the idea, of making the steam draw down the piston, as well as help to
drive it up; in the first engines it was raised by the beam, and steam
used only to cause a vacuum, so as to let the air drive it down. All
before this had been merely steps in advance, like those of children,
who must walk before they can run; so was it with the steam-engine. It
was uphill work for many years, and the top of the hill cannot be said
to have been readied till Watt worked out this grand idea. The first
engine could only be called atmospheric; now it was destined to become
in reality a steam-engine. Time would fail were I to attempt to go into
any details of all the experiments through which Watt toiled to bring
his ideas to perfection--enough to say that he did so; and I trust you
will be able, through the description I will endeavour to give, to
understand how well his labour was bestowed, and how beautiful the
result has proved for the benefit of the world at large. In 1773, Watt
removed to Soho, near Birmingham, where a part of the works was allotted
to him to erect the machinery necessary to carry out his inventions on a
grand scale.

We must now proceed to some of the useful points of the engine, all I
have before mentioned simply relating to the inventors and improvers;
but having brought it so far, I may now, I think, proceed further. The
first use of the steam-engine was simply to raise water from mines, and
for long it was thought it could be used for nothing else; so much so,
that it was at one time used to raise water to turn wheels and thus
produce motion. One of its first uses after it became a really useful
machine was to propel ships, though many a weary hour was spent to bring
it to this point. There is a very pretty monument on the Clyde,
dedicated to Mr. Bell, who I believe was the first person who
successfully brought steamers to work on its waters. The first who used
steam for ships was Mr. James Taylor, in conjunction with Mr. Miller of