tract:*"I do not know exactly at what time the first trials were made or published in France. The first notice we received of them here, was in a letter from a friend at Paris, dated November 8, 1801, in which he desired me to inform Mr. Murdoch, that a person had lighted up his house and gardens with the gas obtained from wood and coal, and had it in contemplation to light up the city of Paris." This is important in the detail of its history, but does not detract from the merit of Mr. Murdoch, nor lessen his claim to the honour of being the first person who introduced its application to useful purposes, on a large scale, in this country.

However, there are some remarkable circumstances connected with M. Le Bon's exhibitions at Paris that seem not to be generally known, or have not been particularly noticed; but they ought to be related, because they have led to very

* Nicholson's Journal, Vol. XI. 1805.-The following extract is from the evidence of James Watt, jun. esq., on the Gas-Light and Coke Bill in 1809: -"At the end of the year 1801, my brother went over to Paris; and he wrote me a letter, telling me, that if we intended to do anything with Mr. Murdoch's light, no time should be lost, because he had heard that a Frenchman, of the name of Le Bon, was at the same period endeavouring to apply the gas obtained from the distillation of wood to similar purposes."

important results. In the first advertisements, and subsequent pamphlets, published by Mr. Winsor, to attract the public attention to his plan, he lays claim to Gas-lighting, &c., as his "discovery," and his "invention;" yet those who knew him best never gave him credit for so much ingenuity; for, according to their account of his qualifications, he possessed scarcely any knowledge of chemistry, and was so deficient in mechanical information, that he was unable to give proper directions for the construction of apparatus. The probability is, that all the information he possessed relating to the subject of Gas he derived, by some means, chiefly from M. Le Bon.* After he arrived in England he became acquainted with a Mr. Kenzie, who resided in Green Street, near Hyde Park, This gentleman having acquired opulence as a coach maker, had retired from business, and his premises being unoccupied, he allowed Mr. Winsor the use of them to make his first experiments for producing gas from coal. Here he continued his operations for some time, under great disadvantages, arising from various

* In the pamphlet which he published as a reply to Mr. Nicholson's remarks in his Journal, he acknowledges that he had offered M. Le Bon one hundred Louis d'ors for a model of his stove;"-and asserts "that something like M. Le Bon's discovery would soon be seen at the Lyceum." Winsor's Defence, page 36,

causes, but more particularly from his deficiency of knowledge and skill both as a chemist and a mechanic. But he was industrious, persevering, and confident; and the brilliancy of the lights, the novelty of the scheme, added to the extraordinary advantages which he held forth as likely to be the consequences of its introduction and use, encouraged Mr. Kenzie, and a few other persons, to assist him in the furtherance of his views, so as to enable him, at a subsequent period, to make his public display of Gas-lighting.*

In 1803 and 1804 Mr. Winsor publicly exhibited his plan of illumination by coal gas at the Lyceum theatre in London. Here he delivered lectures on the subject, which he illustrated by a number of entertaining and appropriate experiments. Among others, he shewed the manner of conveying the gas from one part of a house to another; and, by the use of different kinds of burners, he was enabled to display something of that variety of forms which may be given to its flame. His exhibitions proved that the intensity of the flame

* These circumstances are related on the authority of some very respectable persons who knew Mr. Winsor during his first attempts, and not only witnessed his operations, but occasionally afforded him assistance in some of them for several years afterwards; one of them stated that he had reasons for believing that he had been an assistant to M. Le Bon. Mr. Winsor obtained his patent in May, 1804.

of coal gas rendered it less liable to be extinguished by strong and sudden gusts of wind; and he also shewed that, if properly managed, the burning of it would neither produce smoke, nor throw out such sparks as often fly from the burning wicks of lamps or candles; a circumstance which rendered gas a desirable kind of light, from being less dangerous in its use than either of them. It must, therefore, be evident, that Mr. Winsor's exhibitions were eminently useful in promoting the objects he had in contemplation. Their brilliance was surprisingly attractive, and allured the public to inspect them; and his explanations and illustrations so far elucidated the subject of gas as to enable others to form some estimate of its utility as an agent for producing light. His representations may justly be deemed extravagant and deceptive, and certainly exposed him to ridicule and suspicion; but it must be allowed that his efforts tended, in a high degree, to fix public attention to Gas-lighting; and whatever were the motives of his conduct, the result has proved singularly beneficial to the world.

But while Mr. Winsor was engaged in exhibiting and lecturing at the Lyceum, he was occasionally subject to great vexations. In general he was so unfortunate as to select for his assistants such men as were remarkable for their ignorance rather than for ability or skill; and scarcely any

dependence could be placed upon their attention or diligence. He was also sometimes exposed to their impositions; and, being a foreigner, he was under the necessity of engaging a person to read his lectures to his audience. Sometimes, too, when the auditors were assembled his reader failed to appear, and probably had the manuscript lecture in his pocket; of course they were obliged to retire, disappointed and disgusted. The character of his mechanical assistants was much the same; and they were generally such as to be incapable of rendering him any effective service in his pursuits. These and other mortifying circumstances engaged him in frequent altercations; and he bitterly complains of these disastrous occurrences in one of his pamphlets. His gas, too, from being burnt in a very impure state, was offensive to the smell, which greatly annoyed his audience, and these circumstances tended to pro. duce a dislike to Gas-lighting.

Mr. Winsor's great pretensions probably ope'rated unfavourably for the success of his project,

for, by occasioning his motives to be suspected, those who might possess the requisite degree of scientific information and mechanical ability, were prevented from affording their aid in the early period of his undertaking. Those he himself chose to co-operate with him in accomplish