AUTHOR OF "PANORAMA OF SCIENCE," "THE HISTORY OF LONDON,"

KTC. ETC.

LONDON:

PARTRIDGE AND OAKEY.

MDCCCLII.

PREFACE.

T15
G69

It has been demonstrated that the desire of obtaining knowledge is one of the most natural, and, at the same time, most ennobling attributes of the human mind. There is at the present time a great number of inquiring minds among the working classes of this kingdom, and a still greater number of the young of all classes thirsting for information, who in entering upon a course of general reading must be greatly at a loss for many things which are familiarly alluded to in ordinary conversation, with which everybody is understood to be acquainted, or would have people to think so, but which, in reality, are only familiar to persons who have been living for a considerable time in intimate converse with the world.

The "Historical Account of Useful Inventions
and Discoveries in Science," is intended in some
measure to supply such information to the anxious
inquirer after knowledge. Of the numerous arti-
cles here treated of, it will be perceived that each
has been traced to its origin in as lucid a style as
possible, and in so doing we have endeavoured
to combine instruction with amusement. As a
proof of this we need only refer to the table of
Contents.