APPENDIX, (71) 



and to fix his refidence, for the greatefl part of the year, in Scot- ^=«'^^"' °^ 

 land. 



I The fuccefs of the eftabllfliment at Preftonpans, which had 

 far exceeded their expedlation, enabled the Do(5lor and his 

 •partner Mr Gar bet, to plan and execute other works of ftill 

 greater benefit and public utility. In the profecution of his 

 chemical ftudies and experiments, Dr Roebuck had been led 

 to beftow great attention on the proceffes of fmelting ironflone, 

 and had made fome difcoveries, by which that operation might , 

 be greatly facilitated, particularly by ufing pitcoal in place of 

 charcoal. Mr William Caddell of Cockenzie, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Preftonpans, a gentleman earneftly intent upon 

 promoting manufadlures in Scotland, had, for feveral years, la- . 

 boured, without much fuccefs, in eftablifhing a manufadlure 

 of iron j a circumftance which may have probably contributed 

 to turn Dr Roebuck's attention more particularly to that fub- 

 je(5l. As the capital which he and his partner Mr Garbet 

 could appropriate for carrying on the iron manufad:ure was 

 not equal to fuch an undertaking, and chiefly depended upon 

 the profits of their other works, their firft intention was to at- 

 tempt a fmall eftablifhment of that kind, in the vicinity of 

 their vitriol works at Preftonpans. But the flattering profpecfls 

 of fuccefs, ariflng from a courfe of experiments which Dr RoE- 

 BUCK had lately made, encouraged them to extend their plan, 

 and to proje(ft a very extenfive manufadlory of iron. A fufE- 

 cient capital was foon procured, through the confidence which 

 many of their friends repofed in their abilities and integrity. 

 In fa6t, the eftablifhment which they made, or rather the capi- 

 tal which gave it exiftence, was the united capital of a band 

 of relations and friends, who trufted to Dr Roebuck and Mr 

 Garbet the management of a great part of their fortune. 

 When all previous matters had been concerted, refpedling their 

 intended eftablifhment, the chief exertions of chemical and me- 

 chanical 



