39 ^ Biographical Memoirs of 



cerned In any plan for (applying her palace with water; 

 though I recollect a converiation betv een him and me, oc- 

 canpned by the defcripium of a ball-cock in one of our 

 newfpapers, which could not have failed to lead to the men- 

 tion of luch a plan had he known any thino- of it. 1 have, 

 however, heard him fay, that he pielentcd to the admiralty 

 college a plan for rendering the magnificent docks at Cron- 

 ftadt of iome ufe by means of a fteam-engine; and that the 

 plan was adopted, arid executed with iuccefs after he left 

 Ruflia. — Tuiit alter honores. 



He quitted that empire not becaufe the emoluments of his 

 appointments were comparatively fmall, for they were much 

 greater than thofe of his appointment in Edinburgh, but be- 

 caufe, the academy being at Cronftadt, a difmal folitude, he 

 found his fituation extremely irkfome. Had it been at Saint 

 Peterfburgh, the fociety of Euler and iEpinus, to whom he 

 was known, as well as of many Ruffian gentlemen whom he 

 fpeaks of as pofTeifmg Britifh hearts, might have reconciled 

 him to that capital ; but to get away from Cronftadt he ac- 

 cepted with pleafure the invitation of the magiftrates and 

 town council of Edinburgh to be profeflbr of natural philo- 

 fcphy in their univerlity. The grand duke parted with him 

 reluctantly, and requefiing him, when he left the academy, 

 to take with him fome voting men of talents from the corps 

 of cadets; he promiied him a penfion of 400 rubles (80 1.) 

 a-year. That penfion was regulnrly paid only during the 

 three years that the gentlemen whom he felected relided in 

 Edinburgh : it was then discontinued, as T think he told me, 

 becaufe he did not continue a correfpondence with the aca- 

 demy, and communieate all the Britifh improvements in 

 marine education, 



Much has been faid of profevTor Robifon's lectures on na- 

 tural philulophy ; much that is true, and fomething that is 

 unqueiUwiiably falfe. It is univtrially admitted that he gives 

 a coniprcheniive and fcientific view of his iubject, and that 

 he fkihully applies its principles to the acts of life; but com- 

 plaints have been made of the abftrultnefs of his demonstra- 

 tions. Are the complainers certain that the demonfirations 

 are abftrufe to iuch as are qualified by a preparatory know- 



•• The ball-cock thus defcribed was, in faCl, the fame with that of 

 De r aguliers, notctd in the article Water Works in the Encyclopedia. 



Dr. kobifon, after cxprtthng iome furprife that the writer in the new 



paper ihouid have faid that it is not noticed in that article, gave me an 

 ;»cc* .: nt of his hayjng been frequently employed to difengage air from 

 water pipes both in England and in Scotland \ but ftid nothing of his 

 bein^ io employed at St. Pete, {burgh. 



ledge 



