381 
Steam Engine. 
Mr. IVatt connected himself with Mr. Matthew Boul- 
ton^ of the Soho Manufactory at Birmingham ; and his 
son and Mr. Boulton^ s son, still carry on the business. It 
has been calculated, near ten years ago, that his engine has 
produced to the nation a saving of 75,000/. sterling per 
day : perhaps it would not be extravagant to calculate it 
at this moment at 25 millions a year. Mr. Watt was born 
in the latter end of 1736 or the beginning of 1737. He 
is, I believe, yet alive, 
M, Prony who has published two large quarto volumes 
on hydraulic architecture, has dedicated nearly one of 
them to the description of WaWs steam engine, without 
having once mentioned Mr. Watt as the introducer of 
these great improvements, and indeed without even men- 
tioning his name. He mentions the Perrier s who in 1779 
purchased from Boulton and Watt^ one of these engines 
to supply part of the city of Paris with water : they erect- 
ed it about a mile and a half from Paris on the road to 
Passy, One would conjecture from Prony^s account, 
that the Perriers had the merit of constructing this engine, 
for neither Mr. Watt or Mr, Boulton is noticed. In the 
year 1792 young Mr, Watt and myself, went to look at 
Perrier^s engine, and the person who shewed it, gave us 
to understand it was Perrier'^ s contrivance altogethero 
This robbery of other people’s merit is disgracefully com- 
mon in that countiy , 
The ingenuity of the English, however, was perpetu- 
ally exerted in the improvement of this great national in- 
vention. I shall notice briefly, the chief improvements 
or proposed improvements. 
Among the persons who early suggested alterations in 
this machine was the Reverend Mr, Cartwright^ author 
of the beautiful poem of Armine and Elvira, and who has 
since brought to perfection, the application of the steam 
Vol. II. 3 C 
