14 GENERAL VIEW AND BASIS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. 



sight of Crampton, of Carmichael, and others who suc- 

 ceeded in rendering this project successful ; so that we see 

 in all branches of telegraphy the philosopher, the engineer, 

 and the commercial man must take their fair share of 

 credit.' l 



e The wonder is not so much that, when the human 

 mind is bent on any particular discovery, improvements 

 are so rapid, but that in the last preceding century they 

 were so slow. It is to be hoped that, as time goes on, the 

 rate of discovery, rapid as it is at present, will be still 

 further increased. There was no want of genius, no want 

 of scientific means for improvement in material things ; 

 it was want of opportunity and want of interest in the 

 general public which stood in the way. That want of 

 interest has now vanished ; the world at large now taking 

 interest in what would have been formerly considered very 

 recondite researches. All are eager and anxious to learn 

 something, if but little, of various sciences, and to learn 

 that little well. The favour with which the public take 

 up these things reacts on scientific men themselves. Each 

 is anxious to do something in his vocation, and is only 

 baffled by finding that, however early he may have been 

 in the field, someone else, either at home or abroad, has 

 forestalled him.' 2 



1 Address by Mr. Preece. Conferences : Special Scientific Loan 

 Collection, London, 1876. 



2 Address by Eev. R. Main, F.R.S. Special Scientific Loan Collec- 

 tion, London, 1876. 



