432 HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



scientific men. I had a small wooden model of the machine 

 under my arm, which looked like anything rather than a 

 design for cutting corn. As my friends advised me before 

 I started, I waited upon the Secretary of the Society, the 

 late Sir Charles Gordon, to hear what he would say about 

 it. Sir Charles looked over it, and after examining it 

 attentively, declared he was no mechanic, and, consequently, 

 could give no opinion upon the matter; but added, he 

 would be glad to give me an introduction to a celebrated 

 mechanic who lived in the town — he alluded to the late Sir 

 John Graham Dalyell, a well-known and much respected 

 gentleman in his day. He accordingly gave me an intro- 

 duction to Sir John, and I went to his house and showed 

 and explained the model to him, which looked liker a rat- 

 trap than anything else I know of Sir John looked at it 

 and said it was a very difficult thing to give a decided 

 opinion upon the model of any contrivance that would be 

 able to cut a standing crop of corn in an efficient manner ; 

 but, so far as he was able to judge, the model looked like a 

 thing that would do so, and he recommended me to get a 

 machine constructed upon the large scale after the pattern 

 of my model, and try it next harvest. This was the first 

 encouragement to prosecute the idea I had formed that 

 I had received. The horizon of my imaginings grew 

 brighter, and I was able to speak, even to Sir John, in more 

 confident terms. When I got home, a large machine was 

 immediately set about being constructed ; it was finished 

 before harvest, started amongst the standing corn before it 

 was ripe, and it worked very well, and I was obliged to Sir 

 John for the friendly advice he gave me. Had he con- 

 demned the principle, it might never have gone a step 

 further. You are all as well acquainted with the machine 

 as I am, so that it is quite unnecessary for me to take up 

 the time of the Society by continuing its history. Sir 

 John Graham Dalyell gave it the first push, and you, to- 

 day, have put on the capstone.' 



A small model of the reaping machine made by Mr 

 Bell was exhibited on the table in the room in which the 

 meeting was held. 



