MACADAM. 65 



He differed from ]\IacAdam only in one particular ; he 

 advised that the interstices should be filled up with 

 sharp sand or small gravel. 



There is one thing which greatly increased the 

 reputation of ]\IacAdam. In the year 1830 his system 

 was adopted in France. M. Dumas, Engineer-in- 

 Chief of the Fonts et Chaussees, writing in 1843, 

 declares that his roads, owing to the adoption of the 

 macadamised system, had reached, in his opinion, the 

 maximum of beauty, which must be accepted as the 

 opinion of an enthusiast. 



Mr. ]\IacAdam was not educated as an engineer, 

 although in his early days he w^as one of the trustees 

 of a road in Ayrshire. Afterwards he was employed 

 as Government agent for victualling the navy in the 

 western parts of England. He continued the study of 

 road-making, keeping in view the essential conditions 

 of a smooth surface. Flints and gravel used to be 

 thrown unbroken upon the roads, and so round that 

 they had no points of contact, and so never consoli- 

 dated. When a heavy vehicle passed over them their 

 loose structure offered no resistance. The roads were 

 thus constantly in need of repair. 



In 18 1 5 ^lacAdam for the first time devoted himself 

 to road-making as a profession. He was appointed 

 Surveyor-General of the Bristol roads. In carrying out 

 his improvements in roads, he spent several thousand 

 pounds out of his own pocket. In 1825, having 

 proved his expenditure before a committee of the House 

 of Commons, the amount was restored to him together 

 with an honorary tribute of ;^2,ooo. Mr. MacAdam 

 died poor, but, as he declared, an honest man. 



The Westminster Review, vol. iv., page 354, has 

 an article referring to MacAdam. It remarks that he 



