CONTENTS. 
PART I. 
HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE APPLICATION OF THE STEAM ENGINE TO THE PURPOSE OF DRAINING 
THE MINES OF CORNWALL, AND OF ITS PROGRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT IN THAT DISTRICT. 
PAGE 
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
1. Economy the great feature of the steam 
engine , . . 1 
2. Superiority of the Cornish engine, in 
this respect, to all others . . . . ib. 
3. Benefit to Cornwall from the steam 
engine ....... 2 
4. The raising of water the principal sti 
mulus to the improvement of the steam engine ib. 
HISTORY BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF WATT’S 
IMPROVEMENTS, 1700 TO 1775. 
5. Expedients adopted for drainage of mines 
before the introduction of the steam engine . 3 
6. Water power . . . . . ib. 
7. Circumstances limiting the use of water 
power ....... 4 
8. Thomas Savery .... 5 
9. His endeavours to introduce his engine 
into Cornwall ...... 6 
10. These attempts unsuccessful—objec 
tions to the engine for mining purposes . 7 
11. Savery’s merits as an inventor . . 8 
newcomen’s or the atmospheric engine. 
12. Newcomen’s engine—its advantages 
over Savery’s ...... 9 
13. Fallacy of the general assertion that 
Newcomen patented his engine . . .10 
14. Savery’s connection with Newcomen 
and Cawley . . . • • . ib. 
15. Condensation by injection . .11 
16. Introduction of the atmospheric engine 
into use ..••••• ib- 
17. Its first use in Cornwall . . .12 
18. Progress of the atmospheric engine in 
Cornwall at first very slow . . . ib. 
19. Cause of this, the duty on all coals 
sea-borne . • • • • .13 
20. Memorial to Parliament, praying re 
mission of duty . . • • . ib. 
b 
21. Act of Parliament passed in 1741 to 
allow a draw-back of the duty . . .15 
22. Beneficial effect of the Act—general 
introduction of the engine . . . .16 
23. Duty of the first engines . . . ib. 
24. Attempts at improvement . .17 
25. Great consumption of fuel . .18 
26. Smeaton’s improvements upon the at 
mospheric engine . . . . . ib. 
27. Chacewater engine . . . . ib. 
28. Duty of Smeaton’s engines . .19 
THE ERA OF WATT, 1776 TO 1800. 
29. Watt’s first engine—Cornish deputa 
tion to examine it . . . .20 
30. His first engines erected in Cornwall . ib. 
31. General adoption of the engine imme 
diately afterwards . . . . .21 
32. Watt’s patented improvements . . ib. 
33. Watt’s unpatented improvements—al 
teration in form and position of boilers . 22 
34. Improvements in manufacture and 
workmanship . . . . . .23 
35. Method of payment to the patentees 
for the use of their engines . . . ib. 
36. Standard for the performance of the 
atmospheric engine . . . . .24 
37. Watt’s introduction of the term duty . 25 
38. Duty of Watt’s engines—great ad 
vantage from the improvements effected . ib. 
39. Smeaton’s application for permission 
to use the separate condenser to the atmo 
spheric engine—Watt’s refusal . . .27 
40. The expansion engine—Watt’s third 
patent, for expanding the steam in a single 
cylinder ....... 28 
41. Hornblower’s double-cylinder expansion 
engine . . . . . • .30 
42. Groundlessness of the charge of piracy 
brought against Hornblower . . . ib.