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of Edinburgh, Session 1875 - 76 . 
he, in 1859, had the misfortune to he shipwrecked in the Red Sea, 
when he suffered exposure on a barren rock for four days, and con- 
tracted illness from which he never recovered. Latterly he suffered 
from paralysis, which for many years prevented his engaging in 
active business. 
In preparing his lectures for the Glasgow professorship, Gordon 
felt that at his early age he had much knowledge to acquire, and 
he seems to have had no difficulty in giving the result of his inves- 
tigations to the Glasgow Philosophical Society, of which he was a 
member, and to which he communicated, between 1840 and 1844, 
many papers. 
In 1841, in a paper “ On the Determination of the Melting Points 
of Metals,” he gave an account of the experiments of Plattner of 
Fribourg. In the same year, under the title of “ Dynamometrical 
Apparatus,” he detailed the investigations of M. Morin of Metz, 
and, under the u Temperature of the Earth,” he gave an elaborate 
account of the thermometric observations of Forbes and Herr 
Dove. He also made communications on “ The Flow of Water 
through Pipes,” the “Measure of Impact by Pressure or Weight,” 
and other subjects of interest to the Society. 
Of papers and pamphlets, on subjects of general engineering, 
the following imperfect list may be given : — 
“ Description of the Great Chimney of St Rollox at Glasgow.” 
1844. 
“ On the Supply of the city of Glasgow with Water from Loch 
Katrine.” 1845. 
“ Railway Economy, — an Exposition of the advantages of Loco- 
motion by Locomotive Carriages instead of the present 
system of Steam-tugs.” 1849. 
“ Railway Economy, — Use of Counter-pressure Steam in the 
Locomotive Engine as a Brake. Translated from M. L. 
Le Chatelier, Ingenieur en Chef des Mines.” 1869. 
“ Exposition of a Plan for a Metropolitan Water Supply.” 
“On the most Advantageous Use of Steam.” 1845. 
“ Short Description of the Plans of Captain J. Vetch, R.E., 
for the Sewerage of the Metropolis.” 1851. 
In 1848 he translated from the German the tl Principles of the 
Mechanics of Machinery and Engineering,” by J. Weisbach, of 
