137 
NOTES OF THE EXHIBITION. 
No. V. 
THE MACHINERY DEPARTMENT. 
BY WILLIAM FAIEBAIEN, LL.D., E.E.S. 
0 section of the G reat Exhibition afforded so deep an 
interest to all classes of the British public as the 
Machinery Department. 
Whilst in other divisions it was the object of our neigh- 
bours to excel us, all they could hope to do in the province of 
mechanical engineering was to stand on the same level, and 
compete with us in a friendly rivalry of skill in constructive 
art. In many instances they succeeded; but we believe that 
every connoisseur of the subject who visited the Exhibition, 
and every reader of the following remarks, will agree with us in 
thinking that, notwithstanding the rapid and creditable progress 
made elsewhere, Great Britain still holds the proud position of 
being at the head of nations in mechanical appliances and 
engineering proficiency. 
A word of apology before we commence our task. Amongst 
the numerous readers of this Journal, many are well acquainted 
with the technicalities of natural science, — less, probably, with 
those of the engineering arts ; and if here and there we have 
been led to employ terms of a technical character, it must be 
remembered that we are dealing with embodiments of the con- 
ceptions of the most advanced minds of the day, and we are 
compelled to refer to the application of principles which few 
can fully understand. 
As far as possible, however, we have endeavoured to steer 
clear of abstruse subjects ; and if we should occasionally touch 
upon principles, or their applications, which some of our readers 
do not fully comprehend, we hope that they will be tempted to 
inquire further and make themselves masters of their precise 
character. 
In order to enable our readers to form a clear conception of 
VOL. II. — 'NO. VI. L 
