countries more accessible-are obvious enough, and can be easily appreciated. But there are higher considerations than the mere commercial advantages growing out of increased facilities for intercourse between nations. Free intercourse between different countries is eminently calculated to remove those national prejudices and animosities without which war could not flourish. The friendships and connections, and commercial relations, which would be formed between two nations which had been some time at peace, and had easy access to each other, and throughout each country, by steam navigation and railways, would be a powerful barrier against the ambitious or selfish projects of those political or military adventurers, whose ends lead them to plunge two nations into the horrors of war. That community of feeling which would be generated by a knowledge of the true interests of nations, would be strengthened by the associations of those who had stood in the sacred relation of host and guest-who had experienced each other's courtesy and hospitality-shared the same pleasures-sat at the same board. Facility of intercourse would greatly multiply and increase those kindly sympathies, and foster those feelings of brotherhood among nations. The steam-engine is-and, when each country is intersected with railroads, will be much more-a powerful means of increasing those ties of friendship and commercial interest; and assuredly, along with other causes, will hasten the happy period which one may now look for without being deemed a visionary, when it shall be felt that the human race are indeed of " one brotherhood"-when "swords shall be turned into ploughshares, and spears into pruning-hooks"— "when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

SECTION VI.

STEAMBOAT ENGINE.

308. The application of the power of steam to navigation, whereby voyages might be made, even with an adverse wind or in a dead calm, was sufficiently obvious; and, accordingly, we find that every projector of machines for applying steam as a power, contemplated its introduction as a means of impelling vessels along their liquid path. We have already noticed the project of Blasco de Garay, in the 16th century. Of that nothing further is known, than that such a design was by him put in execution, and then abandoned. Savery projected the application of his engine to navi. gation, but seems to have gone no further than throwing out the idea that a paddle-wheel attached to a vessel might be turned, and thus give motion to the vessel, by water to be raised by the engine.

309. The first feasible-looking project for a steamboat, was that of Jonathan Hulls, who took out a patent for it in 1736, and, in 1737, published a description of it, with a drawing, entitled—“ A Description and Draught of a new-invented Machine, for carrying Vessels or Ships out or in of any Harbour, Port, or River, against Wind or Tide, or in a Calm." His power was procured by the pressure of the atmosphere against a vacuum, just as in Newcomen's engine; and, by very ingeniously devised machinery, he transmitted the motion to a paddle-wheel, and provided for the continued rotation of the wheel during the ascent of the piston. Mr Tredgold remarks, “that it was certainly a beautiful contrivance for rendering so irregular a first mover equable ;" and also "the pamphlet

P

of Hulls bears evidence of being the work of an ingenious and well-informed mind.”

310. In 1775, a small steamboat was built in France, by a M. Perier, and is said to have been successful. It was tried on the river Seine ; but the scheme was abandoned. A larger vessel, to be propelled by the same power, was constructed at Lyons, by the Marquis of Jouffray, in 1782; but his schemes were overturned by the Revolution. The steamboat he constructed was 140 feet long, fifteen feet wide, and is said to have plied on the river Soane, at Lyons, for a considerable time. In 1788, an engine for propelling a boat by the power of steam was built by Mr Symington, at Falkirk, under the directions of Mr Miller of Dalswinton. It was fitted into a canal boat, and plied with success on the Forth and Clyde Canal in 1789 ; but the scheme was abandoned, the agitation of the water by the paddles being found to injure the canal banks; and was not prosecuted elsewhere. In 1795, the ingenious Lord Stanhope constructed a machine for propelling vessels, which was tried in London, but did not prove successful. In 1801, Mr Symington, at the instigation of Lord Dundas, constructed a steamboat for towing vessels on the Forth and Clyde Canal. The project seems to have been tolerably successful, but was again strangely abandoned.

311. The first really efficient steamboat was built at New York, and launched in 1807. It was constructed under the superintendence of Mr FULTON, an American, who had long been labouring to introduce steampower in ships. The engine was built for him by Boulton and Watt, and sent out to America. Fulton had been experimenting in France, and had proposed to Bonaparte to employ steam-vessels in his proposed invasion of Great Britain. Receiving little encourage.. ment in Europe, he returned to America, and there

completed his plan. The first steam voyage was successfully performed by his vessel, between New York and Albany, (a distance of 160 miles, performed in about thirty hours;) and this public demonstration of the practicability of steam navigation gave the impulse which has set steam in action on the waters in every quarter of the globe. Fulton's project was a good deal laughed at ; and he deserves great credit for his perseverance, notwithstanding the ridicule and apathy he met with. Such was the temper of some of his own friends on the subject, that, after he had conducted them safely to Albany, he was told he could not do it again, and, supposing he could, what would be the use of it! The sensation produced by the appearance of Fulton's vessel making its way over the waters, was thus described in an American paper:

"She had the most terrific appearance from other vessels which were navigating the river. The first steamers, as others yet do, used dry pine wood for fuel, which sent forth a column of ignited vapour, many feet above the flue, and, whenever the fire is stirred, a galaxy of sparks fly off, and, in the night, have a very brilliant and beautiful appearance. Notwithstanding the wind and tide were adverse to its approach, they saw, with astonishment, that it was rapidly coming towards them; and, when it came so near that the noise of the machinery and paddles was heard, the crews, in some instances, shrunk beneath their decks from the terrific sight, and left their vessels to go on shore, while others prostrated themselves, and besought Providence to protect them from the approach of the horrible monster which was marching on the tides, and lighting its path by the fires which it vomited."

312. Fulton thus demonstrated the capability of steam to be applied as a moving power for ships. A few days after his successful steam-trip to Albany, another American, STEVENS, who had been long en

gaged in experiments in steam navigation, effected a successful steam voyage in a boat he had constructed; and, in the course of a few years, steamboats were to be seen plying on the shores, and along the rivers, in all the populous districts of the United States.

313. In 1812, a steamboat, called the COMET, began to ply on the Clyde, between Glasgow and Greenock. It was of three-horse power, and moved at the rate of five miles an hour, against a head wind. This was the first successful steamboat in Europe, and was the result of the skill and ingenuity of Mr HENRY BELL. A monument is about to be erected to his memory, on the banks of the Clyde. Since that time, steam navivation has made rapid progress, as may be seen from the following table, from the Western Almanac for 1838, shewing the number and tonnage of steam-vessels sailing on the Clyde in 1837.

Vessels. Tonnage.

Out-sea boats, (to England and Ireland)

Boats for passengers along the coast, some as far as to Inverness

In 1814, there were (exclusive of government vessels), eleven steam vessels, manned by sixty-five men, and of 542 tons burden in all, in Great Britain and Ireland. In 1828 (fourteen years later), 344 steam vessels, manned by 2,708 men, and of 30,912 tons burden; and now, (1838), probably, 550 or 600 vessels, of from 45,000 to 50,000 tons burden, and manned by upwards of 4,000 men.

The greatest feat yet accomplished by steam, has been that of the voyages across the Atlantic, by the SIRIUS and GREAT WESTERN Steamships, in April and