The history of invention is the history of new contrivances made mainly for practical purposes; the history of scientific discovery the record of new laws and phenomena of Nature brought to light. They are often united as body to soul, and this ix seen in a great deal of the work of the past two hundred years, The effect of invention and discovery on human affairs has often been dealt with.
Many years ago Macaulay in a memorable 4
Jocomotion; the birth of the manufacture of and machines, machinery to countless operations hitherto curried out by hand.
The work of Watt alone would make this period notable, but he war only the outstanding figure in a group of great inventors and pioneers, whose combined labours affected the whole world. Newcomen in the carly part of the Righteonth Century bad made the firat prnetionl steam pumping engine, and had thus saved many of oer mines from disaster, but it was Watt's great improvements, made during the years 1769 to 1781, which transformed the steam pump Into an engine suitable for all purposes, far more reliable in its action and far lees expensive in fuel. world's iron industry ax we know It to-day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.