18 MR. WATT'S INVENTIONS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT 



What I would point out as most worthy of observation in 

 the detail just given, is the fact, that Mr. Watt arrived at his 

 grand result, namely the introduction of a vessel to condense 

 the steam in, separate from the cylinder of the engine, by a 

 series of investigations conducted for the purpose of ascertain- 

 ing the means, by which steam might be employed, as a prime 

 mover, with least expenditure of fuel. And, highly-gifted as 

 he was by nature, had he not brought to the undertaking much 

 knowledge of mechanical philosophy, previously acquired, and 

 had he not united with his own results during its progress, the 

 chemical facts respecting the formation and nature of vapours 

 discovered by some of his contemporaries, (especially Dr. Black 

 and Dr. Cullen,) his success, there can be no doubt, would 

 have been far less perfect. We have seen how philosophical 

 was the manner in which he conducted the inquiry how cau- 

 tious the induction by which he was led from one result to 

 another and how solid he rendered every conclusion at which 

 he successively arrived, before he made it a foundation for 

 further progress. Every step in his progress was a scientific in- 

 quiry, demanding, for its adequate and successful prosecution, 

 a comprehensive acquaintance with whatever had already been 

 made known upon the subject; great judgement in the institu- 

 tion of experiments, with steadiness and accuracy of manipula- 

 tion and observation, in conducting them ; and equal sagacity 

 in deducing from their results the facts or the law he was desi- 

 rous of ascertaining. To those, then, who are destined to en- 

 gage in manufacturing pursuits especially at this eventful aera 

 in the moral and political worlds, when the very existence of 

 civilized communities appears to depend on the development 

 of principles in political ceconomy, hitherto unknown or unre- 

 garded, and on the achievement of new conquests over nature 

 in providing the means of life to those persons, no species of 

 information can be more important, it would appear from the 

 history of Mr. Watt's discoveries, than that of Natural Philo- 

 sophy and Chemistry. With a general knowledge of business, 

 of accounts, and of the details of their respective pursuits in 

 commerce or in trade, they will be qualified for ordinary suc- 

 cess, so far as just qualifications for it can be imparted by in- 

 struction ; but unless they combine with these some insight 

 into the principles upon which their processes of manufacture 

 are conducted, they will be unable to effect improvements, 

 which their more enlightened rivals will introduce ; and they 

 will consequently be unable to compete with them, in the sale 

 of their manufactures*. 



* As some readers of this memoir, who may be fully prepared to appre- 

 ciate the importance of Mr. Watt's improvements in the construction of 



