COTTON-SPINNING MACHINERY. 313 



have been seen of the great body of leading machinists 

 whose genius, scientific skill, and persevering labours have 

 been exerted to convert the former rude workshops of these 

 districts into the scientific and powerful machine- and tool- 

 making ;vrorks that now abound in our great hives of indus- 

 try, which create and sustain our vast cotton-trade. 



Upon these grounds I have endeavoured to do some 

 slight though tardy justice to the names of some of the 

 eminent contributors to the great advances achieved in the 

 mechanical sciences, and especially in cotton-spinning ma- 

 chines by those with whom I have cooperated in some 

 cases, and whose successful labours I have in many others 

 witnessed, whereby the cotton-mill is placed among the 

 most eminent of modern creations. 



On former occasions I have brought before the Society 

 some brief accounts of the inventions of several eminent 

 mechanicians, to whom our age is indebted for substitu- 

 ting power-driven machines for hand-labour ; and, as before 

 said, it must be held important to obtain the like details of 

 many other inventions, made within the last eventful 

 period of 80 or 90 years, which would afford trustworthy 

 materials for a methodical history of modern inventions, 

 a work much called for, to follow Beckman^'s valuable 

 ' History of Inventions ' down to his time. If this labour 

 be long delayed, it will greatly increase by the loss of time, 

 and its value diminish for lack of authenticity, which de- 

 pends so much on the evidence of living witnesses. 



The papers above referred to are the following : — 



1. On the Introduction of Steam Navigation. 



2. The Mule-Jenny and Self-acting Mule. 



3. Lace-making by Power-driven Machinery, and Wire- 



card-making by Power-driven Machinery. 



4. Nail- and Tack-making by Power-driven Machinery. 



5. The use of Steel Dies for Engraving. 



6. The present paper, on Cotton-roving Frames. 



SEE. III. VOL. III. Y 



