JAMES WATT 133 



for the means available at that time, indeed, for a while it 

 appeared almost hopeless, to construct the cylinder and pis- 

 ton of sufficient size and so perfectly formed as to be per- 

 manently steam-tight and yet able to move freely; all this 

 was necessary in order to allow the value of the condenser 

 to be felt, and the difficulty became greater still when the 

 attempt was made to work with steam on both sides of the 

 cylinder. Nevertheless, Watt devoted himself entirely to the 

 practical realisation of his engine. He left the university in 

 order to open a larger workshop, but was not able to maintain 

 it, since the engine swallowed up money, without being able 

 to show success. Black, who had already helped him out of 

 his own pocket, but was not able to do so further, then 

 brought him into contact with a well-to-do and sensible 

 man, Roebuck, who wished to have a machine made by 

 Watt at his expense for pumping the water from his coal- 

 mines, and who himself possessed the necessary workshops. 

 Watt at that time maintained himself by occasional work as 

 a surveyor. Nine years passed in this way, but the engine 

 was not successful. The coal-mines were flooded, and the 

 confiding man became himself as poor and as deeply in debt 

 as Watt. 



It was obvious that Watt's ideas could only be carried out, 

 if at all, by means of the most perfect technical appliances 

 available at the time, such as were only found in a few very 

 large workshops in England, but not in the poor Scotland 

 of that period. The possessor of such a workshop, in Soho 

 near Birmingham, Matthew Boulton by name, was a very 

 enterprising person, at the same time full of interest 

 in scientific matters, and a man of very fine character. He 

 was ready to join forces with Watt; so the latter left his own 

 country and went in 1774 to Birmingham, to which place 

 also the most valuable parts of the experimental machine 

 already built were brought. After two years, the first 

 engine was at last completely successful; it was destined to 



