142 Mr. John Taylor's Ptospeclus 



1. The things most proper to be taught. — \ might per- 

 haps be expected to arrange the sciences which I shall men- 

 tion in a different order from that in which they will appear ; 

 and I may be thought to lay more stx-ess on some, and less 

 on others, than some of my scientific friends may approve ; but 

 I beg it to be recollected that my wish, as I stated in the early 

 part of the paper, is to prefer solid and intelligible principle 

 to all subjects of mere theory and dispute ; and I desire to 

 give my opinion now as to what will, in my judgement as a 

 practical man, be most eminently useful to those who are to as- 

 sist in the management of mines. I may therefore insist less 

 upon matters of curious research ; but it is because I am con- 

 vinced they are not so important as they are often stated to 

 be. 



1st Class. In this I would propose studies that may be called 

 mathematical, which will be essential as the ground-work 

 of many others and as highly important in themselves. 

 The subjects principally attended to should be 

 Certain branches of Arithmetic — Geometry — Mensuration 

 — Surveying, Dialling, and Levelling — Illustrative 

 Drawing and Mapping. 

 2d Class. Natural Philosophy, selecting the following ob- 

 jects as those which I consider of the first importance : 

 Mechanics and practical illustrations of the application of 

 power — Hydraulics and Hydrostatics — Pneumatics — 

 Machinery and the Steam-Engine — Strength of mate- 

 rials — Carpentry and construction in general. 

 Other branches of the science may be taught, but they may 

 be considered as subordinate. 



3d Class. Geology — Mineralogy — Chemistry — Metallurgy 

 — Assaying — History of Mining — Art of Mining in 

 general. 

 Perhaps it may be difficult, at least for a time, to accom- 

 plish all this well ; and, if that should be found to be the case, 

 I should prefer the first two classes, as most required. 



I do not wish to undervalue geology or mineralogy ; but a 

 practical knowledge of the latter at least, so far as it is really 

 useful to the miner, is more generally diffused than is often 

 supposed, and the demand for specimens for collections has 

 doubtless contributed much to this. Some geological instruc- 

 tion would be highly desirable, and metallurglc chemistry 

 would be important to some who might be intended for 

 smelters, and to those also who though, owing to the division 

 of labour in this country, they are usually not called on to inter- 

 fere in the reduction of the ores, yet may sometimes have oc- 

 casion 



