116 On apportioning ike Supply of Oilf Naphtha, or Gas, 



more applicable to the affairs of Life, than at any former period 

 of the World ; — ^when it is no longer considered beneath the dig- 

 nity of Science, for its Votaries to investigate and apply its prin- 

 ciples, to anv, even of the most humble, of the Mechanic Arts 

 or Trades amongst us ; and your Philosophical Magazine I'.as 

 already signalized itself so much, in the career of usefulness, by 

 diffusing information on these interesting subjects, as, apparently 

 to render any apology unnecessary, for requesting you to give 

 insertion to some deductions lately made (from theTables given in 

 the Nautical Almanack) for the use of a Board of Commissioners 

 of Paving, Lighting, &c. in the north-western part of London, 

 applicable to the Contracts, which such Boards in some districts, 

 the Parish Vestries in others, and also the Trnstees of Koads, en- 

 tering or surrounding the Metropolis, are in the habit of making, 

 Jbr the Lighting of the public Streets and Roads, severally com- 

 mitted to their care. 



This public Lighting was, until about 10 years ago, exclusively 

 performed by a class of Persons called Lamp Contractors, whose 

 Trade consisted, in keeping a dead Stock, of semi-globular I^amp- 

 Glmses, with their respective Covers ^\\A Oil-holders, of Tmued 

 Iron, of Oil Casks and Cunns of diffrent sizes, and of Ladders 

 and large hand Lamps, of a peculiar construction, called Flam- 

 beaus ; and also a live or consumeable stock of whale Oil and 

 of Cotton Wick ; which two last articles, these Contractors serve 

 out, either daily or at intervals of a few days apart, to Men in 

 their employ called Lamp- Lighters,^ each, one having a small 

 district of Lamps appointed to him, the Glasses of which, he is 

 to keep clean, to supply Cotton to their Burners, and a nightly 

 tupply to the Oil-holders, of the Oil so served out to hfm by his 

 Master the Lamp Contractor. 



Within a few of the last years, this system has, in a consider- 

 able degree been broken in upon, by the partial introductiom of 

 Gas Lights, in great numbers of the central Streets of the Me- 

 tropolis, and in others (particularly since the taking out of Lord 

 Cochrane's patent) by the use of Lamps, more or less im- 

 proved in construction, for the burning of animal Oil, and in 

 some recent instances also, for the burning of essential Oil of 

 Coal-Tar, qt Naphtha: yet after all, very considerable lengths of 

 the Streets and Roads of the Metropolis remain lighted with 

 common Oil-Lamps as formerly, and are likely, many of them, 

 long to remain so lighted. 



It is usual for Lamp Contractors to engage, to keep their Street 

 or Road Lamps burning, from the time of Sun setting daily, until 

 the time of its rising on the following morning, and they are in 

 the habit) with few exceptions 1 believe, of serviiig-oUt Oil to 



their 



