society1 ,may1 #ahei4         
,,sir ,m4 ,,isambard ,,brunel1          
,v4,p4,r4,s41 c4  ,born ,april #be1     
#agfi4 ,died ,december #ab1 #ahdi4      
,this celebrated engineer was born at   
,haqueville1 in ,normandy1 where his    
family had for several centuries held an
 honourable position1 numbering among   
its members the eminent ,french painter 
,nicholas ,poussin4 ,brunel was educated
 at the seminary at ,rouen1 with the    
intention of his entering holy orders1  
but he displayed so decided a taste for 
mathematics and mechanics1#f that by the
 advice of the superior of the          
establishment he was removed to follow a
 more congenial career4  ,his father    

then destined him for the naval service1
 which he entered on the appointment of 
the ,mareschal de ,castries1 the        
,minister of ,marine1 and made several  
voyages to the ,west ,indies4 ,while in 
this position1 although only fifteen    
years old1 his mechanical talents showed
 themselves on many occasions1 and he   
surprised his captain by the production 
of a sextant of his own manufacture1    
with which he took his observations4    
,in #agib ,brunel returned to ,france1  
where he found the revolution at its    
height1 and1 like all who entertained   
,royalist principles1 was compelled to  
seek safety by flight1 which with       
difficulty he effected1#g taking refuge 
in the ,united ,states of ,america4     
,here1 driven by necessity to the       
exercise of his talents1 he followed the
 bent of his inclination1 and became a  
civil engineer and architect4 ,his first
 engagement in this capacity was on the 
survey of a tract of land near ,lake    
,erie2 he then became engaged in cutting

 canals1 and was employed to erect an   
arsenal and cannon foundry at ,new      
,york1 where he erected several new and 
ingenious machines4 ,he was also engaged
 to design and superintend the building 
of the ,bowery ,theatre1 ,new ,york1    
since destroyed by fire1 the roof of    
which was peculiar and original in its  
construction4 ,brunel now rose high in  
the estimation of the citizens of ,new  
,york2 they appointed him their chief   
engineer1 and in that capacity he       
organized an establishment for casting  
and boring ordnance1 which at that time 
was considered unsurpassed for its      
novelty of design and general           
practicability4 ,previously to this the 
idea of substituting machinery for      
manual labour in making ships' blocks   
had long occupied ,brunel's mind1 and in
 #agii1 having matured his plans1 he    
determined upon coming to ,england1     
finding that the ,united ,states were   
unable to afford full occupation for his
 inventive genius4  ,in the month of    

,may of the same year ,brunel took out  
his first patent in ,england1 which was 
for a duplicate writing and drawing     
machine4 ,his next invention was a      
machine for twisting cotton thread and  
forming it into balls2 it measured the  
length of thread which it wound1 and    
proportioned the size of the ball to its
 weight and firmness4 ,this machine was 
not1 however1 patented1 and it became   
rapidly and generally adopted without   
bringing any advantage to the inventor4 
,brunel's next contrivance was a machine
 for trimmings and borders for muslins1 
lawns1 and cambrics1 somewhat of the    
nature of a sewing machine4 ,shortly    
after this he patented his famous       
block-machinery1 which he submitted for 
the inspection of the ,admiralty in     
#ahja4  ,earl ,st4 ,vincent was at that 
time at the head of the ,admiralty1 and 
after many delays and difficulties1     
which were ultimately overcome chiefly  
through the influence of ,earl ,spencer 
and ,sir ,samuel ,bentham1 ,brunel's    

system was adopted2 and he was enabled  
to erect the beautiful and effective    
machinery1 which has continued until the
 present time1 without any alteration or
 improvement1 to produce nearly all the 
blocks used in the ,royal ,navy4#h ,the 
construction of this block machinery1   
completed in #ahjh1 was entrusted to the
 late ,mr4 ,henry ,maudslay1 from whom  
,brunei had already derived considerable
 assistance in the execution of his     
models and working out of his designs4  
,it was erected in ,portsmouth          
,dockyard1 and the economy produced by  
the first year's use of these machines  
was estimated at about #bd1jjjl41       
two-thirds of which sum was awarded to  
the ingenious inventor1 who was soon    
after engaged by the government to erect
 extensive saw mills1 and carry out     
other improvements at ,chatham and      
,woolwich4 ,brunel was essentially an   
inventor2 besides the above-mentioned   
machines1 he took out patents for the   
manufacture of tin-foil1 for copying    

presses1 for stereotype printing plates1
 a contrivance for making the small     
boxes used by druggists1 and a          
nail-making machine4  ,he likewise      
introduced the system of cutting veneers
 by circular saws of a large diameter1  
to which is mainly due the present      
extensive application of veneers of wood
 to ornamental furniture4  ,a short time
 before the termination of the war with 
,france he devised a plan for making    
shoes by machinery1 and under the       
countenance of the ,duke of ,york the   
shoes so manufactured were introduced   
for the use of the army1 on account of  
their strength1 cheapness1 and          
durability2 but at the peace in #ahae1  
the machines were laid aside1 manual    
labour having become cheaper1 and the   
demand for military equipments having in
 a measure ceased4 ,steam navigation    
also attracted ,brunel's attention1 and 
he became deeply interested in          
establishing the ,ramsgate steam        
vessels1 which were among the first that

 plied effectively on the ,river        
,thames4 ,about this period1 after much 
labour and perseverance1 he induced the 
,admiralty to permit the application of 
steam for towing vessels to sea1 the    
experiments being made chiefly at his   
own expense1 a small sum in aid having  
been promised1 but eventually withdrawn 
before the completion of the trials1 the
 ,admiralty considering the attempt too 
chimerical to be seriously entertained4 
,in the year #ahbd ,brunel1 undeterred  
by the two previous failures of ,dodd   
and ,trevethick1 commenced his great    
work--the ,thames ,tunnel4 ,it is said  
that the original idea occurred to him  
as applied to the ,neva at ,st4         
,petersburgh1 in order to avoid the     
inconvenience arising from the floating 
ice2 a plan which he offered to the     
,emperor ,alexander1 on the occasion of 
his visit to this country in #ahad4     
,during the above-mentioned year a      
company was formed for the execution of 
this work1 under the auspices of the    

,duke of ,wellington1 who had always    
entertained a favourable view as to its 
practicability2 and after numerous      
accidents1 and frequent suspensions of  
the works1 this great and novel         
undertaking was successfully            
accomplished1 and opened to the public  
in the year #ahdc4 ,in the prosecution  
of this undertaking ,sir ,isambard      
derived great assistance from his son1  
the late ,mr4 ,i4 ,k4 ,brunel4  ,the    
shield1 as it was termed1 under shelter 
of which the excavation beneath the bed 
of the river was carried forward1       
required very peculiar contrivances to  
adapt it to its purpose4 ,it was made in
 sections or compartments contained in a
 strong square frame1 each section or   
compartment being moved forward by      
screws1 as the men working in them      
proceeded with the excavation2 the      
entire shield was thus enabled to be    
moved forward1 and the brickwork1       
consisting of two tunnels1 was built up 
to the extent that it had been advanced4

  ,after the completion of the ,tunnel1 
,brunel's health became seriously       
impaired from the labours he had        
undergone in its execution1 and he was  
unable to mix in active life2 he expired
 on the #abth of ,december1 #ahdi1 in   
his eighty-first year1 after a long     
illness4  ,he received the honour of    
,knighthood in #ahda1 and the order of  
the ,legion of honour in #ahbi2 he was  
also a corresponding member of the      
,french ,institute1 a ,fellow of the    
,royal ,society1 and a member of the    
,institution of ,civil ,engineers1 which
 he joined in the year #ahbc4--;,annual 
,report of the ,institution of ,civil   
,engineers4 ,december #ag1              
#ahej4--;,beamish's ,life of ,brunel4   
,london1 #ahfb4     ,,edmund            
,,cartwright1 ,d4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 c4     
,born ,april #bd1 #agdc4 ,died ,october 
#cj1 #ahbc4   ,dr4 ,cartwright1 whose   
invention of the power-loom may be      
considered as one of the valuable       
elements of our national manufacturing  

superiority1 was born at ,marnham in    
,nottinghamshire1 and was the youngest  
of three brothers1 all of whom were     
remarkable men4#i ,he was educated under
 ,dr4 ,clarke1 at the ,grammar ,school  
of ,wakefield1 and had he been permitted
 to follow the bent of his own          
inclination in the choice of a          
profession1 would have preferred the    
navy2 but two of his brothers being     
already designed for that service1 it   
was thought advisable that ,edmund      
should enter the ,church4 ,dr4          
,cartwright began his academical studies
 at ,university ,college1 ,oxford1 where
 he was entered at fourteen years of    
age1 and during the vacations was placed
 under the private tuition of ,dr4      
,langhorne1 the editor of ',plutarch's  
,lives4'  ,in process of time he became 
distinguished for his literary          
abilities1 and was elected a ,fellow of 
,magdalen ,college4 ,he likewise evinced
 a considerable taste for poetry1 and   
published in #aggj a legendary tale1    

entitled ',armine and ,elvira1' which   
went through seven editions in little   
more than a year1 and was greatly       
admired for its pathos and elegant      
simplicity4 ,some years subsequent to   
this1 ,cartwright wrote ',the ,prince of
 ,peace1' published in #aggi1 and was   
also for several years a principal      
contributor to the ',monthly ,review4'  
,in the year #aggb he married the       
daughter of ,richard ,whittaker1 ,esq41 
of ,doncaster1 and after his marriage   
resided first at ,marnham1 and          
afterwards at ,brampton in ,derbyshire1 
to the perpetual curacy of which he was 
presented by the ,dean of ,lincoln1 ,dr4
 ,cust4 ,it was while attending to his  
clerical duties at this latter place1   
that ,cartwright discovered the         
application of yeast as a remedy for    
typhus fever4 ,in #aggi he was presented
 to the living of ,goadby ,marwood in   
,leicestershire1 and continued to reside
 there until the summer of #agif1 when  
he removed with his family#aj to        

,london1 as being a situation more      
favourable for the cultivation of the   
scientific pursuits in which he had by  
that time become engrossed4  ,dr4       
,cartwright had attained the mature age 
of forty1 before his attention was drawn
 towards the subject of weaving1 by the 
following accidental occurrence3--,in   
the summer of #aghd1 he happened to be  
on a visit at ,matlock1 in ,derbyshire1 
and in the company of some gentlemen    
from ,manchester4 ,the conversation     
turned upon ,arkwright's spinning       
machinery2 and fears were expressed by  
one of the company1 that1 in consequence
 of the recent improvements1 so much    
cotton would soon be spun1 that hands   
would not be found to weave it4 ,to this
 the doctor replied1 that the only      
remedy for such an evil would be to     
apply the power of machinery to weaving 
as well as spinning4 ,the discussion    
which ensued upon the practicability of 
doing this1 made such an impression on  
,cartwright's mind1 that on returning   

home he determined to try and see what  
he could do4  ,his first attempts1 as   
might be supposed1 were very clumsy1 but
 he at length succeeded in constructing 
a machine 7for which he took out a      
patent in #aghe71 which1 although rude  
and cumbersome in its action1 was yet   
capable of weaving a piece of cloth4 ,up
 to this time he had never turned his   
mind to anything mechanical1 either in  
theory or practice1 and his invention   
was consequently susceptible of great   
improvement4 ,to accomplish this1 he now
 examined with care the contrivances    
already in use among the weavers1 and   
availing himself of their general       
principles1 produced in the year #aghg a
 far more complete and valuable machine1
 since known as the power-loom4         
,shortly after he had brought his loom  
to perfection1 a manufacturer who had   
called upon him to see it at work1 after
 expressing his admiration at the       
ingenuity displayed in it1 remarked1    
that wonderful as was ,dr4 ,cartwright's

 skill1 there was one thing that would  
effectually baffle him1 and that was1   
the weaving of patterns in checks1 or1  
in other words1 the combining in the    
same web a pattern or fancy figure with 
the crossing colours which constitute   
the check4 ,the doctor made no reply to 
this at the time2 but some weeks        
afterwards1 on receiving a second visit 
from the same person1 he showed him a   
piece of muslin1 of the description     
mentioned1 beautifully executed by      
machinery1 which so astonished the man1 
that he roundly declared his conviction 
that some more than human agency must   
have been called in on the occasion4#aa 
,dr4 ,cartwright being precluded by his 
clerical character from entering himself
 into the manufacture of his machines1 a
 weaving factory was erected at         
,doncaster1 by some friends1 with his   
licence1 but it was unsuccessful2 and   
another establishment1 built at         
,manchester1 containing #ejj looms1 was 
destroyed by an exasperated mob in      

#agij4 ,cartwright1 however1 still      
continued his inventions1 and shortly   
afterwards contrived a wool-combing     
machine1 which met with even fiercer    
opposition from the working-classes1 who
 went the length of petitioning         
parliament to suppress all such         
obnoxious machines4 ,their great        
utility1 however1 caused them by degrees
 to be generally adopted2 and at the    
time of ,cartwright's death1 steam-looms
 had increased so rapidly1 that they    
were performing the work of #bjj1jjj    
men4  ,notwithstanding the great        
advantages which the cotton and wool    
manufacturers reaped from these         
inventions1 their author had as yet     
obtained no emolument from them1 but1 on
 the contrary1 had incurred a heavy     
loss4 ,in consideration of this1 and on 
the petition of several influential     
cotton-spinners1 ,parliament in #ahaj   
made the doctor a grant of #aj1jjjl4--a 
sum which1 although munificent as a     
present1 hardly covered what he had     

expended in his experiments4 ,having    
received the sum awarded by ,parliament1
 and being now sixty-six years of age1  
,dr4 ,cartwright was desirous of passing
 the remainder of his life in retirement
 and tranquillity1 and for this purpose 
purchased a small farm at ,hollenden1 in
 ,kent4 ,at this place he spent the     
remainder of his life1 occupied in      
various scientific and mechanical       
experiments4  ,dr4 ,cartwright was the  
author of many other inventions in the  
arts and agriculture1 for some of which 
he received premiums from the ,board of 
,agriculture and ,society of ,arts4 ,he 
also contrived an ingenious modification
 of the steam-engine1 in which he made  
use of surface condensation1 and        
metallic spring packing for the piston4 
,till within a few days of his death1   
,dr4 ,cartwright retained full          
possession of his mental faculties1 and 
attained1 at the time of his decease in 
#ahbc1 the age of eighty-one4 ,his      
remains were interred in the church at  

,battle1 in ,sussex4 ,memoir of ,dr4    
,edmund ,cartwright4 ,london1           
#ahdc4--,stuart's ,anecdotes of the     
,steam-,engine4 ,london1 #ahbi4         
,,the ,,hon4 ,,henry ,,cavendish1       
,f4,r4,s4  ,born ,october #aj1 #agca4   
,died ,february #bd1 #ahaj4   ,henry    
,cavendish1 the third in order of time  
among the four great ,english pneumatic 
chemists of the eighteenth century1#ab  
was the younger son of ,lord ,charles   
,cavendish1 whose father was the second 
,duke of ,devonshire4 ,his family trace 
back their descent in unbroken and      
unquestionable links to ,sir ,john      
,cavendish1 ,lord ,chief ,justice during
 the reign of ,edward ,,iii4 ,the great 
majority of the distinguished chemists  
of ,great ,britain have sprung from the 
middle and lower ranks of the people1   
but in this respect ,henry ,cavendish   
presents a remarkable exception4 ,he was
 moreover immensely wealthy1 so much so1
 that it has been epigrammatically      
remarked of him1 ,that he was the       

richest of all wise men1 and probably1  
too1 the wisest of all rich men2 yet no 
one could well be more indifferent than 
he1 to the external advantages which are
 conferred by birth and fortune4 ,few   
particulars are known of his early life4
 ,he was born at ,nice1 whither his     
mother1 who died when he was two years  
old1 had gone for the sake of her       
health4  ,in #agdb ,cavendish became a  
pupil at ,dr4 ,newcome's school at      
,hackney1 continuing his studies there  
until he had reached his seventeenth    
year1 when he went to ,cambridge1 where 
he matriculated in the first rank on the
 #ahth of ,december1 #agdi4 ,he remained
 at this university until #agec1 but did
 not graduate4  ,after leaving          
,cambridge1 the personal history of     
,cavendish becomes a blank for the next 
ten years4 ,he joined the ,royal        
,society in #agfj1 but did not          
contribute anything to its              
',transactions' until the year #agff1   
when he published his paper ',on        

,factitious ,airs1' which contains the  
first distinct exposition of the        
properties of hydrogen1 and the first   
full account of those of carbonic acid2 
and a paper published by him in the     
following year may be considered as a   
still further extension of his research 
into the properties of this acid4  ,for 
some considerable time after this1      
,cavendish appears to have laid aside   
,chemistry for other departments of     
physics4 ,in #agga he published an      
elaborate paper on the theory of the    
principal phenomena of electricity2 and 
in #aggf appeared the curious and       
interesting account of his attempts to  
imitate the effects of the torpedo1 by  
an apparatus constructed in imitation of
 the living fish1 and placed in         
connection with a frictional electrical 
machine and a ,leyden battery4 ,in this 
imitation he succeeded so well1 that all
 doubts were removed as to the identity 
of the torpedinal benumbing power with  
common electricity4 ,in #aggf ,cavendish

 was selected by the ,royal ,society1 in
 whose ',transactions' all his previous 
papers had been published1 to describe  
the various meteorological instruments  
which were made use of in their         
apartments2 and the succeeding year to  
this marks the period when he commenced 
his most important chemical researches1 
entitled ',experiments on ,air1' which  
were carried on with frequent and       
sometimes long interruptions until      
#aghh1 no part of them1 however1 having 
been published before the year #aghc4   
,they led to the discovery of the       
constant quantitative composition of the
 atmosphere1 the compound nature of     
water1 and the composition of nitric    
acid4 ,to solve the important problems1 
whether the atmosphere is constant in   
its composition1 and if so1 what is its 
composition8 ,cavendish experimented in 
#agha for some sixty successive days1   
making many hundred analyses of air4    
,the honour of the discovery of the     
compound nature of water1 by which      

perhaps his name has become most famous1
 is also claimed by ,james ,watt4       
,cavendish1 however1 seems at all events
 entitled to the honour of having first 
supplied the data on which that         
discovery was founded1 whilst ,watt     
appears to have supplied the conclusion4
  ,between the years #aghc and #aghh1   
,cavendish published his papers on      
',heat1' and his ',experiments on ,air2'
 the former are three in number1 and    
relate chiefly to the phenomena of      
congelation1 and embody some of the     
results of experiments made as early as 
the year #agfd4 ,the first of these     
papers refer to quicksilver1            
demonstrating the true freezing-point of
 this metal to be #ci or #dj below zero1
 while the second and third refer to the
 freezing of the mineral acids and of   
alcohol4  ,his experiments on air1 which
 led to the important results already   
referred to1 supplied materials for four
 papers1 besides leading to the         
observation of many phenomena which were

 never made public4 ,with the last of   
these papers published in #aghh1        
,cavendish closed his chemical          
researches1 his remaining publications  
referring to meteorology and astronomy4 
,in #agih appeared the celebrated       
enquiry into the density of the earth1  
communicated by ,cavendish1 in a paper  
to the ,royal ,society1 in which he     
determined1 by means of an apparatus    
contrived by the ,rev4 ,john ,mitchell1 
the density of our globe to be #ed1--or1
 in other words1 nearly five-and-a half 
times heavier than the same bulk of     
water would be4 ,the experiments made   
with this apparatus consisted in        
observing1 with many precautions1 the   
movements of a long lever delicately    
suspended by the centre1 so as to hang  
horizontally1 and furnished at either   
extremity with small leaden balls4 ,when
 two much larger and heavier balls of   
the same metal were brought near the    
smaller ones1 the latter were attracted 
towards them with a certain force1 the  

measurement of which supplied one       
essential datum for the determination of
 the mean density of the earth4 ,no     
greater compliment to the accuracy of   
the ',cavendish ,experiment' 7as the    
researches taken as a whole are         
generally called7 can be afforded1 than 
the slight difference which appeared    
when the experiment was repeated at a   
later period by ,francis ,baily1 who1   
with extraordinary precautions to ensure
 a correct result1 and with all the     
improvements which forty fertile years  
had added to mechanical contrivances1   
determined the density to be #ef1 or a  
little more than five-and-a-half times  
that of water4  ,the last paper which   
,cavendish published1 on an improvement 
in the manner of dividing astronomical  
instruments1 appeared in #ahji1--;a year
 before his death4 ,his published papers
 give1 however1 but an imperfect notion 
of the great extent of ground over which
 he travelled in the course of his      
investigations1 and of the success with 

which he explored it4 ,he was an        
excellent mathematician1 electrician1   
astronomer1 meteorologist1 and          
geologist1 and a chemist equally learned
 and original4 ,he lived retired from   
the world among his books and           
instruments2 he never meddled with the  
affairs of active life1 but passed his  
whole time in storing his mind with the 
knowledge imparted by former inquirers1 
and in extending its bounds4 ,his dress 
was of the oldest fashion2 his walk was 
quick and uneasy2 he never appeared in  
,london unless lying back in the corner 
of his carriage2 and he probably uttered
 fewer words in the course of his life  
than any man who ever lived to fourscore
 years4 ,his private character has been 
thus described by ,dr4 ,george ,wilson1 
from whose comprehensive life of        
,cavendish the present memoir has been  
chiefly taken3--  ,morally it was a     
blank1 and can only be described by a   
series of negations4 ,he did not love1  
he did not hate1 he did not hope1 he did

 not fear1 he did not worship as others 
do4 ,he separated himself from his      
fellow men1 and apparently from ,god4   
,there was nothing earnest1             
enthusiastic1 heroic or chivalrous in   
his nature2 and as little was there     
anything mean1 grovelling or ignoble4   
,he was almost passionless4 ,an         
intellectual head thinking1 a pair of   
wonderfully acute eyes observing1 and a 
pair of very skilful hands experimenting
 or recording1 are all that ,i recognize
 in his memorials4 ,his brain seems to  
have been but a calculating engine2 his 
eyes inlets of vision1 not fountains of 
tears2 his hands instruments of         
manipulation1 which never trembled with 
emotion1 or were clasped together in    
adoration1 thanksgiving or despair2 his 
heart only an anatomical organ necessary
 for the circulation of the blood4 ,a   
sense of isolation from his brethren    
made him shrink from their society and  
avoid their presence2 but he did so as  
one conscious of an infirmity1 not      

boasting of an excellence4 ,he was like 
a deaf mute1 sitting apart from a circle
 whose looks and gestures show that they
 are uttering and listening to music and
 eloquence1 in producing or welcoming   
which he can be no sharer4 ,wisely      
therefore he dwelt apart4 ,he was one of
 the unthanked benefactors of his race1 
who was patiently teaching and serving  
mankind1 whilst they were shrinking from
 his coldness or mocking his            
peculiarities4 ,he could not sing for   
them a sweet song1 or create a 'thing of
 beauty1' which would be 'a joy for     
ever1' or touch their hearts1 or fire   
their spirits1 or deepen their reverence
 or their fervour4 ,he was not a poet1 a
 priest1 or a prophet1 but only a cold  
clear intelligence1 raying down pure    
white light1 which brightened everything
 on which it fell1 but warmed nothing--a
 star of at least the second1 if not of 
the first magnitude in the intellectual 
firmament4  ,as ,cavendish had lived1 so
 he died--alone4 ,he died after a short 

illness1 probably the first as well as  
the last under which he ever suffered4  
,his habit of curious observation       
continued to the end2 he was desirous of
 marking the progress of disease and the
 gradual extinction of the vital powers4
 ,with this view1 that he might not be  
disturbed1 he desired to be left alone4 
,his servant returning sooner than he   
had wished was ordered again to leave   
the chamber of death1 and when he came  
back a second time he found his master  
had expired4 ,although in many respects 
of a highly liberal character1 so great 
was the frugality of his ordinary mode  
of living in comparison to his income1  
that at his death ,cavendish left the   
enormous sum of #a1bjj1jjjl4 to be      
divided among his relations4--,life of  
the ,hon4 ,henry ,cavendish1 by ,george 
,wilson1 ,m4,d41 ,f4,r4,s4,e4 ,london1  
#ahea4--;,brougham's ,lives of          
,philosophers4 ,london and ,glasgow1    
#ahee4     ,,william ,,chapman1         
,m4,r4,i4,a4  ,born #agdi4 ,died ,may   

#bi1 #ahcb4   ,william ,chapman1 ,civil 
,engineer1 was born at ,whitby1 in      
,yorkshire1 of a respectable and wealthy
 family1 who had resided in that town   
for several generations4 ,he inherited  
the freedom of ,newcastle-upon-,tyne    
from his father1 who1 in common with all
 the chief people of ,whitby1 was       
engaged in shipping1 and was besides    
particularly distinguished for his      
attainments in mathematics and other    
scientific pursuits4 ,william ,chapman  
derived great advantage from his        
father's knowledge of these subjects1   
contracting a strong taste for similar  
occupations4 ,after receiving a liberal 
education at different public schools1  
he was put in command1 at the early age 
of eighteen1 of a merchant vessel1 in   
which he enjoyed the opportunity of     
visiting numerous harbours1 both in     
,great ,britain and other countries4 ,he
 continued thus occupied for a period of
 three years1 losing no opportunity of  
making himself acquainted with the      

circumstances of the various harbours he
 was in the habit of visiting1 and he   
thus acquired that valuable practical   
knowledge on the subject of these works 
for which he became afterwards so highly
 distinguished4  ,after leaving the     
merchant service1 ,mr4 ,chapman was     
fortunate enough to become acquainted   
with ,james ,watt1 with his partner     
,matthew ,boulton1 and also with ,mr4   
,wooller1 ,engineer to the ,board of    
,ordnance4 ,by these eminent men he was 
strongly advised to become an engineer1 
and follow as a profession that which he
 had already closely studied as an      
amusement4 ,chapman accordingly         
accompanied ,mr4 ,boulton into ,ireland1
 about the close of the year #aghc1 but 
although well introduced1 was unable to 
obtain any employment of consequence in 
that country1 until he had written a    
prize essay on the effects of the river 
,dodder on the ,harbour of ,dublin4     
,shortly after this1 he was appointed   
resident engineer to the ,county of     

,kildare ,canal1 the works of which were
 carried on under the surveillance of   
the ,duke of ,leinster1 the county      
members1 and other leading men4 ,in the 
execution of this undertaking1 ,mr4     
,chapman was requested not to alter the 
direction of the roads intersected by   
it1 although one of them deviated from  
the right angle across the canal upwards
 of #ej deg4 ,to meet this difficulty1  
and knowing that a bridge of the        
ordinary construction1 with any         
obliquity1 could not possibly stand1    
,chapman invented1 and put into         
practice1 the method of building oblique
 or skew bridges1 which has since been  
so generally adopted throughout the     
country1 in railway1 canal1 and other   
bridges4 ,before this period1 7#aghg71  
whenever a road crossed the course of a 
canal or river1 requiring the           
construction of a bridge1 it had been   
usual to deviate the course1 either of  
the road or the object it crossed1 so   
that the crossing should be at right    

angles2 a practice which occasioned a   
great waste of land and considerable    
expense as well as awkward and dangerous
 bends in the roads thus treated4 ,in   
some few cases where the bridge was     
required to be of only a small opening1 
no alteration in the direction was made1
 but a bridge built of an oblique form1 
that is with abutments forming oblique  
angles with the road passing over it1   
the courses of the arch being built in  
lines parallel with the abutments1 and  
the ends of the voussoirs bevelled off  
to coincide with the direction of the   
road4 ,bridges built in this manner     
consequently became highly dangerous    
when the span was great1 or the         
obliquity considerable4 ,the value of   
,chapman's invention consists in this1  
that he gave the means of building      
bridges on the skew principle1 in any   
required situation1 without altering the
 direction of the roads or wasting      
material1 and at an expense little above
 that of ordinary rectangular bridges4  

,this he accomplished by the principle  
of building the courses of voussoirs at 
right angles to the face of the arch1   
meeting the abutments at oblique angles1
 being the very reverse of the system   
previously practised4  ,during the      
progress of the ,kildare ,canal1 ,mr4   
,chapman1 at the request of the ,duke of
 ,leinster1 became overseer1 conjointly 
with him and the ,hon4 ,mr4 ,ponsonby   
,moore1 for the building a bridge of    
five arches over the ,liffey1 to replace
 the former one which had been carried  
away by a flood4 ,the bridge itself was 
a plain structure1 but the means        
employed in forming and securing the    
foundations attracted general attention1
 and brought ,mr4 ,chapman into still   
greater notice4 ,from this time the     
number and importance of his            
professional engagements continued to   
increase1 and he was engaged to survey  
and report upon several projects for the
 improvement of the navigations of      
various rivers1 of which plans the most 

important was the navigation of the     
river ,barrow1 from ,athy downwards4    
,during this period he was appointed    
consulting engineer to the ,grand ,canal
 of ,ireland1 of which undertaking ,mr4 
,jessop was directing engineer2 and     
under the joint superintendence and     
surveys of these two gentlemen1 the     
extension of the ,grand ,canal from     
,robarts ,town to ,tullamore was laid   
out1 as well as the ,dock between       
,dublin and ,ringsend1 and the canal of 
communication by the line of the        
circular road4 ,the projected canal from
 near ,tullamore passed through         
extensive bogs1 some of which were      
thirty feet in depth1 and in consequence
 of its difficulties was laid out by    
,mr4 ,chapman himself4 ,the directors of
 the ,grand canal had expended upwards  
of #ajj1jjjl4 in a very short space of  
ground between ,robarts ,town and       
,bathangar1 from not being acquainted   
with the extent of the subsidence of    
bogs under superincumbent weight1 or    

when laid dry by drainage4 ,mr4         
,chapman1 therefore1 availed himself of 
their dearly bought experience1 and     
adopted the following ingenious method  
of comparing different kinds of bogs and
 their relative subsidence4 ,he provided
 himself with a cylindric implement of  
steel plate1 sharp at the lower edges1  
and containing exactly one hundredth    
part of a cubic foot1 and having divided
 the strata of the bogs into as many    
leading classes and subdivisions as were
 necessary1 he filled the cylinders with
 a specimen of each1 by twisting them   
round so as to cut the fibres of the    
bog4 ,the samples thus taken were       
carefully cut off at the level of the   
cylindric guage1 and their weight having
 been ascertained1 they were left to dry
 during the space of several months2 and
 when in a firm state and consequently  
greatly contracted1 were again weighed1 
the result being that the originally    
wettest bog was found to have lost      
#aj-aaths of its weight1 and the firmest

 #b-crds1 the rest in due progression   
between4 ,it therefore became a simple  
process to ascertain pretty nearly the  
extent of subsidence in any bog to be   
passed through1 and of course to lay out
 the line of the canal with such levels1
 that after subsidence1 its surface     
should be at the required depth below   
the surface of the bog4  ,amongst ,mr4  
,chapman's other extensive employments  
in ,ireland1 he caused1 at the instance 
of the ,irish ,government1 a survey to  
be made of the harbour of ,dublin to    
beyond the ,bar at ,howth2 and on this  
occasion projected a pier from the      
,clontarf shore to a due distance from  
the lighthouse1 and then to the westward
 to a proper distance from the north    
wall1 so as to confine all the tidal    
water covering that vast space1 and to  
cause it to pass down the channel of    
,pool ,beg1 in place of being permitted 
to flow inwards and outwards over the   
,north ,bull4  ,in the year #agid ,mr4  
,chapman returned from ,ireland1 and    

fixed his general residence at          
,newcastle-upon-,tyne4 ,about this time 
the great project of a canal            
communication between the ,german ,ocean
 and the ,irish ,sea1 was engaging      
general attention in the ,north of      
,england1 and ,mr4 ,chapman was fixed   
upon to survey the line of country for  
this proposed canal between ,newcastle  
and the ,solway ,firth4 ,his reports on 
this subject1 which were made during the
 years #agie and #agif1 are still       
extant2 and although the work to which  
they relate was never executed1 the     
documents connected with it are of a    
very interesting nature4 ,in #ahjh this 
project1 which had lain dormant for many
 years1 was again revived1 and ,mr4     
,telford was employed to survey and     
report upon the best line of canal      
between ,carlisle and a suitable port on
 the ,solway ,firth4 ,although ,mr4     
,telford's plan was highly approved of1 
the time had not yet arrived for the    
carrying out of even this small portion 

of the original great scheme2 and it was
 not until the year #ahah1 when ,mr4    
,chapman drew up a plan and report upon 
this line from ,carlisle to ,bowness1   
that a ,bill was brought into           
,parliament1 for which an act was       
obtained early in #ahai4 ,the canal     
which has been in successful operation  
for many years1 is eleven-and-a-half    
miles in length1 and cost about         
#abj1jjjl4 ,it commences on the         
south-eastern side of ,carlisle1 and    
falls into the sea1 through a height of 
seventy feet1 by means of nine locks4   
,about the year #agif ,mr4 ,chapman     
became a member of the ,society of      
,civil ,engineers1 which at that time   
numbered amongst its members ,watt1     
,jessop1 and ,rennie1 and amongst its   
honorary associates ,sir ,joseph ,banks1
 and other leading men of the day4 ,in  
conjunction with ,mr4 ,rennie1 ,chapman 
was then occupied in designing the      
,london ,docks1 and subsequently the    
southern dock and basin at ,hull4 ,he   

was also engaged as engineer for the    
construction of ,leith1 ,scarborough1   
and ,seaham ,harbours1 the last named   
work being undertaken for the ,marquis  
of ,londonderry4  ,in addition to his   
regular professional occupations1 ,mr4  
,chapman devoted a portion of his time  
to the publication of works bearing on  
engineering4 ,amongst the most important
 of these were the following3 ',a       
,treatise on the various inventions for 
effecting ascents in rivers2' ',hints on
 the necessity of ,legislative          
interference for registering the extent 
of workings in the ,coal ,seams1 and    
preventing such accidents as arise from 
want of that knowledge2' ',an ,essay on 
,cordage2' and ',a ,treatise on the     
preservation of ,timber from premature  
decay4' ,mr4 ,chapman also took out a   
patent for an improvement upon ,captain 
,huddart's system of manufacturing      
ropes4 ,this method was successfully    
carried into effect in all the rope     
grounds on the river ,tyne1 and in some 

of those on the ,wear and ,tweed4 ,his  
next invention was for an expeditious   
and easily practicable method of        
lowering coal waggons1 with their       
contents1 immediately over the hatchways
 of ships1 so as to prevent the great   
breakage of coals which attended the    
usual method of shooting them through   
long spouts2 this system1 after the     
expiration of the patent became         
universal upon the ,tyne4  ,mr4 ,chapman
 possessed a robust constitution1 and   
practised through life the most         
temperate habits2 he was thus enabled to
 retain the full enjoyment of his       
faculties1 and to continue employed upon
 various public works1 in drainages1    
canals1 and harbours1 up till within a  
very short period of his decease1 which 
occurred in #ahcb1 in the eighty-third  
year of his age4--,life of ,chapman4    
,london1 ,john ,weale4     ,,sir        
,,william ,,congreve1 ,,bart41 ,f4,r4,s4
  ,born in ,middlesex1 ,may #bj1 #aggb4 
,died ,may #c1 #ahbh4   ,sir ,william   

,congreve was the son of the first      
baronet1 an ,artillery officer of the   
same name4 ,he entered early into the   
branch of military service his father   
had pursued1 and1 in #ahaf1 attained in 
it the rank of ,lieutenant-,colonel4 ,he
 was also at this time equerry to the   
,prince ,regent1 which office he        
retained on the occasion of his quitting
 the military service in #ahbj4         
,congreve very early distinguished      
himself by his inventions in the        
construction of missiles4 ,he invented  
the rocket which bears his name in the  
year #ahjh1 and succeeded in            
establishing this destructive engine of 
warfare as a permanent instrument in    
military and naval tactics1 both at home
 and abroad4 ,it was used by ,lord      
,cochrane in his attack on the ,french  
squadron in the ,basque roads1 in the   
expedition against ,walcheren1 at       
,waterloo1 and with most serviceable    
effect in the attack on ,algiers4 ,it   
was also used at the battle of ,leipzig 

in #ahac1 and for its service on this   
occasion the ,order of ,st4 ,anne was   
conferred on ,sir ,william by the       
,emperor of ,russia4 ,since that time   
the rocket has been much improved and   
modified1 and has become an essential   
part of every armament1 not in ,england 
alone1 but universally4  ,sir ,william  
,congreve was elected a ,fellow of the  
,royal ,society in the year #ahaa4 ,in  
#ahab he became a ,member of ,parliament
 for ,gatton1 and in #ahbj and #ahbf for
 ,plymouth4 ,he succeeded his father as 
baronet in #ahad4 ,besides the above    
important invention1 ,sir ,william wrote
 and published in #ahab an ',elementary 
,treatise on the ,mounting of ,naval    
,ordnance1' and in #ahae ',a            
,description of the ,hydro-,pneumatic   
,lock4' ,during the course of the same  
year he obtained a patent for a new mode
 of manufacturing gunpowder4 ,this      
invention consisted1 first1 of a machine
 for producing as perfect a mixture as  
possible of the ingredients2 and1       

secondly1 of an improved mode of passing
 the mill-cake under the press1 and a   
new granulating machine4 ,in #ahai a    
patent was granted to him for an        
improved mode of inlaying or combining  
different metals1 and another for       
certain improvements in the manufacture 
of bank-note paper for the prevention of
 forgery4  ,the last public service     
performed by ,sir ,william was the      
drawing up and publishing1 in #ahbc1 a  
very interesting report on the gaslight 
establishments of the metropolis4 ,in   
#ahbf1 he became mixed up in the        
speculative mania which prevailed at    
that period1 and was ultimately         
compelled to seek refuge on the         
continent at ,toulouse1 where he shortly
 afterwards died at the age of          
fifty-six4--,annual ,register1 #ahbh4   
,,samuel ,,crompton4  ,born ,december   
#c1 #agec4 ,died ,june #bf1 #ahbg4      
,few men1 perhaps1 have ever conferred  
so great a benefit on their country and 
reaped so little profit for themselves  

as ,samuel ,crompton1 inventor of the   
,spinning ,mule4 ,he was born at        
,firwood1 in the township of ,tonge near
 ,bolton1 where his parents occupied a  
farm1 and spent their leisure hours     
according to the custom of the          
period--in the operations of carding1   
spinning1 and weaving4 ,soon after the  
birth of ,samuel1 the ,cromptons removed
 to a cottage near ,lower ,wood in the  
same township1 and afterwards1 when     
their child was five years old1 to a    
portion of the neighbouring ancient     
mansion called ,hall-in-the-,wood4      
,almost immediately after this last     
removal ,samuel's father died1 at the   
early age of thirty seven1 and he was   
left to be brought up under the care of 
his mother1 a prudent and virtuous      
woman1 who took care that her son should
 have the benefit of all available means
 of education4 ,samuel first attended   
the school of ,mr4 ,lever in ,church    
,street1 ,bolton1 but was very early    
removed to the school of ,william       

,barlow1 a master well known at that    
time for his success as a teacher of    
writing1 arithmetic1 and the higher     
branches of mathematics4  ,from the     
exigencies of her situation1 ,mrs4      
,crompton was compelled to take         
advantage of her son's assistance1 as   
soon as she possibly could1 and there is
 little doubt that ,samuel's legs must  
have been accustomed to the loom almost 
as soon as they were long enough to     
touch the treddles4 ,little1 however1 is
 known of his early life until the year 
#agfi4 ,he was then sixteen years old1  
and continued to reside with his mother1
 occupied during the day at the loom and
 spending his evenings at a school in   
,bolton1 where he advanced his knowledge
 of algebra1 mathematics1 and           
trigonometry4 ,for some years previous  
to this period there had been a greatly 
increased demand for all kinds of cotton
 goods1 particularly for imitations of  
the fine muslins imported from ,india2  
and many attempts were made by the      

manufacturers in ,lancashire and        
,scotland to produce similar fabrics1   
but without success1 for the handspun   
yarn of this country could not compete  
with the delicate filaments produced by 
,hindoo fingers4 ,still1 the demand for 
fine cottons of various kinds was so    
considerable1 that the weavers1 for the 
sake of high wages1 were stimulated to  
make great exertions4 ,but they were    
continually impeded by the scarcity of  
yarn for weft1 which often kept them    
idle half their time1 or compelled them 
to collect it in small quantities from  
the cottages round about4  ,another     
important cause of this scarcity had    
been the invention of the fly-shuttle1  
by ,kay of ,bury1 in #agch1 which by    
doubling the speed of the weaver's      
operations1 had destroyed the           
arrangement which1 up to that time1     
existed between the quantity of yarn    
spun and the weavers' demand for it4    
,this natural balance1 the fly-shuttle  
suddenly disturbed1 and1 notwithstanding

 the great efforts of others1 it was not
 again adjusted until after ,crompton's 
invention was in full operation4 ,such  
was the weavers' state of starvation for
 yarn1 when1 in #agfg1 ,hargreaves      
invented the jenny1 which enabled a     
number of threads to be spun at the same
 time4  ,it was on one of these machines
 with eight spindles1 that ,samuel      
,crompton was in the habit of spinning  
the yarn which he afterwards wove into  
quilting1 and he continued thus occupied
 for the five following years4 ,during  
this period1 being debarred from company
 and accustomed to solitude1 he began to
 show a taste for music2 to gratify     
which he was led to the first trial of  
his mechanical skill in making a violin1
 upon which he commenced learning to    
play4 ,with this musical friend         
,crompton would beguile many a long     
winter night1 or during the summer      
evenings wander contemplatively among   
the green lanes1 or by the margin of the
 pleasant brook that swept round the    

romantic old residence of               
,hall-in-the-,wood4 ,he had1 however1   
little leisure in general to spend with 
his favourite instrument2 the           
necessities of his situation compelled  
him to perform daily a certain amount of
 weaving1 and he only succeeded in      
performing this at the expense of much  
time lost in mending the ever breaking  
ends of the yarn spun on ,hargreave's   
machine1 which was of a very soft       
nature1 and quite unfitted for warps or 
for the muslins so much in demand4      
,during this same period ,arkwright had 
risen to eminence1 by adopting and      
carrying into practice the ideas of     
,highs1#ac and one ,kay a clockmaker1   
and had constructed his water-frame1    
which by means of rollers produced      
thread of a very superior texture and   
firmness4 ,it remained1 however1 for    
,crompton to combine in his machine the 
improvements of ,hargreaves and         
,arkwright1 and hence was derived the   
name given to it of the ,spinning-,mule4

  ,crompton commenced the construction  
of this machine1 which for many years   
was known by the name of the            
',hall-i'-th'-,wood ,wheels1' in the    
year #aggd4 ,his first spinning-mule was
 constructed chiefly in wood1 by the aid
 of a scanty supply of tools which had  
been left by his father1 who1           
enthusiastically fond of music1 had     
shortly before his death commenced      
making an organ4 ,with the help of these
 tools1 and the assistance which a small
 wayside smithy afforded him1 ,samuel   
,crompton completed that invention      
which1 from the extended benefits it has
 conferred upon our commerce1 entitles  
him to rank amongst the greatest        
inventors ,britain has ever produced4   
,the important part of his invention was
 the spindle carriage1 and the principle
 of there being no strain upon the      
thread until it was completed4 ,this was
 accomplished by causing the carriage   
with the spindles to recede by the      
movement of the hand and knee1 just as  

the rollers delivered out the elongated 
thread in a soft state1 so that it would
 allow of a considerable stretch1 before
 the thread had to encounter the stress 
of winding upon the spindle4 ,this1 as  
the late ,mr4 ,kennedy of ,manchester   
truly said1 was the corner stone of his 
invention4  ,when ,crompton was on the  
eve of completing his first mule1 about 
the year #aggi1 the ,blackburn spinners 
and weavers1 who had previously driven  
,hargreaves from his home1 again        
commenced their riotous proceedings1 and
 began to destroy all the jennys round  
about1 which had more than twenty       
spindles4 ,crompton1 fearful lest his   
new machine should meet with a similar  
fate1 took it to pieces and kept it hid 
in a loft above the ceiling of his room 
during several weeks4 ,in the course of 
the same year1 however1 the             
,hall-i'-th'-,wood ,wheel was completed1
 and the yarn spun on it proved fit for 
the manufacture of muslins of an        
extremely fine and delicate texture4    

,shortly before this1 ,crompton had     
married ,mary ,pimlott1 the daughter of 
a gentleman residing at ,new ,keys      
,hall1 near ,warrington4 ,after his     
marriage he lived in a cottage attached 
to the old ,hall1 though he still       
continued to occupy part of the mansion1
 in one of whose large rooms he now     
operated upon the mule with the utmost  
secrecy and with perfect success1       
startling the manufacturing world by the
 production of yarn which both in       
fineness and firmness had hitherto been 
unattainable4 ,this seems to have been  
the happiest portion of ,crompton's     
life4 ,he was then twenty-seven years of
 age1 and the acknowledged inventor of a
 machine which1 from the first hour of  
its operation1 altered the entire system
 of cotton manufacture in this country4 
,its merit was universally acknowledged 
by all engaged in the trade who had an  
opportunity to examine the yarn spun on 
it1 or the fabrics made from that yarn2 
but paradoxical as it may appear1 the   

very perfection of his principle of     
spinning1 was in a measure instrumental 
in depriving him of the harvest for     
which he had so laboriously worked4     
,the demand for his yarn became so      
extensive and urgent1 that the old ,hall
 was literally besieged by manufacturers
 and others from the surrounding        
districts--many of whom came to purchase
 yarn1 but many more to try and         
penetrate the mystery of the new wheel1 
and to discover if possible the         
principle of its operations4 ,all kinds 
of stratagems were practised in order to
 obtain admission to the house2 and one 
inquisitive adventurer is said to have  
ensconced himself for some days in the  
cockloft1 where he watched ,samuel at   
work through a gimlet-hole pierced      
through the ceiling4  ,crompton1 at     
length wearied out1 and seeing the utter
 impossibility of retaining his secret1 
or of spinning upon the machine with the
 undisturbed secrecy he desired1 yielded
 to the urgent solicitations1 and       

liberal but deceitful promises of       
numerous manufacturers1 and surrendered 
to them not only the secret of the      
principle upon which he spun the much   
prized yarn1 but likewise the machine   
itself4 ,this he did on the faith of an 
agreement drawn up by themselves1 in    
which they promised to subscribe certain
 sums as a reward for his improvement in
 spinning4 ,no sooner1 however1 was the 
mule given up to the public than the    
subscriptions entirely ceased1 and many 
of those who had previously put down    
their names evaded or refused payment2  
some actually denounced ,crompton as an 
impostor1 and when he respectfully put  
before them their own written agreement1
 asked him how he dared to come on such 
an errand6  ,the gross sum of money     
realized by this subscription amounted  
to between #ej and #ajjl4 ,mr4 ,crompton
 himself says3--,i received as much by  
way of subscription as built me a new   
machine1 with only four spindles more   
than the one ,i had given up--the old   

one having forty-eight1 and the new one 
fifty-two spindles4 ,this shameful      
treatment rested in ,crompton's memory  
through life1 and to the morbid distrust
 of his fellow-men1 which it engendered1
 may be ascribed many of the misfortunes
 which attended his succeeding life4    
,about the year #aghe ,mr4 ,crompton    
removed from the ',hall-in-the-,wood' to
 a farmhouse at ,oldhams1 in the        
township of ,sharples1 about two miles  
from ,bolton4 ,here he farmed several   
acres of land1 and kept three or four   
cows2 while in the upper story of the   
house was erected his spinning mule1    
upon which he continued to spin with as 
much privacy as possible4 ,he was1      
nevertheless1 still troubled by many    
curious visitors1 who were desirous of  
seeing the improvements he was supposed 
to have made on it4 ,among others he    
received two visits from the first ,sir 
,robert ,peel1 then an eminent though   
untitled manufacturer1 who came with the
 hope of inducing ,crompton to join his 

establishment1 and on his second visit  
made him an offer of partnership4 ,it is
 much to be regretted that this offer   
was declined1 as ,mr4 ,peel's           
enterprising business character was     
exactly that most suited for supporting 
,crompton's great inventive genius4 ,had
 these two men continued as partners at 
this particular time1 the successful    
development of the cotton trade would   
have been hastened by at least twenty   
years1 while a large and well deserved  
fortune might have been secured to      
,crompton and his children4  ,excelling 
all other spinners in the quality and   
fineness of his yarn1 ,crompton         
continued to obtain a high price for all
 he could produce1 but his production   
was restricted to the work of his own   
hands1 7an increasing family having     
deprived him of the aid of his wife72   
for whenever he commenced to teach any  
new hands to assist him in his work1 no 
matter how strictly they were bound to  
serve him by honour1 by gratitude1 or by

 law1 as soon as they acquired a little 
knowledge and experience under his      
tuition1 they were invariably seduced   
from his service by his wealthy         
competitors2 so that he was ultimately  
compelled to renounce the use of his    
mules1 and betake himself to his        
original occupation of weaving1 or at   
least to spin only such yarn as he could
 employ in his own looms as a small     
manufacturer4  ,in #ahjj some gentlemen 
of ,manchester1 among whom ought to be  
mentioned ,mr4 ,george ,lee and ,mr4    
,kennedy1 sensible that ,mr4 ,crompton  
had been illused and neglected1 agreed1 
without his knowledge1 to promote a     
subscription on such a scale as would   
result in a substantial reward for his  
labours4 ,but this scheme1 although     
generous and noble in its intention1 in 
a great measure failed4 ,before it could
 be carried out1 the country suffered   
severe distress from a failure in the   
crops2 in addition to this the horrors  
of the ,french ,revolution approached   

their crisis2 war broke out1 and trade  
was all but extinguished4 ,ultimately1  
all that could be realized amounted to  
about #dejl41 and this was handed over  
to ,crompton to enable him to increase  
his operations in spinning and weaving4 
,in ,october1 #ahjg1 ,mr4 ,crompton1 in 
the hopes of gaining the patronage of   
,sir ,joseph ,banks1 wrote a letter to  
him1 but unfortunately addressed it to  
,sir ,joseph ,banks1 ,president of the  
,society of ,arts1 and it is probable   
that ,sir ,joseph never read the letter1
 but transmitted it to the ,society to  
which it was addressed2 in any case1 no 
notice was taken of this letter1 and    
,crompton's too morbidly sensitive mind 
thus received an additional wound4  ,two
 or three years after this1 his family  
circumstances became very precarious1   
and in the undefined hope of yet        
obtaining some recompense for his       
labours which might better his position1
 ,crompton1 in the year #ahaa1 commenced
 a statistical investigation into the   

results of his invention4 ,for this     
purpose he visited the various          
manufacturing districts of ,great       
,britain1 and1 from the information he  
obtained1 calculated that between four  
and five millions of mule spindles were 
then in actual use4 ,but this estimate  
was afterwards found to be much too low1
 as it did not include any of the       
numerous mules used in the manufacture  
of woollen yarn4  ,a story is told of   
,mr4 ,crompton1 that1 when at ,glasgow  
engaged in collecting this information1 
he was invited to a complimentary       
dinner1 but his courage was unable to   
carry him through so formidable an      
ordeal2 and so when the time came for   
going1 to use his own words1 rather than
 face up1 ,i first hid myself and then  
fairly bolted from the city4  ,mr4      
,crompton laid the result of his        
investigation before some kind          
friends#ad at ,manchester1 who undertook
 to draw up a memorial to ,parliament on
 his behalf4 ,but in this matter        

,crompton's continued ill-fortune was   
singularly displayed4 ,when the time    
came for the grant to be proposed to    
,parliament 7,may #aa1 #ahab71 ,mr4     
,percival1 the ,chancellor of the       
,exchequer1 who had intended proposing  
#bj1jjjl4 as the sum to be awarded1 was 
assassinated while entering the lobby of
 the ,house of ,commons4 ,crompton's    
petition was consequently postponed1 and
 ultimately #ejjjl4 was all that was    
awarded to the ,inventor of the         
,spinning-,mule2 and thus1 after having 
haunted the lobby of the ,house of      
,commons for five wearisome months1     
,samuel ,crompton went back to ,bolton  
with this shadow of a national reward4  
,late in life ,mr4 ,crompton's family   
became dispersed1 and as old age crept  
on he became less and less fitted for   
business1 and now for the first time    
sank into actual poverty4  ,a noble     
effort was1 however1 made by some of the
 inhabitants of ,bolton to rescue him   
from his distressing position1 and by   

their efforts an annuity of #fcl4 per   
annum was secured to him for the        
remainder of his life4  ,in the year    
#ahbg ,samuel ,crompton's melancholy    
life came to an end4 ,he died at his    
house in ,king ,street1 ,great ,bolton1 
aged seventy-three1 of no particular    
complaint1 but by the gradual decay of  
nature4 ,his body was placed in a grave 
near the centre of the parish           
churchyard1 underneath a flagstone with 
the following inscription3--,beneath    
this stone are interred the mortal      
remains of ,samuel ,crompton1 of        
,bolton1 late of ,hall-i'-th'-,wood1 in 
the township of ,tonge1 inventor of the 
spinning machine called the ,mule2 who  
departed this life the #bfth day of     
,june1 #ahbg1 aged seventy-two          
years4#ae--,the ,life and ,times of     
,samuel ,crompton1 c41 by ,gilbert ,j4  
,french1 ,f4,s4,a41 c4 ,manchester and  
,london1 #ahfj4     ,,john ,,dalton1    
,d4,c4,l41 ,l4,l4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 ,l4 and
 ,e4  ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,institute   

,,of ,,france4  ,born ,september #e1    
#agff4 ,died ,july #bg1 #ahdd4   ,john  
,dalton was born at ,eaglesfield1 a     
small village in ,cumberland1 near      
,cockermouth4 ,his father1 ,joseph      
,dalton1 was a woollen-weaver1 and at   
the birth of his second son1 ,john1     
gained but a scanty subsistence by      
weaving common country goods4 ,at the   
death of his elder brother1 however1 he 
inherited a small estate of sixty acres1
 which enabled him to give up weaving4  
,john ,dalton had consequently few      
opportunities of obtaining a good       
education2 he was emphatically          
self-taught1 and from his very childhood
 began to acquire those habits of stern 
self-reliance and indomitable           
perseverance which in after life1 rather
 than any direct inspirations of genius 
7as ,dalton himself used to affirm71    
enabled him to work out his grand       
discovery of the ',atomic ,theory4'     
,dalton attended the schools in the     
neighbourhood of ,eaglesfield until     

eleven years old1 by which time he had  
gone through a course of mensuration1   
surveying1 and navigation4 ,at the age  
of twelve he began to teach in the      
village school1 and for the next two or 
three years continued to be partially   
occupied in teaching and in working on  
his father's farm4 ,when fifteen years  
old he removed to ,kendal1 to become an 
assistant in a boarding school          
established there2 and1 after remaining 
in this capacity for four years1 he     
determined to undertake1 with the       
assistance of his elder brother1 the    
management of the same school4 ,dalton  
continued to be connected with this     
school for the next eight years1 during 
which time he occupied his leisure in   
studying ,greek1 ,latin1 ,french1 and   
,natural ,philosophy1 and was also a    
frequent contributor to the             
',gentleman's and ,lady's ,diaries1' two
 periodicals then in considerable       
repute4 ,while residing at ,kendal1     
,dalton became acquainted with ,mr4     

,gough1 a man who1 though blind from    
infancy1 was yet possessed of high      
scientific attainments4 ,with this      
gentleman he contracted an intimate     
friendship1 and in #agic was invited1   
chiefly through ,mr4 ,gough's favourable
 recommendation1 to join a college1     
established in ,manchester by a body of 
,protestant dissenters1 as tutor in the 
department of mathematics and natural   
philosophy4 ,he resigned this           
appointment after holding it for a      
period of six years1 but continued to   
reside in ,manchester during the whole  
of his subsequent life4  ,in ,september 
#agic ,dalton published his first work1 
entitled ',meteorological ,observations 
and ,essays1' the materials of which    
were1 however1 collected1 and the work  
entirely completed during his residence 
at ,kendal4 ,a second edition was       
printed in #ahcd1 and he continued to   
pay much attention to this subject until
 within a short period of his death1 by 
which time he had recorded upwards of   

#bjj1jjj meteorological observations4   
,in the year #agid ,dalton became a     
member of the ,literary and             
,philosophical ,society of ,manchester1 
of which1 during the course of his life1
 he filled in succession all the more   
important offices2 including that of the
 presidentship1 which he held from the  
period of his election in #ahag1 until  
his death in #ahdd4 ,on the #cast of    
,october1 #agid1 he read his first paper
 to this ,society1 entitled1            
',extraordinary ,facts relating to the  
,vision of ,colours1' in which he gives 
an account of a singular defect in his  
own vision1 known by the name of        
colour-blindness1 which rendered him    
incapable of distinguishing certain     
colours1 such as scarlet and green4 ,he 
first became aware of this defect in his
 sight from the following circumstance4 
,when a boy he had gone to see a review 
of troops1 and being surprised to hear  
those around him expatiating on the     
gorgeous effect of the military costume1

 he asked1 ,in what a soldier's coat    
differed from the grass upon which he   
trod1 a speech which was received by his
 companions with derisive laughs and    
exclamations of wonder4#af ,until       
,dalton had announced his own case1 and 
described the cases of more than twenty 
persons similarly circumstanced1 this   
peculiar form of blindness was supposed 
to be very rare4 ,in the annals of the  
above-mentioned ,society1 ,dalton       
published a long series of important    
essays1 among the most remarkable of    
which are some papers read in the year  
#ahja1 entitled1 ',experimental ,essays 
on the ,constitution of ,mixed ,gases2' 
',on the ,force of ,steam or ,vapour and
 other liquids at different temperatures
 in a vacuum and in air2' ',on          
,evaporation1' and ',on the ,expansion  
of ,gases by ,heat4' ,in ,january #ahjc 
he read to the same ,society an inquiry 
',on the tendency of ,elastic fluids to 
diffusion through each other1' and in   
,october of the same year wrote an      

,essay containing an outline of his     
speculations on the subject of the      
composition of bodies1 in which he gave 
to the world for the first time a       
',table of ,atomic ,weights4' ,in the   
following year he communicated his views
 on the theory of definite proportions  
to ,dr4 ,thomas ,thomson1 of ,glasgow1  
who at once published an abstract of    
them2 and in #ahjh ,dalton himself      
published the first volume of his new   
system of ,chemical ,philosophy1 in     
which he placed the ,atomic ,theory on a
 firm and clear basis1 and established  
the law of ,multiple ,proportions4 ,the 
value of ,dalton's researches on this   
great subject is immense2 by the        
promulgation of his views ,chemistry    
became for the first time a science1 and
 one great law or theory was seen to    
govern its actions2 before it was a     
series of separate facts1 but by this   
fundamental law and its branches1 and by
 this only1 it is preserved as a        
science4  ,dalton's theory incurred much

 opposition before it was finally       
accepted by scientific men1 and among   
the unbelievers in it may be mentioned  
,sir ,humphry ,davy4 ,the baronet1      
however1 in the year #ahbf1 clearly     
acknowledged and accurately defined     
,dalton's discoveries in his anniversary
 discourse1 when he made known that the 
first award of the ,royal ,society's    
,prize1 founded by ,george ,,iv4 in the 
year before1 would be given to ,mr4     
,john ,dalton1 for the development of   
the chemical theory of ,definite        
,proportions1 usually called the ,atomic
 ,theory1 and for his various other     
labours and discoveries in physical and 
chemical science4  ,during his later    
life ,dalton continued to gain his      
living as professional chemist1         
lecturer1 and teacher of ,chemistry and 
,mathematics1 and contributed to the    
advancement of science many valuable    
papers chiefly relating to ,chemistry2  
he was also accustomed in his analytical
 researches to use the graduated        

dropping tube1 and may be considered as 
the originator of analysis by volume4   
,mr4 ,dalton was present at the first   
meeting of the ,british ,association    
held in ,york in #ahca1 and continued to
 feel a lively interest in its          
prosperity1 and to attend the annual    
meetings as long as his health permitted
 him4 ,on the occasion of the second    
meeting at ,oxford in #ahcb1 the        
honorary degree of ,d4,c4,l4 was        
conferred upon him1 in conjunction with 
,faraday1 ,brown the botanist1 and ,sir 
,david ,brewster4 ,in the summer of the 
following year1 at the meeting of the   
same society in ,cambridge1 it was      
announced by ,professor ,sedgewick1 that
 the ,king had conferred on ,dalton a   
pension of #aejl4 per annum1 which was  
increased in #ahcf to #cjjl42 and as his
 brother ,jonathan died about the same  
time and left him heir to the paternal  
estate1 he became comparatively wealthy4
 ,he1 however1 still continued working  
according to his strength1 and so late  

as #ahdj published four ,essays1        
entitled1 ',on the ,phosphates and      
,arseniates2' ',microcosmic ,salt2'     
',acids1 ,bases1 and ,water2' and ',a   
,new and ,easy ,method of ,analysing    
,sugar4' ,in #ahcg-h ,dalton was        
attacked by paralysis1 which greatly    
enfeebled him2 he1 however lived till   
the year #ahdd1 when a third attack     
occurred1 from which he never recovered1
 but died shortly afterwards in his     
seventy-eighth year4  ,dr4 ,r4 ,angus   
,smith thus describes ,dalton's mode of 
life while living with the family of the
 ,rev4 ,w4 ,johns1 of ,george ,street1  
,manchester1 with whom ,dalton continued
 to reside for twenty-six years3 ,he    
rose at about eight o'clock in the      
morning2 if in winter1 went with his    
lantern in his hand to his laboratory1  
lighted the fire1 and came over to      
breakfast when the family had nearly    
done4 ,went to the laboratory and staid 
till dinner-time1 coming in a hurry when
 it was nearly over1 eating moderately1 

and drinking water only4 ,went out again
 and returned about five o'clock to tea1
 still in a hurry1 when the rest were   
finishing4 ,again to his laboratory till
 nine o'clock1 when he returned to      
supper1 after which he and ,mr4 ,johns  
smoked a pipe1 and the whole family     
seems much to have enjoyed this time of 
conversation and recreation after the   
busy day4--,life of ,j4 ,dalton1 by     
,william ,charles ,henry1 ,m4,d41       
,f4,r4,s41 c4 ,london1 #ahed4--,life of 
,j4 ,dalton1 by ,robert ,angus ,smith1  
,ph4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 c4 ,london1 #ahef4  
,,sir ,,humphry ,,davy1 ,,bart41        
,,ll4,d41 ,p4,r4,s41 c41  ,,member ,,of 
,,the ,,institute ,,of ,,france1 ,,etc4 
,born ,december #ag1 #aggh4 ,died ,may  
#cj1 #ahbi4   ,this eminent philosopher 
was born at ,penzance1 in ,cornwall4 ,as
 a child he was remarkably healthy and  
strong1 displaying at the same time     
great mental capacity4 ,the first school
 he ever attended was that of ,mr4      
,bushell1 at which reading and writing  

only were taught4 ,in these rudimentary 
branches of education he soon made such 
progress1 that he was removed1 by the   
master's advice1 to the grammar school  
kept by the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,coryton4 ,he was
 then only six years old4 ,here ,davy   
received the elements of his education  
until #agic1 when he went to the grammar
 school of ,truro1 conducted by the     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,cardew1 at which place he   
continued for about a year4  ,both ,davy
 and his family received much assistance
 from the disinterested friendship of   
,mr4 ,tonkin1 a respectable medical     
practitioner at ,penzance1 who had      
adopted the mother of ,davy and her     
sisters1 under circumstances of deep    
distress1 extending his kindness to all 
her family1 particularly to ,humphry4   
,soon after leaving ,dr4 ,cardew's      
school1 ,davy's father died in #agid2   
and in the following year ,humphry was  
apprenticed to ,mr4 ,bingham ,borlace1 a
 gentleman at that time practising as   
surgeon-apothecary in ,penzance4 ,while 

yet very young1 ,davy had exhibited     
traces of an ardent and inquisitive     
mind1 displaying also a great           
predilection for poetry2 but from this  
period he directed his attention more   
particularly to the study of chemistry  
and natural philosophy4 ,his efforts at 
attaining an experimental knowledge of  
the above sciences were1 however1       
greatly retarded by the defects of his  
apparatus1 which was necessarily very   
limited1 and consisted chiefly of       
phials1 wine-glasses1 tobacco-pipes1 and
 earthen crucibles4 ,but about this time
 he had the good fortune to make the    
acquaintance of ,mr4 ,davies ,giddy     
,gilbert and ,mr4 ,gregory ,watt1#ag by 
whose instrumentality the subject of our
 memoir was introduced to ,dr4 ,beddoes1
 who engaged him to superintend a       
pneumatic medical institution1 which    
that able but eccentric man had just    
then established at ,clifton1 for the   
purpose of trying the effects of gases  
upon various diseases4 ,this event took 

place in #agih1 ,mr4 ,borlace readily   
giving up ,davy's indenture1 which had  
not as yet expired4 ,during his         
residence at ,clifton1 ,davy was placed 
in a sphere where his genius could      
expand2 he was associated with men      
engaged in similar pursuits1 was        
provided with suitable apparatus1 and   
enabled to speedily enter upon that     
brilliant career of discovery which has 
rendered his name illustrious among     
philosophers4  ,soon after he had       
removed to the neighbourhood of         
,bristol1 ,davy's first published paper1
 on ',heat1 ,light1 and ,respiration1'  
appeared in ',beddoes' ,west ,country   
,contributions4' ,his earliest          
scientific discovery was the detection  
of siliceous earth in the epidermis of  
canes1 reeds1 and grasses4  ,about the  
same period1 he began to investigate the
 properties of gases1 and discovered the
 respirability of nitrous oxide1 giving 
in a letter to his friend ,mr4 ,davies  
,gilbert 7dated ,april #af1 #agii71 the 

first intimation of the intoxicating    
qualities of that gas4 ,shortly         
afterwards he examined its properties   
more accurately1 administering it to    
various individuals1 and published an   
account of his discoveries in a volume  
entitled ',researches ,chemical and     
,philosophical chiefly concerning       
,nitrous ,oxide and its ,respiration4'  
,while the favourable impression from   
this publication was still fresh on the 
public mind1 the establishment of the   
,royal ,institution1 under the auspices 
of ,count ,rumford1 had taken place1 and
 a lecturer of talent was wanting1 to   
fill the chemical chair4 ,through the   
recommendation of ,dr4 ,hope of         
,edinburgh1 with whom he had become     
acquainted ,davy received the           
appointment1 and became lecturer to the 
institution and director of the         
laboratory4  ,it is a singular fact1    
that although ,davy's attention had     
never been confined to his favourite    
science1 for he had studied general     

literature as well as poetry1 yet he was
 of so uncouth an exterior and manners1 
notwithstanding an exceedingly handsome 
and expressive countenance1 that ,count 
,rumford1 a leading director of the     
,institution1 on seeing him for the     
first time1 expressed no little         
disappointment1 even regretting the part
 he had taken in promoting the          
engagement4 ,but these feelings were of 
short duration4 ,davy was soon          
sufficiently humanized1 and even        
refined1 to appear before a ,london and 
a fashionable audience of both sexes    
with great advantage1 and by his        
ingenuity1 and happy facility of        
illustration1 he rendered his lectures  
so popular1 that at the early age of    
twenty-two1 he found his company courted
 by the choicest society of the         
metropolis4 ,an anecdote is told        
illustrative of his popularity1 even    
among the more humble classes4 ,while   
passing through the streets one fine    
night1 he observed a man showing the    

moon through a telescope to the         
surrounding bystanders2 ,davy stopped to
 have a look1 and having satisfied his  
curiosity1 tendered a penny to the      
exhibitor4 ,the man had1 however1 in the
 meanwhile1 learnt the name of his      
customer1 and exclaimed1 with an        
important air1 that he could not think  
of taking money from a 'brother         
philosopher4' ,davy's style of lecturing
 was animated1 clear and impressive1    
notwithstanding the naturally           
inharmonious tones of his voice2 whilst 
the ingenuity of his happily devised    
experiments1 the neatness of their      
execution1 and above all the ingenious  
enthusiasm which he displayed for his   
subject1 fixed and arrested the         
attention of his hearers4  ,at this     
time1 experimental chemistry began to be
 the fashion of the day4 ,voltaic       
electricity had just been found to      
possess extraordinary powers in         
effecting the decomposition of chemical 
compounds2 and by the liberality of the 

,royal ,institution1 ,davy was put in   
possession of a battery consisting of   
#djj #e-;inch plates1 and one of #dj    
plates1 #a-;foot in diameter1 with which
 batteries his early and most brilliant 
investigations were conducted4  ,in     
#ahja he made his first important       
discovery1 which was communicated to the
 ,royal ,society under the title ',an   
,account of some ,galvanic ,combinations
 formed by an ,arrangement of ,single   
,metallic ,plates and ,fluids1' read in 
,june of the same year4 ,in this paper1 
he showed that the usual galvanic       
phenomena might be energetically        
exhibited by a single metallic plate1   
and two strata of different fluids2 or  
that a battery might be constructed of  
one metal and two fluids1 provided one  
of the fluids was capable of oxidizing  
the surface of the metal4 ,in the       
following year to this1 ,davy was       
appointed professor to the ,board of    
,agriculture1 and in #ahjc was admitted 
a member of the ,royal ,society1 of     

which he became first the secretary1 and
 ultimately the president4  ,to the     
',philosophical ,transactions' of this  
society he continued to contribute      
papers on different branches of         
experimental philosophy2 and it is on   
these papers that his claims to         
celebrity almost entirely rest4 ,from   
#ahjb to #ahje1 ,davy published several 
minor papers2 but in the following year 
appeared his first ,bakerian lecture1   
read to the ,royal ,society in          
,november1 #ahjf1 in which he detailed  
the phenomena of electro-chemical       
decomposition1 and laid down its laws2  
while in his second lecture1 read in the
 ,november following1 he announced the  
successful application of these         
principles1 and the discovery of the    
metallic bases of the fixed alkalies1   
witnessed by the production of two new  
metals1 which he named potassium and    
sodium4#ah ,this splendid discovery was 
fully confirmed by ,guy ,lussac and     
,thenard1 who1 in the following year1   

succeeded in decomposing potash by iron 
filings1 in a red-hot gun barrel4 ,from 
#ahjh to #ahaj1 ,davy gave three more   
lectures1 in which he announced the     
results of his further chemical         
investigations4 ,it may be interesting  
to remark that the original batteries of
 the institution were so worn during the
 course of his experiments1 as to be    
unserviceable2 a liberal voluntary      
subscription1 however1 amongst the      
members1 in ,july #ahjh1 put him in     
possession of the most powerful voltaic 
battery ever constructed1 consisting of 
#bjjj double plates1 with a surface     
equal to #abh1jjj square inches4 ,the   
results produced by this tremendous     
power did not1 however1 add to science  
one new fact of any importance4 ,all    
,davy's great voltaic discoveries were  
made before it was in use1 and it only  
served to show the phenomena of         
galvanism with greater brilliancy4  ,mr4
 ,davy's reputation was now at its      
height1 and he was invited by the       

,dublin ,society to give a course of    
lectures on electro-chemical science4   
,for these lectures1 which were         
commenced on the #hth1 and concluded on 
the #bith of ,november1 #ahaj1 he       
received #ejj guineas4 ,in the following
 year he was invited to give two more   
courses1 on the ,elements of ,chemical  
,philosophy1 and on ,geology1 for which 
he received #gejl41--the ,provost and   
,fellows of ,trinity ,college also      
conferring on him the degree of ,,ll4,d4
 ,in #ahab1 ,davy dissolved his         
connection with the ,royal ,institution1
 by giving a farewell lecture on the    
#ith of ,april2 on the preceding day he 
had received the honour of knighthood   
from the hands of the ,prince ,regent1  
and on the #aath of the same month was  
married to ,mrs4 ,apreece1 daughter and 
heiress of ,charles ,kerr1 of ,kelso1   
and the possessor of an ample fortune4  
,during the next two or three years1    
,sir ,humphry communicated several      
papers to the ,royal ,society1 but they 

contained little of importance to       
science4  ,whilst experimenting1 in the 
latter part of #ahab1 upon azote and    
chlorine1 he was severely wounded in the
 eye by the explosion of these          
substances2 and it is a strong proof of 
his energy1 that when his eye was       
sufficiently recovered1 he renewed his  
experiments upon the same bodies1 and   
was again wounded in the head and hands1
 but this time slightly1 as he had taken
 the precaution of defending his face by
 a plate of glass4  ,in the autumn of   
#ahac he obtained the permission of     
,napoleon to travel in ,france1 whither 
he proceeded1 accompanied by his lady   
and ,mr4 ,faraday4 ,from ,france1 ,davy 
proceeded to ,italy1 where he spent the 
winter1 returning to ,london on the     
#bcrd of ,april1 #ahad4 ,during his stay
 in ,italy1 he collected specimens of   
the colours used by the ancients in     
their pictures4 ,this formed the subject
 of a memoir to the ,royal ,society1 the
 most interesting part of the paper     

being the announcement that the fine    
blues of the ancients were formed of    
silex1 soda1 and copper1 and that they  
may be exactly imitated by strongly     
heating together1 for the space of two  
hours1 three parts of copper filings1   
fifteen of carbonate of soda1 and twenty
 of powdered flint4  ,in the year #ahaf1
 ,davy turned his attention to a method 
of preventing the dreadful accidents in 
coal mines1 from explosions of the      
fire-damp4 ,after considerable          
investigation1 he found that this gas   
would not explode when mixed with less  
than six times or more than fourteen    
times its volume of atmospheric air2 and
 in the course of experiments made for  
the purpose of ascertaining how the     
inflammation takes place1 he was        
surprised to observe that flames will   
not pass through tubes of a certain     
length or smallness of bore4 ,he then   
found that if the length was diminished1
 and the bore also reduced1 that flames 
still would not pass2 and further1 that 

the length of the tubes might safely be 
diminished to hardly anything1 provided 
their bore was proportionably lessened4 
,working from these principles1 he      
proposed several kinds of lamps1 but all
 were finally superseded by the simple  
one known as the ,davy safety-lamp1 in  
which a small oil light is covered by a 
cylinder of wire gauze1 the small       
apertures#ai of which flame will not    
pass through1 and the explosion is thus 
prevented from extending outside the    
wire gauze4 ,the introduction of this   
beautiful invention1 although freely    
given to the public1 was for a time     
violently opposed by prejudice and      
passion4 ,experience1 however1 showed   
the comparative safety which the miners 
who used it possessed1 and the          
coal-owners of ,newcastle and the       
vicinity presented ,davy with a superb  
service of plate1 as some recognition of
 the important benefit he had conferred 
on them4  ,during the later years of    
,sir ,humphry ,davy's life1 various     

communications appeared from him to the 
,royal ,society1 none1 however1         
presenting any very remarkable features4
 ,in ,november1 #ahbj1 a few months     
after the death of ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 
he was elected president of the above   
society4 ,in #ahbc he repeated the      
interesting experiment of ,mr4 ,faraday1
 as to the condensation of gases by     
mechanical pressure1 and succeeded in   
converting sulphurous acid and prussic  
acid gases into liquids1 by heating them
 in strong sealed tubes4 ,during the    
same year he investigated the causes of 
the rapid decay of copper sheathing on  
ships1 and attributing this to          
electro-chemical action1 succeeded in   
preventing it1 by attaching plates of   
iron or zinc to the copper4 ,this1      
however1 on being tried practically1    
introduced the unlooked for evil1 of    
excessive fouling of the bottoms of     
ships so protected1 which became liable 
to marine deposits in an equal manner   
with wooden bottoms4 ,davy's plan was   

thus rendered utterly useless1 much to  
his mortification4  ,during the later   
portion of his life1 ,sir ,humphry was  
in very infirm health1 and in #ahbh he  
determined to go abroad4 ,proceeding    
into ,italy1 he fixed his residence at  
,rome1 whence he sent his last          
communication to the ,royal ,society1   
viz41 ',remarks on the ,electricity of  
the ,torpedo4' ,the chief peculiarity of
 this paper was the discovery that the  
electricity of this curious creature had
 no effect on the most delicate         
galvanometer4 ,while staying at ,rome1  
,sir ,humphry was seized with a         
paralytic attack1 which greatly alarmed 
his friends4 ,shortly afterwards he left
 ,rome for ,geneva1 on reaching which   
city an attack of apoplexy seized him   
during the night1 which terminated      
fatally4 ,the funeral took place on the 
#ast of ,june1 #ahbi1 with all the      
honour and respect the inhabitants of   
,geneva could testify4 ,his remains were
 deposited in the burying-ground of the 

city1 without the walls1 the spot being 
marked by a simple monument1 with a     
,latin inscription1 erected by ,lady    
,davy4--,life of ,sir ,h4 ,davy1 by his 
brother1 ,john ,davy1 ,m4,d41 ,f4,r4,s4 
,london1 #ahci4--,memoir by ,dr4 ,thomas
 ,trail1 ,encyclopdia                   
,britannica4--,weld's ,history of the   
,royal ,society1 with ,memoirs of the   
,presidents4 ,london1                   
#ahdh4--;,brougham's ,lives of          
,philosophers4 ,london and ,glasgow1    
#ahee4     ,,peter ,,dollond4  ,born    
,february #b1 #agca4 ,died ,july #b1    
#ahbj4   ,peter ,dollond1 the subject of
 the present memoir1 was the eldest son 
of ,john ,dollond1 the celebrated       
inventor of the ,achromatic ,refracting 
,telescope1 who1 during the greater     
portion of his life1 was engaged in the 
business of a silk-manufacturer1 in     
,stuart ,street1 ,spitalfields4 ,here   
,peter ,dollond was born and spent the  
early portion of his life4 ,on reaching 
manhood he engaged in the same          

occupation as his father1 and for       
several years they carried on their     
manufactures together in ,spitalfields4 
,peter ,dollond had1 however1 acquired  
some knowledge of the theory of ,optics1
 and he determined1 if possible1 to turn
 the knowledge he had gained to the     
improvement of himself and his family4  
,he accordingly commenced business as an
 optician1 under the direction of his   
father1 in the year #agej1 occupying a  
small house in ,vine ,street1           
,spitalfields4 ,in #ageb ,john ,dollond1
 who up till then had pursued his       
original occupation1 grew weary of      
pursuits so little in accordance with   
the natural bent of his mind1 and       
entered into partnership with his son1  
in a house near to ,exeter ,change1 in  
the ,strand4 ,here father and son began 
and continued that series of            
experimental researches which1 in ,june 
#ageh1 led to the memorable conclusion  
on which was founded the construction of
 the ,achromatic ,refracting ,telescope4

 ,in the following year a patent was    
obtained for the exclusive sale of these
 telescopes1 but so limited were the    
means of the authors of this invention1 
that1 in order to defray the expenses of
 the patent1 they were compelled to sell
 a moiety of its value to an optician1  
with whom they entered into partnership4
 ,notwithstanding the great practical   
value of this discovery1 it produced    
little benefit for some years to the    
owners of the patent4 ,in #agfa ,john   
,dollond died1 leaving to his son ,peter
 the task of carrying on the business in
 partnership with the optician who had  
paid for the patent4 ,this connection   
was1 however1 of short duration1 for the
 conduct of his partner was so          
unsatisfactory1 that in #agfc ,mr4      
,dollond purchased from him his share in
 the business for #bjjl41 the full      
commercial value of this most important 
discovery being considered at that time 
to be worth only #djjl4 ,peter ,dollond 
was now in possession of the entire     

patent1 and he was soon called upon to  
contest its validity with the very man  
who had so lately been concerned in     
protecting it4 ,these suits were        
uniformly decided in favour of ,dollond1
 and although vexatious in their        
character1 were of advantage to him1 not
 only in their immediate issue1 but also
 in extending the name1 reputation1 and 
sale of the object whose right of       
ownership was contested4  ,mr4 ,dollond 
now began to be more generally known1   
and made the acquaintance of many of the
 philosophical men of the time1 becoming
 intimate with ,dr4 ,maskelyne1 the     
,astronomer ,royal at that period1 and  
with ,mr4 ,james ,short1 a man highly   
distinguished in arts and science4 ,to  
this latter gentleman he1 in #agfe1     
proposed an improvement in the          
,achromatic ,telescope1 which ,mr4      
,short laid before the ,royal ,society1 
at the same time signifying that it had 
his entire concurrence and approval4    
,among other works of ,dollond are an   

improvement of ,headley's ,quadrant1    
communicated to the ,royal ,society1 in 
#aggb1 by the ,astronomer ,royal2 and an
 apparatus for the improvement of the   
,equatorial instrument1 laid before the 
,society1 through the same medium1 in   
#aggi4  ,mr4 ,dollond had now earned for
 himself a well-deserved reputation4 ,in
 #aghf the ,american ,philosophical     
,society1 unsolicited1 and with the     
approval of ,benjamin ,franklin1 elected
 him a member of their society4  ,about 
the year #agff the optical business had 
been removed from the ,strand to ,st4   
,paul's ,churchyard1 where it became so 
extensive and prosperous1 that ,mr4     
,dollond took into partnership his      
brother ,john4 ,for nearly forty years  
the brothers resided here1 endeavouring1
 by their cordial and united efforts1 to
 improve and extend each branch of their
 profession4 ,in #ahjd ,john1 the       
younger brother1 died1 and in the       
following year his place was supplied by
 a nephew1 ,george ,huggins1 who1 on    

being admitted into partnership1 changed
 his name to ,dollond1 and eventually   
succeeded to the whole concern4 ,in     
#ahag ,peter ,dollond took up his       
residence at ,richmond ,hill1 remaining 
there till ,june #ahbj1 when he removed 
to ,kennington ,common1 where he        
breathed his last1 having arrived at his
 #ijth year4--,memoir by the ,rev4 ,dr4 
,kelly4     ,,bryan ,,donkin1 ,f4,r4,s41
 c4  ,born ,march #bb1 #agfh4 ,died     
,february #bg1 #ahee4   ,bryan ,donkin  
was born at ,sandoe1 in ,northumberland4
 ,his father1 who followed the business 
of a surveyor and land agent1 was       
acquainted with ,john ,smeaton1 the     
eminent engineer1 from having had       
occasion to consult him frequently on   
questions relating to the bridges and   
other works on the ,tyne4 ,donkin early 
showed a taste for science and          
mechanics1 and when almost a child was  
to be found continually occupied in     
making various ingenious mechanical     
contrivances4 ,he commenced life in the 

same business as his father1 being      
engaged for a year or two as land agent 
to the ,duke of ,dorset4 ,donkin1       
however1 soon showed the bent of his    
natural genius by quitting this agency1 
and going to consult ,smeaton as to how 
he could best become an engineer4 ,by   
,smeaton's advice1 he apprenticed       
himself to ,mr4 ,hall1 of ,dartford1 in 
the carrying on of whose works he was   
soon able to take so active a part1 that
 in #ahja-b he was principally entrusted
 with the construction of a model of the
 first machine for making paper1 the    
execution of which had been put into    
,messrs4 ,hall's hands by the ,messrs4  
,fourdrinier4 ,the idea of this machine 
originated with ,mr4 ,roberts1 and      
formed the subject of a patent1 which   
was assigned to ,messrs4 ,bloxam and    
,fourdrinier4 ,after considerable       
expense had been incurred1 and many     
trials made with the model1 the paper   
produced was found to be of too inferior
 a quality for sale4 ,the model remained

 at ,mr4 ,hall's works for some time1   
till at length ,donkin agreed with the  
owners to take the matter in hand       
himself1 and for this purpose took      
premises at ,bermondsey 7still occupied 
by his sons74 ,in #ahjd he succeeded in 
producing a machine which1 on being     
erected at ,frogmore1 ,herts1 and set to
 work1 was found to be successful1      
although still far from perfect4 ,a     
second one1 in which still further      
improvements were introduced1 was       
consequently made the following year and
 erected at ,two-waters2 and in #ahaj   
eighteen more of these complex machines 
were erected at various mills1 some of  
which are even now at work4 ,the        
practical difficulties having been at   
length overcome1 these machines soon    
superseded1 both at home and abroad1 the
 ordinary method of making paper by     
hand2 and although the original idea was
 not ,mr4 ,donkin's1 still to him the   
credit is due of having developed1 and  
practically introduced into general use1

 these most useful and complete         
mechanical contrivances1 by means of    
which the process of making paper is    
carried on uninterruptedly from the     
liquid pulp to the perfect sheet ready  
for writing or printing4  ,about the    
year #ahab ,donkin's attention was      
turned to the subject of the            
preservation of meat and vegetables in  
air-tight cases1 and he erected a       
considerable manufactory for this       
purpose at ,bermondsey4 ,mr4 ,donkin was
 also one of the first to introduce     
improvements into printing machinery4   
,in #ahac he1 in conjunction with ,mr4  
,bacon1 secured a patent for a          
,polygonal printing machine1 and in the 
same year invented and brought into use 
composition rollers1 by which some of   
the greatest difficulties experienced at
 that time in printing by machinery were
 overcome4 ,among other inventions and  
mechanical contrivances of ,donkin's are
 a very beautiful screw-cutting and     
dividing machine2 an instrument to      

measure the velocity of the rotation of 
machinery2 and a counting engine3 for   
the two last gold medals were awarded by
 the ,society of ,arts4 ,in #ahbj ,mr4  
,donkin was much engaged with ,sir      
,william ,congreve in contriving a      
method of printing stamps in two        
colours1 with compound plates1 for the  
prevention of forgery2 and with the aid 
of ,mr4 ,wilks1 who was at that time his
 partner1 he produced the beautiful     
machine now used at the ,excise and     
,stamp ,offices1 and by the ,east ,india
 ,company at ,calcutta4  ,mr4 ,donkin   
was an early member of the ,society of  
,arts1 and became one of the            
vice-presidents4 ,from this society he  
received two medals1 one for his        
invention of an instrument to measure   
the velocity of the rotation of         
machinery1 and another for his          
counting-engine4  ,during the last forty
 years of his life he was greatly       
occupied as a civil engineer1 and was   
one of the originators and a            

vice-president of the ,institution of   
,civil ,engineers1 which was founded by 
one of his pupils1 ,mr4 ,henry ,palmer1 
and a few other gentlemen1 the ,royal   
,charter being obtained by ,mr4 ,telford
 and himself4 ,he died in his           
eighty-seventh year1 having passed a    
long life in an almost uninterrupted    
course of usefulness and good           
purpose4--,from the ,proceedings of the 
,royal ,society1 ,nov4 #cj1 #ahee4      
,,william ,,james ,,frodsham1 ,f4,r4,s4 
,born ,july #be1 #aggh4 ,died ,june #bi1
 #ahej4   ,william ,j4 ,frodsham was    
born in ,london1 and brought up under   
the care of his grandfather1 a great    
admirer of ,john ,harrison1 the inventor
 of the timekeeper for ascertaining the 
longitude at sea4 ,from thus spending   
his early life with his grandfather1    
young ,frodsham acquired a strong desire
 to engage in the business of           
chronometer making1 he was consequently 
apprenticed to a man eminent in that    
art4 ,shortly after completing his      

apprenticeship ,mr4 ,frodsham1 in the   
year #ahjj1 entered into partnership    
with ,mr4 ,w4 ,parkinson of ,lancaster1 
and hence arose the celebrated firm of  
,parkinson and ,frodsham4  ,during his  
entire life ,mr4 ,frodsham devoted      
himself to the advancement of the art he
 had engaged in1 and being ably assisted
 by his partner effected various        
improvements in chronometers1 watches1  
and other timekeepers1 and was also the 
author of a paper on pendulum           
experiments4 ,mr4 ,frodsham lived to an 
advanced age1 surviving his partner by  
many years4 ,during his career he       
acquired a large fortune1 which he      
bequeathed to his family1 leaving at the
 same time a sum of #ajjjl4 to the      
,clockmakers' ,company1 of which he had 
been ,master several times during his   
life4 ,mr4 ,frodsham died at ,chatham   
,place1 ,hackney1 and was buried in     
,highgate ,cemetery4     ,,davies       
,,giddy ,,gilbert1 ,d4,c4,l41 ,p4,r4,s4 
,born ,march #f1 #agfg4 ,died ,december 

#bd1 #ahci4   ,davies ,giddy ,gilbert   
was born at ,tredrea1 in the parish of  
,st4 ,erth1 in the west of ,cornwall4   
,his paternal name was ,giddy1 his      
father being the ,rev4 ,edward ,giddy of
 ,st4 ,erth4 ,his mother1 an heiress of 
very considerable property1 was         
,catherine ,davies1 allied to the noble 
family of ,sandys1 and a descendant of  
,william ,noye1 attorney general in the 
reign of ,charles the ,first4 ,young    
,giddy1 not being of very robust health1
 was reared with great care1 and his    
education chiefly superintended by his  
father1 who was an accomplished scholar1
 and a man of acknowledged ability and  
attainments4  ,as ,gilbert grew up1 it  
was thought desirable to place him in   
the grammar school at ,penzance2 and for
 this purpose his parents removed for   
about eighteen months to that town4 ,in 
#aghb they went to ,bristol1 where their
 son's studies were assisted for some   
time by ,mr4 ,benjamin ,donne4 ,in #aghe
 ,gilbert matriculated at ,oxford1 and  

became a gentleman-commoner of ,pembroke
 ,college4 ,he was already master of a  
considerable amount of mathematical and 
physical knowledge1 the greater portion 
of which he had acquired by almost      
unassisted application4 ,while residing 
at the ,university he associated with   
the senior members of his college1      
preferring their company to that of     
students of his own age2 and considering
 the natural bent of his tastes1 which  
led him to prefer the study of the      
severer sciences to the elegancies of   
classical literature1 it is not         
surprising that such should be the case4
 ,dr4 ,parr1 writing at this time to the
 late ,master of ,pembroke1 speaks of   
,mr4 ,giddy1 then twenty-three years    
old1 as 'the ,cornish ,philosopher1' and
 adds that he deserved that name4       
,during his residence at ,oxford1       
,gilbert was a regular attendant at the 
lectures on anatomy and mineralogy1     
delivered by ,dr4 ,thompson1 at ,christ 
,church4 ,he also attended with         

assiduity the lectures on chemistry and 
botany of ,drs4 ,beddoes and ,sibthorp1 
with whom he contracted a friendship1   
which terminated only with their lives4 
,to the former of these two gentlemen   
,gilbert subsequently introduced his    
friend ,sir ,humphry ,davy1 at that time
 in comparatively humble life1 but whose
 extraordinary combination of poetical  
and philosophical genius had attracted  
,gilbert's attention1 and he thus had   
the merit and good fortune of           
contributing to rescue from obscurity   
one of the greatest discoverers in      
modern chemistry4  ,mr4 ,gilbert        
continued to reside principally at his  
college until the year #agic1 when1     
having previously taken the honorary    
degree of ,m4,a41 he returned to        
,cornwall to serve as sheriff1 and to   
divide his time1 between the cultivation
 of science and literature1 and the     
duties of a magistrate in a populous and
 busy town4 ,previous to this1 in the   
year #agia1 he had been elected a       

,fellow of the ,royal ,society1 his     
certificate describing him as being     
devoted to mathematical and             
philosophical pursuits4 ,it was signed  
by ,thomas ,hornsby1 ,savilian professor
 of astronomy1 ,g4 ,shuckburgh1 ,n4     
,maskelyne1 ,george ,staunton1 and other
 ,fellows4 ,in #ahjd ,mr4 ,gilbert      
became a member of ,parliament for      
,helstone1 and at the general election  
in #ahjf1 was chosen to represent       
,bodmin1 continuing to sit for that     
borough until ,december1 #ahcb4 ,he was 
emphatically the representative of      
scientific interests in the ,house of   
,commons1 and was continually appointed 
to serve on committees of inquiry       
touching scientific and financial       
questions4 ,he acted as ,chairman of the
 committee for rebuilding ,london       
,bridge1 causing it to be widened ten   
feet more than originally proposed1 and 
he greatly contributed by his exertions 
to carry many very important public     
projects1 amongst which may be          

mentioned1 the ,breakwater at ,plymouth1
 and the bill for the revision of       
weights and measures1 of which he was   
appointed a commissioner4 ,he was also a
 member of the ,board of ,longitude4    
,on the #hth of ,april1 #ahjh1 he       
married ,mary ,ann ,gilbert1 only niece 
of ,charles ,gilbert of ,eastbourne in  
,sussex1 under whose will he came into  
possession of considerable estates in   
that county2 and1 in compliance with its
 conjunctions1 obtained permission to   
assume the name and arms of ,gilbert4   
,mr4 ,gilbert contributed several       
important papers on mathematical        
subjects to the ',philosophical         
,transactions4' ,in ,july1 #ahai1 he    
succeeded ,samuel ,lyons in the office  
of treasurer to the ,royal ,society1    
which office he retained until elected  
,president in #ahbh4 ,he was also the   
author of numerous papers in the        
',quarterly ,journal of ,science and    
,arts1' and presented the world with the
 fruits of his labours as an antiquary1 

by publishing1 in #ahch1 ',the          
,parochial ,history of ,cornwall1' in   
four volumes #hvo41 founded on the      
manuscript histories of ,mr4 ,hals and  
,mr4 ,tonkin4 ,mr4 ,gilbert was a       
diligent collector of ancient           
traditions1 legendary tales1 songs1 and 
carols1 illustrating the manners of the 
,cornish peasants1 and printed various  
ballads at his house at ,eastbourne4 ,he
 possessed great memory and powers of   
quotation and anecdote2 his conversation
 has been described as being a continued
 stream of learning and philosophy1     
adapted with excellent taste to the     
capacity of his auditory1 and enlivened 
with anecdotes to which the most        
listless could not but listen and learn4
  ,his manners1 says ,dr4 ,buckland1    
were most unaffected1 childlike1 gentle1
 and natural4 ,as a friend1 he was kind1
 considerate1 forbearing1 patient1 and  
generous2 and when the grave was closed 
over him1 not one man1 woman1 or child1 
who was honoured with his acquaintance1 

but felt that he had a friend less in   
the world4  ,mr4 ,gilbert retired from  
the chair of the ,royal ,society in     
#ahcj1 and two years later from         
,parliament2 he did not1 however1 resign
 himself to repose1 but continued in    
many ways still to advocate the cause of
 science4 ,in #ahci he became much      
weaker in health and spirits2 and       
although he made a journey to ,durham1  
and afterwards into ,cornwall1 where he 
presided for the last time at the       
,anniversary of the ,royal ,geological  
,society of ,cornwall 7of which he had  
been ,president since its institution in
 #ahad71 he was evidently unequal to the
 exertions he was making4 ,his last     
visit was to ,oxford1 which ,university 
had some years before conferred on him  
the title of ,d4,c4,l4 ,from that period
 he never went into public1 but1 bidding
 farewell to ,london1 retired to his    
house at ,eastbourne on the #gth of     
,november1 #ahci1 where he died on the  
#bdth of the following ,december4 ,his  

body was borne to the grave by his own  
labourers1 and followed by his widow and
 family1 which consisted of one son 7the
 present ,j4 ,d4 ,gilbert1 ,f4,r4,s47   
and two daughters4--,weld's ,history of 
the ,royal ,society1 with ,memoirs of   
the ,presidents4 ,london1 #ahdh4        
,,charles ,,hatchett1 ,f4,r4,s4  ,born  
,january #b1 #agfe4 ,died ,march #aj1   
#ahdg4   ,charles ,hatchett was born at 
a house in ,long ,acre1 where his father
 carried on the business of a           
coachmaker4 ,he was sent to a school    
known by the name of ,fountayne's1      
situated in what was formerly called    
,marylebone ,park4 ,on leaving school1  
,mr4 ,hatchett continued to live for    
some time with his father1 purposing to 
follow the same business2 he1 however1  
never took kindly to it1 but spent the  
chief part of his time in perusing books
 of science1 or in attending lectures on
 scientific subjects2 and his father1   
perceiving the bent of his inclination1 
made him a handsome allowance1 to enable

 him to prosecute his studies4  ,an     
amusing story is told by the ,rev4 ,mr4 
,lockwood1 ,rector of ,kingham1 who was 
an intimate friend of ,mr4 ,hatchett's1 
that one day he remembered asking       
,hatchett what first led him to turn his
 attention to the study of chemistry2 he
 replied1 that he believed it was his   
love for raspberry-jam2 for1 when quite 
a boy1 he used to accompany his mother  
to the storeroom1 and on one occasion1  
while as usual entreating for some jam1 
she locked the door1 and putting the key
 in her pocket1 told him he might now   
get as much as he could4 ,this somewhat 
nettled the lad1 and setting his wits to
 work1 he remembered having read of the 
power of certain acids to dissolve      
metals4 ,young ,hatchett accordingly    
purchased what he thought would suit his
 purpose1 and applying it to the lock of
 the cupboard1 gained an entrance1 and  
carried off in triumph the pot of jam4  
,on the #bdth of ,march1 #aghf1 when    
just one-and-twenty1 ,mr4 ,hatchett     

married the only daughter of ,mr4 ,john 
,collick1 of ,saint ,martin's ,lane1 and
 shortly afterwards1 in company with his
 wife1 visited ,russia and ,poland1     
where they remained for nearly two      
years4 ,on returning to ,england1 ,mr4  
,hatchett established himself in a house
 at ,hammersmith1 which he fitted with  
an excellent laboratory1 so as to be    
able to pursue his chemical studies4 ,on
 the #ith of ,march1 #ahjg1 he was      
elected into the ,royal ,society1 his   
first paper having appeared in their    
',transactions' in #agif2 it was        
entitled1 ',an ,analysis of the         
,carinthian ,molybdate of ,lead1 with   
,experiments on the ,molybdic ,acid2 to 
which are added1 some ,experiments and  
,observations on the ,decomposition of  
the ,sulphate of ,ammonia4' ,this paper 
was followed by fifteen others1 on      
various subjects1 exhibiting the extent 
and research of his chemical            
investigations4 ,in one of these1       
published in #ahjb1 and entitled an     

',analysis of a ,mineral ,substance from
 ,north ,america1 containing a metal    
unknown1' ,mr4 ,hatchett gives an       
account of his discovery of the metal   
,columbium4  ,during the later portion  
of his life1 ,mr4 ,hatchett was often   
called upon committees1 whenever points 
of chemistry or other sciences were to  
be discussed4 ,in #ahah1 he formed one  
of the commission1 comprising amongst   
others ,dr4 ,wollaston1 ,sir ,joseph    
,banks1 ,sir ,william ,congreve1 ,davies
 ,gilbert1 c41 appointed to authorize an
 inquiry into the best means of         
preventing the forgery of bank notes2 he
 was also one of the chemists           
7consisting of ,brande1 ,hatchett1      
,wollaston1 and ,young7 who met at ,sir 
,joseph ,banks's house1 to decide on the
 respective merits of ,sir ,humphry     
,davy and ,george ,stephenson1 in the   
matter of the safety-lamp4  ,besides his
 scientific attainments1 ,hatchett      
possessed great conversational powers2  
he was good-humoured1 full of drollery1 

and never at fault for some jocular or  
pleasant story1 to amuse the company he 
might be with4 ,at the ,royal ,society  
,club1 of which he was a member1 he was 
a great favourite1 particularly with    
,sir ,joseph ,banks1 who1 after ,dr4    
,johnson1 used to call him a clubable   
man4 ,sir ,john ,barrow gives the       
following anecdote3--,that one day1 at  
the club1 ,hatchett amused us with the  
story of a dream1 which he prefaced by  
saying that1 although it was 'such stuff
 as dreams are made of1' it still       
contained a reality in its conclusion1  
which had very much distressed him4 ,he 
dreamt that he had lost his way1 but    
came to a dark and dismal-looking       
building1 into which he passed through a
 forbidding sort of gate1 opened by a   
black-looking porter1 who closed it     
immediately after him4 ,he walked on1   
and everywhere observed clumps of       
ill-looking people skirmishing and      
fighting1 while a little beyond were    
other groups1 weeping and in great      

distress2 further on still were flames  
of fire4 ,beginning to think he had got 
into a very bad place1 he endeavoured to
 retrace his steps and get out again2   
but the black doorkeeper refused to let 
him pass4 ,a furious fight ensued1 and  
he pummelled the negro-looking rascal1  
first with one fist and then with       
another4 ,at length he was brought to   
his senses by a scream1 which1 to his   
dismay1 proceeded from his poor wife1   
and he found that1 instead of pummelling
 the black doorkeeper1 he had given     
,mrs4 ,hatchett a black eye4  ,in #ahji1
 ,mr4 ,hatchett was elected one of the  
chosen few of the ,literary ,club1      
originally instituted by ,dr4 ,johnson  
and ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds2 and on the  
death of ,dr4 ,burney1 in #ahbi1 was    
appointed to the chief official station 
of treasurer to the club4  ,in #ahaj he 
took up his residence at ,belle ,vue    
,house1 ,chelsea1 where he continued for
 the remainder of his life1 which       
terminated in #ahdg1 ,mr4 ,hatchett     

having then attained the advanced age of
 eighty-two4--,sketches of the ,royal   
,society and ,royal ,society ,club1 by  
,sir ,john ,barrow1 ,bart41 ,f4,r4,s4   
,london1 #ahdi4     ,,william ,,henry1  
,m4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 c4  ,born ,december  
#ab1 #aggd4 ,died ,september #b1 #ahcf4 
,dr4 ,william ,henry1 the distinguished 
chemical philosopher1 was born at       
,manchester4 ,his father1 ,mr4 ,thomas  
,henry1 was a zealous cultivator of     
chemical science4 ,the earliest         
impressions of ,henry's childhood were1 
therefore1 such as to inspire interest  
and reverence for the pursuits of       
science2 and he is said1 when very      
young1 to have sought amusement in      
attempting to imitate1 with such means  
as were at his disposal1 the chemical   
experiments which his father had been   
performing4 ,a severe accident which    
occurred in early life1 by disqualifying
 him for the active sports of boyhood1  
also contributed to determine his taste 
for books and sedentary occupations4    

,this injury1 occasioned by the fall of 
a heavy beam upon his right side1 was of
 a very serious nature1 and materially  
checked his growth2 it left as its      
consequence acute neuralgic pains1 which
 recurred from time to time1 with more  
or less severity1 during the remainder  
of his life4  ,dr4 ,henry's earliest    
instructor was the ,rev4 ,ralph         
,harrison1 who possessed considerable   
repute as a teacher of the ancient      
languages1 and was considered at that   
period to be one of the best instructors
 of youth in the ,north of ,england4    
,immediately on leaving ,mr4 ,harrison's
 academy at ,manchester1 ,henry had the 
good fortune to become the private      
secretary of ,dr4 ,percival1 a physician
 of great general accomplishments and   
refined taste1 whose example and        
judicious counsels were most            
instrumental in guiding the tastes of   
his young companion1 and in establishing
 habits of vigilant and appropriate     
expression4 ,in this improving residence

 ,dr4 ,henry remained for the space of  
five years2 he was then removed1 in the 
winter of #agie-f1 to the ,university of
 ,edinburgh1 after having acquired some 
preliminary medical knowledge at the    
,infirmary at ,manchester4 ,prudential  
considerations compelled him to leave   
the ,university at the end of a year1   
and commence general medical practice in
 company with his father4 ,a few years' 
experience1 however1 showed the         
inadequacy of his delicate frame to bear
 up against the fatigues of this branch 
of the medical profession1 and he was   
permitted1 in the year #ahje1 to return 
to the ,university1 at that time adorned
 by the learning of ,playfair and       
,stewart4 ,so powerful was the stimulus 
given to his mental powers during his   
residence at the ,university1 that he   
often declared that the rest of his     
life1 active as it was1 appeared a state
 of inglorious repose when contrasted   
with this season of unremitted effort4  
,the period intervening between ,dr4    

,henry's two academic residences1       
although passed in the engrossing       
occupations of his profession1 to which 
was added the superintendence of a      
chemical business previously established
 by his father1 was yet marked by       
several important contributions to      
science4 ,in #agig he communicated to   
the ,royal ,society an experimental     
memoir 7the first of a long series with 
which he enriched the ',transactions' of
 that body71 the design of which was to 
re-establish the title of carbon to be  
ranked among elementary bodies1 which   
had been denied by ,austin1 ,beddoes1   
and other eminent chemists4 ,in this    
paper he subsequently discovered a      
fallacy in his own reasoning1 which he  
exposed before it had been detected by  
any other chemist4 ,in #ahjj he         
published in the ',philosophical        
,transactions' his experiments on       
muriatic acid gas1 and in #ahjc made    
known to the ,royal ,society his        
elaborate experiments on the quantity of

 gases absorbed by water at different   
temperature and under different         
pressures1 the result of which was the  
establishment of the law that water     
takes up of gas1 condensed by one1 two  
or more additional atmospheres1 a       
quantity which would be equal to twice1 
thrice1 c4 the volume absorbed under the
 ordinary pressure of the atmosphere4   
,in #ahjh ,henry was elected a ,fellow  
of the ,royal ,society1 and in the same 
year described in their ',transactions' 
a form of apparatus adapted to the      
combustion of larger quantities of gases
 than could be fired in eudiometric     
tubes4 ,this apparatus1 though now      
superseded1 gave more accurate results  
than had ever before been attained4 ,in 
the following year 7#ahji7 the ,copley  
gold medal was awarded to him for his   
valuable contributions to the           
',transactions' of the ,royal ,society4 
,for the next fifteen years ,dr4 ,henry 
continued his experiments on gases1     
making known to the ,society the results

 from time to time4 ,in his last        
communication1 in #ahbd1 he claimed the 
merit of having conquered the only      
difficulty that remained in a series of 
experiments on the analysis of the      
gaseous substances issuing from the     
destructive distillation of coal and    
oil--viz41 the ascertaining by chemical 
means the exact proportions which the   
gases1 left after the action of chlorine
 on oil and coal gas1 bear to each      
other4 ,this he accomplished by         
skilfully availing himself of the       
property 7recently discovered by        
,dbereiner71 in finely divided platinum1
 of causing gaseous combinations1 and he
 was thus enabled to prove the exact    
composition of the fire-damp of mines4  
,all the experiments of ,dr4 ,henry     
which have been previously alluded to   
bore upon eriform bodies2 but although  
these were his favourite studies1 his   
acquaintance with general chemistry is  
proved by his ',elements of             
,experimental ,chemistry1' to have been 

both sound and extensive4 ,this work was
 one of the first on chemical science   
published in this country1 which        
combined great literary elegance with   
the highest standard of scientific      
accuracy4 ,his comparative analysis of  
many varieties of ,british and foreign  
salts were models of accurate analysis1 
and were important in dispelling the    
prejudices then popular in favour of the
 latter for economical purposes4 ,his   
',memoir on the ,theories of ,galvanic  
,decomposition' earned the cordial      
approval of ,berzelius1 as being among  
the first maintaining that view which he
 himself so earnestly supported4  ,it is
 greatly to be regretted that ,dr4      
,henry did not contribute more to the   
literature of science1 as he appears to 
have been eminently fitted1 both by     
natural tastes and by after culture1 to 
excel in this particular respect2       
especially is it to be regretted that he
 did not live to carry out the great    
literary project for which he had       

collected materials--a history of       
chemical discovery from the middle of   
the last century4 ,he could have made it
 one of the most popular books in our   
tongue4  ,in the general intercourse of 
society ,dr4 ,henry was distinguished by
 a polished courtesy1 by an intuitive   
propriety1 and by a considerate         
forethought and respect for the feelings
 and opinions of others2 qualities      
issuing out of the same high-toned      
sensibility1 that guided his taste in   
letters1 and that softened and elevated 
his whole moral frame and bearing4 ,his 
comprehensive range of thought and      
knowledge1 his proneness to general     
speculation in contradistinction to     
detail1 his ready command of the        
refinements of language1 and the        
liveliness of his feelings and          
imagination1 rendered him a most        
instructive and engaging companion4 ,to 
the young1 and more especially to such  
as gave evidence of a taste for liberal 
studies1 his manner was peculiarly kind 

and encouraging4 ,in measuring the      
amount and importance of his            
contributions to chemical knowledge1 it 
must be borne in mind1 that in his      
season of greatest mental activity1 he  
never enjoyed that uncontrolled command 
of time and that serene concentration of
 thought which are essential to the     
completion of great scientific designs4 
,in more advanced life1 when relieved   
from the duties of an extensive medical 
practice and other equally pressing     
avocations1 growing infirmities and     
failing bodily power restrained him to  
studies not demanding personal exertion1
 and even abridged his season of purely 
mental labour4 ,that amid circumstances 
so unfriendly to original and sustained 
achievements in science1 he should have 
accomplished so much1 bears testimony to
 that energy of resolve1 that unsubdued 
ardour of spirit which ever glowed      
within him1 urging him steadily onwards 
in the career of honourable ambition1   
and prompting exertions more than       

commensurate with the decaying forces of
 a frame that had never been vigorous4  
,at intervals during his whole life1    
,dr4 ,henry suffered severely from the  
effect of the accident already          
mentioned4 ,the paroxysms of intense    
neuralgic agony which attacked him1 at  
length caused the whole nervous system  
to be so irritated as to deprive him of 
sleep1 and cause his death in           
,september1 #ahcf1 at the age of        
sixty-one4--,biographical ,account of   
the late ,dr4 ,henry1 by his son1       
,william ,charles ,henry1 ,m4,d41       
,f4,r4,s41 c4--,encyclopdia ,britannica1
 ,eighth ,edition4     ,,sir ,,william  
,,herschel1 ,d4,c4,l41 ,f4,r4,s41 c4    
,born ,november #ae1 #agch4 ,died       
,august #bc1 #ahbb4   ,authentic        
particulars respecting both the early   
and private life of this great          
astronomer are sadly deficient2 his     
scientific works are1 however1 of a     
world-wide reputation1 and it is with   
these that we are chiefly concerned4    

,william ,herschel was born at ,hanover1
 and was one of a numerous family1 who  
supported themselves chiefly by their   
musical talents4 ,at the age of fourteen
 ,william was placed1 it is said1 in the
 band of the ,hanoverian regiment of    
,guards1 which he accompanied to        
,england at a period variously stated   
from #ageg to #agei4 ,on his arrival he 
remained for some time at ,durham1 and  
was subsequently1 for several years1    
organist at ,halifax1 where he was also 
employed in teaching music and studying 
languages4 ,at length1 about the year   
#agff1 he found himself in comparatively
 easy circumstances1 as organist of the 
,octagon ,chapel at ,bath4 ,here        
,herschel began to study earnestly the  
science of astronomy2 and feeling the   
necessity of obtaining a good telescope1
 the purchase of which would be beyond  
his means1 he determined to make one    
himself4 ,after many trials1 he         
succeeded in #aggd in executing with his
 own hands a reflecting telescope1 and  

soon acquired so much dexterity1 as to  
construct instruments of ten and twenty 
feet in focal length4  ,in the year     
#aghj he contributed his first paper1   
',on the ,variable ,star in ,cetus1' to 
the ,royal ,society2 and on the #acth of
 ,march1 #agha1 announced to the world  
his discovery of a supposed comet1      
which1 on further examination1 proved to
 be a planet exterior to ,saturn1 now   
named ,uranus4#bj ,this fortunate       
success was the first addition to the   
number of primary planets since a period
 of an immemorial antiquity1 and it     
speedily made the name of ,herschel     
famous4  ,george ,,iii4 took the new    
astronomer under his protection1 and    
attached him to his court1 bestowing on 
him the title of astronomer to the king1
 with a salary of #djjl4 a year4 ,it is 
difficult to estimate the amount of     
benefit thus conferred on astronomy by  
the award of this pension2 for nothing  
short of the entire devotion of a       
lifetime1 could have produced such      

results as we owe to ,herschel4 ,his    
contributions to the ',philosophical    
,transactions' alone amount to          
sixty-nine in number1 and may give some 
idea of the unwearied activity of the   
author2 they range over a period of     
thirty-five years1 commencing in #aghj  
and terminating in #ahae4 ,the numerous 
bodies which he added to the solar      
system1 make that number half as large  
again as he found it4 ,including        
,halley's comet1 and the four satellites
 of ,jupiter and five of ,saturn1 the   
number previously known was eighteen1 to
 which ,herschel added nine--namely     
,uranus and six satellites1 and two     
satellites of ,saturn4 ,his discovery of
 the rotation of ,saturn's ring1 his    
measurements of the rotation of ,saturn 
and ,venus1 his observations of the     
belts of the former1 and his conjectural
 theory--derived from observation--of   
the rotation of ,jupiter's satellites1  
with a large number of minor            
observations1 prove that no one         

individual ever added so much to the    
facts on which our knowledge of the     
solar system is founded4 ,his leading   
discoveries in siderial astronomy       
include--the discovery of binary systems
 of stars1 and the orbits of several    
revolving stars2 the discovery and      
classification of a prodigious multitude
 of nebul2 the law of grouping of the   
entire firmament1 and its connection    
with the great nebula of the ,milky     
,way2 and lastly1 the determination of  
the motion of our sun and system in     
space1 and the direction of that motion4
  ,herschel's magnificent speculations  
on the ,milky ,way1 the constitution of 
nebul1 c41 first opened the road to the 
conception1 that what was called the    
universe was1 in all probability1 but a 
detached and minute portion of that     
fathomless series of similar formations 
which ought to bear the name4           
,imagination roves with ease upon such  
subjects2 but before ,herschel's        
observations1 even that daring faculty  

would have rejected ideas which         
afterwards proved to be but sober       
philosophy4 ,these great and arduous    
enquiries occupied ,herschel during     
nearly the whole of his scientific      
career1 extending to almost half a      
century1 and1 excepting the continuation
 of his labours by his illustrious son1 
,sir ,john1 little has been added to our
 knowledge of 'the constitution of the  
heavens' since his death4  ,as an       
optician1 ,herschel deserves equal      
notice for the wonderful improvements   
which he effected in the dimensions and 
magnifying power of telescopes1 and by  
the skill with which he applied them to 
celestial observations4 ,the reflecting 
telescope was the one to the improvement
 of which he so successfully devoted    
himself2 and the real secret of his     
success in this1 was his astonishing    
perseverance2 his determination being to
 obtain telescopes of twenty feet focal 
length or more1 and of a perfection     
equal or superior to the small ones then

 in use4 ,he himself relates1 that      
whilst at ,bath he had constructed #bjj 
specula of seven feet focus1 #aej of ten
 feet1 and about #hj of twenty feet2 a  
proof of extraordinary resolution in a  
man of limited means1 and at that time  
engaged in a laborious profession4      
,herschel at last succeeded in          
constructing his enormous telescope of  
forty feet focal length1 which he       
erected in the grounds of his house at  
,slough4 ,this instrument was begun in  
#aghe1 and finally completed on ,august 
#bhth1 #aghi1 on which day ,herschel    
discovered with it the sixth satellite  
of ,saturn2 the diameter of the tube was
 #d feet #aj inches1 the speculum having
 a useful area of #d feet3 the total    
cost was #djjjl41 which was entirely    
defrayed by the liberality of ,george   
the ,third4  ,after the award of the    
king's pension1 ,sir ,william ,herschel 
fixed his residence at ,slough1 near    
,windsor1 his family consisting at first
 of one of his brothers1 and his sister1

 ,miss ,caroline ,herschel1 who was his 
coadjutor and assistant in his          
computations and reductions1 and was    
also actively employed in astronomical  
observation1 being the discoverer of    
more than one comet4 ,herschel married a
 widow lady1 ,mrs4 ,mary ,pitt1 and left
 one son1 the present ,sir ,john1 whose 
name has long been known to the public  
as one of the most active and successful
 adherents of science that our day has  
produced4  ,dr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,forbes thus    
sums up the philosophical character of  
,sir ,william ,herschel3--  ,he united1 
in a remarkable degree1 the resolute    
industry which distinguishes the        
,germans1 with the ardour and constancy 
which has been thought characteristic of
 the ,anglo-,saxon4 ,from his native    
country he brought with him the boldness
 of speculation which has long          
distinguished it1 and it is probable    
that he had also a vigorous and even    
poetical imagination4 ,yet he was ever  
impatient until he had brought his      

conjectures to the test of experiment1  
and observation of the most             
uncompromising kind4 ,he delighted to   
give his data a numerical character1 and
 where this was 7by their nature7       
impossible1 he confirmed his            
descriptions by reiterated observation1 
in different states of weather1 with    
different telescopes1 apertures1 and    
magnifying powers2 and with praiseworthy
 fidelity he enabled his readers to form
 their own judgment of the character of 
his results1 by copious and literal     
transcripts from his journals4          
,herschel died peacefully at ,slough1 at
 the advanced age of eighty-three1 on   
the #bcrd of ,august1 #ahbb1 only one   
year after the publication of his latest
 memoir in the ',transactions' of the   
then recently formed ,astronomical      
,society1 of which he was the first     
president4--,sixth ,dissertation1 by    
,james ,david ,forbes1 ,d4,c4,l41       
,f4,r4,s41 c41 ,encyclopdia ,britt41    
eighth edition4--,english ,cyclopdia4   

,london1 #ahef4--,weld's ,hist4 of ,roy4
 ,society4     ,,edward ,,charles       
,,howard1 ,f4,r4,s4  ,born ,may #bh1    
#aggd4 ,died ,september #bh1 #ahaf4     
,mr4 ,howard was born at ,darnell1 in   
the parish of ,sheffield1 and was the   
third brother of the twelfth ,duke of   
,norfolk4 ,his name has become          
intimately connected with the           
manufacture of sugar1 from the many     
improvements which he introduced into   
the old processes for the refinement of 
this most important article of commerce1
 and especially by his invention of the 
vacuum-pan4  ,it is related1 on the     
authority of the late ,mr4 ,c4 ,few1    
that ,mr4 ,howard's attention was drawn 
towards this subject by ,mr4 ,charles   
,ellis1 who1 on the occasion of an      
immense quantity of ,west ,india sugar  
being in bond1 and for which the revenue
 could find no market1 recommended      
,howard1 whose talents as a practical   
chemist ,mr4 ,ellis was well acquainted 
with1 to try and see if he could not    

relieve the ,government warehouses1 by  
converting the raw sugar into some kind 
of manure1 and thus avoid the duty and  
render the article saleable4 ,while     
experimenting for this purpose1 ,mr4    
,howard accidentally discovered his     
process of purifying sugar1 for which1  
in conjunction with certain sugar       
refiners1 he took out patents1 and      
ultimately realized a considerable      
fortune4  ,howard's vacuum-pan was      
patented in #ahab2 it depends for its   
action on the principle that liquids    
boil at temperatures dependent on the   
pressures they have to sustain4 ,thus   
water1 under the ordinary pressure of   
the atmosphere 7#cj inches barometer71  
boils at #bab ,f41 whereas in vacuo it  
will boil at about #hj2 consequently a  
comparatively low temperature will      
effect the boiling of sugar-syrup in    
vacuo1 evaporation will proceed far more
 safely than in the old process of      
heating the syrup in open pans1 and the 
percentage of waste will be greatly     

reduced1 rendering the manufacture      
highly profitable in a commercial point 
of view4  ,mr4 ,howard died at the early
 age of forty-two1 and was buried at    
,st4 ,pancras1 ,middlesex4 ,he left one 
son1 and a daughter1 ,julia1 who was    
married in the year #ahbi to the ,hon4  
,henry ,stafford ,jerningham1 afterwards
 ,lord ,stafford4     ,,captain ,j4     
,,huddart1 ,f4,r4,s4  ,born ,jan4 #aa1  
#agdj4 ,died ,august #ai1 #ahaf4        
,joseph ,huddart was born at ,allonby in
 ,cumberland4 ,his ,father1 who was a   
shoemaker and farmer1 desiring to give  
his son the best education in his power1
 sent him to a day-school kept by ,mr4  
,wilson1 the clergyman of the village4  
,here young ,huddart acquired a         
knowledge of the elements of            
mathematics1 including astronomy1       
sciences in which he attained great     
proficiency in after life4 ,when quite a
 boy1 ,huddart gave indications of an   
original mind1 combined with great      
industry and unwearied patience4 ,having

 fallen in with a treatise by ,mungo    
,murray on ship building1 he was so     
pleased with its clear directions1 that 
he set to work and succeeded1 after     
immense labour and ingenuity1 in making 
a model of a seventy-four gun-ship1 with
 ribs1 planks1 and bolts complete4 ,when
 engaged in herding his father's cows1  
he used to carry out into the country a 
desk of his own manufacture1 employing  
his time in reading1 and mathematical   
drawing and calculations4  ,as ,huddart 
grew up he evinced a strong bias for a  
sea-faring life1 and an event occurred  
in #agef which decided his future       
career4 ,in that year large shoals of   
herrings came into the ,solway ,firth1  
and the elder ,huddart took advantage of
 the circumstance to trade in           
conjunction with a ,herring ,fishery    
,company1 while his son took his place  
with others in the boats1 and soon      
displayed so much skill and ability in  
their management that he became noted   
among his fellows for superiority of    

knowledge in nautical matters4 ,young   
,huddart continued more or less in this 
new employment until his father's death1
 in #agfb1 when he succeeded to a share 
in the fishery1 and at once took the    
command of a sloop employed in carrying 
the salted herrings to ,cork and other  
parts of ,ireland1 for the supply of the
 ,west ,india markets4  ,these voyages  
gave him a thorough knowledge of ,st4   
,george's ,channel1 convinced him of the
 insufficiency of the charts then in    
use1 and ultimately led to his making a 
complete survey of that sea1 and to the 
subsequent publication of his own most  
valuable chart4 ,in #agfh ,huddart1 with
 the assistance of his uncle1 designed  
and built a vessel for himself1 and     
named it the ,patience1 every timber in 
it having been moulded with his own     
hand4 ,in this vessel he made his first 
voyage to ,north ,america1 and continued
 to sail in her until the year #agga1   
when he was induced by ,sir ,richard    
,hotham1 with whom he had become        

acquainted1 to enter the ,east ,india   
,mercantile ,marine1 in which service he
 continued for many years1 and realized 
a considerable independency4  ,captain  
,huddart's scientific knowledge and high
 character introduced him into the      
,trinity ,house as an ,elder ,brother1  
and also into the ,committee of the     
,ramsgate ,harbour ,trust1 and into the 
,london and ,east ,india ,dock          
,directions4 ,at the ,trinity ,house all
 inquiries relating to lights1          
lighthouses and charts were chiefly     
referred to him1 while the lighthouses  
on ,hurst ,point were built under his   
superintendence and immediate direction4
  ,on retirement from the ,east ,india  
,company's service1 ,huddart engaged    
again in his favourite pursuit of ship  
building1 making many practical         
experiments to determine the lines1     
which consistent with stability and     
capacity for stowage would give to      
vessels the greatest velocity through   
the water4 ,but that which constitutes  

,captain ,huddart's chief claim on the  
gratitude of posterity are his great    
improvements and inventions in the      
manufacture of ,cordage2 before his time
 nothing worthy of the name of machinery
 had been applied to rope-making1 and to
 him was reserved the honour of bringing
 the wonderful power of ,watt's steam   
engine to bear upon this most important 
article of manufacture4  ,captain       
,huddart's attention was first drawn    
towards the subject during a voyage from
 ,india to ,china through the ,straits  
of ,sunda1 where the ship he commanded  
was frequently compelled to anchor4     
,when the anchor was weighed1 the outer 
yarns of the cable were often found to  
be broken1 and on opening a piece of    
cable to find out the cause1 ,huddart's 
attention was forcibly drawn to the fact
 that rope as then manufactured1 bore   
almost the entire strain on the outer   
yarns of the strands1 from the yarns    
being originally of the same length1 and
 the strand in the process of twisting  

becoming shortened4 ,he determined to   
remedy this1 and ultimately constructed 
a machine which1 by means of what he    
called a register plate1 gave to every  
yarn the same strain1 and its proper    
position in the strand which was        
compressed through a tube into the      
desired form4  ,government refusing to  
take up this valuable invention1 a      
company was formed by ,huddart's friends
 for the manufacture of rope upon his   
new principle4 ,these gentlemen built a 
factory at ,limehouse1 which was        
established under the name of ,huddart  
,co4  ,captain ,huddart now devoted     
himself to the further development of   
his valuable invention2 he contrived a  
registering machine whereby the yarns   
were formed as they came out of the     
tar-kettle1 the tar being kept at the   
temperature 7#bab-bbj ,fah47 he found by
 experiment to be sufficient for the    
required purpose1 without injuring by   
too great heat the fibres of the rope4  
,he also constructed a laying machine1  

which gave the same length and twist to 
every strand1 and an uniform angle and  
pressure to the rope or cable4 ,these   
improvements involved the manufacture of
 much beautiful machinery1 which was    
made after ,huddart's design and under  
his own personal superintendance4#ba    
,captain ,huddart lived to an advanced  
old age1 and even in his last illness   
his disposition to inquire into causes  
and effects did not forsake him1 as his 
body gradually wasted away1 he caused   
himself to be weighed from time to time1
 noting thereby the quantity of moisture
 which escaped by the breath and        
insensible perspiration4 ,he died at    
,highbury ,terrace1 ,london1 at the age 
of seventy-six1 and was interred in a   
vault under ,st4 ,martin's ,church1 in  
the ,strand4--,memoir of ,capt4 ,jos4   
,huddart1 by ,wm4 ,cotton1 ,d4,c4,l4    
,london1 #ahee4     ,,edward ,,jenner1  
,m4,d41 ,l4,l4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 c4        
,,member ,,of ,,the ,,institute ,,of    
,,france4  ,born ,may #ag1 #agdi4 ,died 

,january #bf1 #ahbc4   ,edward ,jenner1 
who by his discovery of vaccination has 
pre-eminently acquired a right to the   
title of the ,benefactor of ,mankind1   
was born at the vicarage house of       
,berkeley1 in ,gloucestershire1 and was 
the third son of the ,rev4 ,stephen     
,jenner1 rector of ,rockhampton1 and    
vicar of ,berkeley4 ,jenner's father    
died when he was only five years old1   
leaving him to be brought up under the  
care of his uncle4 ,at eight years of   
age he was put to school at             
,wotton-under-,edge1 from whence he was 
removed shortly afterwards to the care  
of ,dr4 ,washborn1 at ,cirencester4     
,jenner early displayed that taste for  
natural history which afterwards formed 
so marked a feature in his character4   
,before he was nine years old he had    
made a collection of the nests of the   
dormouse1 and when at ,cirencester used 
to spend his hours of recreation in     
searching for the fossils which abound  
in that district4  ,after the completion

 of his scholastic education1 ,jenner   
removed to ,sudbury1 near ,bristol1     
where he acquired the elements of       
surgery and pharmacy under ,mr4 ,ludlow1
 an eminent surgeon in the              
neighbourhood4 ,having completed his    
term with this gentleman1 he went to    
,london and became a pupil of the       
celebrated ,john ,hunter1 in whose      
family he resided for two years1 laying 
the foundation of an intimate friendship
 only broken by ,hunter's death4 ,under 
the tuition of this distinguished       
anatomist he acquired an almost         
unrivalled skill in minute dissections  
and delicate injections of parts2 and   
when1 in the year #agga1 ,captain ,cook 
returned from his first voyage of       
discovery1 the valuable specimens of    
,natural ,history1 which had been       
collected by ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 were  
in a great measure arranged and prepared
 by ,jenner1 who was recommended by ,mr4
 ,hunter for that purpose4 ,in executing
 this task1 he evinced so much dexterity

 and intelligence1 that he was offered  
the post of ,naturalist in the next     
expedition1 which sailed in #aggb4      
,jenner1 however1 refused the offer1 and
 determined to fix his abode at the     
place of his birth4 ,he returned to     
,berkeley when about twenty-four years  
old1 and at once commenced practice as a
 country surgeon4 ,his first attempts   
were very successful2 and as he added to
 his professional skill the manners of a
 thorough gentleman1 and the information
 of a scholar1 he became a welcome guest
 in the most distinguished families4 ,he
 was in the habit at this time of       
cultivating the art of poetry1 and used 
to send his compositions to his friends 
in the ordinary interchange of literary 
correspondence4 ,he was likewise clever 
at an epigram or a ballad1 and had a    
natural taste for music1 being able to  
play on the flute and violin1 and sing  
his own verses with considerable taste  
and feeling4 ,such was the attachment of
 ,jenner's friends to him at this period

 of his career1 and so highly did they  
value his amusing and interesting       
conversation1 that1 when he had called  
at their houses1 either as a visitor or 
in his professional capacity1 they would
 accompany him1 on leaving1 many miles  
on his way home1 and this too1 often at 
midnight1 in order that they might      
prolong the pleasure derived from his   
company and conversation4  ,although    
,jenner's time was chiefly occupied with
 his professional duties1 he still kept 
up a constant and regular correspondence
 with his friend ,john ,hunter on       
different scientific subjects4 ,he      
managed also to find leisure to         
institute many experiments and          
observations in natural history1 one of 
the results of which was his account of 
the ,cuckoo1 a most carefully elaborated
 essay1 and which has always been       
considered as a model of accurate       
observation4 ,this paper was read to the
 ,royal ,society on the #ajth of ,march1
 #aghh1 and printed in their            

',transactions4' ,it explained the      
habits of this curious bird very        
satisfactorily1 and its publication at  
once secured the author a considerable  
reputation as a ,naturalist4 ,as this   
paper appears not to be very generally  
known1 the following account taken from 
it may be interesting3--  ,the cuckoo   
furtively deposits her egg in the nest  
of another bird2 it is done not that her
 offspring may be a sharer of the care  
of the foster-parent1 but that it may   
engross it entirely to the total        
destruction of its own natural          
offspring4 ,a perversion of all the     
maternal instincts is a most remarkable 
result of this vicarious incubation4    
,the hedge-sparrow1 or other birds whose
 nests have been visited by the cuckoo1 
actually sometimes eject their own eggs 
to make room for the new guest2 but it  
occasionally happens that this is not   
done2 the eggs are not disturbed1 and   
the process of hatching is allowed to go
 on regularly1 and the young sparrows   

and the cuckoo emerge from the shell    
about the same time4 ,this event1 when  
it is permitted to happen1 does not at  
all improve the condition of the former2
 on the contrary1 it only exposes them  
to greater sufferings4 ,the size of the 
egg of the cuckoo does not vary much    
from that of the bird in whose nest it  
is deposited4 ,when the young sparrow1  
therefore1 and the intruder first come  
into life1 they are pretty much on an   
equality2 but unhappily for the         
foster-brethren1 this equality does not 
last long3 the cuckoo's growth rapidly  
outstrips that of his companions1 and he
 immediately exercises his new powers   
with abundant selfishness and cruelty4  
,by a singular configuration of his own 
body he contrives to lodge his          
companions1 one by one1 upon his back1  
and then scrambling up the sides of the 
nest1 he suddenly throws them from their
 seat1 and completely ejects them from  
their own home to become food for worms4
 ,there is reason to believe that the   

unnatural parent is often an unmoved    
witness of this atrocity4 ,her whole    
care and affection are absorbed by the  
intruder1 and her own flesh and blood   
literally turned out to perish4 ,it     
sometimes1 though very rarely1 happens  
that two cuckoo's eggs are deposited in 
the same nest4 ,when this occurs1 and   
they are both hatched together1 a bitter
 feud arises1 which is only terminated  
by the ejection of one or other from the
 nest4  ,all naturalists previous to    
,jenner were inclined to ascribe the    
peculiarity in the economy of the cuckoo
 to its structure2 the largeness of the 
stomach1 which is only protected by a   
thin covering1 they asserted1 rendered  
the pressure attendant upon incubation  
incompatible with health4 ,this theory  
is incorrect1 and was adopted without   
due examination4  ,jenner observes1 ,may
 they not1 be owing to the following    
circumstances8--namely1 the short       
residence this bird is allowed to make  
in this country1 where it is destined to

 propagate its species1 and the call    
that nature has upon it1 during that    
short residence1 to produce a numerous  
progeny4 ,the cuckoo's first appearance 
here is about the middle of ,april4 ,its
 egg is not ready for incubation till   
some weeks after its arrival4 ,a        
fortnight is taken up by the sitting    
bird in hatching the egg4 ,the young    
bird generally continues three weeks in 
the nest before it flies1 and the       
foster-parents feed it more than five   
weeks after this period3 so that even if
 a cuckoo should be ready with an egg   
much sooner than the time pointed out1  
not a single nestling1 would be fit to  
provide for itself1 before its parent   
would be instinctively directed to seek 
a new residence1 and be thus compelled  
to abandon its young2 for the old       
cuckoos take their final leave of this  
country the first week in ,july4  ,the  
domestic incidents of ,jenner's life    
during this period1 although important  
to himself and his future career1 were  

not otherwise remarkable4 ,having       
experienced a disappointment in his     
affections early in life1 he continued  
for many years unmarried4 ,ultimately1  
however1 on the #fth of ,march1 #aghh1  
he was married to ,catherine ,kingscote1
 a descendant of an ancient             
,gloucestershire family4  ,in #agic     
,john ,hunter died1 and ,jenner was     
deeply affected by the loss of his      
esteemed friend4 ,many years previous to
 this sad event1 ,jenner's anxious and  
affectionate attention to the symptoms  
of the disease1 which as early as #aggg 
had begun to attack ,hunter1 had enabled
 him to detect the true nature of his   
illness 7,angina pectoris71 and the     
result of the examination after death   
fully established the correctness of    
,jenner's views4  ,in #agib1 having     
determined to give up the general       
practice of his profession1 and practice
 as a physician only1 ,jenner obtained  
the degree of ,doctor of ,medicine from 
,st4 ,andrews2 and three years          

afterwards1 on finding that ,berkeley by
 itself could never support a physician1
 commenced making professional visits to
 ,cheltenham1 a practice which he       
continued for many years4  ,we now come 
to the important epoch in the life of   
this eminent man4 ,on the #adth of ,may1
 #agif 7commemorated in ,berlin as an   
annual festival71 he made his first     
successful vaccination on a boy of the  
name of ,phipps1 eight years old1 and   
announced the event in a letter to a    
friend named ,gardner1 in the following 
words3 ,but listen to the most          
delightful part of my story4 ,the boy   
has since been inoculated for the       
small-pox1 which1 as ,i ventured to     
predict1 produced no effect4 ,i shall   
now pursue my experiments with redoubled
 ardour4 ,in the year #agih he made     
public the result of his continued      
observations and experiments1 published 
during this year his work entitled an   
',inquiry into the ,causes and ,effects 
of the ,variol ,vaccin1' and henceforth 

the imperishable name of ,jenner was to 
be identified with vaccination4         
,although ,jenner announced his         
discovery thus late in life1 his        
attention had been drawn forcibly       
towards the subject when quite a youth1 
while pursuing his professional         
education in the house of his master at 
,sudbury4 ,during that time1 a young    
countrywoman having come to seek advice1
 the subject of small-pox was mentioned 
in her presence2 she immediately        
observed1 ,i cannot take that1 for ,i   
have had the cow-pox4 ,this incident    
rivetted the attention of ,jenner1 and  
he resolved to let no opportunity escape
 of procuring knowledge upon so         
interesting a subject4 ,when1 in #aggj1 
he was prosecuting his studies in       
,london1 he mentioned the matter to     
,hunter1 who told him not to think but  
try1 and above all to be patient and    
accurate4 ,hunter1 however1 from the    
great number of original and important  
pursuits1 which fully engrossed his     

attention1 was never so greatly         
impressed1 as ,jenner1 with the probable
 consequences of the successful         
elucidation of the subject of cow-pox2  
while other surgeons and scientific men1
 to whom the subject was mentioned1     
ridiculed the idea2 and even when       
,jenner had drawn up his ',inquiry1' he 
was recommended not to send it to the   
,royal ,society1 lest it should injure  
the scientific reputation which he had  
formerly acquired with that body by his 
paper on the ',natural ,history of the  
,cuckoo4' ,undeterred by this want of   
sympathy1 ,jenner1 during the time of   
his practice at ,berkeley1 patiently    
continued his investigations as to the  
nature of cow-pox1 and1 gradually       
struggling through the difficulties     
which he had to encounter on his way1   
eliminated the following facts3 that    
there were certain people to whom it was
 impossible to give the small-pox by    
inoculation1 and that these had all had 
the cow-pox2 but that there were also   

others who had had cow-pox1 and who yet 
received small-pox4 ,this1 after much   
labour1 led him to the discovery that   
the cow was subject to a variety of     
eruptions1 of which one only had the    
power of guarding from small-pox1 and   
that this1 the true cow-pox1 as he      
called it1 could1 at only one period of 
its course1 produce1 by inoculation1    
such an influence upon the constitution 
as to render the individual safe from   
further contagion4 ,this was the basis  
upon which the fundamental rules for the
 practice of vaccination were founded4  
,the publication of his ',inquiry'      
excited the greatest interest1 for the  
evidence in it seemed conclusive2 yet   
the practice of vaccination met with    
opposition1 as severe as it was unfair1 
and its success seemed uncertain until a
 year had passed1 when upwards of       
seventy of the principal physicians and 
surgeons in ,london signed a declaration
 of their entire confidence in it4 ,an  
attempt was then made to deprive ,jenner

 of the merit of his discovery1 but it  
signally failed1 and scientific honours 
began to be bestowed on him from all    
quarters4 ,nothing could1 however1      
induce ,jenner to leave his native      
village1 and all his correspondence     
shows that the purest benevolence1      
rather than ambition1 had been the      
motive which actuated his labours4 ,in a
 letter to ,mr4 ,clive1 who instituted  
the first successful case of vaccination
 in ,london1 he says3 ,shall ,i1 who1   
even in the morning of my life1 sought  
the lowly and sequestered paths of life1
 the valley and not the mountain2 shall 
,i1 now my evening is fast approaching1 
hold myself up as an object for fortune 
and for fame8 ,admitting it as a        
certainty that ,i obtain both1 what     
stock should ,i add to my little fund of
 happiness8 ,and as for fame1 what is   
it8--a gilded butt for ever pierced with
 the arrows of malignancy4 ,on the      
,continent ,jenner's claims on the      
gratitude of mankind were quickly       

recognised1 and the influence of his    
name and character was very great4 ,on  
one occasion during the war he addressed
 a letter to ,napoleon1 requesting      
permission for two men of science and   
literature to return to ,england2 and it
 is related that ,napoleon1 being about 
to reject the petition1 heard ,josephine
 utter the name of ,jenner2 on which the
 ,emperor paused for an instant1 and    
exclaimed1 ,jenner6 ah1 we can refuse   
nothing to that man4 ,he subsequently   
made other applications both to the     
,french and other governments1 which    
were uniformly attended with similar    
success4 ,in fact his name became at    
length so potent1 and his influence so  
well known1 that persons left ,england  
with certificates signed by him1 which  
had all the force and value of real     
passports4 ,england1 however1 was more  
tardy in recognizing the claims of this 
great man4 ,he once or twice applied to 
the ,british government on behalf of    
some ,french prisoners1 but unhappily   

without success4 ,nor was he permitted  
to share in the least degree in the vast
 patronage at the disposal of the       
government1 and all his attempts to     
obtain a living for one of his nephews  
failed1 although he applied where he was
 quite justified in thinking he would   
meet with attention and success4 ,on the
 occasion of the first parliamentary    
grant to ,jenner in the year #ahjb1 the 
,chancellor of the ,exchequer stated    
that he thought the approbation of the  
,house was the highest reward that could
 be given him1 inasmuch as it would lead
 to an extended and very lucrative      
practice2 and although it was proved in 
evidence that #dj1jjj men were annually 
preserved to the ,state1 even at that   
time1 by ,dr4 ,jenner's discovery1 the  
proposition of a grant for #aj1jjjl4 was
 carried only by a majority of three4   
,jenner's feelings were deeply wounded  
by the manner in which this grant was   
made1 and he would gladly have          
repudiated the whole affair4 ,it        

remained unpaid for two years1 and when 
at length the money was paid to him1 it 
was so loaded with taxes and other      
expenses1 as to be of little pecuniary  
benefit4 ,happily1 however1 both for    
,jenner and the credit of ,great        
,britain1 the ,marquis of ,lansdowne    
7then ,lord ,henry ,petty7 was a        
principal mover in his second           
parliamentary grant1 and through the    
able advocacy of this enlightened       
nobleman1 together with ,mr4 ,whitbread1
 ,mr4 ,windham1 and ,mr4 ,edward ,morris
 and others1 a more fitting recompense  
of #bj1jjjl41 free of all charges1 was  
awarded him in ,july #ahjg4  ,jenner had
 several attacks of severe illness      
during his life1 but he notwithstanding 
attained to a good old age4 ,till the   
last day of his life he was occupied in 
the most anxious labours to diffuse the 
advantages of his discovery both at home
 and abroad2 and he had the satisfaction
 of knowing that vaccination had even   
then shed its blessing over every       

civilised nation of the world1          
prolonging life1 and preventing the     
ravages of one of the most terrible     
scourges to which the human race was    
ever subject4 ,he died suddenly from an 
attack of paralysis in ,july #ahbc1     
having attained the seventy-fifth year  
of his age4  ,shortly after ,jenner's   
death a statue was erected to his memory
 in ,gloucester ,cathedral1 chiefly     
through the exertions of his friend and 
biographer1 ,dr4 ,baron2 still more     
recently the statue in bronze1 by       
,william ,calder ,marshall1 ,r4,a41 was 
erected in ,trafalgar ,square1 and      
afterwards removed to ,kensington       
,gardens1 as a ',,tribute ,,from ,,all  
,,nations' to the memory of this        
distinguished philanthropist4--,life of 
,edward ,jenner1 by ,john ,baron1       
,m4,d41 c4 ,london1 #ahbg4--,memoir by  
,dr4 ,thos4 ,laycock1 ,encyclopdia      
,britannica4     ,,william ,,jessop4    
,born #agde4 ,died #ahad4   ,this       
engineer forms the connecting link      

between the first and second generations
 of civil engineers in this country4 ,to
 the former belong ,smeaton and         
,brindley1 while the latter are headed  
by the great names of ,telford and      
,rennie4  ,the father of ,mr4 ,jessop   
was engaged under ,smeaton in           
superintending the erection of the      
,eddystone ,lighthouse1 and his son     
,william1 the subject of this memoir1   
was born at ,plymouth4 ,when he had     
attained the age of sixteen his father  
died1 leaving the guardianship of his   
family to ,smeaton1 who thenceforth     
adopted ,william as his pupil1          
determining to bring him up to his own  
profession4 ,young ,jessop remained with
 ,smeaton for a period of ten years1    
enjoying1 during this the busiest part  
of ,smeaton's active career1 many       
opportunities of acquiring an extensive 
knowledge of the business of civil      
engineering4 ,after leaving the service 
of ,smeaton1 ,mr4 ,jessop was engaged   
for several years in improving the      

navigation of the rivers ,aire and      
,calder1 and of the ,calder and ,hebble 
in ,yorkshire4 ,he was also employed on 
the river ,trent in ,nottinghamshire1   
and he appears to have been principally 
occupied on these works for some time   
subsequent to his leaving ,smeaton4  ,a 
few years before the retirement of the  
latter1 which took place in #agia1 his  
pupil began to obtain active employment1
 and we find him about the years #aghh  
and #aghi1 reporting on the navigation  
of the ,sussex ,ouse1 and the drainage  
of ,laughton ,level in the same country1
 being called on1 at the same time1 by  
the ,commissioners of the ,thames and   
,isis1 to advise on the works they had  
undertaken1 and were about to execute1  
for the improvement of this important   
navigation4  ,in the three following    
years 7#agij-b7 his professional        
employment greatly increased4 ,he was   
now actively engaged in prosecuting     
various important canals in connection  
with the great central navigation of the

 ,trent4 ,amongst these were the        
,cromford ,canal1 penetrating amongst   
the mountains of ,derbyshire into the   
rich mineral districts of that wild and 
romantic country2 the ,nottingham       
,canal1 which connects the ,cromford    
with the ,trent at ,nottingham2 the     
,loughborough and ,leicester navigation1
 connecting the ,ashby ,coalfield with  
the navigable part of the ,soar and with
 ,nottingham1 thus opening an important 
communication with the ,trent on the one
 hand1 and with ,nottingham and the     
whole south of ,england on the other4   
,in addition to this system in          
connection with the ,trent1 he projected
 and commenced at this time the         
,horncastle navigation1 which1 besides  
acting as a valuable drainage for this  
part of the fens1 was productive of     
great benefit to a large district1 by   
bringing it into communication with the 
river ,witham1 which is navigable to the
 sea in one direction1 and in the other 
through ,lincoln to the ,trent4  ,but a 

larger and more important work than     
these last named1 which ,mr4 ,jessop was
 at this period engaged on1 was the     
,grand ,junction ,canal1 which1 joining 
the ,oxford ,canal at ,braunston1 in    
,northamptonshire1 connects the whole   
inland navigation with the metropolis1  
by means of a comparatively direct line 
ninety miles in length1 traced in a     
diagonal direction across the two       
formidable ranges of hills peculiar to  
the secondary formations of ,england4   
,this canal communicates with the       
,thames by its main line at ,brentford1 
and by a branch starting five miles     
above at ,bullbridge1 stretching to     
,paddington1 from whence the ,regent's  
,canal proceeds round the north side of 
,london to the ,thames at ,limehouse1   
thus completing the connection between  
the main line and the lower part of the 
river4 ,the execution of this canal     
necessitated the construction of many   
heavy works1 consisting of tunnels1 deep
 cuttings1 embankments1 aqueducts1      

reservoirs1 and weirs4 ,of these works  
one of the most famous is the ,blisworth
 ,tunnel1 #cjhj yards in length1 cut    
through the inferior oolite and the     
shales of the lias4 ,its internal width 
is #af feet1 the depth below the        
water-line to the inverted arch being #g
 feet1 while the soffit or crown of the 
arch is #aa feet above the same line4   
,the cost of this great undertaking1    
with all its branches and attendant     
works1 amounted to about two millions   
sterling4  ,during the execution of this
 work1 ,mr4 ,jessop was also called into
 ,ireland1 and was taking an active part
 in carrying on the public works which  
had been undertaken by the authority of 
,parliament in that country4  ,the year 
#agic originated several great projects1
 in furtherance of which ,mr4 ,jessop's 
aid was secured4 ,amongst these were the
 ,grantham ,canal1 supplied by vast     
artificial reservoirs1 and extending    
from the river ,trent1 through a rich   
pasture district of the new red         

sandstone1 winding for many miles       
through the broad and fertile vale of   
,belvoir1 up to ,grantham at the base of
 the ,lincolnshire hills1 the furthest  
point to which it is possible to        
penetrate in this direction4  ,the      
,barnsley ,canal1 which opens up an     
immense amount of mineral wealth in the 
,yorkshire coalfield1 and brings it into
 communication with the river ,calder1  
and the ,dearn and ,dove ,canal2 and    
finally1 the ,great ,ellesmere ,canal1  
which completes a communication between 
the ,severn and the ,mersey1 and        
ramifies in numerous directions amongst 
the rugged hills and valleys of ,north  
,wales4  ,in the carrying on of this    
last named undertaking1 ,mr4 ,telford   
was likewise engaged under ,mr4 ,jessop4
 ,two of its most important works are   
the great aqueducts of ,chirk and       
,pont-y-cysylte1 the former of which    
carries the canal over the river        
,ceriog1 at an elevation of #gj feet1   
while the latter carries it across the  

,dee at an elevation of #abg feet4 ,the 
grand peculiarity in these aqueducts    
consisted in constructing a water-tight 
trough of cast iron for carrying the    
canal across the arches1 instead of an  
immense puddled clay trough1 as was the 
practice until that time in use4 ,the   
execution and management of the numerous
 works here mentioned occupied the      
greater part of ,mr4 ,jessop's time     
during the next few years4 ,but the     
commencement of the present century was 
the signal for another torrent of       
speculation1 which1 in addition to      
canals1 began now to be directed towards
 docks and railroads4 ,the promoters of 
the first great public dock             
establishment employed ,mr4 ,jessop to  
conduct their works1 and he had the     
honour of completing the great project  
of the ,west ,india ,docks1 with their  
numerous accompanying details1 in a     
manner which alone entitles him to rank 
among our most eminent engineers4  ,on  
the completion of these docks his       

professional services were engaged by   
the citizens of ,bristol1 to effect a   
great and comprehensive measure of      
harbour improvement1 designed to place  
the port of ,bristol at once in the     
foremost position with respect to       
commercial advantages4 ,this was the    
conversion of part of the river ,avon   
into an immense floating dock1 capable  
of accommodating #adjj vessels4 ,mr4    
,jessop was also at this time occupied  
in constructing the ,surrey iron        
railways1 which consisted of a double   
tramroad1 from the ,thames at           
,wandsworth to the town of ,croydon1    
with an extension from ,croydon to      
,godstone and ,merstham2 they are       
principally remarkable as being the     
first public railroads constructed in   
the south of ,england4 ,the whole of    
these tramroads were afterwards bought  
and taken up by the ,brighton ,railway  
,company4 ,mr4 ,jessop was likewise     
connected with the ,caledonian ,canal1  
which he was specially called upon to   

survey before its commencement1 and of  
which he continued to be the consulting 
engineer for many years4  ,in concluding
 this brief notice of ,mr4 ,jessop's    
life1 it remains only to be said that   
with him exclusively originated the idea
 of taking advantage of the immense     
floods to which certain districts are   
subject1 by storing these waters up for 
the gradual and regular supply of his   
canals4 ,in addition to this he shares  
with ,mr4 ,telford the honour of first  
using iron in the construction of the   
troughs of aqueducts1 and for the heads1
 heel-posts and ribs of lock-gates1 as  
adopted on the ,caledonian and          
,ellesmere canals4--,memoir of ,william 
,jessop1 by ,samuel ,hughes1 ,c4,e4     
,,captain ,,henry ,,kater1 ,f4,r4,s41 c4
  ,born ,april #af1 #aggg4 ,died ,april 
#bf1 #ahce4   ,captain ,henry ,kater1   
distinguished by his mathematical and   
physical researches during the space of 
nearly half a century1 was born at      
,bristol2 his father was of a ,german   

family1 and his mother was the daughter 
of an eminent architect2 both were      
distinguished for their scientific      
attainments1 and united in imbuing their
 son with a similar taste4 ,henry was1  
however1 destined by his father for the 
law1 and had with great reluctance to   
give up for a time his hitherto         
exclusive devotion to abstract science4 
,mr4 ,kater continued for two years to  
remain in a pleader's office1 during    
which time he acquired a considerable   
portion of legal knowledge1 on which he 
valued himself through life2 but the    
death of his father1 in #agid1 permitted
 him to resume his favourite studies2   
and bidding adieu to the law1 he        
obtained a commission in the #abth      
,regiment of ,foot1 at that time        
stationed in ,india4  ,during the       
following year1 ,mr4 ,kater was engaged 
in the trigonometrical survey of ,india 
under ,colonel ,lambton1 contributing   
greatly1 by his untiring labours1 to the
 success of that vast undertaking4      

,about the same period1 he was also     
occupied in constructing a peculiarly   
sensible hygrometer1 of which he        
published a description in the ',asiatic
 ,researches4' ,mr4 ,kater remained in  
,india seven years1 during which time   
his unremitting study in a hot climate  
greatly injured his constitution1 and   
was the cause of his falling into a     
state of ill health1 from which he      
suffered more or less until the end of  
his life4  ,on his return to ,england1  
he qualified himself to serve on the    
general staff1 and later in life retired
 on half-pay1 from which period he      
devoted himself entirely to science4    
,when ,parliament1 in the years         
#ahah-ai1 determined on establishing an 
uniform system of weights and measures1 
,captain ,kater1 in conjunction with    
,sir ,joseph ,banks1 ,sir ,george       
,clerk1 ,davies ,gilbert1 and ,drs4     
,wollaston and ,young1 was appointed to 
investigate this most important subject2
 and he instituted a series of          

experiments with a pendulum made of a   
bar of brass1 #a inches wide and #a_/h  
of an inch thick1 to which two          
knife-edges of a kind of steel prepared 
in ,india1 and known by the name of     
wootz1 were attached1 playing upon agate
 plates4 ,the knife-edges were placed in
 a parallel direction on the brass bar1 
facing opposite ways upon either of     
which it might be swung4 ,they were so  
arranged1 that when either was used as  
the point of suspension the other nearly
 represented the centre of oscillation1 
and by means of a small adjustable      
weight1 this condition might be         
accurately fulfilled4 ,these experiments
 were made in the house of ,mr4 ,h4     
,browne1 ,f4,r4,s41 which was situated  
in a part of ,portland ,place not likely
 to be disturbed by carriages4 ,they    
occupied ,captain ,kater's close        
attention for several years2 and he has 
permanently attached his name to the    
beautiful theorem of ,huygens respecting
 the reciprocity of the centres of      

oscillation and suspension1 and their   
consequent quality of convertibility4   
,although this was a property already   
known to belong to the centre of        
oscillation1 it had never hitherto been 
practically applied to determine the    
exact length of a pendulum vibrating    
seconds2 it was1 therefore1 highly      
creditable to his ingenuity1 and claims 
the same order of merit as an original  
invention4 ,in this1 as well as in      
,kater's laborious inquiries respecting 
a standard of weights and measures1 even
 where his conclusions have not escaped 
all the chances of error1 he has led the
 way to the still more delicate         
researches which have followed4         
,captain ,kater also instituted a series
 of experiments as to the best kind of  
steel and shape for compass needles2 it 
resulted in the adoption of the shear   
clock-spring steel1 and the pierced     
rhombus form1 in the proportion of five 
inches in length to two in width4 ,in   
the year #ahca he received the gold     

medal of the ,royal ,astronomical       
,society1 for the construction of his   
floating collimator1 an instrument for  
ascertaining the accurate zero or level 
points of divided astronomical          
instruments4 ,the optical principle upon
 which it depends is a very beautiful   
one1 and the invention of ,kater1 with  
several improvements in point of form1  
has become the auxiliary of nearly every
 observatory in the world1 being one of 
those small but happy improvements which
 affect materially the progress of      
science4 ,most of the learned societies 
in ,great ,britain and on the ,continent
 testified at different times their     
sense of the value of his services1 by  
enrolling him among their members4 ,the 
,emperor of ,russia employed him to     
construct standards for the weights and 
measures of his dominions1 and was so   
pleased with the execution of them1 that
 he presented ,kater with the ,order of 
,st4 ,anne and a diamond snuff-box4 ,the
 greater part of his publications       

appeared in the ',philosophical         
,transactions' of the ,royal ,society1  
chiefly between the years #ahac and     
#ahbh4  ,captain ,kater died from a     
severe affection of the lungs1 at his   
residence1 ,york ,gate1 in the          
fifty-third year of his age4--,athenum1 
,may1 #ahce4--,weld's ,history of the   
,royal ,society4 ,london1               
#ahdh4--,monthly ,notices of the ,royal 
,astronomical ,society1 vol4 #c1        
,february1 #ahcf4--,sixth ,dissertation 
,encyclopdia ,britannica1 ,eighth       
,edition4     ,,sir ,,john ,,leslie1    
,f4,r4,s4,e41 c4  ,born ,april #af1     
#agff4 ,died ,november #c1 #ahcb4   ,sir
 ,john ,leslie1 ,professor of ,natural  
,philosophy in the ,university of       
,edinburgh1 the son of a poor joiner or 
cabinetmaker1 was born at the village of
 ,largo1 in the county of ,fife4        
,although both weak and sickly as a     
child1 he soon acquired considerable    
knowledge of mathematical and physical  
science1 and at the age of eleven       

attracted the notice of ,mr4 ,oliphant1 
the minister of the parish1 by his      
precocious attainments4 ,this gentleman 
kindly lent young ,leslie some          
scientific books1 and strongly advised  
him to continue the study of ,latin1 for
 which he had a great aversion1 although
 in after life he attained considerable 
proficiency in that language4  ,he also 
became known to ,professors ,robison and
 ,stewart1 of ,edinburgh1 and by their  
advice was sent1 in his thirteenth year1
 to the ,university of ,st4 ,andrew's1  
to study mathematics under ,professor   
,vilant4 ,here1 at the end of the first 
session1 his abilities procured him the 
second prize1 and likewise attracted the
 notice of the ,earl of ,kinnoull1 then 
,chancellor of the ,university1 who     
undertook to defray the expenses of his 
education1 provided that he would enter 
the ,church4 ,leslie prosecuted his     
studies at this university during six   
sessions1 and became about this time    
acquainted with ,playfair and ,dr4      

,small4  ,in #aghc-d he quitted ,st4    
,andrews and went to ,edinburgh1 where1 
though he formally entered the ,divinity
 ,hall1 he contrived to devote his first
 session to the sciences1 particularly  
chemistry2 in fact1 ,leslie seems early 
to have relinquished all thoughts of the
 ,church--a resolution hastened by the  
death of his patron1 the ,earl of       
,kinnoull1 shortly after his removal to 
,edinburgh4 ,while engaged at the       
university1 he also acted as tutor to   
,mr4 ,douglas1 afterwards ,lord ,reston1
 the nephew of ,dr4 ,adam ,smith1 and he
 thus became known to that philosopher1 
who treated him kindly1 and occasionally
 favoured him with directions as to his 
pursuits4 ,leslie's first essay1 ',on   
the ,resolution of ,indeterminate       
,problems1' was composed about this     
time1 and read to the ,royal ,society of
 ,edinburgh by ,mr4 ,playfair1 in #aghh1
 and published in their ',transactions' 
for #agij4  ,in #aghh1 he became tutor  
to two young ,americans of the name of  

,randolph1 and accompanied them to      
,virginia1 where he remained for about a
 twelvemonth1 during which time he      
visited ,new ,york1 ,philadelphia1 c4   
,in ,january #agij1 carrying1 among     
other letters of recommendation1 one    
from ,adam ,smith1 ,leslie repaired to  
,london1 with the intention of          
delivering a course of lectures on      
natural philosophy2 but finding1 to use 
his own words1 that rational lectures   
would not succeed1 he employed himself  
for some time in writing for the        
',monthly ,review1' and in other        
literary occupations4  ,in ,april #agij1
 he became tutor to the younger         
,wedgewoods1 of ,etruria1 in            
,staffordshire1 who had been his former 
fellow-students1 and with whom he       
remained until the close of #agib4      
,leslie was likewise employed during    
this period in experimental             
investigations1 and in completing a     
translation of ,buffon's ',natural      
,history of ,birds1' published in #agic1

 in nine volumes1 for which he received 
a considerable sum1--the foundation of  
that pecuniary competency which his     
industrious and prudent habits enabled  
him ultimately to acquire4  ,during the 
years #agid-e he resided at ,largo1     
occupied upon a long series of          
hygrometrical experiments1 during the   
course of which he invented his         
differential thermometer1 the parent1 as
 it may be called1 of his subsequent    
inventions--the hygroscope1 photometer1 
pyroscope1 thrioscope1 and atmometer4   
,although ,leslie has been accused of   
having plagiarized this invention either
 from ,van ,helmont1 who died in #afdd1 
or from ,john ,christopher ,sturmius1   
who died sixty years later1 he at all   
events showed1 by his skilful and       
fruitful employment of the disputed     
invention1 how much he surpassed1 and   
how little he needed the help of1 him   
whom he is ungenerously supposed to have
 robbed of his legitimate honours4  ,in 
#ahjj he wrote several papers1 on       

different branches of physics1 in       
,nicholson's ',philosophical ,journal1' 
which resulted in the publication at    
,london1 in #ahjd1 of his ',experimental
 ,inquiry into the ,nature and          
,propagation of ,heat4' ,the originality
 and boldness of the peculiar doctrines 
contained in this work1 and the number  
of new and important facts disclosed by 
its ingenious experimental combinations1
 rendered it an object of extraordinary 
interest in the scientific world4 ,the  
,royal ,society of ,london unanimously  
adjudged to its author the ,rumford     
medal2 and although paradoxical in many 
of its theories1 defective in           
arrangement1 and over ambitious in      
style1 this work is almost unrivalled in
 the entire range of physical science1  
for its indication of vigorous and      
inventive genius4  ,previous to this    
period of life1 ,leslie had appeared    
twice as a candidate for an academical  
chair2 first in the ,university of ,st4 
,andrew's1 afterwards in that of        

,glasgow2 but on both occasions without 
success4 ,he now became a candidate for 
the ,mathematical chair at ,edinburgh1  
vacant through the promotion of         
,professor ,playfair to the chair of    
,natural ,philosophy4 ,after a severe   
contest1 during which much party spirit 
was displayed1 owing to his principal   
competitor1 ,dr4 ,thomas ,macknight1 one
 of the ministers of ,edinburgh1 being  
supported by the majority of the city   
clergy1 ,leslie was1 in ,march1 #ahje1  
elected to the ,mathematical chair4 ,he 
entered immediately upon his official   
duties1 which he continued to discharge 
with zeal and assiduity during the      
following fourteen years4               
,notwithstanding the labours which these
 duties entailed upon him1 ,leslie      
continued his experimental inquiries1   
and in ,june1 #ahaj1 discovered his     
beautiful process of artificial         
congelation1 by which he was enabled to 
produce ice1 and even to freeze mercury 
at pleasure4 ,the process consists of a 

combination of the powers of rarefaction
 and absorption1 effected by placing a  
very strong absorbent under the receiver
 of an air-pump4 ,this experiment was   
performed in ,london in #ahaa1 before a 
meeting of some members of the ,royal   
,society2 and the discovery was         
announced in the same year in the       
',memoirs' of the ,french ,institute4   
,he explained his experiments and views 
on this subject in #ahac1 in a volume   
published at ,edinburgh1 entitled1 ',a  
short ,account of ,experiments and      
,instruments depending on the ,relations
 of ,air to ,heat and ,moisture4'       
,closely connected with the subject of  
this treatise was an ingenious paper1   
published in #ahah1 in the              
',transactions' of the ,royal ,society  
of ,edinburgh1 under the title1 ',on    
certain ,impressions of ,cold           
transmitted from the ,higher            
,atmosphere2 with a ,description of an  
,instrument to ,measure them4' ,the     
thrioscope was the instrument here      

alluded to4  ,in #ahai1 upon the death  
of ,playfair1 ,leslie was called to the 
chair of ,natural ,philosophy1 when his 
first care was directed to the extension
 of the apparatus required in the more  
enlarged series of experiments which he 
thought necessary for the illustration  
of the course4 ,this1 indeed1 says his  
biographer1 ,mr4 ,napier1 was an object 
of which he never lost sight2 and it is 
due to him to state1 that1 through his  
exertions1 the means of experimental    
illustration in the ,natural ,philosophy
 class were for the first time made     
worthy of the place4  ,in #ahbc he      
published1 chiefly for the use of this  
class1 his ',elements of ,natural       
,philosophy1' a second edition of which 
was published in #ahbi1 with corrections
 and additions4 ,besides the            
above-mentioned works1 ,leslie wrote the
 following3--',elements of ,geometry1   
,geometrical ,analysis and ,plane       
,trigonometry1' in #ahji2 ',observations
 on ,electrical ,theories1' published in

 #ahbd1 in the ',edinburgh              
,philosophical ,journal2' also many     
articles in the ',edinburgh ,review2'   
and the articles on ,achromatic         
,glasses2 ,acoustics2 ,aeronautics2     
,andes2 ,angle and ,trisection of       
,angle2 ,arithmetic2 ,atmometer2        
,barometer2 ,barometrical ,measurements2
 ,climate2 ,cold and ,congelation2 ,dew2
 ,interpolation2 and ,meteorology1 in   
the seventh edition of the ',encyclopdia
 ,britannica4'  ,early in the year      
#ahcb1 on the recommendation of ,lord   
,brougham1 then ,lord ,high ,chancellor1
 ,leslie was created1 along with several
 other eminent men of science1 a ,knight
 of the ,guelphic ,order4 ,he was also a
 member of the ,royal ,society of       
,edinburgh1 and in #ahbj had been       
elected a corresponding member of the   
,french ,institute4 ,during the month of
 ,october1 whilst engaged in            
superintending some improvements on his 
grounds1 he caught a severe cold1 which 
was followed by erysipelas in one of his

 legs1 and his neglect of this1 owing to
 a contempt for medicine1 and great     
confidence in his own strength and      
durability1 resulted in his death1 at   
,coates1 in the ,november following1 at 
the age of sixty-six4  ,sir ,john       
,leslie has been described as rivalling 
all his contemporaries in that creative 
faculty which discovers1 often by an    
intuitive glimpse1 the hidden secrets of
 nature2 but possessing in a less degree
 the powers of judgment and reason1     
being thus often led in his speculations
 to results glaringly inconsistent4 ,his
 exquisite instruments1 and his         
experimental combinations1 will1        
however1 ever test the utility1 no less 
than the originality of his labours1 and
 will continue to act as aids to farther
 discovery4--,encyclopdia ,britannica1  
,eighth ,edition4--,abstract of ,memoir 
of ,sir ,john ,leslie1 by ,macvey       
,napier1 ,english ,cyclopdia4 ,london1  
#ahef4     ,,nevil ,,maskelyne1 ,d4,d41 
,f4,r4,s4  ,,member ,,of ,,the          

,,institute ,,of ,,france1 ,,etc4  ,born
 ,october #f1 #agcb4 ,died ,february #i1
 #ahaa4   ,this most accurate and       
industrious astronomer was born in      
,london1 and was the son of ,mr4 ,edmund
 ,maskelyne1 a gentleman of respectable 
family in ,wiltshire4 ,at the age of    
nine ,maskelyne was sent to ,westminster
 school1 where he early began to        
distinguish himself1 and to display a   
decided taste for the study of optics   
and astronomy4  ,the great solar        
eclipse1 which occurred in #agdh was1   
however1 the immediate cause of his     
directing his attention to these        
sciences1 and from that period he       
devoted himself with ardour to the study
 of mathematics as subservient to that  
of astronomy4 ,it is a curious fact that
 the same eclipse is said to have       
produced a similar effect upon the      
,french astronomer ,lalande1 who was    
only three months older than his        
,english contemporary4  ,soon after this
 ,maskelyne entered the ,university of  

,cambridge as a member of ,catherine    
,hall1 removing afterwards to ,trinity1 
where he took the degree of ,bachelor of
 ,arts with great credit in #aged1 and  
proceeded regularly through the         
succeeding stages of academical rank in 
divinity4 ,in #agee he was ordained to a
 curacy at ,barnet1 and in the following
 year obtained a fellowship at ,trinity4
 ,in the year #ageh he was elected a    
fellow of the ,royal ,society1 previous 
to which event he had become acquainted 
with ,dr4 ,bradley1 and had determined  
to make astronomy the principal pursuit 
of his life1 feeling that it was        
perfectly compatible with an enlightened
 devotion to the duties of his own      
profession4  #agfa marks the period when
 ,maskelyne commenced his public career 
as an astronomer4 ,during that year he  
was chosen by the ,royal ,society to    
undertake a voyage to the island of ,st4
 ,helena1 for the purpose of observing  
the transit of ,venus2 and in order to  
make the voyage as useful as possible1  

,maskelyne undertook to make            
observations upon the parallax of       
,sirius4 ,he remained ten months at ,st4
 ,helena1 but the weather hindered his  
observing the transit to advantage1     
while the inaccuracy of his quadrant1   
which was of the same construction as   
was then usually employed1 prevented his
 observations on the stars from being as
 conclusive as he had expected4 ,his    
voyage was1 however1 of great service to
 navigation1 by promoting the           
introduction of lunar observations for  
ascertaining the longitude2 and he      
taught the officers of the ship in which
 he was in1 the proper use of the       
instruments as well as the mode of      
making the computations4  ,on his return
 to ,england1 ,maskelyne published1 in  
#agfc1 his ',british ,mariner's ,guide1'
 the earliest of his separate           
publications1 in which he proposes the  
adoption of a ,nautical ,almanac        
according to the plan indicated by      
,lacaille1 after his voyage to the ,cape

 of ,good ,hope4 ,in the same year he   
performed a second voyage to the island 
of ,barbadoes1 in order to determine the
 rates of ,harrison's chronometers4 ,in 
his report on the results of this voyage
 ,maskelyne1 while doing justice to the 
works of this eminent mechanician1      
decided in favour of the employment of  
lunar observations for determining the  
longitude1 strongly supporting the cause
 of ,professor ,mayer1 who had computed 
lunar tables for this purpose4 ,the     
liberality of the ,british ,government1 
however1 bestowed on ,harrison the whole
 reward that he claimed1#bb while       
,maskelyne1 having been appointed to the
 situation of ,astronomer ,royal which  
likewise made him a member of the ,board
 of ,longitude1 was instrumental in     
procuring a reward of #e1jjjl4 for the  
family of ,professor ,mayer1 and a      
compliment of #cjjl4 for ,euler1 whose  
theorems had been employed in the       
investigation4  ,when the merits of     
,mayer's tables had been fully          

established1 the ,board of ,longitude   
was induced to promote their application
 to practical purposes by the annual    
publication of the ,nautical ,almanac1  
which1 during the remainder of his life1
 was arranged and conducted entirely    
under ,maskelyne's direction4           
,maskelyne held the situation of        
,astronomer ,royal for forty-seven      
years1 during which period he acquired  
the respect of all ,europe1 by the      
diligence and accuracy of his           
observations1 which he always1 if       
possible1 conducted in person1 requiring
 the aid of only one assistant4  ,up to 
,maskelyne's time the observations of   
the ,astronomers ,royal had been        
considered as private property2         
,flamsted publishing his own1 while     
,bradley's were very liberally bought of
 his family1 and afterwards printed by  
the ,university of ,oxford4 ,dr4        
,maskelyne1 on the contrary1 obtained   
leave from the ,british ,government to  
have his observations printed at the    

public expense under the direction of   
the ,royal ,society1 who are the legal  
visitors of the observatory1 appointed  
by the royal sign manual2 and by thus   
causing the observations of the         
,astronomer ,royal to be recorded       
publicly1 he supplied a great want which
 had hitherto existed both in the       
,english and ,french establishments4 ,he
 also made several improvements in the  
arrangement and employment of the       
instruments used in the observatory1    
particularly1 by enlarging the slits    
through which the light was admitted2 by
 making the eyeglass of his transit     
telescope moveable to the place of each 
of the wires of the micrometer2 and     
above all1 by marking the time to tenths
 of a second1 a refinement which had    
never been attempted before4  ,maskelyne
 received his doctor's degree in the    
year #aggg1 he also obtained the rare   
distinction of being made one of the    
eight foreign associates of the ,french 
,academy of ,science4 ,in consequence of

 an unsuccessful attempt made by        
,bouguer to measure the local attraction
 of a mountain in ,south ,america1      
,maskelyne determined1 in #aggb1 to     
ascertain that of ,schehallien in       
,scotland2 and this latter undertaking1 
together with the determination of the  
lunar orbit from observation1 and its   
application to navigation1 may be       
considered as his most important        
contributions to the cause of science4  
,in character ,dr4 ,maskelyne was modest
 and somewhat timid in receiving the    
visits of strangers1 but his ordinary   
conversation was cheerful and often     
playful1 with a fondness for point and  
classical allusion4 ,he inherited a good
 paternal property1 and obtained        
considerable preferment from his        
college2 somewhat late in life he       
married the sister and co-heiress of    
,lady ,booth of ,northamptonshire2 his  
sister was the wife of ,robert ,lord    
,clive1 and the mother of the ,earl of  
,powis4 ,dr4 ,maskelyne died on the     

ninth of ,february1 #ahaa1 in his       
seventy-ninth year1 leaving a widow and 
an only daughter4--,notice sur la vie et
 les travaux de ,m4 ,maskelyne par      
,delambre4 ,london1 #ahac4--,memoir by  
,dr4 ,t4 ,young1 ,encyclopdia           
,britannica4     ,,henry ,,maudslay4    
,born ,aug4 #bb1 #agga4 ,died ,feb4 #ad1
 #ahca4   ,this distinguished mechanical
 engineer was descended from an eminent 
,lancashire family1 who trace back their
 origin as far as the year #abjj4 ,his  
father in early life enlisted in the    
,royal ,artillery at ,norwich1 and      
afterwards became store-keeper at the   
,royal ,dockyard of ,woolwich1 where his
 son ,henry was born and spent his      
boyhood1 acquiring in the dockyard the  
first rudiments of that mechanical      
knowledge which has since made him so   
justly celebrated4  ,after being        
employed for two years as a 'powder     
monkey' in the dockyard1 that is1 in    
making and filling cartridges1 ,maudslay
 was placed1 at the age of fourteen1 in 

the carpenter's shop4 ,he however       
infinitely preferred the blacksmith's   
shop1 availing himself of every         
opportunity to escape from his proper   
place1 and steal off to the smithy4 ,his
 propensity was in fact so strong that  
it was thought better to yield to it1   
and he was accordingly removed there in 
his fifteenth year4 ,he now made rapid  
progress1 and soon became so expert a   
smith and metal-worker as to attract    
considerable notice4 ,even in after     
life1 when at the head of the well-known
 firm which he founded1 nothing pleased 
him more than to set to work upon a     
difficult piece of forging and to       
overcome the difficulties which it      
presented1 which few could do so well as
 he4 ,the reputation which ,maudslay    
acquired here1 led to his introduction  
and ultimate employment by ,bramah1 who 
was at that time engaged in constructing
 his celebrated lock4  ,one of the chief
 obstacles which ,bramah had to contend 
with in getting his lock into general   

use1 was1 the difficulty he experienced 
in having it manufactured with          
sufficient precision and at such a price
 as to render it an article of          
successful commerce4 ,maudslay's#bc     
ability as a workman and sound          
mechanical knowledge was of great       
service to ,bramah in this particular2  
the most difficult and delicate jobs    
were entrusted to him1 and among others 
he constructed the identical lock1 the  
picking of which so severely tested the 
skill and ability of ,mr4 ,hobbs in the 
year #ahea4 ,he also1 according to the  
testimony of ,mr4 ,j4 ,nasmyth1 supplied
 ,bramah with the key to the practical  
success of the hydraulic press1 viz41   
the self-tightening leather collar4#bd  
,about the year #agig ,maudslay         
commenced business on his own account in
 ,wells ,street1 ,oxford ,street1       
removing a few years afterwards to      
,margaret ,street1 ,cavendish ,square4  
,here he matured and carried out many   
improvements in tools connected with the

 mechanical arts1 bringing into general 
notice and use planing machines and the 
slide rest4 ,so great was the prejudice 
felt against this last named important  
adjunct of a lathe1 that on the first   
introduction of the slide rest to the   
engineers of the period1 it was received
 with great disfavour1 and called by one
 in derision the ',go ,cart4' ,maudslay 
also directed his attention to the      
subject of screw cutting4 ,previous to  
his time the tools used for making      
screws were of the most rude and inexact
 kind3 each manufacturing establishment 
made them after their own fashion1 and  
no system was observed as to the pitch4 
,every bolt and nut was a speciality in 
itself2 and to such an extent was this  
carried that all bolts and their        
corresponding nuts had to be marked1 any
 mixing of them together causing endless
 trouble and confusion4 ,maudslay       
changed all this--he brought            
screw-cutting into a proper system1 and 
laid the foundation of all that has     

since been done in this important branch
 of machine-construction1 and many of   
those who afterwards became eminent in  
this particular branch of manufacture1  
acquired their first knowledge of the   
subject in his employ4#be ,while        
residing in ,margaret ,street he became 
acquainted with ,sir ,isambard 7then    
,mr47 ,brunel1 who was in the habit of  
bringing drawings of small pieces of    
machinery for him to construct3 this    
attracted ,maudslay's attention1 and at 
last he one day exclaimed to ,sir       
,isambard1 ,ah6 ,i see what you are     
thinking of--you want machinery for     
making blocks3 this so pleased ,brunei1 
that he became more open of             
communication1 and in the subsequent    
completion of the beautiful block       
machinery afterwards erected at         
,portsmouth ,dockyard1 ,mr4 ,brunel     
derived great advantage from the sound  
mechanical knowledge of ,maudslay4 ,the 
friendship commenced thus was never     
afterwards shaken1 and when ,brunel     

began the ,thames ,tunnel1 he consulted 
his old friend relative to the          
construction of the shield1 as it was   
termed1 under shelter of which the      
excavation beneath the bed of the river1
 and the brickwork for forming the      
,tunnel were proceeded with4  ,in the   
year #ahjg ,maudslay took out a patent  
for improvements in the steam-engine1 by
 which he much simplified its parts and 
secured greater directness of action4   
,his new engine was called the          
,pyramidal1 from its form1 and was the  
first move towards direct acting        
engines4 ,in #ahaj1 finding his business
 getting too extensive for his premises 
in ,margaret ,street1 he removed to the 
more capacious ones in ,westminster     
,road1 ,lambeth4 ,here he for many years
 carried on a large business1 embracing 
the manufacture of all kinds of         
machinery1 but more particularly of     
marine engines1 to the construction and 
improvement of which he early directed  
his attention1 foreseeing how important 

a branch of industry they would         
eventually become2 and it may be        
interesting to record1 that the engines 
7#bd ,h4 ,p47 of the ',regent1' the     
first steamboat which ran between       
,london and ,margate1 were made at this 
yard in the year #ahaf4  ,mr4 ,maudslay 
held for several years the contract for 
supplying the ,royal ,navy with ship    
tanks1 and this led to his making       
improved machinery for punching and     
shearing the iron plates used in their  
manufacture1 reducing the cost of       
preparing the plates for receiving the  
rivets from seven shillings1 to         
ninepence1 per ,tank4  ,mr4 ,maudslay   
has been described by his friend ,mr4   
,james ,nasmyth as the very beau-ideal  
of an honest1 upright1 straightforward1 
hardworking intelligent ,englishman3 he 
died in his #fjth year from a severe    
cold which he had caught on his way home
 from a visit to ,france1 and was buried
 in ,woolwich churchyard1 in a vault he 
had caused to be constructed there2 the 

monument and tablet erected to his      
memory were of cast iron1 and were made 
from a design of his own4 ,maudslay     
married when twenty years old ,sarah    
,tindel1 by whom he had four sons and   
three daughters1 of whom now survive    
only one daughter1 and one son ,thomas  
,henry ,maudslay4--,from particulars    
communicated by members of the present  
firm of ,maudslay1 ,sons and            
,field4--,smile's ,industrial           
,biography4 ,london1 #ahfc4             
,,patrick ,,miller4  ,born in ,scotland 
#agcj4 ,died at ,dalswinton ,house1 near
 ,dumfries1 #ahae4   ,patrick ,miller1  
of ,dalswinton1 was originally a banker1
 and ultimately became possessed of     
considerable independent property4 ,at  
different periods of his life he        
embarked in many schemes of great public
 utility4 ,he made considerable         
improvements in artillery and naval     
architecture1 and during the course of  
his various experiments expended upwards
 of thirty thousand pounds4 ,one of the 

immediate results of his experiments in 
the first-named science was the         
invention of the well-known carronade2  
while in the course of his experiments  
in naval architecture1 he constructed   
double and triple vessels1 and was the  
first to practically apply the present  
form of the paddle-wheels now in        
ordinary use to their propulsion4       
,having satisfied himself of the        
usefulness of his researches in this    
respect1 by many costly experiments     
undertaken at his own expense1 ,mr4     
,miller published at ,edinburgh1 in     
#aghg1 a book in ,english and ,french1  
containing a full account of them1 and  
sent a copy of his work to every        
sovereign in ,europe1 and also to the   
,american ,states1 inasmuch as he       
considered that his inventions ought to 
be the property of the human kind4#bf   
,the paddle-wheels in these experiments 
7undertaken in the years #aghf-g7 were  
turned by manual labour1 and on the     
occasion of a severe contest between one

 of his double boats and a ,custom-house
 boat1 reckoned to be a fast sailer1 the
 want of a more powerful force to turn  
the wheels was greatly felt4 ,mr4 ,james
 ,taylor1 at that time a tutor in ,mr4  
,miller's family1 suggested steam power1
 and ultimately introduced ,miller to   
,wm4 ,symington1 with whose aid ,mr4    
,miller commenced and carried out those 
experiments 7in the years #aghh-hi7     
which have justly entitled him to the   
honour of being the first to originate  
the present system of steam             
navigation4#bg  ,it is much to be       
regretted that since the deaths of ,mr4 
,miller and ,mr4 ,symington1 statements 
have been made in which the entire merit
 of first establishing steam navigation 
is claimed1 on the one hand1 for        
,miller1 by his eldest son1 in a paper  
published in the ',edinburgh            
,philosophical ,journal' for ,july      
#ahbe2 and on the other for ,symington1 
by ,richard ,bowie1 in his pamphlet     
published in #ahcc2 whereas these two   

gentlemen appear to be inseparably      
connected with the first introduction of
 this grand application of steam4 ,as   
far as it is possible to reconcile the  
conflicting statements1 the facts may be
 briefly stated thus4 ,patrick ,miller  
was the first to successfully propel    
vessels by paddle-wheels moved by manual
 labour4 ,he then1 in conjunction with  
,william ,symington1 applied steam to   
move these paddle-wheels1 and           
constructed two steam-boats1 which were 
publicly tried1 on the ,forth and ,clyde
 ,canal1 in the years #aghh-hi4         
,although these trials triumphantly     
proved the practicability of steam      
navigation1 further improvements were   
required before a really successful     
steam-boat could be said to have been   
constructed4 ,at this point1            
unfortunately1 ,mr4 ,miller1 having     
already spent large sums of money in his
 experiments1 let the matter drop2 but  
,symington1 about ten years afterwards1 
under the patronage of ,lord ,dundas1   

succeeding in constructing ',the        
,charlotte ,dundas1' a steam-boat which1
 for the first time1 combined together  
those improvements which constitute the 
present system of steam navigation4 ,in 
the narrative written by ,patrick       
,miller1 ,jun41 a good deal of praise1  
in regard to this matter1 is given to   
,james ,taylor1 before referred to1 who 
is considered by some as having a just  
claim to participate in the honour      
awarded to ,miller and ,symington4 ,mr4 
,taylor's merits1 however1 appear       
chiefly to consist in having suggested1 
upon the occasion of a race between one 
of ,miller's boats and a ,custom ,house 
boat1 that they only required the help  
of a steam-engine to beat their         
antagonists2 also1 in having introduced 
,symington1 whose steam-carriage had    
rendered him famous1 to the notice of   
,mr4 ,miller2 and although ,taylor      
assisted in the subsequent experiments1 
he seems to have contributed little to  
their practical success4--,narrative of 

,facts relative to ,invention and       
,practice of ,steam ,navigation1 c41 by 
,patrick ,miller1 ,jun41 ',edinburgh    
,philosophical ,journal1' ,vol4 #ac1    
,july #ahbe4--,narrative by ,r4 ,bowie1 
proving ,william ,symington the         
,inventor of ,steam ,land ,carriage     
,locomotion and of ,steam ,navigation4  
,london1 #ahcc4--,stuart's ,anecdotes of
 the ,steam ,engine4 ,london1           
#ahbi4--;,descriptive ,catalogue of the 
,museum of the ,commissioners of        
,patents4     ,,william ,,murdock4      
,born #aged4 ,died ,november #ae1 #ahci4
   ,william ,murdock was born at ,bellow
 ,mill1 near ,old ,cumnock1 ,ayrshire1  
where his father carried on the business
 of a millwright and miller1 and        
likewise possessed a farm on the estate 
of the ,boswell family of ,auchinleck4  
,his mother's maiden name was ,bruce1   
and she used to boast of being lineally 
descended from ,robert ,bruce1 of       
,scottish ,history4 ,little is known of 
,murdock's life prior to his coming to  

,england1 and joining1 in the year      
#aggg1 ,boulton and ,watt's             
establishment at ,soho1 at that time in 
its infancy4 ,he must1 however1 have had
 some celebrity in his native country1  
as he was employed to build a bridge    
over the river ,nith1 in ,dumfrieshire1 
a very handsome structure1 and still in 
existence4 ,his talents were soon       
appreciated at ,soho1 particularly by   
,james ,watt1 with whom he continued on 
terms of the closest friendship until   
,mr4 ,watt's death in #ahai4 ,after     
remaining two years at ,soho1 ,murdock  
was appointed by ,messrs4 ,boulton and  
,watt to superintend the erection1 and  
undertake the general charge1 of their  
new steam-engines in ,cornwall1 where he
 erected the first engine1 in that part 
of the country1 with a separate         
condenser4 ,he continued to live in the 
district for the space of nineteen      
years1 giving great satisfaction to the 
mining interest2 so much so1 that when  
it became known that he was about to    

return to ,soho1 #ajjjl4 a-year was     
offered him to remain in ,cornwall4     
,during his residence there ,murdock    
contrived and executed a model          
locomotive1 which1 as early as the year 
#aghd1 he was in the habit of showing to
 his friends in working order1 and      
drawing a small waggon round a room in  
his house at ,redruth4 ,he used to tell 
a story1 that while making experiments  
with this engine1 he one night          
determined to test its powers on a level
 road leading from his house to the     
church1 which was situated about a mile 
distant from the town2 this road was    
bounded on each side by high edges1 and 
well suited for the purpose4 ,murdock   
accordingly sallied out1 and placing his
 engine on the ground1 lit the fire1 or 
rather lamp1 under the boiler2 after a  
few minutes off started the locomotive  
with the inventor full chase after it2  
after continuing the pursuit for a short
 distance1 he heard cries as of a person
 in great distress2 the night was too   

dark to perceive objects afar off1 but  
on going on1 he found that the sounds   
proceeded from the clergyman of the     
parish1 who had set out for the town on 
business1 and being met on this lonely  
road by the fiery monster1 had taken it 
for the ,evil ,one in person4 ,this     
model locomotive was exhibited before a 
meeting of the ,institution of          
,mechanical ,engineers in #ahej1        
sixty-six years after the date of its   
construction4  ,mr4 ,murdock is1        
however1 better known to the public by  
his application of the light of coal gas
 to general purposes4 ,although this gas
 had been well known1 and obtained both 
naturally and artificially more than    
half a century before his time1 no      
attempt had as yet been made to turn the
 discovery to any useful account4 ,in   
the year #agib ,murdock first employed  
coal gas for the purpose of lighting his
 house and offices at ,redruth2 he made 
it serve also as a lantern1 by attaching
 a bladder with a tube mouthpiece under 

the bottom of a glass shade1 which      
contrivance used to light him across the
 moors when returning home at night from
 the mining engines he was erecting in  
different parts of the district4 ,after 
various experiments which proved the    
economy and convenience of light so     
obtained1 he perfected his apparatus and
 made a public exhibition of it by      
lighting up the front of ,boulton and   
,watt's manufactory at ,soho1 on the    
occasion of the general illumination for
 the peace of ,amiens1 in #ahjb4 ,he    
subsequently lighted up some cotton     
mills at ,manchester1 beginning with    
,messrs4 ,phillips and ,lee's1 and      
published a paper on the subject in the 
',philosophical ,transactions' of #ahjh1
 for which the ,royal ,society presented
 him with the ,rumford gold medal4  ,in 
#agih ,murdock returned to take up his  
permanent residence at ,soho1           
superintending the machinery there1 and 
occasionally the erection of engines at 
a distance1 among which may be mentioned

 those of the ,new ,river ,head1        
,lambeth1 ,chelsea1 ,southwark1 ,east   
,london1 ,west ,middlesex1 and other    
waterworks4 ,in the following year he   
took out a patent for improvements in   
boring cylinders and in the manufacture 
of steam casings2 this patent also      
included the double ,d slide valve and a
 rotary engine4 ,amongst other          
inventions and discoveries of ,murdock's
 are3 a plan for boring stone pipes for 
water1 and cutting columns out of solid 
blocks of stone 7for which he took a    
patent in #ahaj72 a pneumatic lift      
working by compressed air2 and a cast   
iron cement1 which he was led to        
discover by the accidental observance of
 some iron borings and sal-ammoniac1    
which had got mixed in his tool-chest   
and rusted a sword blade nearly through4
 ,he also made use of compressed air to 
ring the bells in his house2 a plan     
which so pleased ,sir ,walter ,scott1 to
 whom it had been described1 that he had
 his house at ,abbotsford fitted up in a

 similar manner4 ,murdock likewise      
discovered a substitute for isinglass1  
and when in ,london for the purpose of  
explaining to the brewers the nature of 
his discovery1 occupied very handsome   
apartments4 ,being1 however1 at all     
times absorbed in whatever subject he   
had in hand1 he little respected the    
splendour of his drawing-room1 but      
proceeded with his experiments as if in 
the laboratory at ,soho1 quite          
unconscious of the mischief he was      
doing4 ,this resulted in his abrupt     
dismissal from the apartments by the    
enraged landlady1 who one morning1 on   
calling in to receive orders1 was       
horrified at seeing all her magnificent 
paper-hangings covered with wet fish    
skins hung up to dry1 and actually      
caught him in the act of pinning up a   
cod's skin to undergo the same process4 
,in the year #ahae1 while ,mr4 ,murdock 
was fitting up an apparatus of his own  
invention for heating the water of the  
baths at ,leamington1 a ponderous       

cast-iron plate fell upon his leg above 
the ankle1 nearly severing it in two4   
,this severe accident laid him up for a 
long time1 and he never entirely        
recovered from the effects of it4       
,during the latter years of his life    
,murdock's faculties1 both corporeal and
 mental1 experienced a gradual decay1   
causing him to live in complete         
retirement4 ,he died in #ahci1 aged     
eighty-five years1 and his remains were 
buried in ,handsworth ,church1 near to  
those of ,boulton and ,james ,watt4     
,mr4 ,murdock married in the year #aghe 
the daughter of ,captain ,paynter1 of   
,redruth1 ,cornwall1 who died at the    
early age of twenty-four1 having had    
four children4--,from a ,paper read by  
,mr4 ,william ,buckle1 of ,soho1 before 
a meeting of the ,institution of        
,mechanical ,engineers1 ,october #bc1   
#ahej4     ,,robert ,,mylne4  ,born     
,january #d1 #agcc4 ,died ,may #e1      
#ahaa4   ,robert ,mylne1 the architect  
of ,blackfriars ,bridge1 was born at    

,edinburgh4 ,his father was an          
architect1 and magistrate of the city2  
and his family1 it has been ascertained1
 held the office of ,master ,masons to  
the ,kings of ,scotland for a period of 
five hundred years1 until the union of  
the crowns of ,england and ,scotland4   
,on arriving at man's estate1 ,mylne    
travelled for improvement2 and his      
enthusiastic prosecution of his art soon
 brought him into notice4 ,in #ageh he  
became a candidate for the honours of   
the ,academy of ,st4 ,luke at ,rome1 and
 the chief prize in the highest class of
 architecture was awarded to him2 being 
the first instance of a native of ,great
 ,britain obtaining that honour4  ,mylne
 resided at ,rome during a space of five
 years1 and on his return to ,england   
executed a design for ,blackfriars      
,bridge1 which was selected from among  
twenty others4 ,this bridge was         
commenced in #agfj2 and on the occasion 
of the laying of the foundation-stone by
 the ,lord ,mayor1 among other medals   

deposited in the stone was a silver one1
 the memorial of the young architect's  
first triumph1 viz41 the medal 7one of  
two7 given him by the ,academy at ,rome4
 ,the bridge was completed in #agfi2 the
 arches are elliptical in shape1 and    
were the first instances in ,england in 
which the form of an ellipse was        
substituted for a semicircle4 ,the total
 cost of the bridge itself1 exclusive of
 the approaches1 amounted to #aeb1hdjl4 
,mylne's reputation was now established1
 and his services were employed in the  
erection or improvement of many edifices
 throughout the ,united ,kingdom4 ,he   
received at the hands of the ,archbishop
 of ,canterbury1 the ,bishop of ,london1
 and the ,lord ,mayor1 the office of    
,surveyor of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral2   
and while holding this appointment1     
suggested the famous inscription to ,sir
 ,christopher ,wren--',si monumentum    
quris circumspice4' ,he also held the   
office of ,clerk of the ,works at       
,greenwich ,hospital for fifteen years1 

and was ,engineer to the ,new ,river    
,water ,works from the year #agfb until 
his death1 in #ahaa1 when he was        
succeeded by his son4  ,towards the     
close of the eighteenth century1 he     
became acquainted with ,mr4 ,john       
,rennie1 whose celebrity as an engineer 
was then approaching its height2 and the
 two became from that time inseparable  
friends4#bh ,mr4 ,mylne was also an     
intimate friend of ,dr4 ,johnson1 their 
acquaintance having originated out of a 
controversy as to the form of the arch  
for ,blackfriars ,bridge4  ,mylne was   
buried in ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral1 by   
the side of his illustrious predecessor1
 ,sir ,christopher ,wren4--,gateshead   
,observer1 ,october #bj1                
#ahfj4--;,encyclopdia ,britannica4      
,,alexander ,,nasmyth4  ,born ,september
 #g1 #ageh4 ,died ,april #aj1 #ahdj4    
,alexander ,nasmyth1 the distinguished  
,scotch landscape painter1 and known    
also as a man of science1 was born at   
,edinburgh4 ,he came early in life to   

,london1 where he was for some time the 
pupil of ,allen ,ramsay1 painter to     
,george ,,iii4 ,he resided afterwards in
 ,rome for several years1 during which  
time he studied portrait1 history1 and  
landscape painting4  ,from ,rome1       
,nasmyth returned to ,edinburgh1 where  
he settled as a portrait painter1 and   
executed his well-known painting of     
,robert ,burns-the most authentic       
likeness of this great poet4 ,having1   
however1 a decided taste for landscape  
painting1 he ultimately confined himself
 to this branch of art2 but much of his 
time was occupied in teaching1 in which 
he was very successful4 ,his landscapes1
 which are very numerous1 were1 many of 
them1 reminiscences of ,italian scenery1
 and although wanting in originality and
 vigour1 possess so much beauty and     
grace as to have caused their author to 
acquire the name of the ',scottish      
,claude4'  ,mr4 ,nasmyth was a favourite
 in society1 and was the leading teacher
 in art of the highest classes in       

,scotland2 during his later years being 
commonly looked up to as the patriarch  
of ,scottish art4 ,he not only took much
 interest in the proceedings of the     
artistic societies of ,edinburgh1 but   
often raised an influential voice in    
respect to the alterations making in    
that city2 and was one of the three     
successful competitors between whom the 
first prize offered for the best plan   
for laying out and building the ,new    
,town of ,edinburgh was equally divided4
  ,mr4 ,nasmyth spent much of his time  
in scientific experiments1 and was the  
inventor of 'bow and string bridges1'   
and of a method of driving the          
screw-propellers of vessels by direct   
action1 in front of the rudder4 ,much of
 his leisure time was spent in a        
workshop which he had fitted up for     
himself1 and which proved the nursery of
 the early mechanical genius of the     
present ,james ,nasmyth1 the celebrated 
engineer4  ,soon after his return from  
,italy1 ,alexander ,nasmyth married the 

sister of ,sir ,james ,foulis of        
,woodhall ,colinton1 by whom he had a   
family of three sons and five daughters1
 all of whom inherited more or less     
their father's talents1 while the       
eldest1 ,patrick1 has acquired a        
separate renown of no inconsiderable    
extent1 for the beauty of his           
landscapes4  ,alexander ,nasmyth died in
 ,york ,place1 ,edinburgh1 at the age of
 eighty-three1 and was interred in the  
,west ,church burying-ground of that    
city4--,english ,cyclopdia4 ,london1    
#aheg4--;,catalogue of ,gallery of      
,portraits of ,inventors1 c41 in the    
,south ,kensington ,museum4     ,,john  
,,playfair1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,l4 and ,e4      
,,professor ,,of ,,mathematics ,,at     
,,the ,,university ,,of ,,edinburgh4    
,born ,march #aj1 #agdh4 ,died ,july    
#ai1 #ahai4   ,john ,playfair1 a        
mathematician and philosopher of great  
eminence and celebrity1 was born at     
,benvie in ,forfarshire1 and was the    
eldest son of the ,rev4 ,james          

,playfair1 the minister of that place4  
,playfair resided at home1 under the    
domestic tuition of his father1 until   
the age of fourteen1 when he entered the
 ,university of ,st4 ,andrew's1 where he
 became almost immediately              
distinguished1 not merely for his       
singular proficiency in mathematical    
learning1 but also for the extent of his
 general knowledge1 the clearness of his
 judgment1 and the dignity and propriety
 of his conduct4 ,a strong proof of his 
capabilities at this time is given by   
the fact1 that when ,dr4 ,wilkie1 the   
professor of natural philosophy1 was    
prevented by indisposition from         
delivering the regular lectures1 he used
 generally to delegate the task of      
instruction to his youthful pupil1      
,playfair4  ,in #agfi ,playfair removed 
to ,edinburgh1 and while residing there 
became acquainted with ,adam ,smith1    
,drs4 ,robertson1 ,matthew ,stewart1    
,black1 and ,hutton1 with all of whom he
 continued on terms of the utmost       

cordiality during the whole period of   
their lives4  ,during the course of the 
year #aggb1 the death of his father     
suddenly devolved upon ,playfair the    
burden of supporting his family1 and    
compelled him in a measure to seek a    
livelihood by entering the ,church4     
,although he had been educated with a   
view to his entering this profession1   
for which he was in every way qualified1
 his decided predilection for science   
had hitherto made him hesitate about    
engaging in a vocation1 the duties of   
which1 he felt1 if conscientiously      
discharged1 would necessarily interfere 
greatly with the studies he was loath to
 abandon4 ,in this emergency1 however1  
he considered himself no longer entitled
 to indulge in these predilections1 and 
therefore made an application1 which    
proved successful1 to ,lord ,gray1 the  
patron1 for a presentation to the       
livings of ,liff and ,benvie1 which had 
been previously held by his father4     
,from this period until #aghb1 he was   

constantly resident at ,liff1 occupied  
almost exclusively with the pastoral    
duties of his office1 and with the      
education of his younger brothers4  ,in 
the year #aggi ,playfair contributed to 
the ',transactions' of the ,royal       
,society of ,london a paper on the      
',arithmetic of ,impossible             
,quantities1' which exhibits1 within a  
very small compass1 a striking example  
of the rare and admirable talent of     
detaching the sound spirit of science   
from what may be termed its mysticism4  
,in the year #aghb he was induced by    
very advantageous offers to resign his  
charge1 and to superintend the education
 of ,ferguson of ,raith1 and his brother
 ,sir ,ronald2 an arrangement which     
restored him in a great measure to the  
literary and scientific society of      
,edinburgh1 and enabled him to visit    
,london1 where he was gratified by a    
personal introduction to several of the 
most eminent cultivators of science in  
that city4  ,playfair was received into 

the ,university of ,edinburgh during the
 course of the year #aghe1 and1 in      
consequence of an arrangement made      
between ,dr4 ,adam ,ferguson and ,mr4   
,dugald ,stewart1 was appointed         
joint-professor of mathematics with ,dr4
 ,ferguson1 whose delicate state of     
health prevented him from discharging   
the active duties of the professorship2 
,mr4 ,stewart filling the chair of moral
 philosophy1 previously held by ,dr4    
,ferguson4  ,previous to this1 like     
,leslie1 ,playfair had been twice a     
candidate for a similar honour1 but     
unsuccessfully4 ,on the first occasion1 
when only eighteen years old1 he had    
offered himself1 with the approbation of
 his instructors at ,st4 ,andrew's1 as  
candidate for the professorship of      
mathematics in ,marischal ,college1     
,aberdeen1 and had sustained with much  
credit a competitive examination which  
lasted eleven days1 and embraced nearly 
the whole range of the exact sciences4  
,out of six competitors1 two only were  

judged to have surpassed him--the ,rev4 
,dr4 ,trail1 who was appointed to the   
office1 and ,dr4 ,hamilton1 who         
afterwards succeeded to and long filled 
it with much reputation4  ,in #aghh1    
,playfair published1 in the             
',transactions' of the ,royal ,society  
of ,edinburgh1 a biographical account of
 ,dr4 ,matthew ,stewart1 which also     
contains a singularly clear and         
interesting account of the labours of   
,dr4 ,simson in the restoration of      
ancient geometry4 ,in this year likewise
 appeared his paper ',on the ,causes    
which affect the accuracy of            
,barometrical ,measurements1' which is  
written with all the perspicuity1       
caution1 and sagacity1 that constitute  
the great excellence and the great      
difficulty of such disquisitions1 where 
scientific principles are employed to   
give precision to physical observations4
 ,in #agij appeared1 in the same        
',transactions1' a paper of still       
greater interest and delicacy1 ',on the 

,astronomy of the ,brahmins1' the       
publication of which attracted very     
general attention1 both in ,europe and  
in ,asia1 and gave rise to much         
discussion and research4 ,this was      
followed in #agid by a learned and very 
beautiful treatise on the ',origin and  
,investigation of ,porisms1' in which   
the obscure nature of the very          
comprehensive and indefinite theorems to
 which this name was applied by the     
ancient geometers1 is explained with the
 most lucid simplicity4  ,in #agig he   
composed a sequel to his first paper on 
the ,indian astronomy1 in the shape of  
',observations on the ,trigonometrical  
,tables of the ,brahmins1' and also a   
masterly collection of ',theorems on the
 ,figure of the ,earth4' ,during the    
course of the last-mentioned year1 his  
friend ,dr4 ,james ,hutton died2 and    
,playfair1 having undertaken to draw up 
a biographical account of him for the   
,royal ,society1 was led to study the   
doctor's ingenious but crude            

speculations on the ',theory of the     
,earth1' and afterwards to lend them the
 assistance of his own powerful pen1 in 
his ',illustrations of the ,huttonian   
,theory4' ,this work1 upon which he     
bestowed more time and labour than on   
any of his other productions1 did not   
appear until #ahjb2 and whatever opinion
 may be formed of the truth or soundness
 of ,dr4 ,hutton's speculations1 it is  
impossible to doubt that ,playfair's    
illustration of that theory must always 
be ranked amongst the most brilliant and
 powerful productions of philosophical  
genius4 ,its merits have been           
universally acknowledged1 even by those 
not convinced by its reasonings1 and    
have extorted1 even from the fastidious 
critics of ,france1 the acknowledgment  
that ,mr4 ,playfair writes as well as   
,buffon1 and reasons incomparably       
better4  ,in #ahje he quitted the chair 
of mathematics to succeed ,professor    
,robison in that of natural philosophy4 
,in the contest which ensued upon the   

appointment of ,leslie as his successor 
in this chair1 he took a very active    
part2 and amongst the heaviest blows    
which ,leslie's opponents had to        
sustain1 were those that parted from the
 hand of ,mr4 ,playfair4 ,in #ahjg he   
was elected a ,fellow of the ,royal     
,society1 to which learned body he very 
soon afterwards presented his ',account 
of the ,lithological ,survey of         
,schehallien2' this was the result of   
his investigations during the period of 
,dr4 ,maskelyne's visit to ,schehallien1
 to measure the attraction of that      
mountain1 on which occasion ,playfair   
shared the shelter of this distinguished
 astronomer's tent on the side of the   
mountain1 and contracted with him a     
friendship which lasted during the      
remainder of their lives4  ,in #ahji he 
contributed to the ',edinburgh          
,transactions' an excellent paper on    
',solids of the ,greatest ,attraction1' 
and in #ahab1 another1 on the ',progress
 of ,heat in ,spherical ,bodies4' ,in   

#ahad he published1 in two volumes      
octavo1 for the use of his class1 an    
elementary work of great value1 under   
the title of ',outlines of ,natural     
,philosophy4' ,about the same time he   
drew up for the ',encyclopdia           
,britannica' an introductory            
',dissertation on the ,progress of      
,mathematical and ,physical ,science1' a
 treatise distinguished for the         
soundness of judgment1 beauty of        
writing1 and extent of knowledge        
displayed in it4 ,in #ahae1 ,playfair   
wrote for the ,royal ,society of        
,edinburgh a very interesting memoir of 
his distinguished predecessor1 ,dr4     
,robison4 ,in the course of the same    
year he undertook1 at the age of        
sixty-eight1 a long journey through     
,france and ,switzerland into ,italy1   
and did not return for a period of      
nearly eighteen months1 during which    
time his principal attention was        
directed to the mineralogical and       
geological phenomena of the different   

regions which he visited4 ,on his return
 from this expedition1 he was occupied  
in drawing up a memoir on the ',naval   
,tactics of ,clerk of ,eldin1' which was
 published after his death in the       
',philosophical ,transactions4'         
,playfair had for several years suffered
 from a recurrence at different times of
 a painful affection of the bladder1    
which appeared with increased seventy in
 the early part of #ahai1 but was so far
 got under as to enable him to complete 
his course of lectures in the spring4   
,it returned1 however1 in a still more  
distressing form in the summer1 and at  
last put a period to his life on the    
#aith of ,july4 ,though suffering great 
pain during the last part of his        
confinement1 he retained not only his   
intellectual faculties quite unimpaired1
 but also the serenity and mildness of  
his spirit1 occupying himself until     
within a few days of his death in       
correcting the proof-sheets of the      
',dissertation' before noticed4         

,besides the previously mentioned works1
 ,playfair was a frequent contributor to
 the ',edinburgh ,review1' and also     
wrote the articles 'pinus' and          
',physical ,astronomy1' in the          
',encyclopdia ,britannica4' ,francis    
,jeffrey1 of whose elaborate and elegant
 memoir the above is but a brief        
summary1 speaks of ,playfair as being   
one of the most learned mathematicians  
of the age1 and among the first1 if not 
the very first1 who introduced the      
beautiful discoveries of the later      
,continental geometers to the knowledge 
of his countrymen1 and gave their just  
value and true place in the scheme of   
,european knowledge1 to those important 
improvements by which the whole aspect  
of abstract science has been renovated  
since the days of our illustrious       
,newton2 also1 as possessing in the     
highest degree all the characteristics  
both of a fine and powerful             
understanding1 at once penetrating and  
vigilant1 but more distinguished perhaps

 for the caution and sureness of its    
march than for the brilliancy or        
rapidity of its movements2 and guided   
and adorned through all its progress by 
the most genuine enthusiasm for all that
 is grand1 and the justest taste for all
 that is beautiful4--,memoir of ,john   
,playfair1 by ,lord                     
,jeffrey4--,encyclopdia ,britannica4    
,,john ,,rennie1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,l4 and ,e41
 c4  ,born ,june #g1 #agfa4 ,died       
,october #d1 #ahba4   ,john ,rennie was 
born at ,phantassie1 in the parish of   
,prestonkirk1 in the county of ,east    
,lothian4 ,his father was a highly      
respectable farmer1 who died in #agff1  
leaving a widow and nine children1 of   
whom ,john was the youngest4 ,he        
acquired the first rudiments of his     
education at the village school1 which  
was situated on the opposite side of a  
brook4 ,to cross this at certain seasons
 of the year it was necessary to make   
use of a boat1 which was kept at the    
workshop of ,andrew ,meikle1 an         

ingenious mechanic well known in        
,scotland as the inventor of the        
threshing machine4 ,young ,rennie1      
having thus frequent occasion to pass   
through ,meikle's workshop1 became      
deeply interested in the various        
mechanical operations that were in      
progress1 and a great part of his       
leisure and holiday time was spent      
therein4 ,during the evening he employed
 himself in imitating the machines which
 had particularly attracted his         
attention1 and when only ten years old  
succeeded in constructing a model of a  
steam-engine1 a windmill1 and a         
pile-driving machine4 ,at twelve years  
of age he left the ,preston school and  
entered the service of ,mr4 ,meikle for 
a space of two years1 at the end of     
which time1 finding that a constant     
application to manual labour retarded   
the progress of his intellectual        
faculties1 he determined to place       
himself under the tuition of ,mr4       
,gibson1 an eminent mathematical master 

at ,dunbar4 ,here ,young ,rennie        
attained such proficiency in his        
studies1 that when1 two or three years  
afterwards1 ,mr4 ,gibson was appointed  
master to the public academy at ,perth1 
he was able to undertake the temporary  
management of the ,dunbar school4 ,while
 at this school he attracted the        
especial notice of ,mr4 ,david ,lock1   
who1 in describing a visit to ,dunbar1  
makes particular mention of him as one  
likely to prove an honour to his        
country4#bi ,on leaving ,mr4 ,gibson1   
,rennie returned to ,mr4 ,meikle1       
continuing more or less with that       
ingenious man for the next two or three 
years4#cj ,his first essay in practical 
mechanics was the repairing of a corn   
mill in his native village1 and he      
erected two or three others before he   
had reached the age of eighteen4 ,while 
occupied in these works ,rennie took    
care at the same time to attend to his  
other studies1 managing occasionally to 
visit ,edinburgh1 where he entered      

himself as a student at the ,university1
 and attended the lectures of           
,professors ,robison and ,black4 ,with  
the former gentleman he gradually formed
 an intimate acquaintance1 and was by   
him introduced to ,messrs4 ,boulton and 
,watt1 of ,soho1 with whom he remained  
during the space of twelve months2 it   
being their wish to have engaged his    
services for a longer period1 but       
,rennie1 conscious of his own powers1   
determined to make the capital the      
theatre of his future efforts4 ,his     
first practical essay at millwright work
 in ,england was the rolling mills at   
,soho1 which were entirely remodelled   
and rebuilt under his direction4  ,in   
#aghd he established himself in ,london1
 and commenced work by the erection of  
the ,albion ,mills near ,blackfriars    
,bridge1 ,boulton and ,watt1 who had the
 direction of the steam-engines1 having1
 in accordance with the advice of       
,professors ,robison and ,black1        
entrusted to him the execution of the   

millwork4 ,mr4 ,watt1 in his notes to   
,professor ,robison's account of the    
steam-engine1 says that in the          
construction of the millwork and        
machinery1 they derived most valuable   
assistance from that able mechanician   
and engineer1 ,mr4 ,john ,rennie1 then  
just entering into business1 who        
assisted in placing them1 and under     
whose direction they were executed4 ,he 
also adds that the machinery1 which used
 to be made of wood1 was here made of   
cast iron1 and considers that this was  
the commencement of that system of      
millwork which has proved so beneficial 
to this country4 ,after executing this  
undertaking1 ,rennie was employed on the
 flour mills at ,wandsworth1 and the    
rolling and triturating mills at the    
,mint4 ,his mills1 and particularly his 
water wheels1 were regarded as models of
 perfection1 while in all hydraulic     
works he was the worthy successor of    
,smeaton4 ,from this time until his     
comparatively early death in #ahba1     

,rennie was constantly employed on      
various large and splendid undertakings1
 among which his bridges occupy an      
important place4 ,of these structures   
the finest is the ,waterloo ,bridge over
 the ,thames1 begun in #ahji and        
finished in #ahag4 ,it is built of      
,aberdeen granite1 and consists of nine 
equal semi-elliptical arches of #bj feet
 span1 with a level roadway #de feet    
wide from outside to outside of parapet1
 which adds greatly to its beauty4 ,this
 bridge was opened to the public by the 
,prince ,regent1 who offered at the time
 to confer upon ,mr4 ,rennie the honour 
of knighthood2 this offer1 however1 he  
declined4 ,london ,bridge1 which he     
designed but did not live to execute1   
was finished by his sons1 ,mr4 ,george  
and ,sir ,john ,rennie4 ,it is built of 
the finest blue and white granite from  
,scotland and ,devonshire1 and consists 
of five semi-elliptical arches1 two of  
#acj1 two of #adj1 and the centre one of
 #aeb ft4 span1 being perhaps the       

largest elliptical arch ever attempted4 
,the beautiful stone bridge over the    
,tweed at ,kelso1 and those at          
,musselburgh and ,new ,galloway1 were   
also designed by him4 ,when speaking of 
the first-named of these bridges1 ,mr4  
,rennie used often playfully to declare1
 that he considered himself a benefactor
 to his country1 inasmuch as one of his 
earliest public works was to build a    
bridge across the ,tweed6 ,the iron     
bridges which he executed are1 the one  
at ,boston1 over the ,witham1 with a    
span of #ajj feet2 and the noble bridge 
at ,southwark1 over the ,thames1 begun  
in #ahae and opened in #ahai4 ,the      
latter consists of three circular arches
 of equal curvature1 the centre one     
having a span of #bdj1 and the other two
 of #baj feet4 ,the total weight of iron
 in the structure was #eghj tons1 and   
the entire cost1 including approaches1  
c41 #hjj1jjjl4  ,the improvement of     
harbours and the construction of docks  
occupied much of ,mr4 ,rennie's         

attention1 and in these operations his  
diving-bell apparatus was of peculiar   
value4 ,smeaton was the first who used  
the diving-bell effectually for building
 with stone under water2 the machine he 
employed for that purpose was1 however1 
very defective1 and could only be used  
in certain situations4 ,but ,rennie1 by 
improvements in the instrument itself1  
and in the machinery by which its       
movements could be regulated1#ca was    
enabled to carry on masonry1 and the    
foundations of sea-walls1 piers1 and    
quays1 as well under water as above it4 
,he first employed his apparatus in     
#ahac1 in building the ,east ,pierhead  
at ,ramsgate1 the foundations of which  
were #ag feet below low water at spring 
tides4 ,it was afterwards used in       
founding the pierheads and outer walls  
of the harbours at ,holyhead1 ,howth1   
and ,sheerness1 and other works under   
his direction4 ,amongst the numerous wet
 docks introduced at ,liverpool in      
#agaf1 and since constructed at almost  

all the principal sea-ports in the      
kingdom1 ,mr4 ,rennie executed the      
,london ,docks1 and those at ,leith1    
,dublin1 ,hull1 and ,greenock1 and also 
the ,east and ,west ,india ,docks1 in   
conjunction with ,jessop and ,ralph     
,walker4 ,he also constructed the       
harbours of ,queensferry1 ,berwick1     
,howth1 ,holyhead1 and that at          
,kingston1 the largest attempted in this
 country4 ,at the low water of spring   
tide1 the depth of this harbour was #bf 
feet1 while the area enclosed amounted  
to #bej acres4 ,the breakwater at       
,plymouth for protecting the ,sound from
 the swell of the sea was likewise      
designed by him and ,mr4 ,whitby1 and   
was the first and largest example of a  
detached breakwater in this country4    
,one of the most useful works executed  
by ,mr4 ,rennie was the drainage of the 
great ,fen district bordering upon the  
rivers ,trent1 ,witham1 ,new ,welland1  
and ,ouse1 and extending #fj miles in   
length by #be in breadth4 ,in the       

carrying out of this great work1 by     
which many hundreds of square miles were
 rendered productive1 and the salubrity 
of the district improved1 he was        
assisted by ,mr4 ,telford and his son1  
,sir ,john ,rennie4 ,the chief canals of
 which he was engineer are the ,kennet1 
,avon1 ,crinan1 ,rochdale1 and          
,lancaster4 ,the naval dockyards at     
,portsmouth1 ,plymouth1 ,chatham1 and   
,sheerness1 also attest his skill as an 
engineer4 ,the latter was a mere        
quicksand #dj feet deep1 mixed with mud 
and the wrecks of old ships2 the whole  
of which was excavated1 and a           
magnificent basin constructed with a    
surrounding wall of granite1 with which 
three large and commodious dry docks    
communicated4 ,several magnificent works
 of great public utility were proposed  
to the government by ,mr4 ,rennie but   
never executed4 ,the most remarkable of 
these is his design for a great naval   
arsenal on the ,thames at ,northfleet1  
intended as a substitute for the        

imperfect naval establishments on the   
river4 ,it was to consist of six        
capacious basins1 with an area of #fjj  
acres within the walls1 and to          
comprehend machinery for every operation
 connected with the naval science4 ,the 
estimated cost of this noble plan was   
eight millions1 which might have        
amounted to ten or eleven millions1 but 
would even then have been a measure of  
economy compared with the vast sums     
expended on the old establishments on   
the ,thames and ,medway4  ,before       
closing the present brief account of    
this celebrated engineer's life and     
works1 his lighthouse on the ,bell ,rock
 must not be passed by without notice4  
,like the ,eddystone1 it was built of   
stone2 commenced in #ahjf1 and finished 
in #ahaa1 it still remains an enduring  
monument of the skill of its architect4 
,until within a few years of his death  
,mr4 ,rennie enjoyed robust health1 but 
he was cut off in the sixty-first year  
of his age after a few days' illness4   

,he was buried in ,st4 ,paul's          
,cathedral1 his remains being interred  
near to those of ,sir ,christopher      
,wren4--,encyclopdia                    
,britannica4--,north ,british ,review1  
,feb41 #ahfa4--,mechanics' ,magazine1   
,september #bj and ,november #bb1 #ahfa4
     ,,francis ,,ronalds1 ,f4,r4,s4     
,francis ,ronalds was born in ,london1  
in the year #aghh4 ,from a very early   
period in life he devoted himself to the
 advancement of electrical science1 a   
course he has consistently pursued      
during a large portion of his life1     
which has not yet we are glad to be able
 to state drawn to its close4 ,he is the
 inventor of an electric telegraph1     
electrical machine1 electrometer1 a new 
mode of electrical insulation1 a        
pendulum doubler1 an electric clock1    
several meteorological and magnetical   
instruments and other mechanical        
contrivances4 ,the year #ahaf1 however1 
marked ,mr4 ,ronald's great achievement 
in the advancement of electric          

telegraphs4 ,during that year he was the
 first to demonstrate that they could be
 practically and unerringly applied to  
the passage of messages through a long  
distance4 ,well aware of the            
difficulties arising from imperfect     
insulation1 which had baffled his       
predecessors1 ,mr4 ,ronalds secured the 
success of his apparatus both by        
employing better means of insulation    
than had hitherto been adopted1 and also
 by making use of a form of apparatus   
which should of itself be capable of    
supplying any loss of electricity which 
might arise from defects in the         
insulation4#cb ,mr4 ,ronalds placed his 
telegraph wire in glass tubes surrounded
 by wooden troughs lined with pitch1    
which were placed in a trench dug in his
 garden at ,hammersmith4 ,he also       
suspended eight miles of wire by silken 
cords from a wooden frame erected on his
 lawn1 through which he was enabled to  
successfully pass messages except in wet
 weather1 the cords not being protected 

from the wet4  ,mr4 ,ronald's peculiar  
form of apparatus may be thus briefly   
described3--,at two stations were placed
 two clocks1 with a dial with #bj       
letters placed on the arbour of the     
second-hand2 in front of each of these  
dials was placed a screen with a small  
orifice cut in it so that1 as the dial  
revolved1 only one letter could be seen 
at a time4 ,the clocks were made to go  
isochronously1 and were started at the  
same instant with the same letter       
appearing on the dial through the       
orifices of each of the screens1 both   
dials1 therefore1 as they revolved1     
would of course continue to show similar
 letters4 ,this formed the readable     
index of his telegraph2 means of        
communication between the two stations  
were produced in the following          
manner3--connected with each end of the 
telegraph wire1 and placed in front of  
the clocks1 were two pith ball          
electrometers1 upon which a constant    
stream of electricity1 produced from an 

ordinary frictional machine1 operated   
and consequently kept in a state of     
divergence1 except when a letter on the 
dial was to be denoted2 the electricity 
was then partially discharged by        
breaking the connection1 the pith balls 
in a measure collapsed1 and the distant 
observer was thereby informed to note   
down the letter then visible through the
 orifice on the screen4 ,in this way    
letter after letter might be denoted and
 intelligence of any kind conveyed4 ,all
 that was absolutely required for the   
success of ,mr4 ,ronald's telegraph was1
 that the clocks should go isochronously
 during the time intelligence was being 
transmitted1 for1 by a preconcerted     
arrangement1 both clocks might be easily
 started at the same letter upon a given
 signal4 ,the attention of the distant  
observer was called by the explosion of 
gas by means of an electric spark4 ,in  
#ahbc1 ,mr4 ,ronalds published a full   
description of his telegraph1 in a work 
entitled1 ',descriptions of an          

,electrical ,telegraph1 and of some     
other ,electrical ,apparatus4'  ,in     
#ahbe1 ,mr4 ,ronalds invented a         
perspective tracing instrument1 to      
facilitate drawing from nature or from  
plans and elevations1 an account of     
which he published in #ahbh in a work   
entitled1 ',mechanical ,perspective4'   
,with this machine he was enabled some  
years afterwards 7in #ahce71 assisted by
 ,dr4 ,blair1 to procure exact          
perspective projections taken from given
 noted stations1 of the ,celtic remains 
at ,carnac in ,brittany4 ,the result of 
these researches was published by ,mr4  
,ronalds and ,dr4 ,blair in #ahcf1 and  
was entitled1 ',sketches at ,carnac2 or1
 ,notes concerning the present state of 
the ,celtic ,antiquities in that and    
some of the adjoining ,communes4' ,in   
connection with this tracing apparatus1 
he likewise contrived a hexipod staff   
used for a support1 and which has been  
much employed for the support of        
instruments requiring great steadiness1 

such as telescopes1 theodolites1        
cameras1 c4 ,in the year #ahdc he became
 the first and honorary director of the 
,kew ,observatory1 and while occupying  
this office he supplied the observatory 
with various new contrivances1 for which
 he received a government reward from   
the special service fund1 and a small   
pension from the civil list4 ,the most  
considerable of these contrivances were 
his atmospheric electrical conductor and
 its appendages1 adopted at the         
,greenwich1 the ,madrid1 and the ,bombay
 magnetic observatories2 his            
photo-barograph1 and two                
photo-thermographs1 adopted at the      
,radcliff observatory1 ,oxford2 his     
photo-electrograph1 and three           
photo-magneto-graphs4 ,besides the      
writings above-mentioned1 ,mr4 ,ronalds 
is the author of an article in the      
,philosophical ,magazine of #ahad1      
entitled1 ',on ,electro-galvanic        
,agency1 employed as a moving power1    
with descriptions of a ,galvanic        

,clock2' and other articles in the same 
journal1 detailing his original         
experiments to illustrate the relations 
of quantity and intensity in the        
electric pile4 ,he also wrote four      
,reports on the ,kew observatory1 which 
were fully illustrated and printed in   
the reports of the ,british ,association
 for the years #ahde-ej-ea and #eb2 and 
one paper in the ,philosophical         
,transactions on ',photographic         
,self-registering ,meteorological and   
,magnetical ,instruments1' written in   
#ahdf and printed in the year following4
 ,in #ahef ,mr4 ,ronalds published in   
,french1 at ,paris1 a summary of these  
reports1 with some additions1 entitled1 
',descriptions de quelques ,instruments 
,meteorologiques et ,magnetiques1'      
intended to explain his instruments at  
the ,french exhibition4  ,mr4 ,ronalds  
is now 7,april #ahfd7 residing at       
,battle in ,sussex1 and during the      
latter years of life has spent much time
 and part of his small pension1 in      

collecting and collating an electric    
library1 which might be conveniently    
available for the advancement of his    
favourite science1 and prove worthy of  
presentation or bequest to some ,british
 public institution1 so as to form the  
nucleus of one which might approximate  
possibly to a complete electrical       
library4--,from particulars derived from
 authentic sources4     ,,count         
,,rumford 7,,sir ,,benjamin ,,thompson71
 ,,ll4,d41 ,v4,p4,r4,s41  ,,member ,,of 
,,the ,,royal ,,institute ,,of ,,france1
 ,,etc4  ,born ,march #bf1 #agec4 ,died 
,aug4 #ba1 #ahad4   ,benjamin ,thompson1
 the founder of the ,royal ,institution1
 and more generally known by the title  
of ,count ,rumford1 which he afterwards 
acquired1 was born at ,woburn in        
,massachussets4 ,his ancestors appear to
 have been among the earliest colonists 
of this district1 and in all probability
 came originally from ,england4         
,thompson's father died while his son   
was a mere infant1 and two or three     

years afterwards his mother married a   
second husband1 ,josiah ,pierce1 also a 
resident at ,woburn4 ,as soon as young  
,thompson was able to learn his letters 
he was sent to the school of his native 
town1 kept by a ,mr4 ,john ,fowle1 where
 he remained until his eleventh year1   
when he joined the school of a ,mr4     
,hill at ,medford4 ,here ,thompson made 
such advances in mathematics and        
astronomy as to be able to calculate    
eclipses4 ,at the age of thirteen he was
 bound apprentice to ,mr4 ,john         
,appleby1 a respectable merchant in     
,salem1 the second town in point of size
 in ,massachussets4 ,his occupations    
with ,mr4 ,appleby were principally     
those of a clerk in the counting house1 
but he appears to have had sufficient   
leisure to extend his reading in        
scientific subjects1 and also to indulge
 a taste1 he began to exhibit1 for      
designing and engraving4 ,at this time  
he was likewise occupied with a         
contrivance for solving the famous      

problem of perpetual motion1 but was    
ultimately made to see the fallacy of   
his expectations1 by the arguments of an
 old friend and schoolfellow1 ,loammi   
,baldwin1 who induced him to            
attempt-something more practicable      
though less magnificent4  ,at this      
period1 #agfg1 the differences between  
,great ,britain and her ,american       
colonies were beginning to assume a     
serious aspect1 and there ensued such a 
stagnation of trade at ,salem and other 
towns1 that ,mr4 ,appleby1 having no    
further occasion for the services of a  
clerk1 was glad to give up to young     
,thompson his indentures1 and allow him 
to return to ,woburn4 ,for the next two 
or three years ,thompson's course of    
life seems to have been wavering and    
undecided4 ,at one time he appears to   
have had thoughts of entering the       
medical profession1 for he remained     
during some months under the tuition of 
,dr4 ,hay1 a physician in ,woburn1 and  
entered zealously upon the study of     

anatomy and physiology4  ,in #aggj1     
however1 he resumed his mercantile      
avocations in the capacity of a clerk at
 a dry goods store at ,boston1 kept by a
 ,mr4 ,capen1 and was thus engaged      
during the famous riots which took place
 in that town1 on the attempt to land a 
cargo of tea from a ,british vessel1    
contrary to a resolution of the         
colonists against admitting ,british    
goods4 ,these disturbances caused ,mr4  
,capen's business to decline as ,mr4    
,appleby's had formerly done1 and       
,thompson was again obliged to return to
 ,woburn4 ,he now seriously turned his  
attention to the acquisition of         
scientific knowledge1 and in company    
with his friend ,baldwin attended a     
course of lectures on experimental      
philosophy delivered at ,harvard        
,college1 instituting at the same time  
many experiments of his own1 some of    
which proved the germs of valuable      
conclusions published in after life4 ,in
 particular may be mentioned a course of

 experiments which he began in order to 
ascertain and measure the projectile    
force of gunpowder4  ,thompson1 though  
still only in his seventeenth year1 had 
now acquired a certain amount of        
reputation2 he was also endowed with    
much natural grace and many personal    
advantages1 which subsequently proved   
the means of gaining him access to the  
first circles in ,europe4  ,towards the 
close of the year #aggj he was invited  
by ,colonel ,timothy ,walker1 one of the
 most important residents in the village
 of ,rumford1 now ,concord1 in ,new     
,hampshire1 to take charge of an        
,academy in that place4 ,two years      
later1 at the age of twenty1 he married 
,mrs4 ,rolfe1 a colonel's widow         
possessed of a considerable fortune4    
,after his marriage ,thompson took his  
place as one of the wealthiest          
inhabitants of the district in which he 
resided1 mixing with the best society   
the colony afforded4 ,among others he   
made the acquaintance of the governor   

,john ,wentworth1 who1 wishing to attach
 to the ,british party so influential a 
colonist1 gave ,thompson the commission 
of major in a regiment of the ,new      
,hampshire ,militia1 in which a vacancy 
had occurred4 ,this act of attention1   
while gratifying to ,thompson1 procured 
him much ill-will from the officers     
already in the service1 and over whose  
head he had been promoted4  ,from this  
period he began to be unpopular in his  
native country4 ,he was represented as a
 friend of ,great ,britain1 and an enemy
 to the interests of the colonies4 ,the 
public hatred of him at length rose to  
such a height1 that he only escaped by  
flight from the ignominy of being tarred
 and feathered in the open streets4     
,leaving his wife and an infant         
daughter1 ,thomas first took refuge in  
his native town of ,woburn1 and then    
proceeded to ,charlestown where he      
remained for several months4 ,from      
,charlestown he went to ,boston1 at     
which place he was well received by     

,general ,gage and the officers of the  
,british army at that time in garrison  
at ,boston4 ,returning in the spring of 
#agge to ,woburn1 he again ran the risk 
of being tarred and feathered1 but was  
saved by the interference of his friend 
,baldwin4  ,the commencement of open    
hostilities between the ,colonists and  
the ,british troops in ,may1 #agge1 made
 ,thompson's position still more        
critical1 and finding that he could not 
overcome the prejudice felt against him1
 he came to the desperate resolution of 
quitting his native country1 and leaving
 his wife and child4 ,to effect this he 
first escaped to ,boston1 where he      
remained1 with his friend ,general      
,gage1 until the evacuation of the town 
by the ,british troops1 when he embarked
 on board the ,scarborough1 and set sail
 for ,england1 with despatches from     
,general ,gage to ,lord ,george         
,germain1 the ,british ,secretary of    
,state for ,colonial ,affairs4          
,although ,thompson arrived in ,england 

the bearer of gloomy tidings1 and       
sustaining the equivocal character of a 
deserter from the ,american cause1 he   
soon showed that he was a man capable of
 commanding his fortune anywhere4 ,the  
capacity in which he had come over      
introduced him to various public men who
 were both struck by his abilities and  
charmed by his manners4 ,but a short    
time elapsed after his arrival before he
 was offered a post in the ,colonial    
,office1 and four years after1 in #aghj1
 was raised by his patron ,lord ,germain
 to the post of under secretary for the 
colonies1 an instance of rapid promotion
 which1 considering the circumstances in
 which the subject of it stood1 is      
almost unexampled4  ,the income and     
consequence which ,thompson derived from
 this office gave him admission to the  
highest metropolitan circles1 and he had
 thus opportunities not only of becoming
 known1 but also of exercising his      
inventive mind in many pursuits not     
immediately connected with his official 

duties4 ,fertility of resources1 and a  
disposition to propose improvements in  
all departments1 appear to have been his
 most striking characteristics1 and it  
was probably this ready genius for      
practical reform in everything which    
came under his notice1 that recommended 
him so much to public men4 ,while       
engaged generally in a variety of       
matters1 ,thompson was at the same time 
following out certain specific lines of 
scientific investigation4 ,his          
experiments on the heat caused by       
friction1 deduced from the boring of    
cannon1 are among the best we possess4  
,in #aggg he made some curious and      
interesting experiments on the strength 
of solid bodies1 which were1 however1   
never published4 ,in #aggh he employed  
himself in further experiments on the   
strength of gunpowder and the velocity  
of military projectiles2 and these were 
followed up by a cruise of some months  
in the ,channel fleet1 where he proposed
 to repeat his experiments on a larger  

scale4 ,he communicated the result of   
his researches on this subject1 in      
several papers1 to the ',philosophical  
,transactions' of the ,royal ,society1  
of which he became a member in the      
last-mentioned year4  ,on the retirement
 of ,lord ,george ,germain from office1 
,thompson was sent out to ,new ,york in 
the year #agha1 with the royal          
commission of major1 afterwards changed 
to that of lieutenant-colonel1 charged  
with the task of organizing an efficient
 regiment of dragoons out of the broken 
and disjointed native cavalry regiments 
which had been fighting on the royalist 
side4 ,this regiment was1 however1 of no
 avail2 peace was concluded between     
,great ,britain and the ,united ,states1
 and ,colonel ,thompson on his return to
 ,england obtained leave of absence to  
travel on the ,continent4 ,in crossing  
from ,england to ,france1 it happened   
that he had as a fellow-traveller the   
celebrated historian ,gibbon1 who1 in   
some subsequent correspondence1 spoke of

 him as the soldier1 philosopher1       
statesman--,thompson4  ,while on his way
 to ,vienna1 ,thompson attended a review
 of the garrison of ,strasbourg1 and1   
attracting general attention by his     
superb ,english horse and uniform of    
colonel of dragoons1 became introduced  
to the notice of ,prince ,maximilian1   
nephew and presumptive heir of the      
,elector of ,bavaria4 ,this prince was  
agreeably impressed by the manners and  
address of ,thompson1 and furnished him 
with letters of introduction to his     
uncle1 the ,bavarian ,elector4 ,when    
,thompson arrived at ,munich 7so great  
seems to have been his power of         
conciliating favour71 he was offered1 on
 his first interview with the elector1  
an important situation at court1 if he  
would take up his residence there4      
,after a little delay1 ,thompson        
accepted this offer1 conditional upon   
receiving permission from his ,britannic
 ,majesty4 ,proceeding to ,london to    
obtain the required consent1 he was very

 favourably received by ,george ,,iii41 
who conferred on him the honour of      
knighthood1 and allowed him to retain   
his title of lieutenant-colonel1        
together with the half-pay attached to  
it4  ,towards the close of the year     
#aghd1 ,sir ,benjamin ,thompson1 at the 
age of thirty-one1 took up his residence
 at ,munich1 and filled the posts of    
aide-de-camp and chamberlain to the     
,elector2 being thus connected both with
 the military and civil service of the  
,bavarian dominions4 ,into these twin   
branches of government he soon          
introduced many important and salutary  
reforms2 he reorganized the ,bavarian   
army1 and introduced many improvements  
into the art of agriculture as practised
 in that part of ,europe2 he also took  
wise and effectual measures for the     
suppression of mendicancy1 and for the  
ameliorization of the condition of the  
poor at ,munich1 introducing among them 
some excellent plans for the            
economization of food and fuel4  ,while 

investigating this latter subject1 ,sir 
,benjamin paid particular attention to  
the construction of grates and          
fireplaces1 and to the scientific       
properties of light and heat4 ,he so    
improved the methods of heating         
apartments and of cooking food1 as to   
produce a saving in the precious element
 of heat varying from one-half to       
seven-eighths of the fuel previously    
consumed2 so that it was wittily said1  
that he would never rest satisfied until
 he had cooked his dinner with his      
neighbours' smoke4 ,to him also is the  
honour due of being the first to explain
 the manner in which heat is propagated 
in fluids4 ,in requital of these        
important services to the ,bavarian     
state1 ,thompson was decorated with two 
orders of ,polish knighthood2 he also   
received the appointments of member of  
the ,council of ,state and              
lieutenant-general in the army1 was     
created commander-in-chief of the       
general staff1 minister of war1 and     

superintendent of the police of the     
electorate1 and was finally1 in #agij1  
raised to the dignity of ,count of the  
,holy ,roman ,empire1 by the title of   
,count ,rumford1 in memory of the       
,american village where he had formerly 
officiated as schoolmaster4 ,the        
scientific part of the community also   
showed their esteem for him1 by electing
 him a member of the ,academies of      
,munich and ,manheim2 and in #aghg1 when
 on a visit to ,prussia1 he was chosen a
 member of the ,academy of ,sciences at 
,berlin4  ,when the advance of the      
,french army under ,moreau compelled the
 ,elector to quit his capital1 ,count   
,rumford was for a short time placed at 
the head of the ,regency1 and in this   
capacity succeeded in the arduous task  
of freeing the ,bavarian state from     
foreign invasion4 ,this important       
service increased ,rumford's reputation 
with the ,elector and the people1 and he
 was permitted to settle one-half of the
 pension which he enjoyed on his        

daughter1 to be paid during her         
lifetime4  ,in the year #agih1 the      
,elector appointed him his ambassador to
 the court of ,great ,britain2 but on   
arriving in ,london1 ,rumford1 much to  
his mortification1 found that1 as a     
,british subject he could not hold that 
office4 ,shortly after this1 in #agii1  
his friend and patron the ,elector      
,charles ,theodore died4 ,deeply grieved
 by the loss he had sustained1 ,rumford 
contemplated returning to his native    
country1 in compliance with a formal    
invitation which he had received from   
the ,united ,states government4 ,he was1
 however1 led to change this design1 and
 remain for several years in ,london1   
during which period he devoted the      
greatest portion of his time to the     
interests of the ,royal ,institution1 of
 which he may be considered the founder4
 ,the objects of this institution1 now  
one of the recognised scientific        
establishments of the world1 and which  
can boast of having given employment to 

such men as ,young1 ,davy1 ,brande1 and 
,faraday1 were to diffuse the knowledge 
and facilitate the general introduction 
of useful mechanical inventions and     
improvements1 and to teach by courses of
 philosophical lectures and experiments 
the application of science to the useful
 purposes of life4 ,such an institution 
was precisely the one which ,rumford was
 qualified to superintend2 and in its   
early history1 the influence of his     
peculiar habits of thought is           
discernible1 in the choice of subjects  
for investigation by the members4       
,rumford's name will ever be connected  
with the progress of science in         
,england1 from the establishment of this
 institution1 and also from the         
foundation by him of a perpetual medal  
and prize in the gift of the ,royal     
,society1 for the reward of discoveries 
connected with light and heat4  ,during 
the latter portion of his life1 ,count  
,rumford1 retaining an income of #abjjl4
 a year from the ,bavarian court1       

resided chiefly at ,auteuil1 a small    
villa near ,paris4 ,here he was married 
again to the widow of the eminent       
,french chemist ,lavoisier1 his former  
wife having died in #agib4 ,rumford's   
death took place at ,auteuil1 on the    
#bast of ,august1 #ahad1 in the         
sixty-second year of his age4 ,his only 
daughter by his first wife inherited the
 title of ,countess of ,rumford1 with   
the continuation of her father's        
,bavarian pension4 ,she married ,cuvier 
the naturalist1 and survived until a few
 years ago1 forming a link between the  
age of ,lavoisier and those of the      
middle of the nineteenth                
century4--,chambers' ,miscellany1 ,no4  
#afa4--;,encyclopdia ,britannica1 eighth
 edition4--,voyage de trois mois en     
,angleterre1 en ,ecosse1 c41 par        
,marc-,auguste ,pictet1 ,f4,r4,s41 c4   
,geneva1 #ahjb4     ,,daniel            
,,rutherford1 ,m4,d4  ,born ,november   
#c1 #agdi4 ,died ,november #ae1 #ahai4  
,daniel ,rutherford was born at         

,edinburgh and educated at the          
,university of his native city4 ,he took
 his degree of ,m4,d4 in #aggb1 and in  
the ,thesis which he published upon this
 occasion1 entitled ',de ,are ,fixo1' he
 pointed out for the first time a new   
gaseous substance1 since distinguished  
by the name of ,azote or ,nitrogen4 ,on 
the #fth of ,may1 #aggg1 he was admitted
 a ,fellow of the ,royal ,college of    
,physicians1 and in a paper on ,nitre1  
read before the ,philosophical ,society 
in #aggh1 he described1 under the name  
of ,vital ,air1 what is now called      
,oxygen gas4  ,on the death of ,dr4     
,john ,hope in #aghf1 ,rutherford was   
elected ,professor of ,botany and       
,keeper of the ,botanical ,gardens at   
,edinburgh1 a duty which he discharged  
until the time of his death1 in #ahai1  
at the age of seventy4--,edinburgh      
,philosophical ,journal1 vol4 #c4 ,may  
#ahbj4     ,,william ,,smith1 ,,ll4,d4  
,born ,march #bc1 #agfi4 ,died ,august  
#bh1 #ahci4   ,william ,smith1 the      

',father of ,english ,geology1' was born
 at ,churchill1 a village in            
,oxfordshire4 ,his father died when he  
was eight years old1 and his mother     
marrying again1 ,william was brought up 
under the care of his uncle1 to part of 
whose property he was heir4 ,from this  
kinsman1 who had little sympathy with   
his nephew's early displayed taste for  
collecting specimens of the various     
stones in the neighbourhood1 young      
,smith with difficulty obtained money   
for the purchase of a few books fit to  
instruct a boy in the rudiments of      
geometry and surveying4 ,he1 however1   
continued to prosecute these studies    
without instruction or sympathy1 but    
still with ardour and success until the 
year #aghg1 when1 having attained the   
age of eighteen1 and being tolerably    
versed in the geometry and calculations 
at that time thought sufficient for     
engineers and surveyors1 he became      
assistant to ,mr4 ,edward ,webb1 of     
,stow-on-the-,wold1 who had been        

appointed to make a complete survey of  
the parish of ,churchill4 ,being        
speedily entrusted with the management  
of all the ordinary business of a       
surveyor1 ,mr4 ,smith traversed in      
continual activity the counties of      
,oxfordshire1 ,gloucestershire1 and     
,warwickshire1 carefully noticing all   
the varieties of soil over which he     
passed1 and comparing them with the     
general aspect and character of the     
country4 ,between the years #agia and   
#agic1 he also made minute subterraneous
 surveys of the ,high ,littleton        
collieries1 which afforded him an       
opportunity of confirming views         
previously conceived as to the          
regularity in formation of the different
 strata composing the earth's crust4 ,at
 this period the services of civil      
engineers were in great request1 and the
 duties entrusted to them were such as  
,mr4 ,smith was well qualified to       
perform4 ,several gentlemen in the      
neighbourhood interested themselves in  

forwarding his professional career1 and 
he obtained an engagement to make       
surveys and levels for a proposed line  
of canal in ,somersetshire4 ,in the     
course of these operations1 ,smith      
discovered that the strata lying above  
coal were not laid horizontally1 but    
inclined in one direction--viz41 to the 
eastward2 resembling on a large scale   
the ordinary appearance of superposed   
slices of bread and butter4 ,this fact  
he had previously imagined to be the    
case1 and it was now proved to be true4 
,in #agid the ,canal ,bill on which he  
was engaged received the sanction of    
,parliament1 and one of the first steps 
taken by the committee of management was
 to depute two of their members to      
accompany ,mr4 ,smith1 their engineer1  
on a tour of investigation as to the    
construction and management of other    
navigations in ,england and ,wales4     
,this journey extended altogether       
through #ijj miles of country1 and      
occupied the space of one or two months2

 the party reached ,newcastle by one    
route1 and returned by another1 through 
,shropshire and ,wales to ,bath4 ,during
 the whole tour ,mr4 ,smith seized every
 opportunity of observing all local     
peculiarities as to the aspect and      
structure of the country passed through1
 and was able to verify on a large scale
 his pre-conceived generalizations      
regarding a settled order of succession1
 continuity of range at the surface1 and
 general declination eastward of the    
different strata4 ,during the next six  
years he was engaged in setting out and 
superintending the works on the         
,somersetshire coal canal2 being able1  
from the knowledge he had acquired1 to  
inform the contractors what would be the
 nature of the ground to be cut through1
 and what parts of the canal would      
require particular care to be kept      
water-tight4 ,he also discovered1 during
 the formation of this work1 that each  
stratum contained organised fossils     
peculiar to itself1 by examination of   

which1 it might in cases otherwise      
doubtful be recognised and discriminated
 from others like it1 but in a different
 part of the series4 ,this fact was     
subsequently still further investigated 
by him1 and he proved that whatever     
stratum was found in any part of        
,england1 the same remains would be     
found in it and no other4  ,mr4 ,smith  
was now 7#agie7 twenty-six years old1   
and at this period removed from the     
village of ,high ,littleton to ,bath1 in
 the vicinity of which city he shortly  
afterwards purchased a small but        
beautiful estate4 ,in the following year
 he first contemplated publishing his   
discoveries in geology1 but it was not  
until the year #agii1 after his         
engagement with the ,coal ,canal        
,company had ceased1 that he made public
 his intention of publishing a work on  
the ,stratification of ,britain1 and    
prosecuting an actual survey of the     
,geological structure of ,england and   
,wales4 ,about this time he became      

acquainted with the ,rev4 ,benjamin     
,richardson and the ,rev4 ,jos4         
,townsend1 two gentlemen thoroughly     
competent to estimate the truth and     
value of his views1 and who1 in         
conjunction with him1 drew up a tabular 
statement of the order of the strata1   
with their imbedded organic remains1 in 
the vicinity of ,bath4 ,copies of this  
document were extensively distributed1  
and it remained for a long period the   
type and authority for the descriptions 
and order of the superposition of the   
strata near ,bath4 ,the original        
document1 in ,mr4 ,richardson's         
handwriting1 drawn up from ,smith's     
dictation1 was presented to the         
,geological ,society in #ahca4 ,mr4     
,smith now turned all his energies to   
the prosecution of his profession1 and  
the tracing out the courses of the      
strata through districts as remote from 
,bath as his means would permit4 ,in    
#agii an unusual amount of rain         
prevailed1 producing in the             

neighbourhood of ,bath an extraordinary 
phenomenon4 ,vast mounds of earth1      
displaced by the augmented force of the 
springs and the direction of water into 
new channels below the surface1 were    
sliding down the sides of the hills1    
bearing away with them houses1 trees1   
lawns1 and fields4 ,to remedy such      
disasters and prevent their recurrence  
was exactly what ,smith had learnt from 
,geology1 and many operations of this   
kind were placed under his care and     
successfully accomplished4 ,his         
reputation for success in draining on   
new principles became established1      
carrying him into ,gloucestershire1 the 
,isle of ,purbeck1 ,wiltshire1 c41 and  
for the next few years he was almost    
daily occupied in various parts of the  
country1 first in draining land1 and    
secondly in irrigating it when drained4 
,in #ahja he accomplished the effectual 
drainage of ,prisley ,bog1 a work which 
had often been attempted before1 but    
without success4 ,mr4 ,smith thoroughly 

deprived the bog of its stagnant water1 
and converted this hitherto worthless   
waste into valuable meadows1 by         
conducting a running stream over its    
surface4 ,for the performance of this   
undertaking he received in #ahje the    
medal of the ,society of ,arts4 ,another
 great work1 on which he was engaged    
more or less during the space of nine   
years 7#ahjj-ahji71 was the draining of 
the marsh lands in ,east ,norfolk1      
between ,yarmouth and ,happisburgh4     
,these lands were continually liable to 
be flooded by inundations from the      
,german ,ocean1 which poured in through 
breaches in the sand-hills lining the   
coast1 and forming a natural barrier    
against these inroads4 ,mr4 ,smith at   
once saw that the first thing to be     
done1 to prove an effectual remedy1 must
 be the stopping out the sea from the   
whole region of marsh land4 ,this he    
accomplished by filling up the vast     
breaches 7amounting altogether to one   
mile in length7 with artificial         

embankments made of pebbles and sand as 
like as possible to the natural barriers
 thrown up by the sea4 ,this simple and 
effective plan1 requiring almost nothing
 but labour for its accomplishment1     
entirely succeeded2 and the sea now     
being effectually kept out1 he was able 
to suggest to the proprietors proper    
methods for draining and improving the  
marshes4  ,in #ahjf ,mr4 ,smith's first 
published work appeared1 being entitled1
 ',a ,treatise on the ,construction and 
,management of ,watermeadows4' ,several 
years previous to this he had been      
repeatedly urged by his friends 7among  
whom he now counted ,francis1 ,duke of  
,bedford1 ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 ,mr4     
,crawshaw1 ,thomas ,w4 ,coke1 of        
,norfolk1 and the ,rev4 ,b4 ,richardson1
 before mentioned7 to put in force his  
intention of publishing his discoveries4
 ,many difficulties had1 however1       
occurred2 his means were continually    
exhausted by his scientific             
investigations2 and an attempt1 first   

made in #ahja1 to publish by            
subscription a work on the natural order
 of the strata of ,england and ,wales1  
failed1 partially from the deaths of his
 patrons the ,duke of ,bedford and ,mr4 
,crawshaw1 and ultimately from his      
proposed publisher1 ,debrett1 falling   
into difficulties4  ,from this period   
until late in life1 ,mr4 ,smith         
continued unceasingly his professional  
occupations4 ,in #ahji he began to      
execute the ,ouse navigation in ,sussex2
 in #ahaj he restored the hot springs of
 ,bath1 which had failed2 in #ahaa he   
examined into the causes of leakage on  
the ,kennet and ,avon ,canal1 and       
reported on trials for coals in         
,buckinghamshire2 and in #ahab-ahad     
executed the ,minsmere drainage in      
,suffolk4 ,during these and a hundred   
other engagements of a like nature1     
which furnished him with the means and  
occasion for incessant travelling1 ,mr4 
,smith lost no opportunity of committing
 to paper the result of the day's       

observations on the direction1 dip1 and 
aspect of the rocks he passed over      
during his various journies4 ,in #ahab1 
receiving proposals from ,mr4 ,cary to  
publish his map of the strata of        
,england and ,wales1 ,mr4 ,smith        
recommenced his efforts to produce the  
great work on which he had been occupied
 for the space of twenty years4 ,this   
map was at length published on the #ast 
of ,august1 #ahae1 being dedicated to   
,sir ,joseph ,banks1 and he received    
from the ,society of ,arts the premium  
of #ejl41 which had long been offered   
for a work of this description4 ,the    
fame of its author as a great original  
discoverer in ,english geology was now  
secured1 but it brought ,mr4 ,smith     
little pecuniary benefit4 ,geology had  
kept him poor all his life by consuming 
his professional gains2 and an          
unfortunate speculation1 which he at    
this time entered into1 entirely failed1
 and compelled him to sell the property 
at ,bath which he had purchased in      

#agih4 ,a load of debt still remained to
 be discharged1 and in order to         
liquidate this he proposed selling the  
valuable geological collection he had   
been making during his past life4 ,this 
collection1 of which the number of      
species was #fic1 and of specimens      
#bfeg1 was purchased by ,government for 
the ,british ,museum for a total sum of 
#gjjl4 ,in #ahah ,mr4 ,smith's claims on
 public notice were fairly and fully    
advocated by ,dr4 ,fitton1 and it was   
chiefly from the favourable light in    
which this gentleman placed his long and
 solitary labours1 that public interest 
for him was stimulated1 and the         
,geological ,society1 who had hitherto  
passed him over1 was at length roused to
 an impartial estimate of the value of  
his works4 ,this resulted in the passing
 of a resolution in ,february1 #ahca1   
,that the first ,wollaston medal be     
given to ,mr4 ,william ,smith1 in       
consideration of his being a great      
original discoverer in ,english         

,geology2 and especially for his having 
been the first in this country to       
discover and to teach the identification
 of strata1 and to determine their      
succession by means of their imbedded   
fossils4 ,the following year he received
 from the ,crown a pension of #ajjl4    
a-year4 ,previous to this1 however1 the 
state of ,mr4 ,smith's finances         
compelled him to be unceasingly occupied
 in various professional engagements2   
and on one of these occasions1 being    
engaged by ,colonel ,braddyll to make a 
general mining survey of some estates   
belonging to that gentleman1 he drew the
 ,colonel's attention to the great      
probability of there being coal at an   
attainable depth on part of his property
 situated at ,haswell1 in ,durham4 ,this
 ultimately led to the foundation of the
 magnificent works1 called the ,south   
,hetton ,colliery1 which rival the      
greatest establishments of the          
,lambtons1 ,vanes1 and ,russels4        
,during the last few years of his life  

,mr4 ,smith lived principally at        
,scarborough1 where1 unfettered by any  
but temporary engagements1 he devoted   
his mind to a review of the             
circumstances of his life1 and the      
arrangement of his observations and     
opinions4 ,in #ahce he received the     
degree of ,,ll4,d41 which was conferred 
on him by the members of ,trinity       
,college1 ,dublin4 ,between the years   
#ahcg and #ahch he was appointed by     
,government to join ,sir ,charles ,barry
 and ,sir ,henry ,de la ,beche in making
 a tour through a great part of ,england
 and ,wales1 to select the most suitable
 stone for building the ,houses of      
,parliament4 ,the stone ultimately      
selected for this purpose was the firm  
yellow granular magnesian limestone1 of 
,bolsover ,moor1 in ,derbyshire4 ,this  
was the last scientific work on which   
,dr4 ,smith was engaged2 a cold caught  
the following year brought on diarrha1  
which terminated fatally4 ,he died on   
the #bhth of ,august1 in his            

seventy-first year1 and was buried at   
,northampton1 at the west end of the    
church of ,all ,saints1 in which1 at the
 suggestion of ,dr4 ,buckland1 a tablet 
was erected to his memory1 the expense  
of which was defrayed by a subscription 
among geologists4--,memoirs of ,william 
,smith1 ,,ll4,d41 by his nephew1 ,john  
,phillips1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,f4,g4,s4 ,london1
 #ahdd4     ,,earl ,,stanhope1 ,f4,r4,s4
  ,born ,august #c1 #agec4 ,died        
,december #ag1 #ahaf4   ,charles        
,stanhope1 third earl of that name1 was 
born at ,chevening in ,kent1 and was    
sent at a very early period to ,eton2   
but at the age of ten he removed with   
his family to ,geneva1 where he was     
placed under the tuition of ,m4 ,le     
,sage1 a well-known man of letters in   
that place4 ,there can be but little    
doubt that the whole political career of
 ,earl ,stanhope was deeply influenced  
by the circumstance of his receiving his
 early education in this republican     
city2 and to this may be ascribed the   

extreme views which he entertained in   
after life respecting civil liberty and 
other points affecting the welfare of   
great communities4  ,while acquiring    
these sentiments1 ,lord ,stanhope was at
 the same time pursuing a course of     
training which subsequently made him so 
remarkable1 as a man of science and     
letters4 ,natural philosophy was his    
chief study2 and the knowledge which he 
acquired of this subject was decisively 
shewn by his gaining1 at the early age  
of eighteen1 a prize offered by the     
,stockholm ,society of ,arts for the    
best essay1 written in ,french1 on the  
pendulum2 and this essay was the more   
remarkable1 as being the fruit not only 
of mere reading1 but of numerous        
original experiments1 performed by him  
in person4  ,shortly after attaining his
 majority1 ,lord ,stanhope1 together    
with his family1 left ,geneva amidst the
 regrets of the whole population1 while 
crowds of poor people assembled to take 
a last look on the noble ,english       

residents who had long been their       
generous benefactors4 ,on reaching      
,england1 the family rank and influence 
of the young nobleman speedily procured 
him a seat in the ,house of ,commons1   
which he occupied until his succession  
to the ,stanhope title called him to the
 ,upper ,house of ,parliament4 ,here it 
was that he became famous as a          
politician4 ,honesty and                
straightforwardness were the grand      
features of his statesmanship2 his      
views1 however1 although now entertained
 by even moderate politicians1 were at  
that time considered extreme1 and       
subsequently led to a separation of the 
earl from his family4  ,but it is       
chiefly as a man of science1 and as an  
inventor in the field of practical      
mechanics1 that ,earl ,stanhope has     
rendered himself celebrated4 ,shortly   
after leaving the ,continent1 about the 
year #agge1 he turned his attention to  
devising some means whereby forgeries in
 coins and bank-notes might be          

prevented2 this resulted in his         
publishing a pamphlet on that subject1  
in which various processes calculated to
 prevent forgeries on the mint are      
recommended4  ,in the ',philosophical   
,transactions' for #aggh1 ,lord         
,stanhope gives a full account of       
experiments performed by him1 on a large
 scale1 in presence of the ,lord ,mayor 
and members of the ,royal ,society1     
showing that wood could be rendered     
fireproof1 by coating it with a species 
of stucco or plaster of his own         
invention4 ,the practical efficiency of 
this was still more decisively shown by 
a fire which broke out in the earl's    
mansion at ,chevening4 ,having had      
occasion to rebuild this some time      
previously1 ,earl ,stanhope had taken   
care to make use of his new discovery2 a
 portion of the offices1 however1       
remained unsecured1 and here the fire   
originated2 but on reaching the         
protected portion1 it was at once       
arrested1 and the mansion saved from    

destruction4  ,among other works of     
,lord ,stanhope which attracted most    
attention at that time are his          
experiments on electricity1 his         
improvements in shipbuilding and        
navigation1 a calculating machine1 and  
the ,stanhope printing-press1 which to  
this day bears his name4 ,he has also   
been called the inventor of stereotype  
printing1 and had at all events the     
merit of greatly improving this most    
important process1 and of introducing it
 into general use4 ,the application of  
steam to navigation was another         
favourite study of ,earl ,stanhope2 and1
 in concert with him1 ,fulton the       
,american entered into an extensive     
series of experiments to prove its      
practicability4 ,although unsuccessful  
in this last pursuit1 canal navigation  
owes much to the earl2 the value of his 
improvements in canal-locks being felt  
to this day throughout the whole land4  
,he lived in constant pursuit of these  
philosophical enquiries till the age of 

sixty-three1 when he died of dropsy1 at 
his seat in ,kent4  ,lord ,stanhope was 
essentially a practical man1 of a firm1 
upright1 and independent character2 and 
it is related of him1 that when advising
 his children to pursue some useful     
calling1 he remarked of himself1 that   
,charles ,stanhope1 as a carpenter1     
blacksmith1 or millwright1 could in any 
country1 or at any time1 preserve his   
independence1 and bring up his family to
 honest and industrious courses1 without
 soliciting either the bounty of friends
 or the charity of strangers4 ,he merits
 the grateful remembrance of posterity1 
not only for the practical results of   
his genius1 but for the indirect        
influence of his noble example exerted  
on others1 and for the generous         
patronage he bestowed on many poorer    
fellow-labourers in the same great      
field4--,chambers' ,edinburgh ,journal1 
,no4 #cib1 ,august #c1 #ahci4--,stuart's
 ,anecdotes of the ,steam-,engine4      
,london1 #ahbi4     ,,william           

,,symington4#cc  ,born in #agfc4 ,died  
,march #bb1 #ahca4   ,william           
,symington1 claimant conjointly with    
,patrick ,miller to the honour of       
originating the present system of steam 
navigation1 was a native of ,leadhills1 
in the county of ,lanark1 ,scotland4 ,he
 was originally destined for the church1
 but an early predilection for          
mechanical philosophy led him to abandon
 his theological studies1 and pursue    
with ardour those connected with his    
favourite science4 ,his genius soon     
attracted the notice1 and secured the   
patronage of ,gilbert ,meason1 a        
gentleman at that time connected with   
the ,wanlock ,head lead mines4 ,before  
completing his twenty-first year1 ,mr4  
,symington made several improvements on 
the steam-engine1 for which he took out 
patents1 and continued for some time to 
construct and introduce engines on his  
principle1 in various parts of ,england 
and ,scotland4  ,in the year #aghd1 the 
idea first occurred to him that steam   

might be advantageously employed for the
 propulsion of carriages2 and in #aghf  
he succeeded in producing a working     
model of a steam-carriage1 which he     
submitted to the inspection of the      
professors and other scientific         
gentlemen in ,edinburgh4 ,although this 
steam-carriage afforded proofs of       
considerable capability1 it was never   
proceeded further with1 on account of   
the state of the roads in ,scotland at  
that period1 and the difficulty of      
procuring fuel and water4  ,in the      
meanwhile ,patrick ,miller1 a gentleman 
of property residing on his estate at   
,dalswinton1 ,dumfriesshire1 had for    
some time been engaged in making various
 experiments for the improvement of     
naval architecture1 and had constructed 
a double or twin-boat1 with             
paddle-wheels1 to be moved by manual    
labour4 ,at this point ,miller was      
informed by ,mr4 ,james ,taylor1 a tutor
 in his family1 of ,symington's model   
steam-carriage1 and they both called at 

,mr4 ,meason's house in ,edinburgh to   
see it4 ,during the course of           
conversation with ,symington1 the       
practicability of advantageously        
employing steam for the purposes of     
navigation was talked about1 and it was 
ultimately arranged that ,symington     
should endeavour to construct a         
steam-engine to be fitted on board      
,miller's twin-boat1 and capable of     
moving the paddle-wheels4 ,this was     
accomplished in the autumn of #aghh1    
when a trial was made1 in the presence  
of ,mr4 ,miller and various others1 of  
so satisfactory a nature1 that it was   
immediately determined to commence      
another experiment1 upon a larger scale4
 ,it may1 however1 be satisfactory to   
state here1 that this1 the parent engine
 of steam navigation1 after enduring    
many vicissitudes1 was ultimately       
rescued from destruction by ,mr4 ,bennet
 ,woodcroft1 and contributed by him for 
exhibition in the ,south ,kensington    
,museum4  ,in the month of ,october     

#aghi1 a second exemplification of the  
practicability of steam navigation was  
afforded by ,miller and ,symington1 on  
the ,forth and ,clyde ,inland           
,navigation ,canal1 in the presence of  
many hundreds of spectators2 the boat   
proceeding along at the rate of nearly  
six miles an hour4 ,in this instance the
 machinery was constructed at the       
,carron ,works1 under the direction of  
,symington1 and placed on board a boat  
which had been used in ,miller's        
previous experiments4 ,unfortunately1   
,mr4 ,miller now withdrew from the      
concern2 he had already expended nearly 
thirty thousand pounds on various       
experiments1 and he determined to devote
 his time to the improvement of the     
,dalswinton estate4  ,symington's       
pecuniary resources were insufficient to
 enable him unaided to pursue his       
experiments1 and he was compelled to    
desist1 and turn his attention to the   
fulfilment of engagements with the      
,wanlock ,head company1 for constructing

 machinery on a large scale4 ,an        
interval of ten years thus elapsed1 at  
the end of which time ,mr4 ,symington   
secured the patronage of ,thomas1 ,lord 
,dundas of ,kerse1 under whose auspices 
another series of experiments were      
commenced1 in ,january #ahja1 at the    
cost of #gjjjl42 but they placed beyond 
the possibility of doubt the            
practicability of steam navigation4     
,symington had availed himself of the   
improvements made in the steam-engine by
 ,watt and others1 and he now           
constructed an improved marine engine1  
with boat and paddle-wheel after the    
plan at present adopted4 ,this boat1    
called the ',charlotte ,dundas1'#cd was 
the first practical steamboat2 and for  
the novel combination of the parts1     
,symington obtained a patent on the     
#adth ,october1 #ahja4 ,the vessel made 
her first voyage in ,march #ahjc1 on the
 ,forth and ,clyde ,canal1 and proceeded
 upwards of nineteen miles1 drawing     
after her two laden vessels1 each of    

seventy tons burden1 although it blew so
 strong a gale right ahead1 that no     
other vessel in the canal attempted to  
move to windward during that day4 ,there
 were on board on this occasion ,lord   
,dundas1 the ,hon4 ,captain ,george     
,dundas1 ,r4,n41 and ,archibald ,spiers 
of ,elderslee1 together with several    
other gentlemen of their acquaintance4  
,miller's boat had proved a practical   
steam-boat1 but in the ',charlotte      
,dundas' ,symington had the undoubted   
merit of having combined together for   
the first time those improvements which 
constitute the present system of steam  
navigation4 ,although ,henry ,bell and  
,fulton the ,american are both claimants
 for the above honour1 their inventions 
did not appear until some years         
afterwards1 ,fulton establishing his    
steamboat at ,new ,york in #ahjg1 and   
,bell establishing one on the ,clyde in 
#ahaa2ce undoubted proof also exists    
that both these gentlemen were well     
acquainted with the result of ,miller of

 ,dalswinton's experiments1 the         
',charlotte ,dundas1' and must have     
derived considerable advantage from such
 knowledge4  ,after the successful      
experiment with the ',charlotte         
,dundas1' a proposal was made to the    
canal proprietors to substitute         
steam-tugs in place of horses1 but it   
was rejected on the ground that the     
undulation created in the water by the  
paddle-wheels might wash away the banks4
 ,lord ,dundas then introduced          
,symington to the notice of the ,duke of
 ,bridgewater1 who1 although at first   
averse to the project1 ultimately gave  
,symington an order to build eight boats
 on his principle4 ,on this ,mr4        
,symington returned to ,scotland full of
 hopes for the future1 but these were   
suddenly frustrated by the death of the 
,duke4 ,his resources were now          
exhausted1 and1 unable any longer to    
struggle against his misfortunes1 ,mr4  
,symington was obliged1 although with   
great reluctance1 to lay up his boat in 

a creek of the canal near ,barnsford    
draw-bridge1 where it remained for many 
years exposed to the view of the public4
  ,shortly after ,bell's steamboat1 the 
',comet1' had begun plying upon the     
,clyde1 notice was sent by ,symington1  
not only to ,bell1 but to all other     
proprietors following his example1 that 
by so doing they were invading his      
right2 and legal advice having been     
taken1#cf an action for damages was     
commenced4 ,before1 however1 the cause  
was settled1 ,mr4 ,symington's patent   
expired2 and although he had given      
directions to institute an application  
to have it renewed1 this was most       
unaccountably neglected to be done1 and 
he saw his hopes expire1 being reduced  
to much and severe distress through want
 of money--a state in which he continued
 more or less during the remainder of   
his life4  ,when in his last illness1   
the ruling passion of his life was      
strongly exhibited4 ,at one time the    
irregular form of his bedroom occasioned

 him so much uneasiness1 that1 being    
slightly delirious1 he requested his son
 to reduce it to a square2 while his    
last act was an imitation of winding-up 
and adjusting a newly-invented          
chronometer1 which he had lately        
completed4--,stuart's ,anecdotes of the 
,steam-,engine4 ,london1                
#ahbi4--,narrative by ,r4 ,bowie1       
proving ,w4 ,symington the ,inventor of 
,steam ,land-,carriage ,locomotion and  
of ,steam ,navigation4 ,london1         
#ahcc4--;,descriptive ,catalogue of the 
,museum of the ,commissioners of        
,patents4     ,,thomas ,,telford1       
,f4,r4,s41 ,l4 and ,e41 c4  ,born       
,august #i1 #ageg4 ,died ,september #b1 
#ahcd4   ,the life of ,thomas ,telford  
adds another striking instance to those 
on record of men who1 from the force of 
natural talent1 unaided save by         
uprightness and persevering industry1   
have raised themselves from the low     
estate in which they were born1 and     
taken their stand among the             

master-spirits of their age4 ,telford   
was born in the parish of ,westerkirk1  
in the pastoral district of ,eskdale in 
,dumfriesshire4 ,his father1 who        
followed the occupation of a shepherd1  
died while his son was yet an infant1   
and the orphan boy was thus left to the 
care of his mother1 whose maiden name   
was ,janet ,jackson1 and for whom her   
son always cherished an affectionate    
regard1 being in the habit1 in after    
life1 of writing letters to her in      
printed characters1 in order that she   
might be able to read them without      
assistance4  ,young ,telford received   
the rudiments of education at the parish
 school of ,westerkirk1 and during the  
summer season was employed by his uncle 
as a shepherd boy4 ,this occupation left
 him abundant leisure1 of which he made 
diligent use in studying the books      
furnished by his village friends4 ,at   
the age of fourteen he was apprenticed  
to a stone mason in the neighbouring    
town of ,langholm1 and for several years

 was employed1 chiefly in his native    
district1 in the construction of plain  
bridges1 farm buildings1 simple village 
churches and manses1 and other works of 
a similar nature1 such as are usually   
performed by a country mason in a       
district where there is little occasion 
for the higher departments of his art4  
,these operations afforded1 however1    
good opportunities for obtaining        
practical knowledge1 and ,telford       
himself has expressed his sense of the  
value of this humble training1          
observing1 that as there is not         
sufficient employment to produce a      
division of labour in building1 the     
young practitioner is under the         
necessity of making himself acquainted  
with every detail in procuring1         
preparing1 and employing every kind of  
material1 whether it be the produce of  
the forest1 the quarry1 or the forge2   
and this necessity1 although            
unfavourable to the dexterity of the    
individual workman1 who earns his       

livelihood by expertness in one         
operation1 is of singular advantage to  
the future architect and engineer1 whose
 professional excellence must rest on   
the adaptation of materials1 and a      
confirmed habit of discrimination and   
judicious superintendance4  ,when       
,telford had completed his              
apprenticeship as a stonemason1 he      
remained for some time at ,langholm     
working as a journeyman1 his wages being
 eighteenpence per diem4#cg ,the first  
bridge masonry on which he was engaged  
was the erection of a structure over the
 ,esk at ,langholm to connect the old   
with the new town4 ,mr4 ,smiles1 in his 
',lives of the ,engineers1' tells a good
 story in connection with this bridge4  
,telford's master1 one ,thompson1 was   
bound by contract to maintain it for a  
period of seven years4 ,not long after  
the completion of the structure an      
unusually high flood swept along the    
valley1 and ,thompson's wife1 ,tibby1   
knowing the terms of her husband's      

contract1 was in a state of great alarm 
lest the fabric should be carried away  
by the torrent4 ,in her distress she    
thought of ,telford1 and calling out1   
,oh1 we'll be ruined--we'll be ruined6  
where's ,tammy ,telfer--where's ,tammy8 
send in search of him4 ,when he came    
running up1 ,tibby exclaimed1 ,oh1      
,tammy1 they're been on the brig and    
they say it's shaking6 ,it'll be doon4  
,never you heed them1 ,tibby1 said      
,telford1 clapping her on the shoulder1 
there's nae fear o' the brig--,i like it
 a' the better that it shakes2 it proves
 it's weel put thegither4 ,tibby's fears
 were not1 however1 so easily allayed1  
and asserting that she heard the brig   
rumlin1 she ran up and set her back     
against it to keep it from falling4     
,whether ,tibby's zealous support to the
 bridge in this instance was of any     
avail or no1 ,telford's opinion of the  
soundness of the structure has been     
proved by its withstanding the storms of
 nearly a century4  ,at this early      

period of his life1 ,telford was        
remarkable for his elastic spirits and  
good humour1 and in his native district 
of ,eskdale was long remembered as      
'laughing ,tam4' ,his favourite pursuits
 were not as yet scientific but         
literary1 and he acquired some          
distinction as a poet4 ,he wrote in the 
homely style of ,ramsay and ,ferguson1  
and used to contribute small pieces to  
,ruddiman's ',weekly ,magazine1' under  
the signature of ',eskdale ,tam4' ,one  
of his compositions1 entitled           
',eskdale1' a short poem descriptive of 
the scenes of his early years1 appeared 
in a provincial miscellany1 and was     
subsequently reprinted at ,shrewsbury1  
at the request of his friends1 and      
ultimately inserted in the appendix to  
his life4 ,another pleasing fragment of 
his composition is given at the end of  
the first volume of ,dr4 ,currie's      
',life and ,works of ,burns1' published 
at ,liverpool in #ahjj2 it is an extract
 from a poetical epistle sent by        

,telford1 when at ,shrewsbury1 to the   
,ayrshire poet1 recommending him to take
 up other subjects of a serious nature1 
similar to the ',cottar's ,saturday     
,night4'  ,at the age of twenty-three   
,telford at length quitted ,eskdale1 and
 visited ,edinburgh with a view to      
obtain better employment4 ,the splendid 
improvements then in progress in that   
city enlarged his field of observation1 
and enabled him to contemplate          
architecture as applied to the object of
 magnificence as well as utility2 and he
 seems at this time to have devoted much
 attention both to the scientific study 
of architecture and to drawing4  ,after 
remaining in ,edinburgh two years1 he   
removed to ,london1 where he obtained   
employment upon the quadrangle of       
,somerset ,house1 then erecting by ,sir 
,william ,chambers1 an engagement in    
which he states that he obtained much   
practical information4  ,after this1 in 
#aghd1 he was engaged to superintend the
 erection of a house for the resident   

commissioner at ,portsmouth ,dockyard1  
and for the next three years was        
occupied upon various buildings in this 
dockyard1 which gave him good           
opportunities of becoming well          
acquainted with the construction of     
graving-docks1 wharf walls1 and other   
similar engineering works4 ,two or three
 years previous to this1 ,telford's good
 character and promising talent had     
secured for him the friendship of two   
families resident in his native         
district1--the ,pasleys and the         
,johnstones1--and to their influence his
 early employment on important works is 
in some measure to be attributed4  ,in  
#aghg1 having completed his engagements 
at ,portsmouth1 he was invited by ,sir  
,william ,pulteney 7a member of the     
,johnstone family7 to take the          
superintendence of some alterations to  
be made in ,shrewsbury ,castle4 ,telford
 consequently removed to ,shrewsbury1   
where he was employed to erect a new    
jail1 completed in #agic1 and was       

afterwards appointed county surveyor1 in
 which office 7retained by him until    
death7 he had to design1 and oversee the
 construction of1 bridges and similar   
works4 ,the first bridge which he       
designed and built was that over the    
,severn at ,mont-fort1 consisting of    
three elliptical stone arches1 one of   
fifty-eight1 and the others of          
fifty-five feet span4 ,his next was the 
iron bridge over the ,severn at         
,buildwas1 which was the third iron     
bridge ever erected in ,great ,britain1 
the first being the ,colebrookdale in   
,shropshire1 built in the years #aggg-i1
 and the second the ,wearmouth1#ch      
erected between the years #agic-f4      
,telford's bridge over the ,severn was  
erected in #agif1 and consisted of a    
single arch of #acj feet span1 formed of
 five cast iron ribs1 and having a rise 
of only #ad feet2 the width of the      
platform is #ah feet1 and the total     
weight of iron in the bridge about #agd 
tons2 it was constructed by the         

,coalbrookdale ,ironmasters at a cost of
 #f1jcdl4 ,forty smaller bridges were   
erected in ,shropshire under ,telford's 
direction4  ,the first great            
undertaking1 upon which ,mr4 ,telford   
7in conjunction with ,mr4 ,jessop7 was  
engaged1 was the ,ellesmere ,canal1 a   
series of navigations intended to unite 
the ,severn1 the ,dee1 and the ,mersey1 
and extending altogether to a length of 
nearly one hundred and twenty miles4    
,from the date of this engagement1 about
 #agic1 ,telford directed his attention 
almost entirely to civil engineering4   
,in the execution of the immense        
aqueducts1 required on this work1 which 
cross the valleys of the ,ceroig or     
,chirk1 and of the ,dee1 at an elevation
 of #gj and #abj feet respectively1 cast
 iron was first introduced as a material
 for forming the water-troughs of the   
canal1 in place of the usual puddled    
clay confined in masonry1 a practice    
which involved great expense1 and some  
danger in times of frost1 from the      

expansion of the moist clay4 ,in the    
locks of this canal ,telford also       
introduced cast iron framing in place of
 timber2 and in one instance1 where the 
lock was formed in a quicksand1 he made 
every part of the above material4  ,the 
,caledonian ,canal1 of which ,mr4       
,jessop was consulting engineer1 was    
another of ,mr4 ,telford's principal    
works4 ,this canal was opened throughout
 its course in the year #ahbc1 and it   
forms a noble monument of the skill of  
the engineer4 ,the locks are stated by  
,telford to be the largest ever         
constructed at that time1 being #dj feet
 wide1 and from #agj to #ahj feet long4 
,of other canals constructed wholly or  
partially under his superintendance1 it 
is sufficient to mention the ,glasgow1  
,paisley1 and ,androssan2 the           
,macclesfield2 the ,birmingham and      
,liverpool ,junction2 the ,gloucester   
and ,berkeley2 the ,birmingham1 which   
was completely remodelled by him and    
adapted to the conduct of a very        

extensive traffic1 and the ,weaver      
navigation in ,cheshire4 ,on the        
,continent he likewise superintended the
 construction of the ,gotha ,canal in   
,sweden1 a navigation of about #abe     
,english miles1 of which #ee are        
artificial canal4 ,from the ,lake ,wener
 at one extremity1 this navigation rises
 #afb feet to the summit level1 and     
falls #cgj feet to the ,baltic at the   
other2 the rise and fall are effected by
 fifty-six locks1 and the canal is #db  
feet wide at the bottom and #aj feet    
deep4 ,upon its completion ,telford     
received a ,swedish order of knighthood1
 and as a farther mark of the royal     
approbation1 received the ,king of      
,sweden's portrait set in diamonds4     
,the works executed by ,telford under   
the ,commissioners of ,highland ,roads  
and ,bridges are of great importance4   
,the practical operations under this    
commission1 appointed in #ahjc1 embraced
 about a thousand miles of new road1    
with nearly #a1bjj new bridges1 which   

caused the whole of ,scotland1 from its 
southern boundary near ,carlisle1 to the
 northern extremity of ,caithness1 and  
from ,aberdeenshire on the east1 to the 
,argyleshire islands on the west1 to be 
intersected by roads2 and its largest   
rivers and even inferior streams to be  
crossed by bridges4 ,the execution of   
this undertaking occupied a period of   
twenty-five years1 and all was done     
under the sole direction of ,telford4   
,the great road from ,london to         
,holyhead remains1 perhaps1 one of the  
most perfect specimens of his skill as  
an engineer2 the improvements in it were
 executed by him1 under another         
,parliamentary ,commission appointed in 
#ahae1 and ,telford himself appears to  
have regarded this work with peculiar   
satisfaction4  ,the ,menai suspension   
bridge is1 however1 unquestionably one  
of the noblest monuments of ,mr4        
,telford's fame1 and it may be said to  
have inaugurated the era of the         
extensive introduction of wrought iron  

into great permanent structures exposed 
to heavy strains4#ci ,this bridge was   
commenced in #ahai1 and opened for      
traffic in #ahbf4 ,the distance between 
the two piers is #eej feet1 and the     
whole roadway1 which is carried over    
four arches on the one side1 and three  
on the other1 has a length of #ajjj     
feet1 and a breadth of #cj feet4 ,the   
total cost of the work was #abj1jjjl4   
,mr4 ,telford also built many other     
bridges of considerable size1 and       
executed some important harbour works at
 ,aberdeen and ,dundee2 but his most    
striking performance of this latter     
class is the ,st4 ,katharine ,docks1    
,london4 ,one of his latest engagements 
was the survey of ,dover harbour1       
undertaken in ,january1 #ahcd1 at the   
request of the ,duke of ,wellington1 7as
 ,warden of the ,cinque ,ports17 with a 
view to the adoption of measures to     
check the accumulation of shingle at the
 entrance4  ,during the course of his   
life ,mr4 ,telford taught himself       

,latin1 ,french1 and ,german1 so as to  
be able to read those languages with    
fluency1 and to be able to converse     
freely in ,french4 ,he is likewise said 
to have been well acquainted with       
algebra1 but to have placed more        
reliance upon experiment1 than on       
mathematical investigation4 ,he         
contributed to the ',edinburgh          
,encyclopdia' the                       
articles--',architecture1' ',bridge     
,building1' and ',canal ,making4'       
,besides the above1 he wrote an account 
of his own life1 giving elaborate       
descriptions of his various professional
 undertakings4 7,life of ,thomas        
,telford1 written by himself4 ,edited by
 ,john ,rickman4 ,london1 #ahcc1 #dto47 
,although ,telford was not connected    
with the ,institution of ,civil         
,engineers at its formation1 he accepted
 their invitation in #ahbj1 and became  
their ,president2 and from that time he 
was unremitting in his attention to the 
duties of the office1 having become by  

his partial retirement from business1 a 
pretty regular resident in the          
metropolis4  ,telford was possessed of a
 robust frame1 and till he had reached  
the age of seventy1 had never been      
visited with any serious illness4 ,while
 at ,cambridge1 in the year #ahbg1 he   
was afflicted with a severe and         
dangerous disorder2 and although he     
gradually recovered a certain degree of 
health1 he never regained his former    
vigour4 ,he died a few years afterwards 
at his house in ,abingdon ,street1      
,westminster1 having completed the      
seventy-seventh year of his age4 ,his   
remains were deposited in ,westminster  
,abbey1 where there is a statue erected 
to his memory4--,encyclopdia            
,britannica4--,english ,cyclopdia4      
,,charles ,,tennant4  ,born ,may #c1    
#agfh4 ,died ,october #a1 #ahch4        
,charles ,tennant1 the founder of the   
celebrated chemical works at ,st4       
,rollox1 ,glasgow1 was born at          
,ochiltree1 ,ayrshire4 ,his father1     

,john ,tennant1 was factor or steward to
 the ,countess of ,glencairn1 and also  
rented a farm on her estate1 in the     
culture of which he displayed great     
practical and scientific ability4 ,john 
,tennant married twice2 after the death 
of his first wife1 by whom he had two   
sons and one daughter1 he married1 in   
the year #ageg1 ,margaret ,mc,lure1 who1
 in the course of time1 brought him a   
numerous family of six sons and seven   
daughters4 ,john ,tennant's second wife 
possessed very superior abilities1 which
 she earnestly directed to the education
 and advancement of her family1         
ultimately having the satisfaction of   
seeing all her children turn out men of 
energy and success in life4 ,charles    
,tennant1 the subject of our memoir1 was
 the fifth son2 he received his early   
education at home1 afterwards attending 
the parish school of ,ochiltree4 ,when  
still very young1 ,charles left home and
 went to ,kilbarhan1 with the intention 
of learning the manufacture of silk4    

,after remaining at this place a short  
time1 ,tennant removed to ,wellmeadow   
bleachfield1 where he studied the       
methods of bleaching at that time in    
use1 and ultimately went to ,darnly 7the
 place from which the unfortunate       
husband of ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots1 took
 his title71 and established there an   
extensive bleachfield1 taking into      
partnership with him ,mr4 ,cochrane of  
,paisley4 ,mr4 ,tennant now devoted     
himself to the study of chemistry1      
feeling that the process of bleaching   
could only be effected by true chemical 
agency1 whatever might be the particular
 method or operation1 and that1         
therefore1 the bleacher must in the     
first case look to the chemist for the  
discovery of more potent agents to      
effect his object4 ,before ,mr4         
,tennant's time the operation of        
bleaching was of a very tedious and     
expensive nature4 ,the cloth was steeped
 in alkaline lye1 which was called      
'bucking4' ,the subsequent process of   

bleaching was done by exposure on the   
grass1 called 'crofting2' these         
operations were repeated five or six    
times1 and extended over a period of    
eight or ten weeks4 ,in the year #aghg  
an important change took place1 in      
consequence of the discovery1 by ,mr4   
,scheele1 of ,sweden1 of chlorine1 which
 was used as a substitute for exposure  
to the atmosphere4 ,the repeated        
experiments of ,berthollet added        
considerably to the facts already known1
 while the practical effects of these   
discoveries were still more fully shown 
by ,mr4 ,watt1 and ,dr4 ,henry of       
,manchester4 ,in #agih ,mr4 ,tennant    
made his first great discovery1 viz41 a 
method of making saturated chloride of  
lime1 an article which was found to     
answer perfectly all the purposes       
required by the bleacher4 ,this         
invention1 for which he took out a      
patent1 consisted in the substitution of
 lime for potash4 ,his patent right was1
 however1 resisted by certain of the    

bleachers of ,lancashire1 and was set   
aside by the verdict of a jury1 on the  
grounds that the patent included a mode 
of 'bucking' with quicklime and water1  
which was not a new invention2 and      
because one part of the patent was not  
new1 the whole of the claim must be set 
aside4 ,by this decision the use of     
liquid chloride of lime in bleaching was
 thrown open to all2 and through an     
unfortunate error of expression in      
describing his process1 ,mr4 ,tennant   
was deprived of the fruits of a         
laborious investigation extending over a
 period of several years4 ,this         
subsequently caused a strong feeling of 
sympathy to be manifested for him by    
many of the bleachers of ,lancashire1   
who1 as an expression of their grateful 
acknowledgment1 presented him with a    
service of plate1 which he accepted4    
,mr4 ,tennant1 however1 in accordance   
with the character of his original      
design1 determined to press onward with 
his discoveries1 and to bring1 if       

possible1 his first invention to a still
 more practical issue4 ,he therefore    
adopted a new method1 and at length     
completed and secured by patent a       
process for impregnating quicklime in a 
dry state with chlorine1 which proved   
perfectly successful2 this1 his second  
patent1 remained uncontested1 and he    
lived to secure a large pecuniary       
reward4  ,mr4 ,tennant's discoveries1   
together with the introduction of       
soda-ash or ',british soda1' in place of
 potash1 greatly facilitated and        
cheapened the process of bleaching1     
while the introduction of mechanical    
appliances and the power of the         
steam-engine superseded the previous    
laborious operations by hand4 ,the      
result has been that the same amount of 
bleaching is now performed in as many   
days as was formerly performed in weeks1
 while the price has been reduced from  
#gs4 #f;d4 7#ahjc7 to #f;d4 7#ahfa7 for 
a piece of cloth of #bh yards4  ,in the 
year #ahjj ,mr4 ,tennant removed from   

,darnly to ,st4 ,rollox1 ,glasgow1 where
 he commenced business as a large       
manufacturing chemist1 taking into      
partnership ,mr4 ,charles ,mackintosh1  
,mr4 ,william ,cowper1 and ,mr4 ,james  
,knox4 ,during the remainder of his life
 ,mr4 ,tennant devoted himself with     
energy to the forwarding of his         
business1 and ultimately caused his     
manufactory to become the largest and   
most extensive of its kind in ,europe4  
,he also took considerable interest in  
the politics of the day4 ,his principles
 were those of an intelligent and       
liberal-minded reformer1 and he was long
 looked up to as one of the leading men 
of his party1 although the least tainted
 by mere party spirit or selfishness4   
,mr4 ,tennant was likewise conspicuous  
in his promotion of many public         
undertakings4 ,he took a deep interest  
in the furtherance of the railway       
system2 the ,garnkirk and ,glasgow      
,railway may be said to owe its origin  
and completion almost entirely to him1  

while his invincible industry and       
perseverance contributed greatly towards
 the establishment of the ,edinburgh and
 ,glasgow ,railway4 ,he was a great     
friend of ,george ,stephenson's1 and was
 present with him at the opening of the 
,liverpool and ,manchester ,railroad    
when the unfortunate accident occurred  
which resulted in the melancholy death  
of ,mr4 ,huskisson4  ,mr4 ,tennant died 
rather suddenly1 in his seventy-first   
year1 at his house in ,abercrombie      
,place1 ,glasgow4 ,he was possessed of a
 constitutional nervousness1 rather     
remarkable in one of a large and healthy
 frame1 allied to a peculiar            
sensitiveness to the beautiful4 ,in     
after life he would often talk with     
pleasure of his youthful reminiscences  
of the poet ,burns1 who was at that time
 on terms of considerable intimacy with 
his family4 ,mr4 ,tennant was an earnest
 and indefatigable promoter of          
economical and educational improvement2 
an uncompromising friend of civil and   

religious liberty2 while his own inborn 
energy of character and clear intellect 
placed him among the foremost of those  
men who1 by uniting science to          
manufactures1 have at once extended     
their fields of action1 and entitled    
their occupations to be classed among   
the ranks of the liberal                
professions4--,the ,progress of ,science
 and ,art as developed in the ,bleaching
 of ,cotton1 by ,henry ,ashworth1 ,paper
 read before the ,british ,association  
at ,manchester1 ,september #e1 #ahfa2   
and1 ,particulars communicated by the   
,family4     ,,thomas ,,thomson1 ,m4,d41
 ,f4,r4,s4  ,born ,april #ab1 #aggc4    
,died ,july #b1 #aheb4   ,dr4 ,thomas   
,thomson1 ,regius ,professor of         
,chemistry in the ,university of        
,glasgow1 who exercised a remarkable    
influence in the development and        
extension of the science of chemistry   
during the present age1 was born at     
,crieff1 in ,perthshire4 ,he received   
his early education at the parish school

 of that place1 and after remaining for 
a time under the care of ,dr4 ,doig1 of 
,stirling1 went to the ,university of   
,st4 ,andrews1 where he remained for a  
period of three years4  ,thomson entered
 upon his medical studies at the        
,university of ,edinburgh1 and during   
the session of #agie-if attended the    
lectures of the celebrated ,dr4 ,black1 
who first awoke in him the latent taste 
for that science of which he was        
destined to become so bright an         
ornament4 ,in #agif he became connected 
with the ,encyclopdia ,britannica1 for  
an early edition of which he wrote the  
articles--,chemistry1 ,mineralogy1      
,vegetable ,substances1 ,animal         
,substances1 and ,dyeing ,substances1 c4
 ,these articles formed the basis of his
 system of chemistry1 which he published
 at ,edinburgh in the year #ahjd1 in    
four volumes1 and afterwards greatly    
enlarged and improved as the demand for 
the book increased4 ,dr4 ,thomson       
commenced delivering a series of        

lectures on chemistry at ,edinburgh in  
#ahjj1 which were continued with        
increasing popularity until #ahaj4      
,meanwhile he invented the system of    
chemical symbols now generally adopted  
by all men of science 7with variations  
as the time demands71 and without which 
chemical language would be              
unintelligible4 ,he was also the first  
to open a laboratory in ,great ,britain 
for practical manipulation in chemistry4
 ,in #ahaj he published his ',elements  
of ,chemistry1' and in #ahab visited    
,sweden1 and on his return wrote a      
description of that country4 ,the       
following year to this ,dr4 ,thomson    
started in ,london the ',annals of      
,philosophy1' a scientific journal1     
which he continued to edit until the    
year #ahbb1 and which a few years       
afterwards was merged in the            
',philosophical ,magazine4' ,he also    
about this time conducted for the ,board
 of ,excise a series of investigations  
on brewing1 which formed the basis of   

,scottish legislation on that subject4  
,in the year #ahag ,thomson was elected 
lecturer on chemistry in the ,university
 of ,glasgow1 and in the following year 
received the title of ,professor4 ,this 
chair he held until his death1 being    
assisted in his latter years by his     
nephew and son-in-law1 ,dr4 ,r4 ,d4     
,thomson4 ,when ,dalton had worked out  
his grand discovery of the ,atomic      
,theory1 he communicated the result of  
his researches to ,thomson1 who at once 
perceived the value and importance of   
the discovery1 and in the year #ahjg was
 the first to publish it to the world4  
,he gave a sketch of this grand theory  
in the third edition of his ',system of 
,chemistry2' and we are chiefly indebted
 to the labours of ,professor ,thomson1 
conjointly with ,dr4 ,henry of          
,manchester1 and ,dr4 ,wollaston1 for   
luminous views on this important        
subject4 ,in #ahbe ,dr4 ,thomson wrote1 
in two volumes1 ',an ,attempt to        
,establish the ,first ,principles of    

,chemistry by ,experiment4' ,in #ahcj-ca
 he published his ',history of          
,chemistry1' a work which has been      
described as a masterpiece of learning  
and research4 ,in #ahcf appeared his    
',outlines of ,mineralogy and ,geology2'
 and in #ahdi he issued his last work1  
',on ,brewing and ,distillation4'       
,thomson performed in science1 and its  
history and literature1 a very great    
amount of valuable labour1 and acquired 
a distinguished reputation both as an   
original discoverer1 and as a practical 
teacher of his favourite science4 ,he   
died in #aheb1 at the age of            
seventy-nine1 and has left behind him a 
son who bears his name1 now 7#ahfj7     
superintendent of the ,east ,india      
,company's ,botanic ,gardens at         
,calcutta1 and one of the most          
distinguished scientific botanists of   
the day4--,encyclopdia ,britannica1     
,eighth ,edition4--,english ,cyclopdia4 
,london1 #aheh4     ,,richard           
,,trevithick4  ,born ,april #ac1 #agga4 

,died ,april #bb1 #ahcc4   ,richard     
,trevithick1 inventor of the first high 
pressure steam-engine1 and the first    
steam-carriage used in ,england1 was    
born in the parish of ,illogan1 in      
,cornwall4 ,he was the son of a purser  
of the mines in the district1 and       
although he received but little early   
education1 his talents were great in his
 own special subject1 mechanics4 ,when a
 boy he had no taste for school         
exercises1 and being an only son1 was   
allowed by his parents to do much as he 
pleased2 so that most of his time was   
passed either in strolling over the     
mines amidst which he lived1 or in      
working out schemes which had already   
begun to fill his youthful imagination1 
seated under a hedge1 with a slate in   
his hand4 ,trevithick was a pupil of    
,william ,bull1 an engineer practising  
at that time in ,cornwall1 employed in  
erecting ,watt's engines1 and who       
afterwards accompanied ,trevithick to   
,south ,america4 ,when he had attained  

the age of twenty-one1 ,trevithick was  
appointed engineer to several mines1 a  
more responsible situation than the one 
held by his father1 who1 on hearing of  
his son's appointment1 expressed great  
surprise1 and even considered it his    
duty to remonstrate with the gentlemen  
who had proposed the appointment4 ,about
 this period 7in #agib7 he was also     
employed to test one of ,hornblower's   
engines1 and even before this1 had1 with
 the assistance of ,william ,bull1      
constructed several engines which did   
not come under ,watt's patent4          
,trevithick's duties1 as engineer1 at   
this time1 frequently required him to   
visit ,mr4 ,harvey's iron foundry at    
,hayle1 who was in the habit of inviting
 him to his house2 this ultimately      
resulted in his becoming attached to    
,mr4 ,harvey's daughter1 to whom he was 
married on the #gth of ,november1 #agig4
 ,after his marriage ,trevithick lived  
at ,plane-an-quary in ,redruth for a few
 months1 then at ,camborne for ten      

years4 ,from about #ahjh to #ahaj he    
resided in ,london2 but after his       
unfortunate failure in attempting to    
tunnel the ,thames1 returned to         
,penponds in the parish of ,camborne1   
where he lived for five or six years1 at
 the house of his mother1 afterwards    
living at ,penzance1 from which town he 
sailed for ,peru on the #bjth ,october1 
#ahaf4 ,while residing at ,camborne1    
,trevithick influenced perhaps by the   
success of ,murdock's model             
steam-carriage1 determined to build one 
adapted to ordinary road traffic4 ,one  
,andrew ,vivian supplied the pecuniary  
means and joined him in the project1 for
 which1 on its completion1 a patent was 
taken out in #ahjb1 and in the same year
 a small one was erected at ,marazion1  
which was worked by steam of at least   
thirty pounds on the square inch above  
atmospheric pressure4#dj ,their         
steam-carriage presented the appearance 
of an ordinary stage-coach on four      
wheels1 having one horizontal cylinder1 

which1 together with the boiler and     
fire-box1 were placed at the back of the
 hind axle4 ,mr4 ,michael ,williams1    
late ,m4,p4 for ,cornwall1 in a letter  
to ,mr4 ,e4 ,watkins1 dated the #eth of 
,january1 #ahec1 mentions having been   
present at the first trial of           
,trevithick's locomotive1 and says the  
experiments made on the public road     
close by ,camborne were perfectly       
successful1 and although many           
improvements in the details of such     
description of engines have been since  
effected1 the leading principles of     
construction and arrangement are        
continued1 ,i believe1 with little      
alteration in the magnificent railroad  
engines of the present day4 ,after      
making several satisfactory trials in   
the neighbourhood of ,plymouth1         
,trevithick and ,vivian exhibited their 
invention publicly in ,london1 first at 
,lord's ,cricket-ground1 and afterwards 
on the spot of ground now occupied by   
,euston ,square4#da ,at this latter     

place1 however1 ,trevithick1 influenced 
by some curious whim1 suddenly closed   
the exhibition on the second day1       
leaving hundreds waiting outside in a   
state of great wrath4 ,mrs4             
,humblestone1 an old inhabitant of      
,london1 who at that period used to keep
 a shop near to the present ,pantheon1  
,oxford ,street1 relates that she well  
remembers witnessing a public trial of  
,trevithick's steam-carriage4 ,on this  
occasion the shops were shut1 no horses 
or carriages were allowed in the        
streets1 and the roofs of the houses in 
the neighbourhood were crowded with     
people1 who hurraed and waived their    
handkerchiefs as the 'steam monster' was
 seen coming along ,oxford ,street at a 
rapid pace4#db  ,two years afterwards   
,trevithick constructed the first       
successful railway locomotive1 which was
 used on the ,merthyr ,tydvil ,railway  
in the year #ahjd4 ,this engine had an  
eight-inch cylinder1 of four feet six   
inches stroke1 placed horizontally as at

 present1 and working on a cranked axle2
 while1 in order to secure a continuous 
rotatory motion1 a fly-wheel was placed 
on the end of the axle4 ,when we add to 
this1 that the fly-wheel was furnished  
with a break1 that the boiler had a     
safety-valve or a fusible plug beyond   
the reach of the engineer1 and that the 
patent includes the production of a more
 equable rotatory motion--by causing the
 piston rods of two cylinders to work on
 the said axis by means of cranks at a  
quarter of a turn asunder--it is        
scarcely too much to say that nothing   
material was added to the design of the 
locomotive until the invention of the   
tubular boiler in #ahbi4dc ,on the      
occasion of its first trial1 on the     
#bast of ,february1 #ahjd1 this engine  
drew carriages containing ten tons of   
bar iron for a distance of nine miles1  
at the rate of five miles an hour4 ,the 
specification of the patent for         
,trevithick's steam-carriage mentions a 
plan for causing the wheels1 in certain 

cases1 to take a stronger hold of the   
ground by means of sundry rough         
projections1 but it also adds that1 in  
general1 the ordinary structure or      
figure of the external surface of these 
wheels will be found to answer the      
intended purpose1 which appears to have 
been the case in the above-mentioned    
engine4#dd ,after making a few          
experiments with his engine1 ,trevithick
 forsook the locomotive for other       
projects of his versatile genius1 and   
this great invention was left to be     
perfected and carried into general use  
by ,george ,stephenson4  ,in the year   
#ahji ,trevithick commenced an attempt  
at tunnelling under the ,thames4 ,it was
 the second time that this difficult    
undertaking had been tried1 ,ralph ,dodd
 having been the first of the           
unsuccessful borers4 ,when a large sum  
of money had been raised by             
subscriptions ,trevithick commenced     
boring at ,rotherhithe1 and in order to 
save both labour and expense1 kept very 

near to the bottom of the river2 but    
notwithstanding the increased           
difficulties which he had to encounter  
on this account1 he actually carried the
 tunnel through a distance of #ajaa     
feet1 and within #ajj feet of the       
proposed terminus4 ,at this point an    
unfortunate dispute arose between him   
and the surveyor appointed to verify his
 work1 the surveyor asserting that the  
tunnel had been run a foot or two on one
 side4 ,this reflection on his skill as 
an engineer excited ,trevithick's       
,cornish blood1 and he is said to have  
adopted the absurd expedient of making a
 hole in the roof of the tunnel at low  
water1 and thrusting through a series of
 jointed rods1 which were to be received
 by a man in a boat1 and then observed  
from the shore4 ,in the execution of    
this scheme1 delays ensued in fitting   
the rods together1 and at length so much
 water made its way through the gulley  
formed by the opening in the roof1 that 
retreat became necessary2 ,trevithick1  

with an inborn courage1 refused to go   
first1 but sent the men before him1 and 
his life nearly fell a sacrifice to his 
devotion3 as he made his escape on the  
other side1 the water rose with him to  
his neck1 owing to the tunnel following 
the curve of the bed of the river1 which
 necessarily caused the water to        
congregate towards one part4 ,the work  
was thus ended almost at the point of   
its successful completion1 being at once
 a melancholy monument of his folly and 
his skill4  ,after this unfortunate     
failure1 ,trevithick commenced many     
schemes2 among others1 his attention was
 directed towards the introduction of   
iron tanks and buoys into the ,royal    
,navy4 ,on first representing the       
importance of this to the ,admiralty1   
the objection was raised1 that perhaps1 
in the case of the tanks1 iron would be 
prejudicial to the water1 and           
consequently to the health of the crews2
 ,trevithick was therefore requested to 
consult ,abernethy upon the subject1    

which he accordingly did1 and received  
for his answer the following            
characteristic reply3 ,that the         
,admiralty ought to have known better   
than to have sent you to me with such a 
question4 ,he likewise1 about this      
period1 contributed largely to the      
improvement and better working of the   
,cornish engines1 and to him the merit  
is due of introducing into these engines
 the system of high-pressure steam1 and 
of inventing in the year #ahjd the      
cylindrical wrought iron boiler1 7now   
known as the ,cornish boiler17 in which 
he placed the fire inside instead of    
outside1 as had been the practice before
 his time4  ,trevithick also appears to 
have been among1 if not the very first  
to employ the expansive principle of    
steam4 ,in the year #ahaa-ab he erected 
a single-acting engine of #be inches    
cylinder at ,hull-,prosper in ,gwithian1
 with a cylindrical boiler1 in which the
 steam was more than #dj lbs4 on the    
square inch above atmospheric pressure2 

and the engine was so loaded that it    
worked full seven-eighths of the stroke 
expansively4 ,in this he seems to have  
preceded ,woolf by several years4 ,it is
 also stated by ,mr4 ,gordon in his     
',treatise on ,elementary ,locomotion1' 
that ,trevithick was the first to turn  
the eduction-pipe into the chimney of   
the locomotive to increase the          
draught4#de  ,we now come to the most   
romantic and stirring period of         
,trevithick's career4 ,in #ahaa ,m4     
,uvill1 a ,swiss gentleman at that time 
living in ,lima1 came to ,england to see
 if he could procure machinery for      
clearing the silver mines1 in the       
,peruvian mountains1 of water4 ,watt's  
condensing engines were1 however1 of too
 ponderous a nature to be transported   
over the ,cordilleras on the backs of   
the feeble llamas1 and ,uvill was about 
to give the matter up in despair1 when1 
on the eve of his departure from this   
country1 he chanced to see a small      
working model of ,trevithick's engine in

 a shop window near ,fitzroy ,square4   
,this model he carried out with him to  
,lima1 and had the satisfaction of      
seeing it work successfully on the high 
ridge of the ,sierra de ,pasco4 ,uvill  
now returned to ,england to procure more
 engines of the same kind1 but he was a 
second time almost forced to give the   
matter up2 for ,boulton and ,watt1 the  
most distinguished engineers of their   
time1 assured him that it was impossible
 to make engines of sufficient power and
 yet small enough to be carried over the
 ,andes4 ,fortunately1 however1 ,uvill  
at this point met with ,trevithick      
himself1 and was enabled to make such   
arrangements with him as resulted in the
 embarkation1 during ,september #ahad1  
of three engineers and nine of          
,trevithick's engines4 ,on landing at   
,peru1 ,uvill and his charge were       
received with a royal salute1 and in due
 time the engines1 which had been       
simplified to the greatest extent1 and  
so divided as to form adequate loads for

 the weakly llama1 were safely carried  
over precipices where a stone may be    
thrown for a league4 ,an engine was soon
 erected at ,lauricocha1 in the province
 of ,tarma1 which successfully drained  
the shaft of the ,santa ,rosa mine1 and 
enabled working operations to be        
recommenced4 ,during the year #ahaf     
,trevithick1 hearing of this success1   
gave up family and fortune and embarked 
for ,south ,america4 ,on landing he was 
received with the highest honours2 all  
,lima was in a state of excitement1     
which rose to a still greater pitch1    
when it was found that his engines1 by  
clearing the mines of water1 had doubled
 their produce and increased the coining
 machinery sixfold4 ,trevithick was     
created a marquis and grandee of old    
,spain1 and the lord warden of the mines
 proposed to raise a silver statue in   
his honour4 ,all went well until the    
revolution broke out1 when the ,cornish 
engineer found himself placed in a very 
disagreeable position between the two   

parties4 ,the patriots kept him in the  
mountains in a kind of honourable       
captivity1 while the royalists ruined   
his property and mutilated his engines4 
,trevithick1 never very patient1 soon   
determined to end this1 and1 after      
incurring many hardships and dangers1   
succeeded in making his escape from the 
oppressive love and veneration of the   
mountain patriots4 ,on their way back   
,trevithick and his companions          
encountered many perils2 they had to    
shoot monkeys for subsistence1 their    
clothes were almost always wet through  
owing to it being the rainy season of   
the year2 they had also to ford rivers1 
and in many cases make their own roads  
by cutting down the underwood and other 
obstacles which impeded their progress4 
,on one occasion ,trevithick nearly lost
 his life2 in attempting to swim across 
a river he became involved in a kind of 
whirlpool caused by some sunken rocks1  
and notwithstanding all his efforts he  
was utterly unable to swim beyond its   

influence1 which kept carrying him round
 and round2 fortunately just as his     
strength was giving way a companion1 who
 had cut down a tall sappling1 succeeded
 in stretching it out to his assistance1
 and thus drew him to land4 ,ultimately1
 after a long interval1 ,trevithick     
arrived at ,cartagena1 on the gulf of   
,darien1 almost in a state of utter     
destitution4 ,here he was met by the    
late ,robert ,stephenson1 who1 having   
just received a remittance from home1   
lent half to his brother engineer to    
help him on his way to ,england1 where  
he arrived on the #ith of ,october1     
#ahbg1 bringing back a pair of spurs and
 a few old coins1 the sole remnants of  
the colossal fortune made1 'but not     
realized1' in the ,peruvian mines4      
,before this occurred1 however1         
,trevithick had visited various parts of
 the ,west coast of ,south ,america2    
part of this time he was in the company 
of ,earl ,dundonald 7then ,lord         
,cochrane71 but the last four years of  

this period were spent by him at ,costa 
,rica1 in the countries now so well     
known as the route of the ,nicaraguan   
transit and the scene of ,general       
,walker's filibuster warfare1 where he  
projected mines and devised many        
magnificent schemes1 but realized no    
permanent good for himself4 ,among other
 things1 having discovered some valuable
 mineral deposits1 he obtained from the 
government a grant of the land which    
contained them1 and on his return to    
,england succeeded1 by his              
representations 7which were confirmed by
 a ,scotchman of the name of ,gerard1   
who had been his companion71 in         
organizing a company for sinking the    
necessary mines4 ,before1 however1      
active operations were commenced1       
,trevithick one day entered the new     
company's offices to arrange finally    
about his own interest in the concern4  
,a cheque for #gjjjl4 was at once       
offered him as purchase-money for his   
land in ,southern ,america4 ,this       

however was not what he had wanted1 and 
without giving a thought to the         
largeness of the sum offered1 he        
indignantly threw back the cheque across
 the table and walked out of the        
office4#df ,after this the company broke
 up1 and ,trevithick never realized a   
penny-piece from his really valuable    
possessions in that country4  ,after his
 return from ,america but little is     
known of ,trevithick2 late in life he   
commenced a petition to ,parliament1 in 
which he asks for some grant or         
remuneration for his services to the    
country1 by reason of the superiority of
 his machinery1 stating that from the   
use of his engines the saving to the    
,cornish mines alone amounted to        
#ajj1jjjl4 per annum2 but before        
presenting this petition1 he met with a 
monied partner1 who supplied him with   
the means of perfecting his             
never-ceasing inventions4 ,this was all 
,trevithick wanted1 and the petition was
 consequently laid aside4 ,thus assisted

 he obtained a patent in #ahca for an   
improved steam engine2 and another in   
the same year for a method or apparatus 
for heating apartments2 and a third on  
the #bbnd of ,september1 #ahcb1 for     
improvements on the steam engine1 and in
 the application of steam power to      
navigation and locomotion4 ,this was the
 last patent he took out2 he died at    
,dartford in ,kent during the following 
year1 at the age of sixty-two4          
,trevithick1 by his marriage with ,miss 
,jane ,harvey1 had four sons and two    
daughters1 all of whom are still living4
 ,his manners were blunt and unassuming1
 but yet possessed a certain kind of    
fascination which generally secured for 
him1 in whatever society he might be1 an
 eager and attentive auditory4 ,in      
person he was tall and strongly made1   
being six feet two inches in height1 and
 broad in proportion1 and to this day   
stories of his extraordinary feats of   
strength are told among the miners of   
,cornwall4 ,his life remains a record of

 constant but brilliant failures1 and   
that from no inherent defect in his     
inventions1 but solely from the absence 
in his character of that perseverance   
and worldly prudence necessary to bring 
every new undertaking to a successful   
commercial issue4--,contributions to the
 ,biography of ,r4 ,trevithick1 by ,r4  
,edmunds1 ,jun41 ,edinburgh ,new        
,philosophical ,journal1 ,october1      
#ahei4--,the ,land's ,end ,district1 c41
 with ,brief ,memoir of ,ric4           
,trevithick1 by ,r4 ,edmunds4 ,london   
and ,penzance1 #ahfb4--;,all the ,year  
,round1 ,august #d1 #ahfj4--;,and other 
particulars taken from original and     
authentic sources4     ,,edward         
,,troughton1 ,f4,r4,a4,s4  ,born        
,october1 #agec4 ,died ,june #ab1 #ahce4
   ,edward ,troughton1 the first        
astronomical instrument maker of our    
day1 was born in the parish of ,corney1 
on the south-west coast of ,cumberland1 
and was the third son of a small farmer4
 ,an uncle of the same name1 and his    

eldest brother ,john were settled in    
,london as mathematical instrument      
makers2 and as his second brother was   
apprenticed to the same business1       
,edward was designed to be a farmer1    
continuing to be his father's assistant 
till the age of seventeen4  ,the death  
of his younger brother1 however1 altered
 ,edward's destination1 and caused him  
to be placed with his brother ,john1 at 
that time a chamber master1 employed    
chiefly in dividing and engraving for   
the trade1 and the higher branches of   
the art4 ,under the instruction of      
,john1 who was an excellent workman1    
,troughton made very rapid progress1 and
 at the end of his time was taken into  
partnership4  ,about the year #aghb the 
,troughtons established themselves in   
,fleet ,street1 where they commenced an 
independent business and soon rose into 
eminence4 ,after the death of his       
brother ,john1 ,edward alone continued  
the business until the year #ahbf1 when 
increasing age and dislike to routine   

employment1 induced him to take ,mr4    
,william ,simms as his partner and      
successor4  ,the instruments which      
facilitate navigation were peculiarly   
objects of interest to ,mr4 ,troughton1 
and long after his infirmities were an  
effectual bar to the applications of his
 most esteemed friends1 he exerted      
himself to supply the seamen with well  
adjusted and accurate sextants4 ,your   
fancies1 he would say1 may wait2 their  
necessities cannot4  ,in #aggh he took  
out a patent for the double framed      
sextant1 a construction which1 combining
 firmness and lightness1 yet admitted of
 a considerable radius in this          
invaluable instrument4 ,after trying and
 rejecting the repeating reflecting     
circle of ,borda1 ,mr4 ,troughton1 in   
#agif1 hit upon one of his happiest     
constructions1 the ,british reflecting  
circle1 as he delighted to call it1 an  
instrument which in right hands is      
capable of wonderful accuracy4 ,it is a 
characteristic trait of ,mr4 ,troughton1

 that in order to bring his favourite   
circle into general use1 he reduced its 
price far below the usual profits of    
trade2 and if he had succeeded in his   
attempt1 he might have been ruined by   
his success1 for his sextants were by   
far the most gainful article of his     
business4  ,with the same earnestness to
 promote the interests of navigation1 he
 invented the dip sector 7afterwards    
re-invented by ,dr4 ,wollaston71 and    
expended time1 money1 and ingenuity to  
no inconsiderable amount1 in attempting 
to perfect the marine top for producing 
a true horizontal reflecting surface at 
sea4 ,the marine barometer1 the         
snuff-box sextant1 and the portable     
universal dial1 owe to him all their    
elegance1 and much of their accuracy4   
,where others invented or sketched he   
perfected4  ,in the ordinary physical   
apparatus ,troughton made considerable  
improvement in the construction of the  
balance1 and of the mountain barometer4 
,in the same class may be mentioned the 

form given to the compensated mercurial 
pendulum2 his pyrometer1 by which some  
very valuable expansions have been      
determined2 the apparatus by which ,sir 
,george ,shuckburgh attempted to        
ascertain the standard of weight and    
measure2 and that apparatus which1 in   
the hands of ,francis ,baily1 has given 
an invariable simple seconds pendulum4  
,in the ordinary geodesical instruments 
,mr4 ,troughton greatly improved the    
surveying level and staff1 and reduced  
them both in weight and price1 with     
increased convenience and accuracy4 ,it 
is1 however1 in the construction of     
astronomical instruments that this great
 mechanician particularly excelled2 here
 he reigned without a rival4 ,his       
portable astronomical quadrants are     
models of strength and lightness1 while 
the repeating circle of ,borda1 an      
instrument which he disliked1 first     
received its beauty and accuracy from   
his hands4  ,the ordinary reading       
micrometer1 and the position micrometer1

 commonly employed in the measurement of
 double stars1 were greatly improved by 
him in simplicity and brought to        
perfection2 and he first applied the    
former to dividing1 though in circles   
and scales it had already been used in  
reading off4  ,mr4 ,troughton's larger  
works1 such as his equatorial           
instruments1 circles1 transits1 c41 are 
as well known in the astronomical world 
as those of ,wren in the architectural2 
they are too numerous to mention here1  
and are distributed in various parts of 
the world4 ,the gigantic zenith tube at 
,greenwich was about the last work on   
which he was engaged1 and he had just   
time to finish it before his strength   
failed4 ,the only astronomical          
instrument which is not greatly indebted
 to ,mr4 ,troughton is the telescope1   
and he was deterred from making any     
attempt in this branch of his art by the
 curious physical defect of colour      
blindness1 which existed in many members
 of his family4 ,like ,dalton he could  

not distinguish colours1 and had little 
idea of them1 except generally as they  
conveyed the impression of greater or   
less light4 ,the ripe cherry and its    
leaf were to him of one hue1 only to be 
distinguished by their form4 ,with this 
defect in his vision he never attempted 
any experiments in which colour was     
concerned2 and it is difficult to see   
how he could have done so with success4 
,the most remarkable of ,troughton's    
writings are1 ',an account of a method  
of dividing astronomical and other      
instruments by ocular inspection1'      
c4--,phil4 ,trans41 #ahji1 which was    
awarded with the ,copley medal2 ',a     
comparison of the repeating circle of   
,borda1 with the altitude and ,azimuth  
,circle'--,memoirs ,r4 ,ast4 ,soc42 and 
several articles in ,brewster's         
',edinburgh ,cyclopdia1' such as        
',circle1' ',graduations1' c4  ,in the  
year #ahbe ,mr4 ,troughton paid a visit 
to ,paris1 and in #ahcj he received an  
honorary gold medal from the ,king of   

,denmark4 ,during the latter portion of 
his life he became almost entirely deaf1
 only hearing by the aid of a powerful  
trumpet4 ,he died at his house in ,fleet
 ,street1 ,june #ab1 #ahce1 in the      
eighty-second year of his age1 and was  
buried at the ,cemetery1 ,kensal        
,green4--,monthly ,notices of the ,royal
 ,astronomical ,society1 vol4 #c1       
,february1 #ahcf4     ,,richard         
,,watson1 ,,bishop ,,of ,,llandaff1     
,d4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 c4  ,born ,august1   
#agcg4 ,died ,june #d1 #ahaf4   ,richard
 ,watson1 celebrated both as an able    
theologian1 and as a professor of       
chemistry1 was born at ,haversham1 near 
,kendal in ,westmoreland4 ,his ancestors
 had been farmers of their own estates  
for several generations1 and his father1
 a younger son1 was for forty years the 
head master of the ,grammar-school at   
,haversham1 but had resigned his duties 
about the period of the birth of his son
 ,richard4 ,young ,watson received his  
education at this school1 and about a   

year after his father's death1 in #agec1
 was sent on an exhibition of #ejl4     
belonging to the school1 to ,trinity    
,college1 ,cambridge1 where he was      
admitted as a sizar on the #crd of      
,november1 #aged4 ,all he had1 besides  
his exhibition1 to carry him through    
college1 was a sum of #cjjl4 which his  
father had left him1 but he set bravely 
to work1 to make his way to independence
 by hard study and hard living2 his     
dress is said at first to have been a   
coarse mottled ,westmoreland coat1 and  
blue yarn stockings4  ,in ,may1 #ageg1  
he obtained a scholarship1 and in the   
,september following1 while still only a
 junior soph1 he began to take pupils1  
continuing to be employed1 first as     
private1 then as a college tutor1 until 
in ,october1 #agfg1 he became one of the
 head tutors of ,trinity ,college4      
,meanwhile ,watson had taken his degree 
of ,b4,a4 in ,january1 #agei1 being     
classed as second wrangler1 which he    
seems to have considered1 and not       

without reason1 as the place of honour  
for the year2 the senior wrangler1 who  
was a member of ,st4 ,john's1 having1 as
 it was generally believed1 been        
unfairly preferred to him4  ,in         
,october1 #agfj1 he was elected a fellow
 of his college1 and in ,november1      
#agfd1 on the death of ,dr4 ,hadley1 he 
was unanimously elected by the senate to
 the professorship of chemistry1        
although at that time he knew nothing of
 the science4 ,watson did not1 however1 
disappoint the confidence that was      
placed by others in his abilities4 ,with
 the assistance of an operator1 whom he 
immediately sent for from ,paris1 and by
 shutting himself up in his laboratory1 
he acquired such an acquaintance with   
his new subject1 as to enable him in    
about fourteen months to read his first 
course of lectures1 which were honoured 
with a numerous attendance1 and proved  
highly successful4 ,other courses       
followed which were equally well        
received2 and1 in #agfh1 he printed a   

synopsis of the principles of the       
science1 under the title of             
',institutiones ,metallurgic4'  ,watson 
was elected a ,fellow of the ,royal     
,society in #agfi1 and for some years   
afterwards contributed many chemical    
papers to the ',philosophical           
,transactions4' ,in #agga he published  
',an ,essay on the ,subjects of         
,chemistry1 and their ,general          
,divisions4' ,in #agha he published two 
volumes #abmo4 of ',chemical ,essays2' a
 third appeared in #aghb2 and a fourth  
in #aghf completed the work1 which has  
often been reprinted1 and was long very 
popular4 ,in connection with his        
chemical professorship1 ,watson obtained
 from ,government1 by proper            
representations1 a salary of #ajjl4 for 
himself1 and for all future professors4 
,he also paid some attention to         
theoretical and practical anatomy1 as   
having a certain relation to the science
 of chemistry4  ,in ,october1 #agga1 on 
the death of ,dr4 ,rutherforth1 he      

unexpectedly obtained the lucrative and 
important office of ,regius ,professor  
of ,divinity1 and in that capacity1 held
 the ,rectory of ,somersham in          
,huntingdonshire4 ,at this time he had  
neither taken his degree of ,b4,d4 or   
,d4,d41 and by his own account1 seems to
 have known little more of theological  
learning than he did of chemistry seven 
years before4 ,yet such was his good    
fortune1 or the reputation that he had  
established1 for carrying an object     
whenever he took it in hand1 that no    
other candidate appeared for the        
professorship1 while his eloquence and  
ingenuity supplied the want of deeper   
erudition1 and attracted as numerous    
audiences to the exercises in the       
schools at which he presided1 as had    
ever attended his chemical lectures4    
,watson himself1 in the anecdotes of his
 life1 gives the following account of   
this circumstance3--,i was not1 when    
,dr4 ,rutherforth died1 either ,bachelor
 or ,doctor in ,divinity1 and without   

being one of them ,i could not become a 
candidate for the ,professorship4 ,this 
puzzled me for a moment1 ,i had only    
seven days to transact the business in1 
but by hard travelling1 and some        
adroitness1 ,i accomplished my purpose1 
obtained the ,king's mandate for a      
,doctor's degree1 and was created       
,doctor on the day previous to that     
appointed for the examination of the    
candidates4 ,thus did ,i1 by hard and   
incessant labour for seventeen years1   
attain at the age of thirty-four1 the   
first office for honour in the          
,university2 and1 exclusive of the      
mastership of ,trinity ,college1 ,i have
 made it the first for profit2 ,i found 
the ,professorship not worth quite      
#ccjl41 and it is now worth #ajjjl4 at  
least4  ,watson's clerical preferment   
after this was very rapid4 ,in #aggc1   
through the influence of the ,duke of   
,grafton1 he obtained possession of a   
sinecure rectory in ,north ,wales1 which
 he was enabled to exchange during the  

course of the following year for a      
prebend in the ,church of ,ely4 ,in     
#aghj he succeeded ,dr4 ,plumtree as    
archdeacon of that diocese2 the same    
year he was presented to the ,rectory of
 ,northwold in ,norfolk1 and in the     
beginning of the year following1        
received another much more valuable     
living1 the ,rectory of ,knaptoft in    
,leicestershire1 from the hands of the  
,duke of ,rutland1 who had been his     
pupil at the ,university4 ,lastly1 in   
,july1 #aghb1 he was promoted to the    
bishopric of ,llandaff1 by the ,prime   
,minister of that period ,lord          
,shelburne1 who hoped thereby both to   
gratify the ,duke of ,rutland1 and also 
to secure an active partisan4  ,watson1 
however1 proved a very unmanageable     
bishop1 and during the course of his    
political career was singularly free and
 independent in his sentiments4 ,one of 
his first acts was to publish in #aghc1 
',a ,letter to ,archbishop ,cornwallis  
on the ,church ,revenues1 recommending  

an equalization of the ,bishoprics4'    
,this he did in spite of all that could 
be said to make him see that it would   
embarrass the ,government1 and at the   
same time do nothing to forward his own 
object4 ,and so he continued to take his
 own way1 and was very soon left to do  
so1 without any party or person seeking 
either to guide or stop him4  ,in #aghc 
,bishop ,watson had married the eldest  
daughter of ,edward ,wilson of ,dalham  
,tower in ,westmoreland4 ,in the year   
#aghi he retired from politics and      
betook himself to an estate which he had
 at ,calgarth1 on the banks of          
,winandermere1 occupying himself in     
educating his family1 and in            
agricultural improvements1 especially   
planting1 for which he received a medal 
from the ,society of ,arts in #aghi4    
,previous to this1 in #aghf1 his friend 
and former pupil1 ,mr4 ,luther1 of      
,ongar in ,essex1 had left him an estate
 which he sold for more than #bj1jjjl4  
,bishop ,watson died on the #dth of     

,june1 #ahaf1 in his seventy-ninth year4
 ,his writings are very numerous and    
miscellaneous in their character2 some  
of the more well known are3--an         
',apology for ,christianity1' written in
 #aggf in answer to ,gibbon2 a          
',collection of ,theological ,tracts1   
selected from various ,authors1 for the 
use of the ,younger ,students in the    
,university1' in six volumes #hvo41     
#aghe2 ',apology for the ,bible1 in a   
series of ,letters addressed to ,thomas 
,paine1' #agif2 and1 ',an ,address to   
the ,people of ,great ,britain1' which  
went through fourteen editions1 #agih4  
,one of the best practical results of   
his chemical studies was the suggestion 
which he made to the ,duke of ,richmond1
 at that time ,master of the ,ordnance1 
respecting the preparation of charcoal  
for gunpowder1 by burning the wood in   
close vessels1 a process very materially
 improving the quality of the powder1   
and which is now generally              
adopted4--,anecdotes of the ,life of    

,richard ,watson1 ,bishop of ,llandaff1 
written by himself4 ,london1            
#ahag4--,memoir by ,dr4 ,thomas ,young1 
,encyclopdia ,britannica4--,english     
,cyclopdia4     ,,james ,,watt1         
,,ll4,d41 ,f4,r4,s4 ,l4 and ,e41 c4     
,,member ,,of ,,the ,,french            
,,institute4  ,born at ,greenock on the 
,clyde1 #agcf4 ,died ,august #be1 #ahai4
   ,to ,james ,watt1 philosopher1       
mechanician1 and civil engineer1 whose  
genius perfected the control of one of  
the greatest revealed powers yet given  
to man1 may well be applied the saying  
of ,wellington1 ,that which makes a     
great general makes a great artist1 the 
power and the determination to overcome 
difficulties4 ,born with a sickly       
temperament1 and prevented thereby from 
attending school1 or indulging in the   
usual healthy play of children1 ,watt1  
unassisted by others1 devoted his time  
to study1 and in retirement and         
reflection laid the foundation of       
knowledge destined to bear such ample   

fruit4 ,in addition to mere book        
knowledge1 he early exhibited a         
partiality for mechanical contrivances  
and operations1 and this determined him 
to commence his career as a mathematical
 instrument maker4 ,for this purpose he 
set out for ,glasgow in #aged1 but owing
 to the limited resources of the town at
 that period1 he finally decided on     
going to ,london1 where1 after great    
difficulty1 he was apprenticed for a    
twelvemonth to an instrument maker in   
,finch ,lane4 ,at the end of his        
apprenticeship ,watt1 having become     
enfeebled from over attention to work1  
repaired to ,greenock to recruit his    
health1 and ultimately returned to      
,glasgow1 where he was established by   
the authorities1 within the precincts of
 the college as mathematical instrument 
maker to the ,university4 ,in process of
 time ,watt's shop became a favourite   
resort for professors as well as        
students1 and he counted among his      
visitors ,professor ,simson1 ,drs4      

,black1 ,dick1 and ,moor2#dg but his    
most intimate friend1 and the one most  
closely connected with his after life1  
was ,john ,robison1 a student at        
,glasgow1 afterwards ,professor of      
,natural ,philosophy at ,edinburgh      
,university1 to whom the honour is due  
of having first directed ,watt's        
attention to the steam-engine4 ,the     
event which actually led to the         
commencement of his invaluable          
discoveries on this subject1 was the    
entrusting to him the repair of a small 
model of ,newcomen's engine1 which the  
college possessed4 ,in his endeavours to
 put this engine into working order1    
,watt was led to investigate thoroughly 
the properties of steam upon which its  
action depended2 and ultimately in the  
spring of #agfe1 after many trials and  
untiring perseverance1 he arrived at the
 great and simple idea of a separate    
condenser1 into which the steam         
expanded2 thereby preventing that       
wasteful expenditure of heat1 which was 

the necessary result of the old plan of 
condensing the steam in the working     
cylinder1 by admitting a jet of cold    
water directly under the piston4 ,in    
addition to this ,watt surrounded the   
cylinder with a second casing to be     
filled with the surplus steam1 for the  
purpose of preventing radiation of heat1
 and closed in the top 7which in        
,newcomen's engine had been left open   
for the sake of the pressure of the     
atmosphere upon the piston7 by putting a
 cover on1 with a hole and stuffing box 
for the piston rod to slide through2 a  
plan which enabled steam pressure to be 
used in place of atmospheric4           
,newcomen's engine1 at this time used   
only for pumping out water in mines1    
thus became a true steam-engine of      
immense power1 capable of being worked  
with economy1 and of being turned to the
 various uses to which science has since
 applied it4 ,for these great           
improvements a patent1 dated ,january   
#e1 #agfi1 was taken out by ,watt and   

,dr4 ,roebuck1 the founder of the       
,carron iron works1 with whom ,watt had 
become acquainted4 ,little1 however1 was
 done for some years in manufacturing   
engines on a large scale2 ,roebuck fell 
into difficulties1 while ,watt1         
harassed1 depressed in spirits1 and in  
want of money1 was forced to obtain     
employment as a civil engineer and      
land-surveyor4 ,among the many works    
that he was engaged on in this capacity 
may be mentioned3 the ,crinan ,canal1   
afterwards completed by ,rennie2 the    
deepening of the river ,clyde2          
improvements in the harbours of ,ayr1   
,port ,glasgow1 and ,greenock2 the      
building of bridges at ,hamilton and    
,rutherglen2 and lastly1 surveying and  
estimating a line of canal between ,fort
 ,william and ,inverness1 which was     
subsequently executed by ,telford on a  
larger scale than was then proposed1    
under the name of the ,caledonian       
,canal4 ,in the latter half of the year 
#aggc ,roebuck's affairs came to a      

crisis2 and ,watt1 through the agency of
 ,dr4 ,small1 having been brought into  
relation with ,mr4 ,boulton1 a man      
possessing an intimate knowledge of     
business1 with extended views and a     
liberal spirit of enterprise1 an        
arrangement was entered into between    
them1 and the firm of ,boulton and ,watt
 established at ,soho4 ,this was the    
turning point in ,watt's fortunes2 under
 the vigorous management of ,boulton1   
his great invention at length began to  
be appreciated1 and the saving of fuel  
was found to be nearly three-fourths of 
the quantity consumed by ,newcomen's    
engine4 ,in #agge an extension of the   
original patent until the year #ahjj was
 obtained4 ,this gave a fresh stimulus  
to ,watt's fertile brain1 and resulted  
in patents being taken out1 between the 
years #agha-aghe1 for the rotatory      
motion of the sun and planet wheels 7the
 crank having been pirated by           
,wasbrough71 the expansive principle of 
working steam2 the double engine2 the   

parallel motion2 the smokeless furnace2 
the float to regulate the supply of     
water into the boiler2 and the governor4
 ,at a later period ,watt also invented 
the indicator1 by means of which the    
actual horse power of an engine could be
 ascertained4 ,this beautiful series of 
inventions in a measure may be said to  
have perfected the machine1 and at the  
present time the condensing steam engine
 differs in no material respect from the
 engine as ,watt left it4  ,while       
residing at ,birmingham1 ,mr4 ,watt's   
house became the resort of many learned 
men4 ,in the meetings of the ,lunar     
,society1 held at ,soho ,house1         
originated his experiments on water1 and
 between him and ,cavendish is the      
honour divided of having first          
promulgated the theory of its           
composition4 ,during the dispute which  
arose upon this subject1 ,watt's reply1 
on a friend regretting that another     
should have carried off this honour1 is 
worth recording1 as showing the modest  

dignity of his character3 ,it matters   
not1 said he1 whether ,cavendish        
discovered this or ,i1 it is discovered4
  ,in the year #ahjj ,mr4 ,watt1 having 
acquired an ample competency1 ceased to 
take an active part in the business of  
the firm1 and the remainder of his life 
was spent in retirement2 but his active 
mind1 still unwearied1 continued to     
follow its natural bent4 ,on two        
occasions afterwards1 in #ahaa and      
#ahab1 he gave proofs of the            
undiminished powers of his inventive    
genius4 ,in the one instance he was     
induced1 by his grateful recollections  
of his residence in ,glasgow1 to assist 
the proprietors of the waterworks there 
with a plan for supplying the town with 
better water1 by means of a suction pipe
 laid across the ,clyde to reach to the 
other side1 where water of a very       
superior quality might be procured4     
,this pipe was formed of cast iron1 with
 flexible joints1 after the manner of a 
lobster's tail1 so as to accommodate    

itself to the bed of the river1 and     
fully answered the purpose for which it 
was designed4 ,in the other instance he 
was prevailed upon1 by the earnest      
solicitation of the ,lords              
,commissioners of the ,admiralty1 to    
attend a deputation of the ,navy ,board1
 and to give1 with his friend ,captain  
,huddart and ,mr4 ,j4 ,jessop1 an       
opinion upon the works then carrying on 
at ,sheerness ,dockyard1 and the further
 ones projected by ,messrs4 ,rennie and 
,whitby4 ,on this occasion he no less   
gratified the gentlemen associated with 
him by the clearness of his general     
views1 than by his knowledge of the     
details2 and he received the thanks of  
the ,admiralty for his services4 ,in    
#ahad he yielded to the wishes of his   
friends1 of ,dr4 ,brewster especially1  
and undertook a revision of ,professor  
,robison's articles on steam and        
steam-engines for an early edition of   
the ,encyclopdia ,britannica1 which he  
enriched with valuable notes1 containing

 his own experiments on steam1 and a    
short history of his principal          
improvements upon the engine itself4    
,among other mechanical contrivances of 
,mr4 ,watt's may be mentioned3 a machine
 for copying letters2 an instrument for 
measuring the specific gravity of       
fluids2 a regulator lamp2 a plan for    
heating buildings by steam2 and a       
contrivance for drying linen4 ,in his   
eighty-third year1 ,mr4 ,watt was still 
occupied in inventing a machine for     
copying statues1 but this remained      
unfinished1 death arrested his hand2 he 
died in the year #ahai1 at ,heathfield1 
in ,staffordshire2 and thus1 full of    
years and honours1 ended the life of a  
man who1 though born in a secluded      
village town1 and reared in comparative 
poverty1 was yet enabled1 by persevering
 industry and the happy gifts of nature1
 to contribute so greatly to the        
commercial prosperity of the world4     
,mr4 ,watt was elected a member of the  
,royal ,society of ,edinburgh in #aghd1 

of the ,royal ,society of ,london in    
#aghe1 and a corresponding member of the
 ,batavian ,society in #aghg4 ,in #ahjf 
the honorary degree of ,,ll4,d4 was     
conferred upon him by the spontaneous   
and unanimous vote of the ,senate of the
 ,university of ,glasgow2 and in #ahjh  
he was elected1 first a corresponding1  
and afterwards a foreign member of the  
,institute of ,france4 ,a few years     
before his death it was intimated to    
him1 by a message from ,sir ,joseph     
,banks1 that1 to use the words of ,mr4  
,muirhead1 the highest honour usually   
conferred in ,england on men of         
literature and science--namely a        
baronetcy1 was open to him1 should he   
desire it2 but1 although ,watt felt     
flattered by this intimation1 he        
determined1 after consulting with his   
son1 to decline the honour4  ,five      
statues have been erected to the memory 
of this illustrious man1 of which number
 the one in ,westminster ,abbey1 by     
,chantrey1 bears on its pedestal the    

famous inscription by ,lord ,brougham3--
                ,,not ,,to ,,perpetuate 
,a ,,name    ,,which ,,must ,,endure    
,,while ,,the ,,peaceful ,,arts         
,,flourish                     ,,but    
,,to ,,shew         ,,that ,,mankind    
,,have ,,learnt ,,to ,,honour ,,those   
,,who ,,best ,,deserve ,,their          
,,gratitude                      ,,the  
,,king          ,,his ,,ministers ,,and 
,,many ,,of ,,the ,,nobles              
,,and ,,commoners ,,of ,,this ,,realm   
,,raised ,,this ,,monument ,,to         
,,james ,,watt       ,,who ,,directing  
,,the ,,force ,,of ,,an ,,original      
,,genius          ,,early ,,exercised   
,,in ,,philosophic ,,research           
,,to ,,the ,,improvement ,,of           
,,the ,,steam ,,engine                  
,,enlarged ,,the ,,resources ,,of ,,his 
,,country              ,,increased ,,the
 ,,power ,,of ,,man             ,,and   
,,rose ,,to ,,an ,,eminent ,,place      
,,among ,,the ,,most ,,illustrious      
,,followers ,,of ,,science       ,,and  

,,the ,,real ,,benefactors ,,of ,,the   
,,world            ,,born ,,at          
,,greenock ,,mdccxxxvi    ,,died ,,at   
,,heathfield ,,in ,,staffordshire       
,,mdcccxix4  --,muirhead's ,translation 
of ,arago's ,historical ,eloge of ,james
 ,watt4 ,london1 #ahci4--,memoir1 by his
 son ,j4 ,watt1 ,encyclopdia            
,britannica4--,quarterly ,review1       
,october1 #aheh4     ,,william ,h4      
,,wollaston1 ,m4,d41 ,p4,r4,s4 c4  ,born
 ,august #f1 #agff4 ,died ,december #bb1
 #ahbh4   ,william ,hyde ,wollaston was 
born at ,east ,dereham1 a village       
sixteen miles from ,norwich4 ,his father
 was an astronomer of some eminence1 who
 in the year #ahjj published an         
extensive catalogue of the northern     
circumpolar stars4 ,after a preparatory 
education1 ,wollaston entered at ,caius 
,college1 ,cambridge1 where he took the 
degree of ,m4,b4 in #aghg1 and that of  
,m4,d4 in #agic2 soon afterwards he     
became a ,tancred ,fellow4 ,during his  
residence at ,cambridge1 he devoted     

himself more to the study of astronomy  
than any other science4  ,on leaving    
,cambridge in #aghi1 he settled at ,bury
 ,st4 ,edmunds1 and began to practise as
 a physician1 but met with so little    
success1 that he soon removed to        
,london4 ,shortly after his arrival1 he 
became a candidate for the office of    
,physician to ,st4 ,george's ,hospital1 
but was defeated by the election of his 
principal opponent1 ,dr4 ,pemberton4 ,it
 is stated that this circumstance had   
such an effect on ,wollaston1 that he   
declared1 in a moment of pique1 he would
 abandon the profession1 and never more 
write a prescription1 were it for his   
own father4 ,this statement is1 however1
 contradicted in a biographical notice  
of him1 contained in the reports of the 
,astronomical ,society1 where it is     
affirmed that he continued to practise  
physic in ,london to the end of the year
 #ahjj1 when an accession of fortune    
determined him to relinquish a          
profession he never liked1 and to devote

 himself entirely to science4  ,on the  
#ith of ,may1 #agic1 ,wollaston was     
elected a ,fellow of the ,royal         
,society2 and in ,june1 #agig1 appeared 
his first contribution to the           
',philosophical ,transactions1' being a 
paper ',on ,gouty and ,urinary          
,concretions4' ,from this period until  
his decease1 ,wollaston was a constant  
contributor to the ',transactions1' as  
well as to various scientific journals4 
,his papers in the ',philosophical      
,transactions' amount to thirty-nine1   
and1 in addition to strictly chemical   
subjects1 include memoirs in astronomy1 
optics1 mechanics1 acoustics1           
mineralogy1 crystallography1 physiology1
 and botany4  ,on the #cjth of          
,november1 #ahjd1 he was elected ,junior
 ,secretary to the ,royal ,society2 and 
on the death of ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 in 
,june1 #ahbj1 succeeded him in the      
,president's chair1 until the           
anniversary1 ,november #cjth of the same
 year1 when he retired in favour of ,sir

 ,humphry ,davy1 to whom1 at the        
election1 he gave the whole weight of   
his influence4  ,in the years #ahjd-e   
,wollaston first made known to the world
 the existence of the two metals1       
palladium and rhodium1 which he found   
were contained in the ore of platinum1  
associated with osmium and iridium1 two 
metals discovered about the same time by
 ,mr4 ,tennant4 ,in #ahji he showed that
 the supposed new metal1 tantalum1 was  
identical with columhium1 previously    
discovered by ,mr4 ,hatchett2 and       
shortly before his death1 he transmitted
 to the ,royal ,society a communication1
 constituting the ,bakerian lecture of  
#ahbh1 in which he fully describes his  
ingenius method of rendering platinum   
malleable4 ,from this invention he is   
stated to have acquired more than       
#cj1jjjl4  ,dr4 ,wollaston's knowledge  
was more varied1 and his tastes less    
exclusive1 than any other philosopher of
 his time1 except ,cavendish2 but optics
 and chemistry are the two sciences in  

which he made the greatest discoveries4 
,to him we owe the first demonstration  
of the identity of galvanism and common 
electricity1 and the first explanation  
of the cause of the different phenomena 
exhibited by them4 ,dr4 ,wollaston was  
accustomed to carry on his experiments  
in the greatest seclusion1 and with very
 few instruments2 he was also endowed   
with an extreme neatness of hand1 and   
invented the most ingenious methods of  
determining the properties and          
constituents of very minute quantities  
of matter4 ,it is related by ,dr4 ,paris
 7in his ,life of ,davy71 that a foreign
 philosopher once calling on ,wollaston 
with letters of introduction1 expressed 
a great desire to see his laboratory4   
,certainly1 replied ,wollaston1 and     
immediately produced a small tray1      
containing some glass tubes1 a blowpipe1
 two or three watch-glasses1 a slip of  
platinum1 and a few test-tubes4         
,another anecdote is told of him1 that1 
having been engaged one day in          

inspecting a monster galvanic battery   
constructed by ,mr4 ,children1 he       
accidentally met1 on his way home1 a    
brother chemist1 who knew of ,mr4       
,children's grand machine1 and uttered  
something about the inconvenience of it 
being of such an enormous size2 on this 
,wollaston seized his friend by the     
button1 led him into a bye corner1      
where1 taking from his waistcoat pocket 
a tailor's thimble which contained a    
galvanic arrangement1 and pouring into  
it the contents of a small phial1 he    
astonished his friend by immediately    
heating a platinum wire to a white heat4
 ,he also produced platinum wire so     
extremely fine as to be nearly          
imperceptible to the naked eye4         
,towards the close of the year #ahbh1   
,wollaston became dangerously ill with  
disease of the brain4 ,feeling his end  
approaching1 and being unable to write  
himself1 he employed an amanuensis to   
write accounts of such of his           
discoveries and inventions as he was    

unwilling should perish with him2 and in
 this manner some of his most important 
papers were communicated to the ,royal  
,society4 ,it is a curious fact1 that1  
in spite of the extensive cerebral      
disease under which he laboured1 his    
faculties continued unclouded to the    
very last4 ,when almost at the point of 
death1 one of his friends having        
observed1 loud enough for him to hear1  
that he was unconscious of what was     
passing around him1 ,wollaston made a   
sign for pencil and paper1 and then     
wrote down some figures1 and after      
casting up the sum1 returned the paper3 
the amount was found to be correct4     
,dr4 ,wollaston died on the #bbnd of    
,december1 #ahbh1 at the age of         
sixty-two--only a few months before his 
great scientific contemporaries1 ,sir   
,humphry ,davy and ,dr4 ,thomas ,young4 
,he was buried in ,chiselhurst          
churchyard1 ,kent4 ,dr4 ,william        
,henry#dh gives the following summary of
 his character3--  ,dr4 ,wollaston was  

endowed with bodily senses of           
extraordinary acuteness and accuracy1   
and with great general vigour of        
understanding4 ,trained in the          
discipline of the exact sciences1 he had
 acquired a powerful command over his   
attention1 and had habituated himself to
 the most rigid correctness both of     
thought and language4 ,he was           
sufficiently provided with the resources
 of the mathematics1 to be enabled to   
pursue with success profound enquiries  
in mechanical and optical philosophy1   
the results of which enabled him to     
unfold the causes of phenomena not      
before understood1 and to enrich the    
arts connected with those sciences by   
the invention of ingenious and valuable 
instruments4 ,in chemistry he was       
distinguished by the extreme nicety and 
delicacy of his observations1 by the    
quickness and precision with which he   
marked resemblances and discriminated   
differences1 the sagacity with which he 
devised experiments and anticipated     

their results1 and the skill with which 
he executed the analysis of fragments of
 new substances1 often so minute as to  
be scarcely perceptible by ordinary     
eyes4 ,he was remarkable1 too1 for the  
caution with which he advanced from     
facts to general conclusions2 a caution 
which1 if it sometimes prevented him    
from reaching at once the most sublime  
truths1 yet rendered every step of his  
ascent a secure station1 from which it  
was easy to rise to higher and more     
enlarged inductions4--,weld's ,history  
of the ,royal ,society1 with ,memoirs of
 the ,presidents4 ,london1              
#ahdh4--,sketches of the ,royal         
,society1 c41 by ,sir ,john ,barrow1    
,bart41 ,f4,r4,s4 ,london1 #ahdi4       
,,thomas ,,young1 ,m4,d41 ,f4,r4,s41 c4 
,,member ,,of ,,the ,,institute ,,of    
,,france4  ,born ,june #ac1 #aggc4 ,died
 ,may #aj1 #ahbi4   ,dr4 ,thomas ,young1
 celebrated for his universal           
attainments1 was born at ,milverton1 in 
,somersetshire4 ,he was the eldest of   

ten children of ,thomas and ,sarah      
,young2 his mother was a niece of ,dr4  
,richard ,brocklesby1 a physician of    
considerable eminence in ,london4 ,both 
of his parents were members of the      
,society of ,friends1 and to the tenets 
of that sect1 which recognizes the      
immediate influence of a ,supreme       
,intelligence as a guide in the ordinary
 conduct of life1 ,dr4 ,young was       
accustomed in after years to attribute1 
in no slight degree1 the formation of   
those determined habits of perseverance 
which gave him the power of effecting   
any object upon which he was engaged1   
and by which he was enabled to work out 
his own education almost from infancy1  
and with little comparative assistance  
from others4 ,at the age of two years   
,young could read with considerable     
fluency1 and before he was four years   
old had read the ,bible through twice1  
and also ,watts' hymns4 ,he was likewise
 from his earliest years in the habit of
 committing to memory pieces of poetry1 

in proof of which there exists a        
memorandum1 written by ,young's         
grandfather1 on the margin of a copy of 
,goldsmith's ',deserted ,village1' to   
the effect that his grandson ,thomas had
 repeated to him the whole poem1 with   
the exception of a word or two1 before  
he was five years old4 ,in #aghj he was 
placed at a boarding-school at          
,stapleton1 near ,bristol1 and here the 
deficiency of the instructor appears to 
have advanced the studies of the pupil1 
as ,young now became his own teacher1   
and used to study by himself the last   
pages of the book taught almost before  
he had reached the middle under the eye 
of the master4  ,in the year #aghb he   
became an inmate of the school kept by  
,mr4 ,thompson1 at ,crompton1 in        
,dorsetshire1 remaining there nearly    
four years1 during which period he      
rapidly acquired knowledge upon various 
subjects4 ,having commenced the study of
 botany1 he was led to attempt the      
construction of a microscope1 with the  

assistance of an usher in the school of 
the name of ,benjamin ,martin1 in order 
to examine the plants he was in the     
habit of gathering4 ,in his endeavours  
to make the microscope ,young found it  
necessary to procure a lathe1 and for a 
time everything gave way to a passion   
for turning4 ,this was1 however1 at     
length succeeded by a desire to become  
acquainted with the nature of fluxions1 
and after reading through and mastering 
a treatise upon this subject1 he turned 
his attention to the study of ,hebrew   
and other ,oriental languages4          
,ultimately at the age of fourteen      
,thomas ,young was more or less versed  
in ,greek1 ,latin1 ,french1 ,italian1   
,hebrew1 ,persic1 and ,arabic1 and in   
forming the characters of these         
languages had already acquired a        
considerable portion of that beauty and 
accuracy of penmanship which was        
afterwards so remarkable in his copies  
of ,greek compositions1 as well as those
 subjects connected with the literature 

of ancient ,egypt4 ,a story is related  
of him1 that when requested a few years 
later1 by a friend of ,dr4 ,brocklesby1 
who presumed somewhat upon ,young's     
youthful appearance1 to exhibit a       
specimen of his penmanship1 he replied  
by writing a sentence in his best style 
in fourteen different languages4  ,in   
#aghg ,young was engaged1 in conjunction
 with ,mr4 ,hodgkin1 as private tutor to
 ,hudson ,gurney1 grandson of ,mr4      
,david ,barclay1 of ,youngsbury1 near   
,ware1 in ,hertfordshire1 and he        
remained thus occupied during the space 
of five years1 extending his knowledge  
as far as possible4 ,the number of books
 he read through at that time was       
comparatively small1 but whatever book  
he began to read1 he read completely and
 deliberately through1 and it was       
perhaps this determination always to    
master what he might happen to be       
engaged on before attempting anything   
else1 which enabled ,dr4 ,young to      
attain so great knowledge on such       

various subjects4 ,he himself had little
 faith in any peculiar aptitude being   
implanted by nature for any given       
pursuits4 ,his favourite maxim was1 that
 whatever one man had done another might
 do1 and that the original difference   
between human intellects was much less  
than it was supposed to be2 in this     
respect he resembled his great          
predecessor ,newton1 and his cotemporary
 ,dalton1 both of whom had unbounded    
confidence in the powers of patient     
thought4  ,in the autumn of #agib       
,thomas ,young removed to ,london1 in   
order to study medicine1 which          
profession he had determined to adopt1  
being greatly influenced in his choice  
by the wishes of his uncle ,dr4         
,brocklesby4 ,this gentleman had kindly 
undertaken the charge of his education1 
and ,young was by him introduced to the 
members of the most distinguished       
literary circles in the metropolis1     
including ,burke1 ,drs4 ,lawrence and   
,vincent1 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 ,sir  

,george ,baker1 and others4 ,in the     
autumn of #agic he became a pupil at    
,st4 ,bartholomew's ,hospital1 and in   
,october #agid proceeded to ,edinburgh1 
still further to prosecute his medical  
studies4 ,while residing at ,edinburgh  
,dr4 ,young mixed largely in society1   
began the study of music1 took lessons  
on the flute1 and also private lessons  
in dancing1 and frequently attended     
performances at the theatre4 ,from this 
period he gave up the external          
characteristics of the ,quakers1 and    
ultimately ceased to belong to their    
body1 although he practised to the end  
of his life the general simplicity of   
their moral conduct4  ,during the year  
#agie he commenced a tour on the        
,continent1 staying at the ,university  
of ,gttingen during nine months1 in     
order to prosecute his studies and take 
a doctor's degree4 ,in ,february1 #agig1
 he came back to ,england1 and was      
almost immediately after his return     
admitted a ,fellow-,commoner of         

,emmanuel ,college1 ,cambridge2 the     
,master of the ,college1 ,dr4 ,farmer1  
saying as he introduced ,young to the   
fellows1 ,i have brought you a pupil    
qualified to read lectures to his       
tutors4  ,in ,december #agig ,young's   
uncle1 ,dr4 ,brocklesby1 died1          
bequeathing to his nephew the sum of    
#aj1jjjl41 besides his house1 furniture1
 and a choice collection of pictures4   
,dr4 ,young was now entirely at liberty 
to form his own scheme of life1 and he  
determined to commence practice as a    
physician1 for which purpose1 after     
having completed his terms of residence 
at ,cambridge1 he took a house in       
,welbeck ,street 7,no4 #dh71 which he   
continued to occupy for five-and-twenty 
years4 ,his practice as a physician1    
although respectable1 was never large4  
,he wanted that confidence or assurance 
which is so necessary to the successful 
exercise of the profession4 ,he was     
perhaps too deeply informed1 and        
therefore too sensible of the difficulty

 of arriving at true knowledge in the   
science of medicine ever to form a hasty
 judgment2 while his great love of1 and 
adherence to truth1 made him often      
hesitate where others would have felt no
 difficulty in expressing an opinion4   
,it was perhaps a happy circumstance for
 the fame of ,dr4 ,young that this      
should be the case1 as he was thereby   
enabled to devote a considerable portion
 of his time to those literary and      
scientific studies in which so few could
 compete with him4 ,in #agii he         
published his memoir entitled ',outlines
 and ,experiments respecting ,sound and 
,light1' which was read before the      
,royal ,society and printed in their    
',transactions4' ,other papers1 ',on the
 ,theory of ,light and ,colours1'       
followed1 which the council of the      
,royal ,society selected for the        
,bakerian lectures4 ,in the year #ahja  
,dr4 ,young accepted the office of      
,professor of ,natural ,philosophy at   
the ,royal ,institution1 which had been 

established the year previously4 ,the   
conducting of the journal of the        
,institution was also entrusted to his  
care1 in conjunction with his colleague 
,sir ,humphry ,davy1 at that time       
,professor of ,chemistry4 ,dr4 ,young   
remained at the ,royal ,institution two 
years1 during which period he gave a    
course of lectures on ',natural and     
,experimental ,philosophy1' a syllabus  
of which he published in #ahjb1         
announcing for the first time his great 
discovery of the general law of the     
interference of the undulations of      
light4 ,his lectures were not1 however1 
popular2 they embodied too much         
knowledge to be intelligible to any     
considerable portion of his hearers2 and
 the matter was so abundant and the     
style so condensed1 that students       
tolerably versed in science might have  
found it extremely difficult to follow  
him in his masterly discussions4  ,dr4  
,young had been elected a ,fellow of the
 ,royal ,society as early as the year   

#agid1 when he had just completed his   
twenty-first year2 he was now appointed 
7#ahjb7 ,foreign ,secretary to the same 
,society1 an office which he held during
 the remainder of his life1 and for     
which he was well qualified by his      
knowledge of the principal languages of 
,europe4  ,in #ahjd he married ,eliza1  
the daughter of ,james ,primrose        
,maxwell1 of ,cavendish ,square1 and    
this union is said to have been attended
 with uninterrupted happiness2 his wife 
who survived him left no children4  ,in 
#ahjg appeared his most elaborate and   
valuable work1 ',a ,course of ,lectures 
on ,natural ,philosophy and the         
,mechanical ,arts1' being the embodiment
 of the sixty lectures delivered while  
at the ,royal ,institution1 together    
with the labour of three more years     
occupied in further arranging and       
improving them4 ,this work comprises a  
complete system of natural and          
mechanical philosophy1 drawn from       
original sources1 and is distinguished  

not only by the extent of its learning  
and the accuracy of its statements1 but 
by the beauty and originality of the    
theoretical principles4 ,it also        
contains a disquisition upon the        
doctrine of interference in the         
undulatory theory of light mentioned    
before1 the general law of which he thus
 enunciates3 ,when two undulations from 
different origins coincide1 either      
perfectly or very nearly in direction1  
their joint effect is a combination of  
the motions belonging to each4#di ,sir  
,john ,herschel1 speaking of this       
discovery1 says that it alone would have
 sufficed to have placed its author in  
the highest rank of scientific          
immortality1 even were his other almost 
innumerable claims to such a distinction
 disregarded4 ,amongst other laborious  
and difficult matters of investigation1 
,dr4 ,young made the first and most     
important steps in reading the ,egyptian
 ,hieroglyphics1 in which he preceded   
,champollion2 and he afterwards1 in     

#ahbc1 published a work on this subject1
 under the title of ',an ,account of    
some recent ,discoveries in             
,hieroglyphical ,literature and         
,egyptian ,antiquities2 including the   
author's original ,alphabet as extended 
by ,mr4 ,champollion2 with a            
,translation of five unpublished ,greek 
and ,egyptian ,manuscripts4' ,in the    
year #ahjh ,dr4 ,young was admitted a   
fellow of the ,college of ,physicians1  
and in #ahaj was elected physician to   
,st4 ,george's ,hospital1 a situation   
which he retained for the remainder of  
his life4 ,in #ahac he published ',an   
,introduction to ,medical ,literature1  
including a system of practical         
,nosology intended as a guide to        
,students and as an ,assistant to       
,practitioners4' ,in #ahaf ,dr4 ,young  
was appointed ,secretary to the         
,commission empowered to ascertain the  
length of the second's pendulum1 and    
thereby establish an uniform system of  
weights and measures4 ,two years        

subsequent to this he became secretary  
to the ,board of ,longitude1 and on the 
dissolution of that body1 became sole   
conductor of the ',nautical ,almanac4'  
,dr4 ,young at various times contributed
 eighteen articles to the ',quarterly   
,review1' of which nine were on         
scientific subjects--the rest on        
medicine1 languages1 and criticism4     
,between #ahaf and #ahbc he wrote       
sixty-three articles for the            
',supplement to the ,encyclopdia        
,britannica1' ,sixth ,edition1 of which 
forty-six were biographical4 ,in the    
year #ahba he made a short tour in      
,italy with his wife1 and1 in ,august   
#ahbg1 was elected one of the eight     
,foreign associates of the ,academy of  
,sciences at ,paris1 in the place of    
,volta1 who died in #ahbf2 the other    
competitors for this honour being the   
astronomers ,bessel and ,olbers1 ,brown 
the botanist1 ,blumenback1 ,leopold1    
,von ,buch1 ,dalton1 and ,plana the     
mathematician4  ,dr4 ,young's course of 

life1 considered apart from the variety 
of his occupations1 was remarkably      
uniform4 ,he resided in ,london from    
,november to ,june1 and at ,worthing    
from ,july to the end of ,october1      
continuing this regular change of       
residence for fourteen successive years4
 ,in the year #ahbf he removed from his 
house in ,welbeck ,street1 where he had 
resided for a quarter of a century1 to  
another in ,park ,square1 which had been
 built under his own directions1 and    
fitted up with great elegance and taste4
 ,he continued to live here for the     
remainder of his life4 ,during the month
 of ,february1 #ahbi1 he began to suffer
 from what he considered repeated       
attacks of asthma4 ,his health gradually
 got worse1 but though thus under the   
pressure of severe illness1 nothing     
could be more striking than the entire  
calmness and composure of his mind1 or  
could surpass the kindness of his       
affections to all around him4 ,in the   
very last stage of his complaint1 in an 

interview with ,mr4 ,gurney1 his perfect
 self-possession was displayed in the   
most remarkable manner4 ,after some     
information concerning his affairs1 and 
some instructions concerning the        
hieroglyphical papers in his hands1 he  
said1 that perfectly aware of his       
situation1 he had taken the sacrament of
 the ,church on the day preceding2 that 
whether he should ever partially        
recover1 or whether he were rapidly     
taken off1 he could patiently and       
contentedly await the issue4 ,his       
illness continued1 with some slight     
variations1 until the morning of the    
#ajth of ,may1 when he expired without a
 struggle1 having hardly completed his  
fifty-sixth year4 ,the disease proved to
 be an ossification of the arta1 the    
large arterial trunk proceeding from the
 left ventricle of the heart4 ,it must  
have been in progress for many years1   
and every appearance indicated an       
advance of age1 not brought on probably 
by the natural course of time1 nor even 

by constitutional formation1 but by     
unwearied and incessant labour of mind  
from the earliest days of infancy4 ,his 
remains were deposited in the vault of  
his wife's family1 in the church of     
,farnborough1 in ,kent4--,life of       
,thomas ,young1 ,m4,d41 c41 by ,dr4     
,george ,peacock1 ,dean of ,ely4        
,london1 #ahee4--,memoir by ,dr4 ,d4    
,irving1 ,encyclopdia ,britannica1      
,eighth ,edition4--,english ,cyclopdia4 
,london1 #aheh4     ,,appendix4         
,,joseph ,,black1 ,m4,d4  ,,professor   
,,of ,,the ,,universities ,,of          
,,edinburgh ,,and ,,glasgow4  ,born     
#agbh4ej ,died ,november #bf1 #agii4    
,dr4 ,joseph ,black was born at         
,bourdeaux1 where his father1 a native  
of ,belfast but of ,scotch descent1 was 
settled as a wine merchant2 and being a 
man of engaging disposition and         
extensive information was much esteemed 
by his friends1 among whom he reckoned  
,montesquieu1 at that time one of the   
presidents of the court of justice in   

the province where ,mr4 ,black resided4 
,at the age of twelve ,joseph ,black was
 sent to a school at ,belfast1 where he 
remained for some years4 ,in #agdf he   
was removed to the ,college at ,glasgow 
and ever afterwards lived in ,scotland1 
which was1 properly speaking1 his native
 country4 ,while at the ,college of     
,glasgow he studied under the celebrated
 ,dr4 ,cullen1 then professor of anatomy
 and lecturer on chemistry1 and in the  
year #agea removed to ,edinburgh to     
complete the course of his medical      
studies4 ,in the following year ,black  
made his first great discovery of the   
cause of the causticity of lime1 a      
property till then supposed to be due to
 the absorption by the lime of some     
igneous agency4 ,he placed this question
 on a scientific basis by ascertaining  
the chemical difference between         
quick-lime and other forms of the       
carbonate1 and first announced his      
discovery in a ,latin ,thesis upon the  
occasion of his taking his degree of    

,doctor of ,medicine in #aged4 ,it was  
not1 however1 given in its fullest      
details until the year afterwards1 when 
he published his celebrated work        
entitled1 ',experiments on ,magnesia1   
,quick-lime1 and other alkaline         
substances2' a work which ,lord         
,brougham describes as being            
incontestably the most beautiful example
 of strict inductive investigation since
 the ',optics' of ,sir ,isaac ,newton4  
,in #aged1 as has been mentioned1 ,black
 took his medical degree at ,edinburgh2 
in #agef he was appointed to succeed    
,dr4 ,cullen as professor of anatomy and
 lecturer on chemistry in the           
,university of ,glasgow4 ,soon after1   
however1 he exchanged this for the      
professorship of medicine at the same   
university1 as being more congenial to  
his tastes4 ,dr4 ,black continued at the
 ,university of ,glasgow for the next   
ten years1 and it was during this       
period1 between the years #agei and     
#agfc1 that he brought to maturity his  

speculations concerning heat1 which had 
occupied his attention from the very    
first commencement of his philosophical 
investigations4 ,his two great          
discoveries were the doctrines of       
',latent ,heat1' and ',specific ,heat4' 
,the theory of ',latent' ,heat1 which   
mainly urged ,watt to the adoption of   
improved arrangements in the            
steam-engine1 may be briefly described  
as the absorption of heat by bodies     
passing from the solid to the fluid     
state1 and from the fluid to the        
ariform1 the heat having no effect on   
surrounding bodies 7being1 therefore1   
insensible to the hand or thermometer71 
and only by its absorption maintaining  
the body in the state which it has      
assumed1 and which it retains until the 
absorbed heat is given out and has      
become again sensible1 when the state of
 the body is changed back again from    
fluid to solid1 from ariform to fluid4  
,the doctrine of ',specific ,heat1' or  
as it was called by ,dr4 ,black the     

capacity of bodies for heat1 is summed  
up in the facts1 that different bodies  
contain different quantities of heat in 
the same bulk or weight2 and different  
quantities of heat are required to raise
 different bodies to the same sensible  
temperature4 ,thus it was found that a  
pound of gold being heated to #aej and  
added to a pound of water at #ej the    
temperature of both became not #ajj1 the
 mean between the two but #ee1 the gold 
losing #ie and the water gaining #e1    
because the capacity of water for heat  
is #ai times that of gold4 ,so twice as 
much heat is required to raise water to 
any given point of sensible heat as to  
raise mercury1 the volumes of the two   
fluids compared being equal4 ,the true  
doctrine of combustion1 calcination of  
metals1 and respiration of animals1     
which ,lavoisier deduced from the       
experiments of ,priestly and ,scheele   
upon oxygen gas1 and of ,cavendish on   
hydrogen gas1 was founded mainly upon   
the doctrines of latent and specific    

heat2 and it was thus the singular      
felicity of ,black to have furnished    
both the pillars upon which modern      
chemistry reposes4  ,in #agff ,black    
succeeded ,dr4 ,cullen in the           
professorship of chemistry at the       
,university of ,edinburgh1 and in the   
new scene on which he entered his       
talents became more conspicuously and   
more extensively useful4 ,dr4 ,robison  
thus characterises him as a             
lecturer--,he became one of the         
principal ornaments of the university1  
his lectures were attended by an        
audience which continued increasing from
 year to year2 his personal appearance  
and manners were those of a gentleman1  
and peculiarly pleasing4 ,his voice in  
lecturing was low but fine1 and his     
articulation so distinct that he was    
perfectly well heard by an audience     
consisting of several hundreds4 ,his    
discourse was so plain and perspicuous1 
his illustration by experiment so       
apposite1 that his sentiments on any    

subject never could be mistaken even by 
the most illiterate4 ,dr4 ,black        
continued to lecture at the ,university 
of ,edinburgh for thirty years2 he then 
retired and died three years afterwards1
 in #agii4 ,his health1 never robust1   
was precarious at all times from a      
weakness in the bronchia and chest1 but 
he prolonged life by a system of        
strictest abstinence1 frequently        
subsisting for days together on         
watergruel and diluted milk4 ,he was    
never married4 ,he lived in a select    
circle of friends1 the most illustrious 
men of the times in science and in      
letters2 ,watt1 ,hutton1 ,hume1         
,robertson1 ,smith2 and afterwards with 
the succeeding generation of ,scottish  
worthies1 ,robison1 ,playfair1 and      
,stewart4 ,he was extremely averse to   
publication1 contemning the impatience  
with which so many men of science hurry 
to the press1 often while their         
speculations are crude and their        
inquiries not finished4 ,he never       

published any work himself with the     
exception of his ',experiments on       
,magnesia1 c41' and two papers1 one in  
the ',london ,philosophical             
,transactions' for #agge on the         
,freezing of boiled ,water2 the other in
 the second vol4 of the ',edinburgh     
,transactions1' on the ,iceland ,hot    
,springs4  ,dr4 ,black expired in the   
seventy-first year of his age1 without  
any convulsion1 shock1 or stupor to     
announce or retard the approach of      
death4 ,being at table with his usual   
fare1 some bread1 a few prunes1 and a   
measured quantity of milk diluted with  
water1 and having the cup in his hand   
when the last stroke of the pulse was   
given1 he set it down on his knees1     
which were joined together1 and kept it 
steady with his hand in the manner of a 
person perfectly at his ease2 and in    
this attitude he expired without a drop 
being spilt or a feature in his         
countenance changed4 ,his servant coming
 in saw him in this posture and left the

 room1 supposing him asleep4 ,on        
returning soon after1 he saw him sitting
 as before and found that he had        
expired4--,brougham's ,lives of         
,philosophers4 ,london and ,glasgow1    
#ahee4--;,encyclopdia ,britannica1      
,eighth ,edition4     ,,henry ,,cort4   
,born #agdj4 ,died #ahjj4   ,the sad    
history of this great inventor1 who has 
been well surnamed ,the ,father of the  
iron trade1 is comparatively soon told4 
,although his discoveries in the        
manufacture of iron were so important as
 to have been one of the chief causes in
 the establishment of our modern        
engineering1 little is known of the life
 of the unfortunate inventor4 ,he was   
born in #agdj at ,lancaster1 where his  
father carried on the trade of a builder
 and brickmaker4 ,in #agfe1 at the age  
of twenty-five1 he was engaged in the   
carrying on of the business of a navy   
agent in ,surrey ,street1 ,strand1 in   
which he is said to have realized       
considerable profits4 ,while conducting 

this business ,cort became aware of the 
inferiority of ,british iron in         
comparison with that of foreign         
countries1 and entered on a series of   
experiments with the object of improving
 its manufacture4 ,in #agge he          
relinquished his business as a navy     
agent and took a lease of some premises 
at ,fonltey1 near ,fareham1 where he    
erected a forge and an iron-mill4 ,he   
afterwards took into partnership ,samuel
 ,jellicoe1 son of ,adam ,jellicoe1 then
 deputy-paymaster of seamen's wages1 a  
connection which ultimately proved the  
cause of all ,cort's subsequent         
misfortunes4 ,ford in #agdg1 ,dr4       
,roebuck in #agfb1 the brothers ,cranege
 in #agff1 and ,peter ,onions1 of       
,merthyr ,tydvil1 in #aghc1 had all     
introduced valuable additions to the    
then known processes of iron            
manufacture4 ,in #aghc-d ,cort took out 
his two patents which1 while combining  
the inventions of his predecessors1     
specified so many valuable improvements 

of an original character1 that they     
established a new era in the history of 
iron manufacture1 and raised it to the  
highest state of prosperity4 ,mr4       
,truran1#ea in speaking of ,cort1       
remarks ,the mode of piling iron to form
 large pieces1 as described in his      
inventions1 is the one at use in the    
present day4--,the method of puddling   
iron now in use is the same as that     
patented by ,henry ,cort4 ,there has    
been no essential departure from his    
process4 ,iron bottoms have been        
substituted for sand and by building the
 furnace somewhat larger1 a second      
charge of cast-iron is introduced and   
partially heated during the finishing   
operations in the first1 as conducted at
 the present day4 ,all that has been    
done in the last seventy-three years has
 been in the way of adding to and       
perfecting ,cort's furnaces1 as         
experience has from time to time        
suggested4 ,cort's method of passing the
 piled wedged-shaped bars of iron       

through grooved rollers has been spoken 
of by another competent authority as of 
high philosophical interest1 being      
scarcely less than the discovery of a   
new mechanical power in reversing the   
action of the wedge1 by the application 
of force to four surfaces so as to      
elongate the mass instead of applying   
force to a mass to divide the four      
surfaces4 ,the principal iron masters   
soon heard of the success of ,cort's new
 inventions1 and visited his foundry for
 the purpose of examining his process1  
and of employing it at their own works  
if satisfied with the result4 ,among the
 first to try it were ,richard ,crawshaw
 of ,cyfartha1 ,samuel ,homfray of      
,penydarran 7both in ,south ,wales71 and
 ,william ,reynolds of ,coalbrookdale4  
,the two first-named at once entered    
into a contract to work under ,cort's   
patents at #ajs4 a ton royalty2 and the 
quality of the iron manufactured by the 
new process was found to be so superior 
to other kinds1 that the ,admiralty     

directed it1 in #aghg1 to be used for   
the anchors and other iron-work in the  
ships of the ,royal ,navy4 ,the merits  
of the invention were now generally     
conceded1 and numerous contracts for    
licenses were entered into with ,cort   
and his partner1 by the manufacturers of
 bar-iron throughout the country1 and   
licenses were taken at royalties        
estimated to yield #bg1ejjl4 to the     
owners of the patent4 ,cort himself made
 arrangements for carrying on the       
manufacture on a large scale1 and with  
that object entered upon the possession 
of a wharf at ,gosport belonging to     
,adam ,jellicoe1 his partner's father1  
where he succeeded in obtaining         
considerable government orders for iron 
made under his patents4 ,this period1   
apparently the crowning point of ,cort's
 fortunes1 was but the commencement of  
his ruin4 ,in ,august1 #aghi1 ,adam     
,jellicoe died1 and defalcations were   
found in his public accounts to the     
extent of #ci1fgfl4 ,his papers and     

books were at once seized by            
,government1 and on examination it was  
found that a sum of #ed1hecl4 was owing 
to ,jellicoe by the ,cort partnership   
for moneys advanced by him at different 
times to enable ,cort to pursue his     
experiments1 which were necessarily of a
 very expensive character4 ,among the   
sums advanced by ,jellicoe to ,cort was 
found one of #bg1ejjl4 entrusted to     
,jellicoe for the payment of seamen and 
officers' wages4 ,as ,jellicoe had the  
reputation of being a rich man1 ,cort   
had not the slightest suspicion of the  
source from which the advances made to  
the firm were derived1 nor has any      
connivance whatever on the part of ,cort
 been suggested4 ,the ,government1      
however1 bound to act with promptitude  
in such a case1 at once adopted         
extraordinary measures to recover their 
money4 ,the assignments of ,cort's      
patents1 which had been made to         
,jellicoe in consideration of his       
advances1 were taken possession of1 but1

 strange to say1 ,samuel ,jellicoe1 the 
son of the defaulter1 was put in        
possession of the properties at ,fonltey
 and ,gosport and continued to enjoy    
them1 to ,cort's exclusion for a period 
of fourteen years4 ,notwithstanding     
this1 the patent rights seem never to   
have been levied by the assignees1 and  
the result was that the whole benefit of
 ,cort's inventions was made over to the
 ironmasters and to the public1 although
 there seems little reason to doubt1    
that had they been duly levied1 the     
whole of the debt due to the government 
would have been paid in the course of a 
few years4 ,as for ,cort himself1 on the
 death of ,jellicoe he left his iron    
works a ruined man4 ,he subsequently    
made many appeals to ,government for the
 restoration of his patents1 and offered
 to find security for payment of the    
debt due by his firm to the ,crown1 but 
in vain4 ,in #agid an appeal was made to
 ,mr4 ,pitt by a number of influential  
members of parliament1 on behalf of the 

inventor and his destitute family of    
twelve children1 when a pension of      
#bjjl4 was granted to him1 which he     
enjoyed until the year #ahjj1 when1     
broken in health and spirit1 he died at 
the age of sixty4 ,he was buried in     
,hampstead ,church1 where a stone marks 
the date of his death and is still to be
 seen2 a few years ago it was illegible1
 but it has been restored by his        
surviving son ,richard ,cort4  ,mr4     
,smiles thus concludes a long and       
interesting account of ,cort in his     
',industrial ,biography3'--,though ,cort
 died in comparative poverty1 he laid   
the foundations of many gigantic        
fortunes4 ,he may be said to have been1 
in a great measure1 the author of our   
modern iron aristocracy1 who still      
manufacture after the processes which he
 invented or perfected1 but for which   
they never paid him one shilling of     
royalty4 ,these men of gigantic fortunes
 have owed much1 we might almost say    
everything1 to the ruined projector of  

'the little mill at ,fonltey4' ,their   
wealth has enriched many families of the
 older aristocracy1 and has been the    
foundation of several modern peerages4  
,yet ,henry ,cort1 the rock from which  
they were hewn1 is already all but      
forgotten2 and his surviving children1  
now aged and infirm1 are dependent for  
their support upon the slender          
pittance1#eb wrung by repeated entreaty 
and expostulation1 from the             
state4--,smiles's ,industrial           
,biography4 ,london1 #ahfc4--,mechanics'
 ,magazine1 #ahei-fj-fa4     ,,james    
,,ivory1 ,f4,r4,s41 c4  ,born #agfe4    
,died ,september #ba1 #ahdb4   ,this    
distinguished mathematician was born at 
,dundee and received the elements of his
 education in the public schools of that
 town4 ,his father was a watchmaker and 
intended that his son should become a   
clergyman of the church of ,scotland1   
for which purpose he sent him1 when     
fourteen years old1 to the ,university  
of ,st4 ,andrews4 ,here ,ivory remained 

for six years1 and had for his fellow   
student1 ,mr4 7afterwards ,sir ,john7   
,leslie1 with whom1 at the end of the   
above period he removed to the          
,university of ,edinburgh1 where he     
remained one year to complete the course
 of study required as a qualification   
for admission into the church of        
,scotland4 ,circumstances1 however1 seem
 to have prevented ,ivory from carrying 
out the intentions of his father1 for1  
on leaving the university in #aghf1 he  
became an assistant teacher in an       
academy at that time recently           
established in ,dundee4 ,after remaining
 at this academy for three years1       
,ivory1 in company with several others1 
established a factory for spinning flax 
at ,douglastown1 in ,forfarshire4 ,in   
this apparently uncongenial occupation  
he remained for fifteen years 7from     
#aghi to #ahjd71 but the undertaking    
proved unsuccessful and in #ahjd the    
company ceased to exist4 ,mr4 ,ivory    
then obtained the appointment to a      

professorship of mathematics in the     
,royal ,military ,college at ,marlow1 in
 ,buckinghamshire 7afterwards removed to
 ,sandhurst71 with which establishment  
he remained until his retirement from   
public service4 ,this was the most      
active period of his life1 for while    
fulfilling assiduously the duties of his
 professorship he continued             
unremittingly his scientific studies4   
,his earliest writings were three       
memoirs1 which he communicated in the   
years #agif1 #agii1 and #ahjb1 to the   
,royal ,society of ,edinburgh4 ,the     
first of these was entitled1 ',a ,new   
,series for the ,rectification of the   
,ellipse2' the second1 ',a ,new ,method 
of ,resolving ,cubic ,equations2' and   
the third1 ',a ,new and ,universal      
,solution of ,kepler's ,problem2' all of
 them evincing great analytical skill1  
as well as originality of thought4 ,mr4 
,ivory contributed fifteen papers to    
',the ,transactions of the ,royal       
,society of ,london1' nearly all of them

 relating to physical astronomy1 and    
every one containing mathematical       
investigations of the most refined      
nature4 ,the first1 published in the    
',transactions of #ahji1' and entitled1 
',on the ,attractions of ,homogeneous   
,ellipsoids1' is his most celebrated    
paper1 in which he completely and       
definitely resolved the problem of      
attraction for every class of           
ellipsoidal bodies4 ,many of ,ivory's   
remaining contributions1 ranging through
 a period of nearly thirty years1       
related to the subject of the attraction
 of spheroids and the theory of the     
figure of the ,earth1 and some of them  
are considered masterpieces of          
analytical skill4 ,one of the last      
subjects which occupied his attention   
was the possible equilibrium of a       
spheroid with three unequal axes when   
revolving about one of the axes1 a fact 
which ,jacobi had discovered4 ,this     
,ivory demonstrates in the volume for   
#ahch of the ',philosophical            

,transactions4' ,the volumes in #ahbc   
and #ahch1 contain ,ivory's two papers  
on the ',theory of ,atmospheric         
,refraction1' a subject which1 next to  
the ,theory of ,attractions1 engaged    
most seriously his attention on account 
of its great importance in astronomy and
 the curious mathematical difficulties  
which its investigation presents4 ,for  
each of these papers he was awarded the 
,royal medal by the ,society4 ,of all   
his contributions to the                
',transactions1' only one is purely     
mathematical2 this is contained in the  
volume for #ahca1 and is entitled1 ',on 
the ,theory of ,elliptic                
,transcendants4' ,besides these         
contributions to the ,royal ,society1   
,ivory wrote several papers in the      
,philosophical ,magazine of #ahba-bg2 in
 ,maseres's ',scriptores ,logarithmici2'
 in ,leybourne's ',mathematical         
,repository2' and in the ,supplement to 
the sixth edition of the ,encyclopdia   
,britannica4 ,in the beginning of #ahai 

,ivory1 finding that his health began to
 decline under the great exertions which
 he made in carrying on his scientific  
researches1 and performing his duties as
 professor1 resigned his professorship  
at ,sandhurst and retired into private  
life4 ,in consideration1 however1 of his
 great merit1 the pension due for the   
full period of service required by the  
regulations was granted to him1 although
 that period had not been completed4    
,after his retirement1 ,ivory devoted   
himself entirely to his scientific      
researches1 living in or near ,london   
until his death4 ,in #ahad he had       
received the ,copley medal for his      
communications to the ,royal ,society2  
in #ahae he became a ,fellow of the same
 society4 ,he was also an honorary      
fellow of the ,royal ,society of        
,edinburgh2 an honorary member of the   
,royal ,irish ,academy and of the       
,cambridge ,philosophical ,society2 a   
corresponding member of the ,institute  
of ,france1 of the ,royal ,academy of   

,sciences at ,berlin1 and of the ,royal 
,society of ,gttingen4  ,in the year    
#ahca1 in consideration of the great    
talent displayed in his investigations1 
,ivory was recommended by ,lord         
,brougham1 whom he had known in early   
life1 to the notice of the ,king 7,wm4  
,,iv471 who1 with the ,hanoverian       
,guelphic ,order of ,knighthood1 gave   
him an annual pension of #cjjl41 which  
he enjoyed during the rest of his life2 
and in #ahci he received the degree of  
,doctor in ,laws from the ,university of
 ,st4 ,andrews4  ,mr4 ,ivory attained   
the age of seventy-seven before his     
death2 he was essentially a self-taught 
mathematician1 and spent most of his    
leisure in retirement4 ,he fathomed in  
private the profoundest writings of the 
most learned continental mathematicians1
 and at a period when few ,englishmen   
were able to understand those difficult 
works2 he even added to their value by  
many original contributions1 and must   
always be remembered with special       

interest when the singular destitution  
of higher mathematical talent1 which had
 reigned in this country for so long a  
period before his time1 is              
considered4--,english ,cyclopdia4       
,london1 #ahef4--;,encyclopdia          
,britannica4 ,eighth ,edition4          
,,joseph ,,priestly1 ,,ll4,d4  ,born    
,march #bd1 #aggc4 ,died ,february #bf1 
#ahjd4   ,joseph ,priestly was the son  
of a cloth-dresser at                   
,burstal-,fieldhead1 near ,leeds4 ,his  
family appear to have been in humble    
circumstances1 and he was taken off     
their hands after the death of his      
mother by his paternal aunt1 who sent   
him to a free school at ,batley4 ,there 
he learnt something of ,greek1 ,latin1  
and a little ,hebrew4 ,to this he added 
some knowledge of other ,eastern        
languages connected with ,biblical      
literature2 he made a considerable      
progress in ,syriac and ,chaldean1 and  
began to learn ,arabic2 he also had a   
little instruction in mathematics1 but  

in this science he did not make much    
proficiency4 ,indeed his whole education
 was exceedingly imperfect1 and1        
excepting in ,hebrew and ,greek1 he     
never afterwards improved it by any     
systematic course of study4 ,even in    
chemistry1 the science which he best    
knew1 and in which he made so important 
a figure1 he was only half-taught1 so   
that he presents one of the memorable   
examples of knowledge pursued1 science  
cultivated1 and even its bounds         
extended1 by those whose circumstances  
made their exertions a continued        
struggle against difficulties which only
 genius like theirs could have overcome4
 ,after studying for some years at the  
,dissenting ,academy founded by ,mr4    
,coward at ,daventry 7afterwards        
transferred to ,london71 ,priestly      
quitted ,daventry and became minister of
 a congregation at ,needham ,market1 in 
,suffolk1 where his salary never        
exceeded thirty pounds4 ,he had been    
brought up in the strictest ,calvinistic

 principles1 but he very soon abandoned 
these1 and his tenets continued in after
 life to be those of the moderate       
,unitarians1 whose leading doctrine is  
the proper humanity of ,christ1 and who 
confine all adoration to one ,supreme   
,being4 ,priestly's religious opinions  
proving distasteful to his congregation 
at ,needham ,market1 caused him to      
remove in #ageh to ,nantwich1 in        
,cheshire1 where he obtained a          
considerable number of pupils1 which    
greatly increased his income and enabled
 him by strict frugality to purchase a  
scanty scientific apparatus1 and        
commence a study of natural philosophy4 
,in #agfa1 ,priestly removed to         
,warrington1 where he was chosen to     
succeed ,dr4 ,aitken as tutor in the    
belles lettres at that academy4 ,on     
settling at ,warrington he married the  
daughter of ,mr4 ,wilkinson1 an         
ironmaster in ,wales1 by whom he had    
several children4 ,his literary career  
may be said to have commenced here1 and 

having once begun to publish1 his       
appeals to the press were incessant and 
on almost every subject4 ,the           
universality and originality of his     
pursuits may be judged from his         
delivering at ,warrington a course of   
lectures on anatomy1 while his published
 works during the next seven or eight   
years comprise3--',the ,theory of       
,language and ,universal ,grammar1'     
#agfb2 ',on ,oratory and ,criticism1'   
#aggg2 ',on ,history and ,general       
,policy1' #aghh2 ',on the ,laws and     
,constitution of ,england1' #aggb2 ',on 
,education1' #agfe2 ',chart of          
,biography1' #agfe2 ',chart of          
,history1' #agfi4 ,during the same      
period appeared1 in #agfg1 his work     
entitled1 ',a ,history of ,electricity1'
 c41 which was so well received that it 
went through five editions4 ,this was   
followed in #aggb by a ',history of     
,vision4' ,in #agfg1 on account of a    
dispute with the ,warrington trustees1  
,priestly removed to ,leeds1 where he   

became minister of the ,mill-,hill      
,chapel1 and wrote many controversial   
books and pamphlets4 ,in after times he 
wrote--',letters to a ,philosophical    
,institution2' ',an ,answer to ,gibbon2'
 ',disquisitions on ,matter and         
,spirit2' ',corruptions of              
,christianity2' ',early ,opinions on    
,christ2' ',familiar ,letters to the    
,inhabitants of ,birmingham2' ',two     
different ,histories of the ,christian  
,church2' ',on ,education2' ',comparison
 of ,heathen and ,christian             
,philosophy2' ',doctrine of ,necessity2'
 ',on the ,roman ,catholic ,claims2'    
',on the ,french ,revolution2' ',on the 
,american ,war2' besides twenty volumes 
of tracts in favour of ,dissenters and  
their ,rights4 ,his general works fill  
twenty-five volumes1 of which only five 
or six are on scientific subjects2 his  
publications being in all #ada1 of which
 only seventeen are scientific4 ,when   
residing at ,leeds ,priestly's house    
immediately adjoined a brewery1 which   

led him to make experiments upon the    
fixed air copiously produced during the 
process of fermentation4 ,these         
experiments resulted in his discovering 
the important fact that atmospheric air1
 after having been corrupted by the     
respiration of animals1 and by the      
burning of inflammable bodies1 is       
restored to salubrity by the vegetation 
of plants2 and that1 if the air is      
exposed to a mixture of sulphur and     
iron-filings1 its bulk is diminished    
between a fourth and a fifth1 and the   
residue is both lighter than common air 
and unfit to support life2 this residue 
he termed 'phlogistic air1' afterwards  
called azotic or nitrogen gas4#ec ,for  
these experiments the ,copley medal was 
awarded to him in #aggc by the ,royal   
,society4 ,the following year to this1  
from experiments with nimium or red     
lead1 ,priestly made his great and      
important discovery of oxygen gas4 ,this
 was followed by his discovering the    
gases of muriatic1 sulphuric1 and       

fluoric acids1 ammonial gas and nitrous 
oxide gas4 ,he also discovered the      
combination which nitrous gas forms     
suddenly with oxygen2 diminishing the   
volume of both in proportion to that    
combination2 and he thus invented the   
method of eudiometry or the             
ascertainment of the relative purity of 
different kinds of atmospheric air4  ,in
 considering the great merits of        
,priestly as an experimentalist1 it must
 not be forgotten that he had almost to 
create the apparatus by which his       
processes were to be performed4 ,he for 
the most part had to construct his      
instruments with his own hands1 or to   
make unskilful workmen form them under  
his own immediate direction4 ,his       
apparatus1 however1 and his contrivances
 for collecting1 keeping1 transferring  
gaseous bodies1 and for exposing        
substances to their action1 were simple 
and effectual1 and they continue to be  
still used by chemical philosophers     
without any material improvement4       

,although ,priestly was the first to    
discover oxygen1 and thus give the basis
 of the true theory of combustion1 he   
clung all his life with a wonderful     
pertinacity to the ,phlogistic          
,theory1#ed and nothing in after life   
would make him give it up4 ,in #aggc    
,priestly accepted an invitation from   
,lord ,shelbourne 7afterwards first     
,marquis of ,lansdowne71 to fill the    
place of librarian and philosophic      
companion1 with a salary of #bejl41     
reducible to #aejl4 for life should he  
quit the employment2 #djl4 a-year was   
also allowed him for the expense of     
apparatus and experiments1 and homes    
were provided for his family in the     
neighbourhood both of ,lord             
,shelbourne's town and country          
residence4 ,priestly remained with the  
,earl of ,shelbourne for six or seven   
years1 at the end of which period1 in   
#aghj1 he settled at ,birmingham and    
became minister of a dissenting body    
there4 ,while residing at ,birmingham he

 engaged fiercely in polemical writings 
and discussions1 particularly with      
,gibbon and ,bishop ,horseley4 ,he also 
displayed a warm interest in the cause  
of ,america at the time of the quarrel  
with the mother-country1 and likewise   
took an active and not very temperate   
part in the controversy to which the    
,french ,revolution gave rise2 and1     
having published a ',reply' to ,burke's 
famous pamphlet1 he was in #agia made a 
citizen of the ,french ,republic4 ,this 
gave considerable offence to the        
inhabitants of ,birmingham1 an ironical 
and somewhat bitter pamphlet against the
 high church party still further excited
 their feelings against him2 and a      
dinner which was given on the #adth of  
,july1 to celebrate the anniversary of  
the attack upon the ,bastile1 became the
 signal for a general riot4 ,the tavern 
where the party were assembled was      
attacked1 and1 although ,dr4 ,priestly  
was not present1 his house and chapel   
were immediately afterwards assailed1 he

 and his family escaped1 but his house1 
library1 and manuscripts were burnt4    
,although his losses were made up to him
 partially by an action at law and      
partially by a subscription among his   
friends1 ,priestly felt that he could no
 longer live at ,birmingham1 he         
therefore removed to ,london and        
succeeded his friend ,dr4 ,price as     
principal of the ,hackney ,academy4 ,he1
 however1 still found himself highly    
unpopular and shunned even by his former
 associates in silence4 ,this determined
 ,priestly to leave ,england1 and in the
 spring of #agid he withdrew with his   
family to ,america and settled at       
,northumberland1 in ,pennsylvania1 where
 he purchased #cjj acres of land4 ,here 
he remained the rest of his life1       
occupied in cultivating his land1 in    
occasional preaching1 and in scientific 
studies4 ,he continued writing and      
publishing until his death1 in ,february
 #ahjd1 in the #gbnd year of his age4   
,he expired very quietly1 and so easily 

that having put his hand to his face    
those who were sitting close to him did 
not immediately perceive his            
death4--,brougham's ,lives of           
,philosophers4 ,london and ,glasgow1    
#ahee4--;,encyclopdia ,britannica4      
,eighth ,edition4     ,,memoirs ,,of    
,,the ,,distinguished ,,men ,,of        
,,science ,,of ,,great ,,britain1       
,,living ,a4,d41 #ahjg-h4   ,,opinions  
,,of ,,the ,,press ,,on ,,the ,,first   
,,edition4   ,,once ,a ,,week4          
,accompanying the picture1 c41 there is 
a volume by ,mr4 ,w4 ,walker1 junior1   
giving a brief memoir of the salient    
points of each individual history4 ,this
 is well executed1 and forms a useful   
book of reference for those who would   
know more than the picture can tell4    
,,engineer4  ,messrs4 ,walker's great   
historical engraving of the             
,distinguished ,men of ,science1 noticed
 some weeks ago in these columns1 is    
accompanied by a well written and       
handsomely printed octavo volume of #bbh

 pages1 containing condensed            
biographical sketches of the fifty-one  
subjects of the picture itself4 ,the    
book appears to have been first         
undertaken with the view of furnishing a
 mere outline of the life and           
achievements of these eminent men1 but  
the inevitable delay attending the      
production of a large engraving1 and the
 gradual accumulation of personal and   
historical details1 at last led ,mr4    
,walker1 ,jun41 to revise and           
considerably extend the scope of his    
work1 which now forms a very complete   
and desirable compendium of             
long-neglected1 and1 popularly speaking1
 almost inaccessible biography1 of      
interest and value as well to those who 
cannot possess themselves of the picture
 as to the subscribers to that work4    
,the whole is preceded by an            
introduction1 not wanting in suggestive 
matter1 from the pen of ,mr4 ,robert    
,hunt1 ,f4,r4,s4444 ,there is probably  
no work1 certainly none so well within  

the reach of the general public1 which  
gives anything like as full and yet     
concise an account of the great men of  
science who lived and flourished half a 
century ago4 ,the arrangement of the    
book is such as to facilitate the       
readiest reference to any part1 and1    
while the matter is abundant1 the style 
is clear and pleasing4 ,we believe the  
book will be in large request4          
,,mechanics' ,,magazine4  ,in our notice
 last week of ,mr4 ,walker's engraving  
of the distinguished men of science1 we 
were only able to make a passing mention
 of the book of memoirs which           
accompanies it4 ,as1 however1 this book 
is to be obtained separately1 and has   
evidently been written with care1 we    
will now speak further as to its        
deserts4 ,in the preface the writer     
claims the merit only of a compiler1    
with one or two exceptions1 and he      
expresses a hope that he may have       
performed his task with clearness and   
brevity1 not neglecting1 at the same    

time1 to present his facts in a readable
 form4 ,the combination of these three  
qualities is not often to be met with in
 a series of short biographies1 and we  
are1 therefore1 glad to be able to say  
that ,mr4 ,w4 ,walker has1 in a great   
measure1 succeeded in accomplishing     
this4 ,we would particularly call       
attention to the notices of ,cavendish1 
,samuel ,crompton1 ,dr4 ,jenner1 ,count 
,rumford1 and ,dr4 ,thomas ,young1 as   
instances of the successful manner in   
which good sketches of character have   
been interwoven with plain records of   
the facts occurring in the lives of     
these eminent men4 ,the memoir of ,james
 ,watt is also well put together1 and it
 must have cost the writer considerable 
labour to compress into the space of six
 pages so clear an account of the       
numerous works of this great philosopher
 and engineer4  ,the biographies which  
claim particular notice1 from containing
 original information1 are those of     
,tennant1 ,maudslay1 and ,trevithick4   

,the life of ,charles ,tennant1 the     
founder of the celebrated chemical works
 at ,st4 ,rollox1 ,glasgow1 gives to the
 public for the first time a sketch of  
the career of one whose inborn energy of
 character and clear intellect 7to use  
the author's words71 placed him among   
the foremost of those men who1 by       
uniting science to manufactures1 have   
entitled their occupations to be classed
 among the ranks of the liberal         
professions4  ,but the memoir the       
perusal of which will afford the        
greatest interest to engineers is that  
of ,trevithick4 ,without pretending to  
anything like a life worthy of the      
genius of this extraordinary man1 it is1
 notwithstanding1 the most complete     
biographical notice which has yet been  
published of him4 ,we trust the book may
 be extensively read1 as it affords     
interesting information1 in an easily   
accessible shape1 of men1 the memory of 
whose deeds is too liable to pass away4 
,,engraving ,,of  ,,the ,,distinguished 

,,men ,,of ,,science ,,of ,,great       
,,britain1 ,,living ,a4,d41 #ahjg-h4    
,this ,great ,historical ,engraving     
represents1 assembled at the ,royal     
,institution1 authentic ,portraits of   
the following illustrious men3--,,watt1 
,,rennie1 ,,telford1 ,,mylne1 ,,jessop1 
,,chapman1 ,,murdock1 the first to      
introduce gas into practical use2       
,,rumford1 ,,huddart1 ,,boulton1        
,,brunel1 ,,watson1 ,,bentham1          
,,maudslay1 ,,dalton1 ,,cavendish1 ,,sir
 ,,humphry ,,davy1 ,,wollaston1         
,,hatchet1 ,,henry1 ,,allen1 ,,howard1  
,,smith1 the father of ,english         
,geology2 ,,crompton1 inventor of the   
,spinning ,mule3 ,,cartwright1          
,,tennant1 ,,ronalds1 the first to      
successfully pass an electric telegraph 
message through a long distance2        
,,charles ,,earl ,,stanhope1            
,,trevithick1 ,,nasmyth1 ,,miller of    
,dalswinton1 and ,,symington1 the       
inventors and constructors of the first 
practical ,steam ,boat2 ,,professor     

,,thomson1 of ,glasgow2 ,,troughton1    
,,donkin1 ,,congreve1 ,,herschel1       
,,maskelyne1 ,,baily1 ,,frodsham1       
,,leslie1 ,,playfair1 ,,rutherford1     
,,dollond1 ,,brown1 the botanist2       
,,gilbert and ,,banks1 the ,presidents  
of the ,royal ,society at that epoch of 
time2 ,,captain ,,kater1 celebrated for 
his pendulum experiments2 ,,dr4 ,,thomas
 ,,young1 and ,,jenner the benefactor of
 mankind4  ,engraved in the best style  
of ,stipple and ,mezzotinto by ,,wm4    
,,walker and ,,george ,,zobel4 ,from an 
original drawing in ,chiaroscuro4       
,designed by ,,gilbert2 drawn by ,j4 ,f4
 ,,skill and ,w4 ,,walker4   ,,published
 ,,by ,w4 ,,walker  ,,son1 #fd1         
,,margaret ,,street1 ,,cavendish        
,,square1 ,,london1 ,w4  ,size of the   
,engraving1 without ,margin1 ,forty-one 
by ,twenty and a half ,inches4    ,plain
 ,impressions1 #e 3 #e4   ,proofs1 with 
,title and ,autographs1 #h 3 #h4        
,artist ,proof1 with or without         
,autographs1 #aj 3 #aj4   ,,opinions    

,,of ,,the ,,press4   ,,times4  ,an     
,engraving before us comprises the      
portraits of #ej distinguished ,men of  
,science of ,great ,britain who were    
living in #ahjg-h1 and who are here     
represented as assembled in the ,upper  
,library of the ,royal ,institution 444 
we can easily conceive1 as the preface  
to an accompanying volume of biographies
 informs us1 that the collection and    
combination of these portraits occupied 
five years1--for some of them1 at this  
distance of time1 must have been        
discoverable with very great difficulty4
 ,thus we have among them portraits of  
some of the inventors of whom we know   
very little in proportion to their      
acknowledged capacities1 such for       
example as ,trevithick the friend of    
,robert ,stephenson1 and ,murdock the   
,achates of ,james ,watt and introducer 
of gas 444 there can be little doubt    
that the #ej physiognomies are derived  
from authentic originals in every case1 
great diligence having been employed in 

searching for such in the hands of their
 representatives 444 as we said1 this   
engraving must not be regarded only as a
 work of art1 but as a collection of    
portraits of special interest1 some of  
which are not attainable in any other   
form2 while1 as a whole1 they are an    
appropriate monument of our greatest    
scientific epoch4   ,,daily ,,telegraph4
  ,we may fairly commence the following 
remarks with unqualified praise of a    
work of art1 which is intended to honour
 the distinguished men of science who   
were living in ,great ,britain early in 
the present century1 and who1 with one  
surviving exception1 having passed into 
a deathless fame1 are yet remembered by 
philosophers equally great1 who were    
their contemporaries4 ,mr4 ,wm4 ,walker1
 with the assistance of ,mr4 ,zobel1 has
 produced a really great historical     
engraving from a design by ,mr4         
,gilbert1 representing an assemblage of 
fifty eminent chemists1 engineers1      
astronomers1 naturalists1 electricians  

and mechanical inventors1 grouped in the
 library of the ,royal ,institution4    
,the scene is thoroughly appropriate1   
for these men were living in the years  
#ahjg-h1 while the ,royal ,institution  
itself dates from #ahjj1 having been    
founded to promote the application of   
science to practical uses4 ,the period  
marked by the pictorial gathering in    
question1 belonged to an era as complete
 and brilliant as any that ,british     
science has yet passed through4 ,a      
glance round the circle of intensely    
thoughtful faces composing this great   
portrait group will revive many a page  
of instructive and ennobling history4   
,we see in the centre1 seated round a   
table1 ,james ,watt1 ,sir ,isambard     
,brunel1 ,john ,dalton1 c4444 ,such men 
were our fathers--patient1 indomitable1 
calmly and wisely bold1 modestly        
self-reliant2 ever watching1 ever       
toiling1 ever adding to the store of    
knowledge that was to benefit not them  
alone but the great human race4 ,such   

men are their sons who carry on the     
appointed work of improvement and       
civilization4 ,to such men do we point  
as examples for our children4 ,their    
sterling qualities may be best summed up
 in the words of ,lord ,jeffrey1 written
 of that same ,john ,playfair to whom we
 have already referred4 ,their's was the
 understanding at once penetrating and  
vigilant1 but more distinguished1       
perhaps1 for the caution and sureness of
 its march than for the brilliancy or   
rapidity of its movements3 and guided   
and adorned through all its progress by 
the most genuine enthusiasm for all that
 is grand1 and the justest taste for all
 that is beautiful4   ,,athen,,um4      
,messrs4 ,walker and ,son have published
 a large engraving of fifty-one         
distinguished men of science1 alive in  
#ahjg-h1 grouped together in the library
 of the ,royal ,institution4 ,this      
engraving1 which is a beautiful         
production1 is described as designed by 
,gilbert1 c4444 ,it is accompanied by a 

book1 the frontispiece of which is a    
reduced copy of the engraving1 for      
reference1 c4   ,,once ,a ,,week4  ,an  
earnest artist named ,william ,walker1  
not being wholly absorbed in the pursuit
 of gain1 but working with enthusiasm on
 his own perceptions of what is great in
 humanity and fitting in a nation1 has  
for many years devoted himself to the   
task of gathering and grouping together 
the great men who were living in the    
early part of the present century4444   
,this is of a verity a picture of great 
men--men whose instinct it was to work  
for the world and fight against misery3 
some of them wealthy and some of them   
poor2 with visions perchance of wealth  
to come1 but still working for the      
world's welfare as the only path through
 which to ensure their own1--the race of
 path-finders who are ever setting      
copies for the ,english nation to work  
by1 and thus gain more results by the   
development of national energy4         
,accompanying the picture1 which        

contains upwards of fifty portraits1    
some full figures1 and some more or less
 hidden1 but all admirably grouped1     
there is a volume1 by ,mr4 ,walker's    
son1 giving a brief memoir of the       
salient points of each individual       
history2 this also is well executed1 and
 it forms a useful book of reference for
 those who would know more than the     
picture can tell4444 ,grateful are we to
 men like ,mr4 ,walker1 who has thus    
gathered together in groups the world's 
workers1 with their images and          
superscriptions1 that men may know their
 benefactors1 and render to their memory
 that justice which was too rarely      
accorded to their lives4 ,so1 all honour
 to the work of both the father and the 
son1 the picture and the book1 in       
teaching the men of the present what    
they owe to men of the past4            
,,mechanics' ,,magazine4  ,perhaps no   
class of men have deserved more of their
 country and of mankind than the great  
inventors and discoverers in astronomy1 

chemistry1 engineering and other        
departments of science2 yet very little 
is known of many of them in proportion  
to the acknowledged good which has      
resulted from their labours4 ,we possess
 works of art commemorating the         
achievements of heroes in the field1 and
 of statesmen in parliament1 but until  
now no work of any magnitude has ever   
been executed in honour of men whose    
doings have laid the foundation of our  
commercial prosperity4 ,we are1 however1
 able to state that this can no longer  
be said1 as ,mr4 ,walker1 of #fd1       
,margaret-street1 ,cavendish-square1    
has1 after an extended period of labour1
 produced an engraving which must remain
 an enduring record of our greatest era 
in science--the early part of the       
present century4 ,at that epoch of time1
 steam1 under the hands of ,watt1       
,symington1 and ,trevithick1 was        
commencing its marvellous career2       
astronomy and chemistry began to reveal 
their long-hidden secrets2 while the    

discovery of vaccination1 by ,jenner1   
had already rescued thousands from death
 to enjoy the blessings left as a legacy
 by many a silent worker in science4444 
,we may fairly state that we have never 
seen so large a body of men arranged in 
a group1 where it is necessary that all 
should1 in a measure1 present their     
faces turned towards the spectator1 so  
free from that stiffness which is the   
general fault of works of this class4   
,for this1 great praise is due to ,john 
,gilbert1 by whom the original picture  
7drawn by ,j4 ,f4 ,skill and ,w4        
,walker7 was designed4 ,the engraving   
has been executed by ,w4 ,walker and    
,george ,zobel2 while in order to render
 the work complete1 a series of memoirs 
have been drawn up by ,mr4 ,w4 ,walker1 
,jun41 and furnished with a short       
introduction by ,mr4 ,robert ,hunt1     
,f4,r4,s41 keeper of the ,mining        
,records4 ,we can only now say of the   
book1 that while many of the memoirs are
 necessarily brief1 one1 that of        

,trevithick1 contains the most          
information yet published regarding that
 eminent engineer4   ,,building ,,news4 
,we are glad to be able to inform our   
readers1 that a large engraving has just
 been completed by ,mr4 ,walker1 of #fd1
 ,margaret-street1 ,cavendish-square1 in
 honour of the men of science who have  
done so much towards the establishment  
of our present commercial prosperity4   
,this work1 which may well be called    
historical1 represents fifty-one        
illustrious men1 living in the early    
part of the present century1 assembled  
in the ,upper ,library of the ,royal    
,institution4 ,the picture is divided   
into three groups1 and comprises        
authentic portraits of our greatest     
inventors and discoverers in astronomy1 
chemistry1 engineering machinery1 and   
other departments of science4444 ,the   
grouping of so large a number of figures
 must have been a difficult task2 this  
has1 however1 been successfully         
accomplished by ,john ,gilbert1 the     

designer of the original picture1 who1  
by a skilful combination of various     
attitudes1 has given both grace and ease
 to the figures represented4 ,the       
engraving has been executed by ,william 
,walker and ,george ,zobel1 and the     
greatest care seems to have been taken  
to secure faithful and authentic        
likenesses4 ,the work is rendered       
complete by a series of well-written    
memoirs1 compiled to accompany the      
engraving4 ,this book is also published 
separately1 and we should think there   
would be many who would buy the memoirs 
although unable to purchase the         
engraving4     ,w4 ,,davy  ,,son1       
,,printers1 #h ,,gilbert ,,street1 ,w4  
,,footnotes3  #a ,the portable          
observatories used in this expedition   
were constructed by ,smeaton the        
engineer4--,wild's ,history of the ,roy4
 ,soc4 vol4 #b1 p4 #cg4  #b ,mr4 ,samuel
 ,bentham had amongst his other         
contrivances for shaping wood1 described
 one in his patent of #agic1 for shaping

 the shells of blocks1 but with a       
singular degree of candour and          
generosity1 he at once acknowledged the 
superiority of ,brunel's                
machinery4--,smiles's ,industrial       
,biography4 ,london1 #ahfc4  #c         
,quarterly ,review1 ,october1 #aheh4  #d
 ,for ,maudslay's connection with this  
lock1 see ,maudslay4  #e ,in the        
dedication of the ',synopsis ,plantarum 
,orbis ,novi1' ,roberto ,brownio1       
,britanniarum ,glori atque ,ornamento1  
totam ,botanices ,scientiam ingenio     
mirifico complectenti4  #f ,at eleven   
years of age1 ,brunel's love of tools   
was so great that he once pawned his hat
 to buy them2 and at the age of twelve  
he is said to have constructed different
 articles with as much precision as a   
regular workman4  #g ,brunel had        
scarcely left the shores of ,france when
 he found that he had lost his passport4
 ,this difficulty he1 however1 got over 
by borrowing a passport from a          
fellow-traveller1 which he copied so    

exactly in every particular1 down to the
 very seal1 that it was deemed proof    
against all scrutiny4 ,he had hardly    
completed his task when the ,american   
vessel was stopped by a ,french frigate1
 and all the passengers were ordered to 
show their passports4 ,brunel1 with     
perfect self-possession1 was the first  
to show his1 and not the slightest doubt
 was aroused as to its authenticity4  #h
 ,the total number of machines employed 
in the various operations of making a   
ship's block by this method was         
forty-four1 and #af1jjj blocks of       
various sizes could be turned out in the
 course of a year4  #i ,dr4 ,cartwright 
was the younger brother of ,major ,john 
,cartwright1 the well-known ,english    
,reformer of the reign of ,george       
,,iii41 to whose memory a bronze statue 
is erected in ,burton ,crescent1        
,london4  #aj ,dr4 ,cartwright was      
married twice4 ,his first wife died in  
#aghe1 and in #agij he married the      
youngest daughter of the ,rev4 ,dr4     

,kearney4  #aa ,pursuit of ,knowledge1  
vol4 #b4  #ab ,the other three being    
,hales1 ,black1 and ,priestly4  #ac     
,highs or ,hays was a reedmaker at      
,leigh1 and in #agfg took up the plan of
 attempting to spin by rollers running  
at different speeds1 previously invented
 by ,lewis ,paul in #agch4 ,highs       
employed ,kay to carry out his plans1   
from whom ,arkwright obtained the       
requisite information4  #ad ,mr4 ,lee1  
,mr4 ,kennedy1 and ,mr4 ,george         
,duckworth4  #ae ,there is an           
unaccountable mistake of one year in    
,mr4 ,crompton's age as engraved on his 
tombstone4  #af ,memoir1 by ,dr4 ,t4 ,s4
 ,trail1 ,encyclopdia1 ,britannica4  #ag
 ,youngest son of ,james ,watt4  #ah    
,davy also reduced by voltaic           
electricity alumina1 but aluminium was  
first obtained in a perfectly separate  
state by ,wohler in #ahbg4  #ai ,the    
meshes or apertures of the wire gauze   
ought not to be more than one           
twenty-second of an inch in             

diameter4--,brougham's ,lives of        
,philosophers4  #bj ,called at first    
,georgium ,sidus in honour of ,george   
the ,third4  #ba ,this machinery was    
constructed by ,john                    
,rennie4--,mechanics' ,magazine1 ,sept4 
#bj1 #ahfa4  #bb #bj1jjjl41 the reward  
offered for a chronometer sufficiently  
exact to correct the longitude within   
certain limits required by ,act of      
,parliament4  #bc ,a very interesting   
account of ,maudslay's introduction1 c41
 to ,bramah is given by ,mr4 ,smiles in 
his ',industrial ,biography4' ,london   
#ahfc4 ,p4 #bja-c4  #bd ,see ',memoir of
 ,bramah4'  #be ,in particular may be   
mentioned ,joseph ,clement and ,joseph  
,whitworth4  #bf ,see ',memorials of    
,great ,britain and ,ireland1' by ,sir  
,john ,dalrymple1 ,bart4  #bg ,for      
fuller account of ,miller and           
,symington's experiments see ',memoir of
 ,symington4'  #bh ,mechanics'          
,magazine1 ,september #bj1 #ahfa4  #bi  
,lock's ,essays on the ,trade and       

,commerce1 ,manufactories and           
,fisheries1 of ,scotland1 #aggi4 #c     
vols4  #cj ,according to an article     
published in the ,mechanics' ,magazine1 
,sept4 #bj1 #ahfa1 ,mr4 ,rennie appears 
likewise to have attended the collegiate
 academy at ,perth4 ,the above brief    
account of his early life is given on   
the authority of a ,memoir furnished by 
,mr4 ,george ,rennie1 ,f4,r4,s41 and    
published in the ,encyclopdia           
,britannica4  #ca ,by the invention and 
employment of what is now well known as 
the travelling-crane4  #cb ,this        
peculiarity of ,mr4 ,ronalds' apparatus 
is stated in full by ,mr4 ,highton1     
,c4,e41 in his work on the ',telegraph1'
 page #ej4 ,london1 ,john ,weale4  #cc  
,see also ,patrick ,miller4  #cd ,named 
in honour of ,lord ,dundas's daughter1  
,lady ,milton4  #ce ,the ',comet4'  #cf 
,john ,clerk 7,lord ,eldin7 pronounced  
the patent to be correctly drawn up1 and
 that no doubt existed of ,mr4          
,symington's right to recover damages   

from its invaders4  #cg ,smiles's       
',lives of the ,engineers4' ,london1    
#ahfa4  #ch ,originally designed by     
,thomas ,paine4  #ci ,sixth             
,dissertation1 by ,dr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,forbes1 
,f4,r4,s4--,encyclopdia ,britannica1    
,eighth ,edition4  #dj ,the             
specification of this patent gives      
likewise the first mention 7we believe7 
on record of oscillating engines4 ,sir  
,john ,rennie1 ,f4,r4,s41 in his address
 to the ,institution of ,civil          
,engineers1 in #ahdf1 mentions the      
following passage3--,even the objection 
of extra friction1 however1 if tenable1 
is obviated by the vibrating cylinder   
described in ,trevithick and ,vivian's  
patent1 in #ahjb2 patented by ,whitty in
 #ahac1 and by ,manby in #ahba1 by whom 
the first engines of the kind were      
constructed4  #da ,an eye-witness1 who  
is still living1 relates that on one of 
these trials he saw ,trevithick's       
steam-carriage proceeding at the rate of
 twelve miles an hour4  #db ,mrs4       

,humblestone 7#ahfa7 is now eighty-one  
years of age1 and is residing in the    
neighbourhood of ,edgware ,road4  #dc   
,sixth ,dissertation1 ,encyclopdia      
,britannica1 ,eighth ,edition4  #dd ,see
 ,practical ,treatise on ,railroads1 c41
 by ,luke ,hebert1 ,london1 #ahcg4      
,pages #ba-d4--,mr4 ,francis            
,trevithick1 who has spent considerable 
time in ascertaining the facts regarding
 his father's first locomotive1 states  
that he has no doubt the wheels of this 
engine were not in any way roughed3 that
 he has often conversed with those who  
made and worked the engine2 that he has 
their copies of the original drawings2  
and that in all these cases he never    
heard or saw anything which indicated   
that the wheels were roughed4  #de      
,phil4 ,mag4 and ,annals of ,philosophy1
 ,august1 #ahca1 in a letter to ,richard
 ,taylor1 ,f4,s4,a41 by ,w4 ,jory       
,henwood1 ,f4,g4,s4  #df ,the late      
,michael ,williams1 ,m4,p4 for ,west    
,cornwall1 was present during this      

transaction1 and afterwards remonstrated
 with ,trevithick on his folly4--,the   
cheque offered to him has been stated by
 one gentleman to have been for a far   
larger sum4  #dg ,during his residence  
at ,glasgow1 a ,mason's ,lodge were     
desirous of possessing an organ1 and    
,watt was asked to build it4 ,he was    
totally destitute of a musical ear1 and 
could not distinguish one note from the 
other1 but he nevertheless accepted the 
offer2 for having studied the           
philosophical theory of music1 he found 
that science would be a substitute for  
want of ear4 ,he commenced by building a
 small one for ,dr4 ,black1 and then    
proceeded to the large one1 in the      
building of which he devised a number of
 novel expedients1 such as indicators   
and regulators of the strength of the   
blast1 with various contrivances for    
improving the efficiency of the stops4  
,the qualities of this organ when       
finished are said to have elicited the  
surprise and admiration of musicians4   

,during this period of his life ,watt   
used likewise to construct and repair   
guitars1 flutes1 and violins1 and had   
the same success as with his            
organ4--,quarterly ,review1 ,october1   
#aheh4  #dh ,preface to ,elements of    
,experimental ,chemistry1 ,eleventh     
,edition4  #di ,life of ,thomas ,young1 
,m4,d41 c41 by ,george ,peacock1 page   
#adc4  #ej ,lord ,brougham gives the    
date of ,dr4 ,black's birth as          
#agba4--,lives of ,philosophers4 ,third 
,edition1 #ahee4  #ea ,mechanics'       
,magazine1 vol4 v4 7new series71 page   
#bgf4  #eb ,after many appeals1 a       
pension of #ejl4 a-year was granted by  
the ,crown to ,richard ,cort1 the sole  
surviving son of ,henry ,cort4  #ec     
,discovered at the same time by ,dr4    
,rutherford of ,edinburgh4  #ed ,the    
,phlogistic ,theory explained the       
phenomena of combustion by supposing the
 existence of a hypothetical substance  
termed ,phlogiston1 the union of which  
with bodies made them combustible1 and  

the disengagement of which was the      
occasion of combustion4                 
,transcriber's ,notes4    ,footnotes    
have been moved to the end of the book4 
,italics are shown thus3 sloping4       
,bold type is shown thus3 shout4        
,small capitals have been capitalised4  
,inconsistent hyphenation retained4     
,obvious typos and printer errors have  
been corrected4   ,old spelling forms   
are retained4   ,in the appendix        
',,richard ,,cort' has been corrected to
 ',,henry ,,cort'4