1837.] Experiment in Fort William. 235 



character as threatened to put a final stop to the work. The first 

 was occasioned hv the separation of a part of the borer containing a 

 valve, when at the bottom of the well ; and the second by the auger 

 becoming jammed with a brazen plumb which had been lost in the 

 bore sometime before, in such a way that the application of no force 

 that the rods could sustain sufficed to move the implement in any 

 direction. The force that was applied may be conceived when it is 

 stated that it was sufficient to raise the whole line cf tubing bodily 

 in the bore. 



Keeping the tubes in position, the rods, by the application of a 

 screw, were at length forcibly torn from the auger a little below the 

 screw which joined them ; after which, as in the former case, the valve 

 worm auger was hroken off by the jumper, and the instrument brought 

 up by the catching in the socket. 



The success in overcoming these disasters roust be mainly attri- 

 buted to the zeal and perseverance of the sappers employed on the 

 work : in the latter, however, they were guided by the able instruc- 

 tions of Captain J. Thomson, who suggested the measures to be 

 adopted, and supplied from his own stores some of the machinery 

 to carry them into effect*. 



When my superintendence ceased, (10th March,) the tubes had 

 sunk to the depth of 343 feet, and the borer penetrated to 336 feet. 

 The sand still continued to rise in the manner described in my former 

 paper. It varies occasionally in color and substance, and latterly 

 some pieces of felspar and lumps of indurated clay or sand have been 

 picked out of the sand brought up. Specimens accompany this paper. 



The supply of English tubing of the requisite character is very 

 nearly exhausted, but an attempt will be made to cast some in Cal- 

 cutta : if it fails, the experiment must necessarily be suspended until 

 an indent that has been sent home be answered. 



Note by the Secretary. 



As a postscript to the above Report, I have now to announce a 

 most curious and unexpected discovery, communicated to me this 

 very morning by Colonel Macleod, the Engineer officer, who has 

 succeeded to the charge of the experiment hitherto so successfully 

 conducted by Major Taylor. 



On a former occasion the Society was shewn metallic iron reduced 

 from ore extracted from a depth of 150 feet, and sharp angular 



* To guard as far as possible against breaking the rods by the force applied 

 to extract them, Capt. T. connected li is screw with the rod-head, through the 

 intervention of a rod of somewhat smaller section which would consequently 

 give way before any injury could happen to the borer. — Ed. 



