PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 17 



diately after, two reapers appeared in England — one coming out in 1785, the 

 other in 1786. Mr Scot-Skirving then gave an account of the various 

 machines which had been produced between that date and 1826, when Mr 

 Bell's machine was first worked. Mr Bell was just nineteen when he began 

 to experiment with his machine. He and his brother worked together ; and, 

 as they thought they might be considered lunatics, they did not like anybody 

 to see what they were doing. They wheeled a lot of earth into a shed, and 

 set up straws in it, and worked the machine by stealth. When they got it 

 completed, they took it out first in the moonlight. Their experiments cost a 

 great deal of expense, and the only money they ever received was L.50 from 

 this Society, which did not nearly cover their outlay. In proposing this, he 

 did not ignore the merits of a great many people who had improved upon it ; 

 but he claimed for Mr Bell that he was the first man who constructed a 

 machine which had kept the field. Mr Skirving showed the great expense 

 which had been saved to the farmers by this machine, and proceeded to say 

 that he did not wish the Society to give a money testimonial, although the 

 Society had often done so as the reward of accomplished success. Mr Bell 

 was not in a position to attract attention. He was a minister of the Church 

 of Scotland in one of the poorest parishes, and he believed a pecuniary reward 

 would be more agreeable than if he were a richer man, although rich and poor 

 alike deserved reward for their good deeds. All he asked was that they 

 should empower the Secretary to work the machinery so far as sending out 

 circulars and receiving the contributions was concerned. With that courtesy 

 and kindness which he was sure the members generally experienced at the 

 hands of their new Secretary, he had intimated that he was perfectly willing 

 to undertake the duty, provided the Society would allow the small expendi- 

 ture that would be necessary in employing for a short time an additional clerk 

 to address the letters, &c. He (Mr Skirving) therefore proposed that the 

 Society should take up the matter, so far as to allow the Secretary to send out 

 the circulars and receive the subscriptions. 



Professor Macquorn Rankine, Glasgow, in supporting the proposal, said 

 it was the general impression among engineers that Mr Bell occupied the 

 same position in relation to the reaping-machine as Watt did in relation to 

 the steam-engine. All the reaping-machines that were invented before the 

 days of Bell turned out to be failures, and it was his invention that had 

 rendered them successful, just as in the case of Watt with the steam-engine ; 

 and all improvements that had since been made on the reaping-machine were 

 merely modifications of that of Bell, as the improvements on the steam-engine 

 were modifications of Watt's engine. 



The Duke of Buccleuch then put the motion to the meeting as follows : — 

 " The meeting approve of the proposal to raise a testimonial to the Rev. 

 Patrick Bell by public subscription, and authorise the Secretary to give 

 his assistance to the gentlemen who are promoting it." 

 He said that the first time he attended an exhibition in connection with the 

 Highland Society, he recollected perfectly well seeing a model of Mr Bell's 

 reaping-machine on the ground. He was very young indeed at the time, but 

 he remembered hearing many people say of the machine that it might work 

 well enough as a model, but would not be capable of performing the work of 

 the field, because it woidd be impossible to get horses to push the implement 

 before them. The machine, however, had not only been found practicable to 

 work with, but it was actually used to cut a line to allow other machines to 

 work. He thought the country was under a deep debt of gratitude to Mr 

 Bell for having worked out his idea in such a way as to have rendered the 

 reaping-machine a great success ; and the Highland Society ought to do what 

 they could in order to express their feelings of gratitude to one who stands, as 

 had been well remarked, in much the same position in regard to reaping- 

 machines as Watt did to the steam-engine. 



