180 REPORT—1868. 
MECHANICS. 
Address by Guorce Parxer Brover, C.2#., P.R.GS., President of the Section. 
GrnTLEMEN AND Lapres,—In opening the proceedings of the Section, I have to 
offer a few remarks, which I do with the utmost diffidence, because this is the first 
occasion on which I have had the honour of being present at these Meetings. The 
leading object of the Association, as stated in the first paragraph of the programme, 
is to give a stronger impulse and a more systematic direction to scientific Inquiry ; 
and if I wanted an illustration of the manner in which this object is to be carried out, 
I should take it from the discussion upon Dr. Richardson’s proposition, which was 
to the effect that the scope and object of this Section is to consider the application 
of the laws of mechanics to all mechanical operations for the benefit of the world in 
general, and of this country in particular. I may here say that we have at least 
this advantage, that the laws we seek to apply are undoubted and unquestioned, 
and that their best application must conduce to the benefit of mankind at large. 
I propose, on the present occasion, to refer briefly, and only very generally, to 
some of the topics which are at the present moment engrossing the attention of 
the public. 
First I will deal with what I may call the great water question. In speaking 
upon this subject, I desire, at the outset, to congratulate the Section upon the pre- 
sence at this Meeting of several of the highest and most eminent authorities upon 
this question, among whom I may mention Mr. Hawksley, whose name is associated 
with almost all the water-works of the United Kingdom, and with many foreign 
works of analogous character; and Mr. Bateman, who, among other works, has 
been the author of the great system by which the water of Loch Katrine is now 
conveyed to the city of Glasgow. I trust, therefore, that this Section will 
not disperse without having obtained that amount of useful and valuable in- 
formation which these gentlemen are so capable of communicating. The entire 
question of water supply is one which has already assumed considerable pro- 
portions. It deals with the supply of water to the large cities and towns of 
this kingdom, with the utilization of that water for a variety of purposes con- 
nected with our manufactories, with the Bip eee of the beauty of our rivers, 
and the prevention of their pollution by the drainage of our towns and the 
refuse of our factories. Indeed a more beautiful and interesting subject can 
hardly engage the attention of engineers; and it may be said that it constitutes, 
in point of fact, the sensational literature of our profession. Whether we look to 
the circumstances and the constitution of the great rivers which flow through 
India, through America, and through the continent of Europe, or whether we 
turn to the smaller streams which circulate in this neighbourhood, we find one 
general law pervading the whole—a law which is well understood, and about which 
there can be no possibility of doubt. Nature, we know, always performs her 
functions by means of general laws, and we find these general laws always 
conduce to one result. We find that nature has provided, for the flow of 
water in our rivers, that the greatest rainfalls shall take place in the highest 
regions, The mountains receive the water from the clouds, and the water is 
brought down to the plains, where it is utilized for supplying our towns, for con- 
veying our commerce from place to place, and, to a large extent, in some parts 
of the world, for irrigation. And we know that if this supply were properly pre- 
served, irrigation might be considerably increased. The rainfall is conducted down 
the sides of the mountains, amidst rocks and through substances where it can do 
little harm, with the velocity due to the slopes of the region, and by the time it 
approaches the plains, it converges into streams which flow in an even and gentle 
course, conferring the greatest blessings upon mankind, although occasionally, but 
very seldom, committing some amount of ravage and harm. To show what — 
nature effects in this way, I may state that in the Himalayas the quantity of 
water which falls from the clouds amounts to something hke 400 inches per 
annum. In some of the mountains of Cumberland the rainfall has been gauged 
to the extent of 200 inches, and in this neighourhood it is said to be very little 
