130 Mr. Murdoch’s Account of the 
whose care it is confided, have become familiar with its ma- 
nagement, this inconvenience has been obviated, not only in 
the mill, but also in Mr. Lee’s house, which is most brilliantly 
illuminated with it, to the exclusion of every other species of 
artificial light. 
The peculiar softness and clearness of this light, with its 
almost unvarying intensity, have brought it into great favour 
with the work people. And its being free from the inconve- 
nience and danger, resulting from the sparks and frequent 
snuffing of candles, is a circumstance of material importance, 
as tending to diminish the hazard of fire, to which cotton mills 
are known to be much exposed. 
The above particulars, it is conceived, contain such informa- 
tion, as may tend to illustrate the general advantages attend- 
ing the use of the gas light ; but nevertheless the Royal 
Society may perhaps not deem it uninteresting to be apprized 
of the circumstances which originally gave rise in my mind 
to its application, as an economical substitute for oils and 
tallow. 
It is now nearly sixteen years, since, in a course of expe- 
riments I was making at Redruth in Cornwall, upon the quan- 
tities and qualities of the gases produced by distillation from 
different mineral and vegetable substances, I was induced by 
some observations I had previously made upon the burning 
of coal, to try the combustible property of the gases produced 
from it, as well as from peat, wood, and other inflammable 
substances. And being struck with the great quantities of gas 
which they afforded, as well as with the brilliancy of the light, 
and the facility of its production, I instituted several experi- 
ments with a view of ascertaining the cost at which it might 
