CHAP. III. WORKSHOP, AND COLLEGE. 129 



stage coaches convenient for his purpose, he travelled on 

 horseback, and in this way was enabled readily to 

 diverge from his route for the purpose of visiting any 

 structure more interesting than ordinary. At Lancaster 

 he inspected the handsome bridge across the Lune, then in 

 course of construction by Mr. Harrison, afterwards more 

 celebrated for his fine work of Chester Gaol. At Man- 

 chester he examined the works of the Bridge water Canal ; 

 and at Liverpool he visited the docks there in progress. 



Proceeding by easy stages to Birmingham, then the 

 centre of the mechanical industry of England, and dis- 

 tinguished for the ingenuity of its workmen and the 

 importance of its manufactures in metal, he took the 

 opportunity of visiting the illustrious Boulton and Watt 

 at Soho. His friend, Dr. Eobison, had furnished him 

 with a letter of introduction to James Watt, who received 

 the young engineer kindly and showed him every atten- 

 tion ; and a friendship then began which lasted until the 

 close of Watt's life. 



The condensing engine had by this time been brought 

 into an efficient working state, and was found capable 

 not only of pumping water almost the only purpose to 

 which it had formerly been applied but of driving ma- 

 chinery, though whether with advantageous results was 

 still a matter of doubt. Thus, in November, 1.782, Watt 

 wrote to his partner Boulton, " There is now no doubt 

 but that fire-engines will drive mills, but I entertain 

 some doubts whether anything is to be got by them." l 

 About the beginning of March, 1783, however, a com- 

 pany was formed in London for the purpose of erecting 

 a large corn-mill, to be driven by one of Boulton and 

 Watt's steam-engines, and the work was in progress at 

 the time Rennie visited Soho. Watt had much con- 

 versation with his visitor on the subject of corn-mill 

 machinery, and was gratified to learn the extent and 



1 Muirhead's 'Origin and Progress of the Mechanical Inventions of James 

 Watt,' vol. ii., p. 165. 



VOL. II. K 



