THE NEW YORK ASTOR, LENOX AND 1899 District of Pennsylvania, to wit: 66 [L. S.] BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the tenth day of November, in the thirty-first year of the Independence of the United States of America, A D. 1806, MATHEW CARE, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to wit: Ferguson's Lectures on Select Subjects, in Mechanics, Hydrosta"tics, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Optics, Geography, Astronomy, nd Dialling. A New Edition, corrected and enlarged. With "Notes and an Appendix, adapted to the present state of the Arts and Sciences by David Brewster, A. M. In two volumen "with a volume of Plates. Second American Elition, careful revised and corrected by Robert Patterson, Professor of Ma, "thematics, and Teacher of Natural Philosoph in the University of Pennsylvania" 66 In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned." And also to the Act, entitled, " An Act supplementary an Act, entled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors during the imes therein mentioned," and extending the of to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints." D. CALDWELL, pies of maps such copies enefits there Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania: pump-Forcing pump-Pump engine-Hydro- statical tables-Fire engine-Persian wheel- Of Pneumatics-On winds-Air pump-Air gun, &c. 189 THE PREFACE OF THE EDITOR. THE writings of Mguson have been. long and justly distinguished for their perspi..... cuity and plainness. It seems to have been the chief object of his labours to give a fami liar view of the various branches of physical science, and to render them accessible to those who are not accustomed to mathematical investigation; and the favourable reception which his works have every where experienced, are satisfactory proofs that he did not labour in vain. The treasures of science had been long concealed in the recesses of algebraical formulæ and geometrical discussion; and men of ordi nary capacity were deterred from pursuing them by the repulsive form in which they were displayed. There were some works, indeed, which, from the absence of mathematical reasoning, may be regarded as exceptions to this B . general observation; but most of them wanted that perspicuity of style, that method of viewing a difficult subject in different aspects, and that happy manner of illustrating the most abstruse facts in mechanical philosophy by new and ingeous experiments, with the author of these lotures so eminently possessed. Mr. Ferguson therefore, may, in some degree, be regarded the first elementary vriter on natural philosophy and to his labours we must "attribute that general diffusion of scientific knowledge among the practical mechanics of this country which has, in a great measure, banished those antiquated prejudices and erroneous maxims of construction that perpetually mislead the unlettered artist. But it is not merely to the praise of a popu lar writer the Mr. Ferguson is entitled. Whe he is illustrating the discoveries of others, and accommodating them to the capies of his readers, we are frequently introduced to inventions and improvements of his own. Many of these are well known to the public and while some of them have been of great service to perimental philosophy, they all evince an uncommon share of mechanical genius. To a still higher commendation, however, our author may justly lay claim. It has long been |