WAIT. 401 



been convinced that Mr. Watt had, unknown to him, antici- 

 pated his great discovery. It is also said by Mr. Harcourt 

 that the late Dr. Henry having examined Mr. Watt's manu- 

 scripts decided against his priority. I have Dr. H.'s letter 

 before me of June, 1820, stating most clearly, most fully, and 

 most directly, the reverse, and deciding in Mr. Watt's favour. 

 I must add, having read the full publication with fac-similes, 

 Mr. Harcourt has now clearly proved one thing, and it is 

 really of some importance. He has made it appear that in all 

 Mr. Cavendish's diaries and notes of his experiments, not an 

 intimation occurs of the composition of water having been in- 

 ferred by him from those experiments earlier than Mr. Watt's 

 paper of spring, 1783. 



2 D 



