Sect. VI.] Pneumatics. 57 



Mr. Watt, who, with an ardour, an acuteness, 

 and a philosophic comprehension, which do him 

 immortal honour, has so extended the principles 

 of these machines, so increased their power, so 

 successfully obviated the difficulties and inconve- 

 niences attending their operation, so accommodat- 

 ed their construction to peculiar circumstances, and 

 carried the economy of steam, and, consequently, 

 of fuel, to such an astonishing extent, that he may 

 be ranked among the greatest mechanical geniuses 

 and benefactors of mankind that tlie eighteenth 

 century has produced*. 



The application of steam to the purposes of 

 cookery, and of propelling vessels on the water, 

 is also to be ranked among modern inventions. 

 To the latter of these objects several persons of 

 America have paid particular attention, and with 

 promising success. And although it must be 

 granted that formidable difficulties have arisen in 

 the execution of all the plans hitherto proposed, 

 yet to doubt of the practicability of ultimately 

 overcoming these difficulties, can scarcely be 

 thought either to gratify a mind of true philosophic 

 enterprise, or to be worthy of such a mind. 



Late navigators and travellers have furnished 

 valuable materials towards forming a theory of 

 the zvlnds. It must be acknowledged that nothing 

 entirely satisfactory has yet been offered to the 

 world on this subject. Still many facts have been 

 brought to light ; important discoveries liave been 

 made; and from the number and talents of tho 

 gentlemen who have been for some time engaged 



* See AddUiona I Notcs-^ ( Nj . 



