92 Mr Miller on the Invention and Practice 
by Mr Miller of Dalswinton, for ascertaining the powers of the 
steam-engine when applied to sailing, has lately been repeated 
with very great success. Although these experiments have 
been conducted under a variety of disadvantages, as having 
been made with a vessel built formerly for a different purpose, 
yet the velocity acquired was no less than from six and a half 
to seven miles an hour. 
66 This sufficiently shews, that, with vessels properly construct- 
ed, a velocity of eight or nine, or even ten, miles an hour, may 
be easily Accomplished ; and the advantages of so great a velo- 
city in rivers, straits, &c., and in cases of emergency, will be 
sufficiently evident, as there can be few winds, tides, or cur- 
rents, which can easily impede or resist it ; and it will be evi- 
dent, that, even with slower motion, the utmost advantage 
must result to inland navigation. 
w It is with great satisfaction that we have received this in- 
telligence from our obliging correspondent. Every well-wisher 
to the extension of arts and commerce must be highly gratified 
with the signal success of this important experiment, which bids 
fair to introduce an improvement which, by greatly facilitating, 
and rendering more easy and speedy, the intercourse by means 
of navigation, must not only be highly advantageous to our own 
country in particular, but to the commerce of the world at 
large, and to mankind in general.” 
It may naturally occasion surprise and disappointment, that 
here I should have to terminate this account of my Father’s ex- 
periments on Steam-navigation. That he did not follow up 
these prosperous and decisive trials of its efficacy, with the 
same spirit and perseverance which had been so conspicuous in 
many other instances, must for ever be matter of regret to his 
family, as it was to himself in the latter years of his life. 
The fact, however, was, that, in the prosecution of this last 
undertaking, he had experienced a very violent disgust, from 
the misconduct of one of those whom he had intrusted with its 
execution , and had to complain not only of tardiness and negli- 
gence, but of the ill-regulated and enormous expence in which he 
had been unnecessarily involved. On these subjects I am un- 
willing to enter into farther details ; but I may be permitted 
