citoyen！〃　　Scowling　looks　were　turned　upon　him；　and　he　deemed　it
  expedient　to　take　the　first　opportunity　of　escaping　from　the　house；
  which　he　did　by　a　back…door；　and　made　the　best　of　his　way　to
  Hacqueville。　　From　thence　he　went　to　Rouen；　and　succeeded　in　finding　a
  passage　on　board　an　American　ship；　in　which　he　sailed　for　New　York；
  having　first　pledged　his　affections　to　an　English　girl；　Sophia
  Kingdom；　whom　he　had　accidentally　met　at　the　house　of　Mr。　Carpentier；
  the　American　consul　at　Rouen。
  Arrived　in　America；　he　succeeded　in　finding　employment　as　assistant
  surveyor　of　a　tract　of　land　along　the　Black　River；　near　Lake　Ontario。
  In　the　intervals　of　his　labours　he　made　occasional　visits　to　New
  York；　and　it　was　there　that　the　first　idea　of　his　block…machinery
  occurred　to　him。　　He　carried　his　idea　back　with　him　into　the　woods；
  where　it　often　mingled　with　his　thoughts　of　Sophia　Kingdom；　by　this
  time　safe　in　England　after　passing　through　the　horrors　of　a　French
  prison。　　〃My　first　thought　of　the　block…machinery；〃　he　once　said；　〃was
  at　a　dinner　party　at　Major…General　Hamilton's；　in　New　York；　my　second
  under　an　American　tree；　when；　one　day　that　I　was　carving　letters　on
  its　bark；　the　turn　of　one　of　them　reminded　me　of　it；　and　I　thought；
  'Ah！　my　block！　so　it　must　be。'　And　what　do　you　think。　　were　the
  letters　I　was　cutting？　Of　course　none　other　than　S。　　K。〃　　Brunel
  subsequently　obtained　some　employment　as　an　architect　in　New　York；
  and　promulgated　various　plans　for　improving　the　navigation　of　the
  principal　rivers。　　Among　the　designs　of　his　which　were　carried　out；
  was　that　of　the　Park　Theatre　at　New　York；　and　a　cannon　foundry；　in
  which　he　introduced　improvements　in　casting　and　boring　big　guns。　　But
  being　badly　paid　for　his　work；　and　a　powerful　attraction　drawing　him
  constantly　towards　England；　he　determined　to　take　final　leave　of
  America；　which　he　did　in　1799；　and　landed　at　Falmouth　in　the
  following　March。　　There　he　again　met　Miss　Kingdom；　who　had　remained
  faithful　to　him　during　his　six　long　years　of　exile；　and　the　pair　were
  shortly　after　united　for　life。
  Brunel　was　a　prolific　inventor。　　During　his　residence　in　America；　he
  had　planned　many　contrivances　in　his　mind；　which　he　now　proceeded　to
  work　out。　　The　first　was　a　duplicate　writing　and　drawing　machine；
  which　he　patented。　　The　next　was　a　machine　for　twisting　cotton　thread
  and　forming　it　into　balls；　but　omitting　to　protect　it　by　a　patent；　he
  derived　no　benefit　from　the　invention；　though　it　shortly　came　into
  very　general　use。　　He　then　invented　a　machine　for　trimmings　and
  borders　for　muslins；　lawns；　and　cambrics；of　the　nature　of　a　sewing
  machine。　　His　famous　block…machinery　formed　the　subject　of　his　next
  patent。
  It　may　be　explained　that　the　making　of　the　blocks　employed　in　the
  rigging　of　ships　for　raising　and　lowering　the　sails；　masts；　and
  yards；　was　then　a　highly　important　branch　of　manufacture。　　Some　idea
  may　be　formed　of　the　number　used　in　the　Royal　Navy　alone；　from　the
  fact　that　a　74…gun　ship　required　to　be　provided　with　no　fewer　than
  1400　blocks　of　various　sizes。　　The　sheaved　blocks　used　for　the　running
  rigging　consisted　of　the　shell；　the　sheaves；　which　revolved　within
  the　shell；　and　the　pins　which　fastened　them　together。　　The　fabrication
  of　these　articles；　though　apparently　simple；　was　in　reality　attended
  with　much　difficulty。　　Every　part　had　to　be　fashioned　with　great
  accuracy　and　precision　to　ensure　the　easy　working　of　the　block　when
  put　together；　as　any　hitch　in　the　raising　or　lowering　of　the　sails
  might；　on　certain　emergencies；　occasion　a　serious　disaster。　　Indeed；
  it　became　clear　that　mere　hand…work　was　not　to　be　relied　on　in　the
  manufacture　of　these　articles；　and　efforts　were　early　made　to　produce
  them　by　means　of　machinery　of　the　most　perfect　kind　that　could　be
  devised。　　In　1781；　Mr。　Taylor；　of　Southampton；　set　up　a　large
  establishment　on　the　river　Itchen　for　their　manufacture；　and　on　the
  expiry　of　his　contract；　the　Government　determined　to　establish　works
  of　their　own　in　Portsmouth　Dockyard；　for　the　purpose　at　the　same　time
  of　securing　greater　economy；　and　of　being　independent　of　individual
  makers　in　the　supply　of　an　article　of　such　importance　in　the
  equipment　of　ships。
  Sir　Samuel　Bentham；　who　then　filled　the　office　of　Inspector…General
  of　Naval　Works；　was　a　highly　ingenious　person；　and　had　for　some　years
  been　applying　his　mind　to　the　invention　of　improved　machinery　for
  working　in　wood。　　He　had　succeeded　in　introducing　into　the　royal
  dockyards　sawing…machines　and　planing…machines　of　a　superior　kind；　as
  well　as　block…making　machines。　　Thus　the　specification　of　one　of　his
  patents；　taken　out　in　1793；　clearly　describes　a　machine　for　shaping
  the　shells　of　the　blocks；　in　a　manner　similar　to　that　afterwards
  specified　by　Brunel。　　Bentham　had　even　proceeded　with　the　erection　of
  a　building　in　Portsmouth　Dockyard　for　the　manufacture　of　the　blocks
  after　his　method；　the　necessary　steam…engine　being　already　provided；
  but　with　a　singular　degree　of　candour　and　generosity；　on　Brunel's
  method　being　submitted　to　him；　Sir　Samuel　at　once　acknowledged　its
  superiority　to　his　own；　and　promised　to　recommend　its　adoption　by　the
  authorities　in　his　department。
  The　circumstance　of　Mrs。　Brunel's　brother　being　Under…Secretary　to
  the　Navy　Board　at　the　time；　probably　led　Brunel　in　the　first　instance
  to　offer　his　invention　to　the　Admiralty。　　A　great　deal；　however；
  remained　to　be　done　before　he　could　bring　his　ideas　of　the
  block…machinery　into　a　definite　shape；　for　there　is　usually　a　wide
  interval　between　the　first　conception　of　an　intricate　machine　and　its
  practical　realization。　　Though　Brunel　had　a　good　knowledge　of
  mechanics；　and　was　able　to　master　the　intricacies　of　any　machine；　he
  laboured　under　the　disadvantage　of　not　being　a　practical　mechanic　and
  it　is　probable　that　but　for　the　help　of　someone　possessed　of　this
  important　qualification；　his　invention；　ingenious　and　important
  though　it　was；　would　have　borne　no　practical　fruits。　　It　was　at　this
  juncture　that　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to　be　introduced　to　Henry
  Maudslay；　the　inventor　of　the　sliderest。
  It　happened　that　a　M。　de　Bacquancourt；　one　of　the　French　emigres；
  of　whom　there　were　then　so　many　in　London；　was　accustomed　almost
  daily　to　pass　Maudslay's　little　shop　in　Wells…street；　and　being
  himself　an　amateur　turner；　he　curiously　inspected　the　articles　from
  time　to　time　exhibited　in　the　window　of　the　young　mechanic。　　One　day　a
  more　than　ordinarily　nice　piece　of　screw…cutting　made　its　appearance；
  on　which　he　entered　the　shop　to　make　inquiries　as　to　the　method　by
  which　it　had　been　executed。　　He　had　a　long　conversation　with　Maudslay；
  with　whom　he　was　greatly　pleased；　and　he　was　afterwards　accustomed　to
  look　in　upon　him　occasionally　to　see　what　new　work　was　going　on。
  Bacquancourt　was　also　on　intimate　terms　with　Brunel；　who　communicated
  to　him　the　difficulty　he　had　experienced　in　finding　a　mechanic　of
  sufficient　dexterity　to　execute　his　design　of　the　block…making
  machinery。　　It　immediately　occurred　to　the　former　that　Henry　Maudslay
  was　the　very　man　to　execute　work　of　the　elaborate　character　proposed；
  and　he　described　to　Brunel　the　new　and　beautiful　tools　which　Maudslay
  had　contrived　for　the　purpose　of　ensuring　accuracy　and　finish。　　Brunel
  at　once　determined　to　call　upon　Maudslay；　and　it　was　arranged　that
  Bacquancourt　should　introduce　him；　which　he　did；　and　after　the
  interview　which　took　place　Brunel　promised　to　call　again　with　the
  drawings　of　his　proposed　model。
  A　few　days　passed；　and　Brunel　called　with　the　first　drawing；　done　by
  himself；　for　he　was　a　capital　draughtsman；　and　used　to　speak　of
  drawing　as　the　〃alphabet　of　the　engineer。〃　　The　drawing　only　showed　a
  little　bit　of　the　intended　machine；　and　Brunel　did　not　yet　think　it
  advisable　to　communicate　to　Maudslay　the　precise　object　he　had　in
  view；　for　inventors　are　usually　very　chary　of　explaining　their
  schemes　to　others；　for　fear　of　being　anticipated。　　Again　Brunel
  appeared　at　Maudslay's　shop　with　a　further　drawing；　still　not
  explaining　his　design；　but　at　the　third　visit；　immediately　on　looking
  at　the　fresh　drawings　he　had　brought；　Maudslay　exclaimed；　〃Ah！　now　I
  see　what　you　are　thinking　of；　you　want　machinery　for　making　blocks。〃
  At　this　Brunel　became　more　communicative；　and　explained　his　designs
  to　the　mechanic；　who　fully　entered　into　his　views；　and　went　on　from
  that　time　forward　striving　to　his　utmost　to　work　out　the　inventor's
  conceptions　and　embody　them　in　a　practical　machine。
  While　still　occupied　on　the　models；　which　were　begun　in　1800；
  Maudslay　removed　his　shop　from　Wells…street；　where　he　was　assisted　by
  a　single　journeyman；　to　Margaret…street；　Cavendish…square；　where　he
  had　greater　room　for　carrying　on　his　trade；　and　was　also　enabled　to
  increase　the　number　of　his　hands。　　The　working　models　were　ready　for
  inspection　by　Sir　Samuel　Bentham　and　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　in
  1801；　and　having