and the Economy of Fuel. 127 



stay in England, after my return from Ireland, was too 

 short, and my time too much taken up with other mat- 

 ters, to rebuild the kitchen from the foundation, which 

 I was very desirous of doing, and which, with the per- 

 mission of the proprietor, I shall certainly do when I 

 come to England again. The greatest fault of the 

 kitchen is the want of dampers to the canals by which 

 the smoke is carried off from the closed fire-places of 

 the boilers and saucepans into the chimney. These 

 dampers should never be omitted in any fire-place, 

 however small. They are necessary even in fire-places 

 for the smallest saucepans, and no large boiler should 

 on any account be without one. Some experiments 

 I have lately made (since my return to Bavaria) have 

 showed me how very necessary these dampers are ; 

 and I consider it as my duty to the public to lose no 

 time in recommending the general use of them. The 

 flattering attention which has been paid by the public 

 to the various improvements I have taken the liberty to 

 propose, not only demands my warmest gratitude, but 

 lays me under an indispensable obligation to exert my- 

 self to the utmost to deserve their esteem, and to merit 

 the distinguished marks of their confidence with which 

 on so many occasions I have been honoured. 



But to return to the kitchen in the house of Sir John 

 Sinclair (the place where the meetings of the Board of 

 Agriculture are held, and where of course there is a 

 great concourse of ingenious men from all parts of the 

 kingdom, of men zealous for the progress of useful 

 improvements). As the room is very small, it was not 

 possible to do more in it than just to fit up a few small 

 boilers and saucepans, and one middling-sized roaster, 

 such as might serve for a small family ; which last is a 



