34 On the Supply of Water 



larger scale the particular kind of experiment which I have 

 here narrated as a very small one. I make the remark here, 

 because I know the value in any such experiment of that 

 kind of co-operation and encouragement to which I have had 

 occasion gratefully to allude in mentioning the names of 

 Messrs. Sherwin and M'Lelland, and I am not so absurdly 

 proud or self-confident as to fail to bespeak it. I believe 

 that a man can scarcely adopt a more useful or delightful 

 pursuit to which to devote his time, his attention, and his 

 means, than one which enables him, even in a small way, to 

 add to or extend the productions of the earth, to endeavour 

 humbly to supplement Nature in the supply of the multifari- 

 ous blessings which she sheds around us, and to multiply 

 legitimate enjoyments amongst the people. 



Art. VIII. — On the Supply of Water to the Town of 

 Geelong. By John Millar, Esq., C.E., F.S.A., fyc. 

 Engineer-in- Chief to the Geelong Water Commission. 



[Read before the Institute 6th May, 1857.] 



Having had the honour of being appointed Engineer to the 

 Water Commission of Geelong, and seeing that the supply of 

 life's great essential, pure and unadulterated water, to the 

 inhabitants of any portion of this colony, is so intimately 

 interwoven with the well-being of all, being a part and 

 parcel of our vital interests, so essentially necessary to 

 the enjoyment of perfect health that it must be a subject of 

 universal importance, I therefore propose placing before the 

 Institute a general summary of what has been done under 

 my commission towards the accomplishment of that object, 

 and the attendant results of my labours. 



I am perfectly sensible of the risk I incur in making state- 

 ments on this subject, even when based on a sound theory, 

 coupled with long practice, and strengthened by such statis- 

 tical information as I may have been enabled to collect ; aided 

 as I may be by all this, yet statements of a startling nature 

 may appear incredible to those whose attention has never 

 been directed to such matters ; if any such should doubt the 

 accuracy of my conclusions, I can only say that they rest on 

 facts which I conceive to be incontrovertible. 



