supply houses and gardens, but could not accomplish the draining of
mines by it. Which was afterwards done by Mr. Newcomen and Mr. John
Cowley at Dartmouth, in the year 1712, who added the piston.

A few years ago Mr. Watt of Glasgow much improved this machine, and with
Mr. Boulton of Birmingham has applied it to variety of purposes, such as
raising water from mines, blowing bellows to fuse the ore, supplying
towns with water, grinding corn and many other purposes. There is reason
to believe it may in time be applied to the rowing of barges, and the
moving of carriages along the road. As the specific levity of air is too
great for the support of great burthens by balloons, there seems no
probable method of flying conveniently but by the power of steam, or
some other explosive material; which another half century may probable
discover. See additional notes, No. XI.]


"The Giant-Power from earth's remotest caves
Lifts with strong arm her dark reluctant waves;
265 Each cavern'd rock, and hidden den explores,
Drags her dark coals, and digs her shining ores.--
Next, in close cells of ribbed oak confined,
Gale after gale, He crowds the struggling wind;
The imprison'd storms through brazen nostrils roar,
270 Fan the white flame, and fuse the sparkling ore.
Here high in air the rising stream He pours
To clay-built cisterns, or to lead-lined towers;
Fresh through a thousand pipes the wave distils,
And thirsty cities drink the exuberant rills.--
275 There the vast mill-stone with inebriate whirl
On trembling floors his forceful fingers twirl.