2134 



NOTICES OF AUTHORS. 



general introduction. The application of steam and 

 gas to the important functions which they at pre- 

 sent perform, was slowly and reluctantly adopted, 

 after they had been opposed for many years by the 

 prejudices of the public, — earlier or later this beau- 

 tiful and rational system will be brought into gene- 

 ral action, when it will do more to advance the pic- 

 turesque beauty of the country in five years, than 

 the slow methods hitherto adopted will in fifty. It 

 is now found we possess the art of changing the face 

 of nature like the scenes in a theatre, and that we 

 can convert, almost instantaneously, a desert to an 

 Eden." 



Now, this is admirable ! Even were it granted, 

 that no planter before Sir Henry Steuart's time, or 

 without his instructions, had ever removed a tree of 

 considerable size successfully (though we believe he 

 has nearly as much the merit of discovery in this 

 as in the other curious invention ascribed to him by 

 Sir Walter, " making wings for time," which must 

 certainly have been performed by Sir Henry a long 

 while ago, as we remember time flying very well 

 when we were a truant boy) ; yet, nevertheless, Sir 

 Walter, now that his paroxysm of admiration has 

 had time to moderate, will surely help us to laugh 



3 



