CH. xxv IIL JAMES WATT. 243 



is changed into a liquid, or a liquid into vapour. It was 

 about this time that the famous engineer, James Watt, began 

 to study the power of steam, and as Black was his friend, 

 he came to him to help him solve his difficulties. The 

 history of the steam-engine, being the history of an inven- 

 tion, does not strictly belong to our work ; but the use 

 which Watt made of the discoveries about steam is a part 

 of science, and we must therefore find room for a slight 

 sketch of it here. 



James Watt was born at Greenock in 1736 ; he was the 

 son of a builder and shipwright, and was so delicate as a 

 child that he was kept at home, and learnt reading from 

 his mother, and writing and arithmetic from his father. 

 When at last he was sent to school he found it hard work, 

 for he was slow and thoughtful, and the other children jeered 

 at him for his want of quickness. Every one knows the 

 story of his being scolded by his aunt for sitting silent a 

 whole hour, holding first a spoon and then a saucer over 

 the steam rising from a kettle, and watching the drops of 

 water gathering upon them. It was in this quiet way that 

 little James's mind grew, and it may be an encouragement 

 to slow, plodding boys to know that one of our greatest in- 

 ventors was considered a dull and backward child 



As he grew older James went up to London, and there, 

 after overcoming many obstacles, which the guilds, or trades' 

 unions of those days, put in the way of all independent 

 workers, he learnt to make mathematical instruments, 

 and then returned to Glasgow, where he began business. 

 Though he was only one-and-twenty he soon became known 

 as a man of unusual ability, for the mind of the dull boy 

 had developed, and his thoughtfulness had begun to produce 

 results. Not only the students, but even the professors of 

 the University used to stroll into his little shop to discuss 

 iH 



