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XVL A Secf.jid Letter from E. V. on the Means of 

 gain'mg Power in Mechanics, 



g^j^ To Mr, Tilloch, 



IVlucH as the moderns are reckoned to surpass the antients 

 in nnathematical knowledge, and notwithstanding the ex- 

 perience and improvements in mechanics, during the later 

 and more enhirhtened an;es, it is a mortiFvin':i: truth that we 

 arc even at this day totally ignorant of the means formerly 

 employed, and very extensively in use, to move to vast di- 

 stances, and raise to great height, prodigious masses and 

 weights, such as the celebrated columns of Kgypt, Rome, 

 &c.^ and that with all our advantages over the antients, v^e 

 still remain unable to equal their practice in these respects. 

 It does not appear that our predecessors were gifted with su- 

 perior intellect or strength to the present race -, their means 

 inuit have been mechanical, and therefore must be within our 

 reach. — Why then should we not attempt and expect to do 

 as much as they did ? It is truly surprising that an art of 

 so useful and important a nature, so nearly allied to the me- 

 chanical powers in constant varied use and progressive im- 

 provement among us, has so long been lost and escaped 

 discovery ! Perhaps the time is not distant when this mighty 

 secret shall again be common for the general benefit of so- 

 ciety. My hunible endeavours have occasionally been di- 

 Y rected to this f^nc] ; and vyith this view I have contributed 

 any mite, and ^i;all continue so to do by the communica- 

 f\cjn, through your valuable Magazine, of relative experi- 

 me^its and results which may be novel, in the hope of sti- 

 mul^ing the exertions of the more scientific ; — for, as '' great 

 cv.ent'j oft owe their rise to trivial cause,'* my hints may 

 haply fi;rnish abler heads with ideas which may lead further 

 than I can pretend to penetrate j and thus, between us, the 

 period of success may be accelerated. 



In my last, I gave account of an engine of my contri- 

 vance, which gained considerable power : — this engine has 

 since been so improved, that with the same moving power, 

 the same velocity, kc, it raises a weigjit of thirty pounds 



instead 



