Observations on the Glaciers and Cli7ncUe qf'Sjjitzbergen, 91 



was born in Amereca He was different times in this contray and staped 

 with me for some tune but he published a tritiez on Canal Declining Rail- 

 roads acctuards I have not his boock but you will finde it in Mr Taylor 

 Stashner London it is 2l8 He published it in this contray in 1804 I think 

 for in the letter end of the year 1 803 he on his way to Frans called on me 

 and in his return in 1804 He was brought up in the line of a painter and 

 was the best hande sceatcher and lick ways a good mineter painter He was 

 not brought up as a ingenair,but he was employed to come to this contray to 

 take drayings of our cattin and other meshineray that leaid him in to become 

 en sivel ingenar and was quick in his uptake of any thing When I wrate to 

 the Amerecan goverment the grate yauility that steam navigation wold be 

 to them on their rivers they apointed Mr R Fulton to corspond with me 

 so in that way the Amerecans gatt their first insight from your humbel ser- 

 vent HENERY BELL" 



Boats on Mr Fulton's construction were very soon afterwards 

 brought into general use in the United States of America ; but 

 it was not till twelve years after my father had employed steam 

 in propelling the two boats erected by him, and after he had 

 given public intimation of the invention to every court in Eu- 

 rope, that any of Mr Fulton's steam-vessels appeared ; and not 

 till the year 1811, being ten years after the introduction of 

 them into the United States, that Bell built his vessel called the 

 " Comef' to ply upon the River Clyde, and which was soon 

 afterwards followed by many others. 



What I have now stated has been extracted from, and is sup- 

 ported by, the writings and memorials of Messrs Symington 

 and Bell, and seems to me quite sufficient to shew that the merit 

 of the introduction of steam-navigation rests with my late father 

 entirely; and that the only merit of these two persons consists in 

 following out the plan he had adopted, and long before promul- 

 gated, of applying wheels or paddles turned by steam in pro- 

 pelling vessels at sea. 



Observations on the Glaciers and Climate of Spitzbergeii^ made 

 during a Visit to that Island ; zaith a Reply to Mr Scoresbi/s 

 Remarks. By Thomas A. Latta, M. D., M. W. S. Com- 

 municated by the Author. 



JL HRQUGH the medium of the Philosophical Journal, Oct.»— 

 Dec. 1826, I laid before the public a short essay on the condi- 



