666043

ае

.ST9

6949927

1831

TO

DOCTOR GEORGE BIRKBECK,

PRESIDENT OF THE LONDON MECHANICS' INSTITUTION,
PATRON OF THE GLASGOW MECHANICS' INSTITUTION,
PRESIDENT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, &c. &c.

WHO,

WHILE PROFESSOR OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY IN THE COLLEGE
FOUNDED BY PROFESSOR ANDERSON, IN THE CITY
OF GLASGOW,

FIRST DREW TOGETHER AN AUDIENCE EXCLUSIVELY
COMPOSED OF ARTISANS,

TO EXPLAIN TO THEM IN A MANNER ADAPTED TO THEIR
COMPREHENSION, THOSE PRINCIPLES OF PHILOSOPHY
ON WHICH THEIR MANUAL OPERATIONS DEPENDED,

AND BY ADDING SCIENTIFIC PRECISION TO MECHANICAL SKILL
TO MAKE THEIR LABOUR LIGHTER IN ITSELF,

AND MORE EFFICIENT FOR THEIR COUNTRY:

THIS ATTEMPT

TO PRESENT TO WORKING MECHANICS, IN A PLAIN
MANNER AND CHEAP FORM,

A DESCRIPTIVE HISTORY OF THE PROGRESS OF
IMPROVEMENT MADE IN

THE STEAM ENGINE,

IS RESPECTFULLY

DEDICATED

BY

THE AUTHOR,