TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS, 241 



the owners of steamboats could oiler to tlieir engine-lauilders and engineers would 

 be the application of such implements as these. Were they employed, the ship- 

 owner would know at the end of the voyage so much horse-power had been exerted 

 as a whole, that so much coal had been burned, and that the result, therefore, was 

 a consumption of so many pounds per horse-power per hour. All the eli'ects of head- 

 winds in retardation, and all the aid of canvas to the engine-power, would be elimi- 

 nated ti-om the calculation. The continual indicator would register truly the work 

 the engine had to do, whether that work was made excessive by contending with 

 head-winds, or was rendered light by favourable breezes and the assistance of can'\as. 

 In the same way the proprietor of the engine for manufacturing-purposes, the cotton- 

 mill, the woollen-miil, the corn-mill, and even the highly irregularly working roUing- 

 mills and saw-mills, would be able at the end of the quarter to say — "Notwith- 

 standing all the ■N'aiiations of my trade and rate of manufacture, I know that my 

 engines have exerted so much power ; I know that 1 have burned so much coal, and 

 that, therefore, such and such have been the economic results." Assuming that 

 steamboat proprietors and the owners of fixed land-engines would go to the expense 

 of applying such continuous recording implements as these to their engines, and 

 would become members of an association for the purpose of visiting and inspecting 

 and of reporting upon their machinery, and of giving prizes to the men in charge 

 for careful attention, prizes to the manufacturers for original good design and work- 

 manship of the engines, and prizes to theproprietorsfor their public spirit in having 

 bought that which was good instead of that which was bad and cheap, and fo ■ 

 having employed intelligent and careful workmen instead of ignorant and careless 

 ones, I believe, within a few years, as great an improvement might be seen among 

 the marine and manufactining class of engines as has been eftected by the laudable 

 exertions of the Royal Agricultural Society of England among the portable ones. 



I think the initiation of some such society as this would be a practically useful 

 result from the meeting of Section " G." 



It now only remains for me to thank you most sincerely for the patience with 

 which you have listened to an address that, as regards length, has exceeded the 

 bounds within M'hich most previous Presidents have coniined themselves. My 

 excuse is, that the subject of economy in the use of coal is in itself so highly im- 

 portant to every member of the community that I felt it warranted me iu detaining 

 you for a few minutes longer than the usual time. 



Ea^picl and Economical Transjport of Merchandise. By C. Beegeeon. 



The author proposes to pack the materials for transport in iron spheres of 4 feet 

 to 6 or 7 feet diameter, and to provide a concave roadway of sheet-steel resting on 

 sleepers, or, where necessary for crossing valleys, suspended from pillars or piers, 

 on the principle of the suspension-bridge, down which these loaded spheres may 

 roll by their own gravity, the empty spheres being brought back in tubes, on 

 the principle of the pneumatic despatch. 



On a Modification of tlie Earth- Closet. By D, T. Bostel. 



On Aerial Naviyation. By C. A. Bowdlee. 



The author thought the autumn manoeuvres would be an excellent opportunity 

 for trying experiments, and that aerostation would become an important element in 

 military science. Hitherto captive balloons only had been used ; but it was by no 

 means improbable that circumstances would occur where it would be most desirable 

 to pass over the enemy's position, and it would then be important to have the 

 power of deflecting the balloon from the wind course, either to the right or to the 

 left, as required. Captive balloons could not be used in safety in high winds, on 

 account of violent rocking of the car. The writer then proceeded to reA'iew the 



