BRUNEL. 23 



produce nearly all the blocks used in the Royal Navy.* The con- 

 struction of this block machinery, completed in 1808, was entrusted 

 to the late Mr. Henry Maudslay, from whom Brunei had already 

 derived considerable assistance in the execution of his models and 

 working out of his designs. It was erected in Portsmouth Dock- 

 yard, and the economy produced by the first year's use of these 

 machines was estimated at about 24,0007., two-thirds of which sum 

 was awarded to the ingenious inventor, who was soon after engaged 

 by the government to erect extensive saw mills, and carry out 

 other improvements at Chatham and Woolwich. Brunei was essen- 

 tially an inventor ; besides the above-mentioned machines, he took 

 out patents for " the manufacture of tin-foil," for " copying presses," 

 for " stereotype printing plates," a contrivance for making the small 

 boxes used by druggists, and a nail-making machine. 



He likewise introduced the system of cutting veneers by circular 

 saws of a large diameter, to which is mainly due the present ex- 

 tensive application of veneers of wood to ornamental furniture. 



A short time before the termination of the war with France he 

 devised a plan for making shoes by machinery, and under the coun- 

 tenance of the Duke of York the shoes so manufactured were intro- 

 duced for the use of the army, on account of their strength, cheap- 

 ness, and durability ; but at the peace in 1815, the machines were 

 laid aside, manual labour having become cheaper, and the demand 

 for military equipments having in a measure ceased. Steam navi- 

 gation also attracted Brunei's attention, and he became deeply 

 interested in establishing the Ramsgate steam vessels, which were 

 among the first that plied effectively on the River Thames. About 

 this period, after much labour and perseverance, he induced the 

 Admiralty to permit the application of steam for towing vessels to 

 sea, the experiments being made chiefly at his own expense, a small 

 sum in aid having been promised, but eventually withdrawn before 

 the completion of the trials, the Admiralty considering the attempt 

 too chimerical to be seriously entertained. 



In the year 1824 Brunei, undeterred by the two previous failures 

 of Dodd and Trevethick, commenced his great work the Thames 

 Tunnel. It is said that the original idea occurred to him as applied 

 to the Neva at St. Petersburgh, in order to avoid the inconvenience 

 arising from the floating ice ; a plan which he offered to the Emperor 

 Alexander, on the occasion of his visit to this country in 1814. 

 During the above-mentioned year a company was formed for the 

 execution of this work, under the auspices of the Duke of Wellington, 

 who had always entertained a favourable view as to its practica- 

 bility; and after numerous accidents, and frequent suspensions of 

 the works, this great and novel undertaking was successfully 



* The total number of machines employed in the various operations of 

 making a ship's block by this method was forty-four, and 16,000 blocks of 

 various sizes could be turned out in the course of a year. 



