APPENDIX. (73) 



With the fame view, and to the fame efFedl, in a future period d';'r1J"[,°[^ 

 of his operations, he employed Mr James Watt, then of Glaf- 

 gow, and had the merit of rendering that inventive genius, in 

 the mechanical arts, better know^n both in this country and in 

 England. 



Th e neceffary preparations, for the eflaBlifhment of the iron- 

 works at Carron, were finifhed in the end of the year 1759; 

 and on the ifl January 1760 the firfl furnace was blown : and 

 in a fliort time afterwards a fecond was eredted. 



No period of Dr Roebuck's life required from him more vi- 

 goi'ous and laborious exertions than that of the eflablifhment of 

 the Carron works, and the firfl trials of the furnaces and ma- 

 chinery. His family and friends remember well the ardour 

 and intereft which he difcovered ; the inceffant labour and 

 watchfulnefs which he exerted on that occafion. Every thing 

 was untried, the furnaces, the machinery, the materials, the 

 workmen ; the novelty of the undertaking in that country, its 

 extent and difhculty, and the great flake at iffue, were circum- 

 flances that mufl have occafioned much ferious thought and an- 

 xiety to the partner, upon the credit of whofe knowledge and 

 experience the work had been undertaken. But the Dodlor had 

 great powers and great refources : and the firfl trial gave fuffi- 

 cient indications of future fuccefs. 



For fome time after the eflablifhment of the Carron works, 

 Dr Roebuck continued to give his attention and affiflance in 

 the general management and fuperintendance of them, and 

 with him all meafures of future operations were concerted. 

 During this period, fome alterations of great importance were 

 fuggefted by him, and carried into effedl. By carefully obfer- 

 ving the progrefs of fmelting in the furnaces, at firfl worked by 

 bellows, befides their being fubjedl to various accidents, the 

 Dodlor difcovered the necefhty of rendering the blaft both 

 ftronger and more equable ; and propofing, as a problem to Mr 



Vol. IV. (K) Smeaton, 



