wood　and　drawers　of　water；　without　commemoration；　genius　and
  enterprise　would　be　deprived　of　their　most　coveted　distinction。〃Sir
  Henry　Englefield。
  The　account　given　of　Dr。　Roebuck　in　a　Cyclopedia　of　Biography；
  recently　published　in　Glasgow；　runs　as　follows：　　　〃Roebuck；　John；　a
  physician　and　experimental　chemist；　born　at　Sheffield；　1718；　died；
  after　ruining　himself　by　his　projects；　1794。　　Such　is　the　short　shrift
  which　the　man　receives　who　fails。　　Had　Dr。　Roebuck　wholly　succeeded　in
  his　projects；　he　would　probably　have　been　esteemed　as　among　the
  greatest　of　Scotland's　benefactors。　　Yet　his　life　was　not　altogether　a
  failure；　as　we　think　will　sufficiently　appear　from　the　following
  brief　account　of　his　labours：
  At　the　beginning　of　last　century；　John　Roebuck's　father　carried　on
  the　manufacture　of　cutlery　at　Sheffield；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Dr。　Roebuck's　grandson；　John　Arthur　Roebuck；　by　a　singular
  coincidence；　at　present　represents　Sheffield　in　the　British
  Parliament。
  。。。＇
  in　the　course　of　which　he　realized　a　competency。　　He　intended　his　son
  to　follow　his　own　business；　but　the　youth　was　irresistibly　attracted
  to　scientific　pursuits；　in　which　his　father　liberally　encouraged　him；
  and　he　was　placed　first　under　the　care　of　Dr。　Doddridge；　at
  Northampton；　and　afterwards　at　the　University　of　Edinburgh；　where　he
  applied　himself　to　the　study　of　medicine；　and　especially　of
  chemistry；　which　was　then　attracting　considerable　attention　at　the
  principal　seats　of　learning　in　Scotland。　　While　residing　at　Edinburgh
  young　Roebuck　contracted　many　intimate　friendships　with　men　who
  afterwards　became　eminent　in　literature；　such　as　Hume　and　Robertson
  the　historians；　and　the　circumstance　is　supposed　to　have　contributed
  not　a　little　to　his　partiality　in　favour　of　Scotland；　and　his
  afterwards　selecting　it　as　the　field　for　his　industrial　operations。
  After　graduating　as　a　physician　at　Leyden；　Roebuck　returned　to
  England；　and　settled　at　Birmingham　in　the　year　1745　for　the　purpose
  of　practising　his　profession。　　Birmingham　was　then　a　principal　seat　of
  the　metal　manufacture；　and　its　mechanics　were　reputed　to　be　among　the
  most　skilled　in　Britain。　　Dr。　Roebuck's　attention　was　early　drawn　to
  the　scarcity　and　dearness　of　the　material　in　which　the　mechanics
  worked；　and　he　sought　by　experiment　to　devise　some　method　of　smelting
  iron　otherwise　than　by　means　of　charcoal。　　He　had　a　laboratory　fitted
  up　in　his　house　for　the　purpose　of　prosecuting　his　inquiries；　and
  there　he　spent　every　minute　that　he　could　spare　from　his　professional
  labours。　　It　was　thus　that　he　invented　the　process　of　smelting　iron　by
  means　of　pit…coal　which　he　afterwards　embodied　in　the　patent
  hereafter　to　be　referred　to。　　At　the　same　time　he　invented　new　methods
  of　refining　gold　and　silver；　and　of　employing　them　in　the　arts；　which
  proved　of　great　practical　value　to　the　Birmingham　trades…men；　who
  made　extensive　use　of　them　in　their　various　processes　of　manufacture。
  Dr。　Roebuck's　inquiries　had　an　almost　exclusively　practical
  direction；　and　in　pursuing　them　his　main　object　was　to　render　them
  subservient　to　the　improvement　of　the　industrial　arts。　　Thus　he　sought
  to　devise　more　economical　methods　of　producing　the　various　chemicals
  used　in　the　Birmingham　trade；　such　as　ammonia；　sublimate；　and　several
  of　the　acids；　and　his　success　was　such　as　to　induce　him　to　erect　a
  large　laboratory　for　their　manufacture；　which　was　conducted　with
  complete　success　by　his　friend　Mr。　Garbett。　　Among　his　inventions　of
  this　character；　was　the　modern　process　of　manufacturing　vitriolic
  acid　in　leaden　vessels　in　large　quantities；　instead　of　in　glass
  vessels　in　small　quantities　as　formerly　practised。　　His　success　led
  him　to　consider　the　project　of　establishing　a　manufactory　for　the
  purpose　of　producing　oil　of　vitriol　on　a　large　scale；　and；　having
  given　up　his　practice　as　a　physician；　he　resolved；　with　his　partner
  Mr。　Garbett；　to　establish　the　proposed　works　in　the　neighbourhood　of
  Edinburgh。　　He　removed　to　Scotland　with　that　object；　and　began　the
  manufacture　of　vitriol　at　Prestonpans　in　the　year　1749。　　The
  enterprise　proved　eminently　lucrative；　and；　encouraged　by　his
  success；　Roebuck　proceeded　to　strike　out　new　branches　of　manufacture。
  He　started　a　pottery　for　making　white　and　brown　ware；　which
  eventually　became　established；　and　the　manufacture　exists　in　the　same
  neighbourhood　to　this　day。
  The　next　enterprise　in　which　he　became　engaged　was　one　of　still
  greater　importance；　though　it　proved　eminently　unfortunate　in　its
  results　as　concerned　himself。　　While　living　at　Prestonpans；　he　made
  the　friendship　of　Mr。　William　Cadell；　of　Cockenzie；　a　gentleman　who
  had　for　some　time　been　earnestly　intent　on　developing　the　industry　of
  Scotland；　then　in　a　very　backward　condition。　　Mr。　Cadell　had　tried；
  without　success；　to　establish　a　manufactory　of　iron；　and；　though　he
  had　heretofore　failed；　he　hoped　that　with　the　aid　of　Dr。　Roebuck　he
  might　yet　succeed。　　The　Doctor　listened　to　his　suggestions　with
  interest；　and　embraced　the　proposed　enterprise　with　zeal。　　He
  immediately　proceeded　to　organize　a　company；　in　which　he　was　joined
  by　a　number　of　his　friends　and　relatives。　　His　next　step　was　to　select
  a　site　for　the　intended　works；　and　make　the　necessary　arrangements
  for　beginning　the　manufacture　of　iron。　　After　carefully　examining　the
  country　on　both　sides　of　the　Forth；　he　at　length　made　choice　of　a
  site　on　the　banks　of　the　river　Carron；　in　Stirlingshire；　where　there
  was　an　abundant　supply　of　wafer；　and　an　inexhaustible　supply　of　iron；
  coal；　and　limestone　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood；　and　there　Dr。
  Roebuck　planted　the　first　ironworks　in　Scotland；
  In　order　to　carry　them　on　with　the　best　chances　of　success；　he
  brought　a　large　number　of　skilled　workmen　from　England；　who　formed　a
  nucleus　of　industry　at　Carron；　where　their　example　and　improved
  methods　of　working　served　to　train　the　native　labourers　in　their　art。
  At　a　subsequent　period；　Mr。　Cadell；　of　Carronpark；　also　brought　a
  number　of　skilled　English　nail…makers　into　Scotland；　and　settled　them
  in　the　village　of　Camelon；　where；　by　teaching　others；　the　business
  has　become　handed　down　to　the　present　day。
  The　first　furnace　was　blown　at　Carron　on　the　first　day　of　January；
  1760；　and　in　the　course　of　the　same　year　the　Carron　Iron　Works　turned
  out　1500　tons　of　iron；　then　the　whole　annual　produce　of　Scotland。
  Other　furnaces　were　shortly　after　erected　on　improved　plans；　and　the
  production　steadily　increased。　　Dr。　Roebuck　was　indefatigable　in　his
  endeavours　to　improve　the　manufacture；　and　he　was　one　of　the　first；
  as　we　have　said；　to　revive　the　use　of　pit…coal　in　refining　the　ore；
  as　appears　from　his　patent　of　1762。　　He　there　describes　his　new
  process　as　follows：　　　〃I　melt　pig　or　any　kind　of　cast…iron　in　a
  hearth　heated　with　pit…coal　by　the　blast　of　bellows；　and　work　the
  metal　until　it　is　reduced　to　nature；　which　I　take　out　of　the　fire　and
  separate　to　pieces；　then　I　take　the　metal　thus　reduced　to　nature　and
  expose　it　to　the　action　of　a　hollow　pit…coal　fire；　heated　by　the
  blast　of　bellows；　until　it　is　reduced　to　a　loop；　which　I　draw　out
  under　a　common　forge　hammer　into　bar…iron。〃　　This　method　of
  manufacture　was　followed　with　success；　though　for　some　time；　as
  indeed　to　this　day；　the　principal　production　of　the　Carron　Works　was
  castings；　for　which　the　peculiar　quality　of　the　Scotch　iron　admirably
  adapts　it。　　The　well…known　Carronades；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  The　carronade　was　invented　by　General　Robert　Melville　＇Mr。　Nasmyth
  says　it　was　by　Miller　of　Dalswinton＇；　who　proposed　it　for　discharging
  68　lb；　shot　with　low　charges　of　powder；　in　order　to　produce　the
  increased　splintering　or　SMASHING　effects　which　were　known　to　result
  from　such　practice。　　The　first　piece　of　the　kind　was　cast　at　the
  Carron　Foundry；　in　1779；　and　General　Melville's　family　have　now　in
  their　possession　a　small　model　of　this　gun；　with　the　inscription：
  〃Gift　of　the　Carron　Company　to　Lieutenant…general　Melville；　inventor
  of　the　smashers　and　lesser　carronades；　for　solid；　ship；　shell；　and
  carcass　shot；　&c。　　First　used　against　French　ships　in　1779。〃
  。。。＇
  or　〃Smashers；〃　as　they　were　named；　were　cast　in　large　numbers　at　the
  Carron　Works。　　To　increase　the　power　of　his　blowing　apparatus；
  Dr。Roebuck　called　to　his　aid　the　celebrated　Mr。　Smeaton；　the
  engineer；　who　contrived　and　erected　for　him　at　Carron　the　most
  perfect　apparatus　of　the　kind　then　in　existence。　　It　may　also　be
  added；　that　out　of　the　Carron　enterprise；　in　a　great　measure；　sprang
  the　Forth　and　Clyde　Canal；　the　first　artificial　navigation　in
  Scotland。　　The　Carron　Company；　with　a　view　to　securing　an　improved
  communication　with　Glasgow；　themselves　surveyed　a　line；　which　was
  only　given　up　in　consequence　of　the　determined　opposition　of　the
  landowners；　but　the　project　was　again　revived　through　their　means；
  and　was　eventually　carried　out　after　the　designs　of　Smeaton　and
  Brindley。
  W