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PUBLISHED BY JOHN BROOKS,
421, OXFORD STREET.
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THE
PARADISE
WITHIN THE REACH OF ALL MEN,
WITHOUT LABOUR,
BY POWERS OF NATURE 4ND MACIIINERV
AN ADDRESS
TO ALL INTELLIGENT MEN.
IN TWO PARTS.
By J. A. ETZIiEK,
FIRST PART.
Toil and poverty will he no inorc among: men ; >>atarc aHoriis iii(inite powers and wealth ; Let us but observe an«l reason.
The wi-e examines before he judges; The fool judges before he examines.
LONDON:
JOHN BROOKS, 421, OXFORD STREET. MDCCCXXXVI.
PREFACE.
Look here, ye pliilosopliers, ye speculators, ye epi- cureans, ye philanthropists, ye who seek the philoso- pher's stone, ye who undergo all hardships and dan- gers, and traverse the ocean from one extremity to the other in search of money ; — a new, easy, straight and short road to the summit of your wishes is shown. — Ye who are tired of life's toil and vexations, drop your tool, pause a little, and look here at the means for a new life, free of labour, full of enjoyments and pleasures ; collect your thoughts, and reflect with the greatest solicitude that you are capable of, upon the means and ■ways presented to you here, for the greatest human happiness imaginable, for yourselves, for the objects of your endearments, and for your posterity for evej.
Here is no idle fancy, no vain system presented to amuse you merely ; no scheme for deceiving you, or for cheating you out of your money ; — but only sub- stantial means for your greatest happiness are here displayed before your eyes, in a fair, open, and honest way ; no sacrifice, no trust, no risk is asked of you ; nothing but the trouble to examine. If the author be in error — why, you will then soon discover it; but if he is right, then no endeavours, even of the greatest prater, will be able to disprove the exhibited truths.
" Why gives the author so great invaluable discove •
IV
riesto the public — discoveries, wliicli, if true, he mijjht sell for millions ? — Or is he so simple us not to know how to avail himself of his discoveries for his best profit?" '
These are questions you probably will ask. I vili answer them directly. It is because I want to sell these my productions at the hiu;hest price 1 can get for them, just as you do with youisin the market. Now, mere millions are too low a price for my discoveries. I want to sell them at a much higher rate; at the rate of seeing aU my fcllow-mcn, and myself with thent, together, in the enjoyment of the greatest hap- piness that Iiuman life be capable of; because 1 sec there is no danger in it, the world being large enough, and having means enough, for afi'ording the greatest (uippiness that can be thought of, not only for myself and a few friends, but for all men on earth.
Well, if r cannot get this high price for these pro- ductions of mine, 1 shall then do, as you do with yours, when you cannot get your demand, sell them at a lower rate, that is, for mere money, perhaps to some other people or government, to whomsoever that will buy them ; or even, if I cannot help it, if the puldic should turn (leaf ears to me, perhaps to some cunning wealthy speculators, and let them do with them what they please.
To understand this, without troubling yourselves with reading first the whole book, I will give you a brief explanation on the subject.
1 show hero, that there are powers in nature suffi- cient to effect in one year more than hitherto all men on earth could do in many thousands of years; that
these powers may be applied to do all human labour; I show you the system of establishments fur it ; and finally, that the most profitable, shortest, and easiest way to put them into operation for sueli great purposes, is,- to form associations in the manner pointed out, so as to enable the rich and the poor to participate fully in all the possible greatest benefits of these discoveries, by paying a share not greater than the price of a lottery- ticket; not before, however, he isperfectly convincedof the truth of my assertions, and only into the hands of his own choice, not in mine ; for I want to have no concern in the money a flairs for the execution of the proposals ; I engage myself only for communicating the contrivances as far as required.
THE AUTHOR.
Tl
PREFACE TO THE BRITISH EDITION.
The work, now for tlic first time presented to the British public, was originally published at Pittsburgh, in the United States, about three years ago, which will account for the calculations that occur in it being made in dollars, the common currency of that exten- sive country. What has been the effect of its publi- cation in the United States, the publisher of the pre- sent edition has no means of accurately ascertaining; but a copy of the work having fallen into his hands, he judged it by far too important to remain unknown to the people of this country.
It has been calculated, that the present mechanical and chemical power of Great Britain and Ireland are equal to the productive power of six hundred millions of human beings; but hitherto this power has been directed so as to enrich the few, at the expense of the many. Great as this power is, however, the author of the following work shows most clearly, that it is no- thing in comparison witli those stupendouspowers which yet exist in nature, and which man has nothing to do but immediately to render tributary to his wants and wishes, to secure to the whole human race the richest abundance of everything that is desirable ; and that this result may be speedily attained, is the ardent wish of the
BRITISH PUBLISHER.
Vll
INDEX.
First Part. page
Introduction 1
The power of wind ()
The power of the tide 19
The power of the waves 26
Burning mirrors 33
The power of steam 36
General remarks on all these powers 45
Perpetual motions 48
Prospect and retrospect of the human condition in
general 53
System of machineries and establishments for the
application of these powers CO
Agriculture 61
Architecture 62
Flexible stuff 64
Objects attainable in general 6^
Plan for the buildings of a community GO
New state of human life 78
Occupations in the new state of things 82
The earth can nourish 1000 times more men than
now exist 96
Pecuniary profit of the new means 97
Constitution of an association proposed 103
General views on the subject 109
Address to the Americans in particular 115
Vlll
Second Part. Page
Pioposalt:, liow to render the new means the most
beneficial for the United States 121
Formation of a new state 141
First period 141
.Second period 142
Third period 146
Fourtli period 15()
Appeal to the Americans H>1
Comparative vicv\ on the condition of man at pre- sent, and that attainable by [he new means ... 1(35
In physical respects 166
In moral respects 184
In intellectual respects 192
Conclusion of the Second Part 206
Petition to Congress on the subject 20/
Letter to the President of the United States 215
Proposal of a pamphlet, the New \^'orld 215
fellow-men:
I promise to show the means for creating a paradise within ten years, where every thing desirahle for hnman life may be had for every man in superabundance, with- out hibour, without pay ; where the whole face of na- ture is changed into the most beautiful form of which it be capable ; where man may live in the most mag- nificent palaces, in all imaginable refinements of luxury, in the most delightful gardens; where he may accomplish, without his labour, in one year more than hitherto could be done in thousands of years ; he may level mountains, sink valleys, create lakes, drain lakes and swamps, intersect every where the land with beau- tiful canals, with roads for transporting heavy loads of many thousand tons, and for travelling 1000 miles in twenty-four hours; he may covier the ocean with floating islands moveable in any desired direction with immense power and celerity, in perfect security and in all comforts and luxury, bearing gardens, palaces, with thousands of families, provided with rivulets of sweet water; he may explore the interior of the globe, travel from pole to pole in a fortnight; he may provide himself with means unheard of yet, for increasing his know- ledge of the world, and so his intelligence; he may lead a life of continual happiness, of enjoyments un- known yet ; he may free himself from almost all the
B
evils that afflict mankind, except death, and even put death far beyond the common period of human life, and. finally, render it less afflicting : mankind may thus live in, and enjoy a new world far superior to our present, and raise themselves to a far higher scale of beings.
It may appear very wonderful that none of these things, though they comprehend all the objects man may possibly desire in this woild, ever existed yet, since thousands of years, and that they all should have originated from one single individual. But this won- der will greatly diminish, if not entirely cease, when it will be seen that these great promises are founded on facts well known, that any man of common sense, if he ever had bestowed full attention upon them, would have come, ultimately, to the same or similar results as I am about to show ; and when it is considered that many contrivances of modern times have led to great comforts and advantages unknown to the ancients, though they had the same mental faculties of making them : they passed thousands of years in ignorance and errors, thinking alwajs themselves to have reached the summit of human perfection. History teaches but too plainly, that the progress of human knowledges and intelligence was every where most tediously slow. Individuals who attempted sometimes to disperse new valuable truths, were not listened to, and considered insane in proportion their truths deviated from the common track of the unthinking or unreasoning mul- titude. Our present age is yet liable to the same great evil ; — instances in proof of this are to be found in plenty ; yet as it is superior to the preceding ages, it
is liable to this spiritual sloth in a less degree. After an attentive perusal of this work, after some calm re- flection upon the subject, it will be found that the promised great ends are attainable to the full extent and meaning of the words, without any wonder, with- out any hidden power or secret of nature, but by a few most simple contrivances.
The basis of my proposals is, that there arc powers in nature at the disposal of man, million times greater than all men on earth could effect, with their united exertions, by their nerves and sinews, if I can show that such a superabundance of power is at our dis- posal, what should be the objections against applying them to our benefit in the best manner we can tliink of i* — If we have the requisite power for mechanical purposes, it is then but a matter of human contrivance to invent adapted tools or machines for application. Powers must pre-exist; they cannot be invented; they may be discovered ; no mechanism can produce power ; it would be as absurd to invent tools that work without any applied power to put them in operation ; machineries, of whatever contrivance they be, are no- thing but tools more or less combined. I think this remark not to be superfluous, because many men, even of talents in mechanics, have erroneously cherished the idea of inventing mechanisms >\orking of them- selves without given power, and have uselessly be- stowed time and expenses on the invention of a per- petual motion. — I wish my proposals not to be preci- pitautly confounded with such vain schemes.
The chief objects of my statements are, therefore, the powers to be applied : the application of them is
but of secondarv importance: this may be of an infi- nite variety : that of the greatest advantage is the most preferable. Wlien you are once convinced that there is power enough at our disposal for the great purposes in view, then you have the proof tliat the attainment of the purposed ends is possible : the ques- tion is then not more : whether the promised things arc attainable, but how ? —
The powers are chiefly to be derived, 1, from wind ;
2, from the tide, or the rise and fall of the ocean caused by the gravity between the moon and the ocean ; and
3, from the sunshine, or the heat of the sun, by which water may be transformed into steam, whose expansive power is to operate upon machineries, though by a contrivance different from that actually in use.
The waves of the ocean are also powers to be applied, but as they are caused by wind, they are included in the power of wind. Each of these powers requires no consumption of materials, but nothing but the mate- rials for the construction of the machineries.
I shall at first endeavour to show the magnitude of each of these powers in its full extent over the whole world, beginning with well-known facts; this will show the average power for any required extent of the surface of the globe. But as these powers are very irregular and subject to interruptions, the next object is to show how ihey may be converted into powers that operate continually and uniformly forever imtil the machinery be worn out at length, or, in other words, into jjerpctuiil motions. After this it will be the probleni, how to ;ipply these perpetual motions of
nature to the attainment of tlie purposes in view ? I shall give a general outline of the system of ma- chineries for effecting all promised purposes. Next to this I shall state the ohjects attainable by these means, and the condition of men that must result from the accomplishment of such purposes. It will then appear from the nature of the subject, that the execution of the proposals is not qualified for single individuals ; for as one machine is sufficient, under the superintendence of a few men, to supply many- thousand families with all their wants, both natural and artificial ones, the consequence would be but hurtful to the labouring class, as the price of their labours would sink almost to nothing, dangers and violences would ensue, and the effects would be more destructive than beneficial, even to the undertakers themselves, until after a series of convulsions a dif- ferent order of things should be established. It would be certainly a proper object for the Government to make the arrangement for the execution of these proposals; but as the Government of our nation is the organ of the people's will, the subject must first be popular ; but it cannot become popular before it is generally known and understood. Therefore the exe- cution of the proposals is only qualified for a large body of intelligent men, who associate themselves without limiting the number, time, and place, or coun- try. I shall, therefore, finally propose a constitution for association. The larger this society, and the larger the means, the greater the advantages will be for every participating individual. I shall now state :
b2
1. THE POWn; OF wrND.
That there is power in wind, requires no proof of me. The uses of it in navigation and windmills are too well known. My object is to state Jiow much power there is in wind : I shall state it in the full extent, as far as it can he brought within the disposal of men over the whole surface of the globe.
To find a measure for a power, it is usual and pro- per to compare its effect with that a number of men or beasts are able to produce; viz. in observing how many men, horses, oxen, &c. are requisite for producing, within the same time, the same effect which a certain power produces. Thus it is said, e. g. : a steam-engine has twenty or fifty horses' power, when twenty or fifty horses would be requisite to produce tlie same effect.
When we compare a steam-boat running by the power of its engine, of which the (juantity in horses' power is determinated, and a vessel sailing by the ])ower of wind operating upon its sails, we may find a measure of the latter power. Suppose a steam-boat and a sailing vessel, both exactly of the same size, form, and burden, or draught of water, and running under equal circumstances with equal velocity. It is then evident that the power of wind operating upon the sails is equal to that of the steam-engine in the steam-boat. A vessel sailing before the wind will, by a good breeze, run at the rate of six to ten knots or sea miles per hour,i. e. seven to twelve land miles. A steam- boat running at the same rate in still water, with a load of 4 to fiOO tons, will require an engine of about fifty horses' power. The supposed sailing vessel will, conse- quently, receive a power of wind of fifty horses. The
surface of its sails, tojietlier villi its Lull ahovc waiov exposed to the wind, intevsectiug its course in a right angle hy an imaginary profile through the greatest dimensions of vessel and sails, be about 5000 square feet ; every 100 square feet will then receive one horse's power.
Long and many experiences with windmills prove this pow er to be, in an average through the whole year, a great deal stronger.
The Dutch have paid, since centuries, the greatest attention to the application of wind on windmills for various purposes. Holland being a flat, level country, affords no falls of water; and this nation was, there- fore, compelled to have recourse to the application of wind on mills. Induced by a most extensive com- merce in all parts of the globe, the Dutch nation applied this power for many economical and commer- cial purposes ; and they have now in their little coun- try many thousand windmills. Hence it is that Dutch windmills are taken for superior patterns by other nations.
The experiences with Dutch windmills show, that a mill with four wings, each thirty feet long and eight feet wide, operates, in an average, with a power of eight horses. The surface of each wing being, consequently, 240 square feet, all four wings expose to the wind a surAice of 960 square feet, but in an oblique angle with the direction of the wind, which will hardly equal to the half of the same surface, or 480 square feet, when intersecting the wind's direction in a right angle : 480 square feet, receiving an average pow er of eight horses, and sixty being one-eighth of 480, the power of wind
8
on sixty square feet will, therefore, equal to one horse's power in an average. I shall, therefore, think myself free from exaggeration in taking, instead of sixty, one hundred square feet of surface, operated upon hy wind in a right angle, as the average measure of this power for one horse. Moreover, it is to he home in mind that heavy winds can either not fully or not at all be used both in sailing and on windmills ; because they have to diminish the surfaces exposed to wind, or to take them away altogether for fear of breaking all to pieces ; while I purpose to make use of the whole l^ower of any wind. Wind is, .however, not every where of the same average power. I do not mean with respect to altitude, for differences arising there- from may be remedied as will be seen hereafter, but I mean in geographical respects. There are parts of the globe where calms and hardly perceptible breezes for the greatest part of the time are prevailing, while in others gales and strong winds are almost continually blowing. Within the tropical zone, and nearly thirty degrees of north and south latitude, as far as conti- nents do not interfere, blows perpetually the trade wind. Thirty degrees north and south form a belt of sixty degrees around the globe, which is exactly the half of the vvhole surface of the globe, of which not one-fourth are continents. On the continents within the same zone are generally gales in one season and daily regular breezes in the other, succeeding each other. In mountainous regions and their vicinity is, from variation of temperature, almost continually a strong wind. In the other parts of the globe out of this belt there is generally a greater irregularity of
winds, but in the whole no less wind. We may ob- serve it every day by the moving of the clouds, though we should not feel it on the ground on account of the obstructions there. The motions of the clouds are, as easily will be conceived, a great deal swifter, as the appearance shows : their distance or height is gene- rally from a half to two miles. Imagine now you would see some object moving on the ground at such a known distance, with the same apparent celerity as the clouds, and you will have a conception of the swiftness of these motions. The obstructions on the ground that may hinder the usual applications of wind in many places, are no objects in my intended mode of applying this power.
As my object is to give an estimation of the power of wind as near to the truth as can be, it may not be superfluous to state my reasons in full for it, which requires a general view of the state of the atmosphere, as far as the knowledge of it, or aerology, teaches.
The atmosphere is an ocean of a thin, elastic, pon- derable fluid, that surrounds the globe to the height of about fifty miles. It extends itself by increase of heat, and contracts itself by decrease of heat, more than any other body. Hence it is chiefly that every variation of temperature destroys the equilibrium of the atmo- sphere, by extending or contracting the same some- where. The weight of this fluid tends immediately to restore the equilibrium, like we see on water, and causes thereby a current of air or wind. The varia- tion of temperature depending from locality, from the time of day, from the time of seasons, from physical operations in nature, such as vapours, rains, &c., and
10
from many other known and unknown causes, the state or degree of heat is never and no- where always the same, and changes, more or less, continually. Besides the density or mass of the air of the atmosphere in- creases and decreases, and the weight of it, in con- sequence, varies, as we see by the barometer and other means. Unknown causes of a more universal nature may cause an impression or some influence upon some place or other in the atmosphere. When it happens that in some place an expansion of the at- mosphere takes place, while in some other a contrac- tion of the same exists, the current of air will run from tJie former to the latter place, if even many hundred miles distant from each other. When once the equi- librium is destroyed, it cannot establish itself immedi- ately, but \^ill effect first the surrounding vicinity, next gradually the more distant parts, and so on until some cause or counteraction stops or changes the notions, nearly in the same manner as when we see a stone or something else thrown into the water, where an un- dulation around the place will ensue, extending gra- dually further in larger and larger circles. Some diff'erence, however, is to be noticed in the motions of air. It being perfectly elastic, it yields to the slight- est impression, and extends, the next moment, towards that side where it finds the least resistance, to its full room which it occupied before. Hence the reaction of any moiion in the atmosphere is of longer duration than in the water. Thus we see the atmosphere con- tinually in a motion of the most irregular variation. Not only horizontally, but still more frequently up and down in oblique directions is the wind operating. Not
11
just parallel with the surface of the ground, but rather in undulations, though very irregular, moves the wind, as we may see easily by the direction of light bodies floating in the atmosphere, such as snow, smoke, fea- thers, &c.
In order to form an idea near the reality of nature, how much power of wind there may be at our disposal, we have to ascertain, by a deduction from experiences and observations, how large we may construct and expose surfaces to the effects of wind, and how close they may be brought together without intercepting the wind and diminishing its power materially. We knovv by experiences, that ships of the first rank carry sails 200 feet high. We may, therefore, equally on land oppose to the wind surfaces 200 feet high. Imagine a line of such surfaces 200 feet high, and a mile (or about 5000 feet) long ; the same v^ould then contain 1,000,000 square feet. Suppose this surface intersects the direction of the wind in a right angle, by some contrivances, and receives consequently the full power of the wind at all times. The average power of wind being equal to one horse's upon every 100 square feet, the total power this surface would receive, would then be equal to 1,000,000 divided by 100, or 1 0,000'horses' power. Allowing the power of one horse to be equal to that of ten men, the power of 10,000 horses is equal to 100,000 men's. But as men cannot uninterruptedly work, and want about half of the time for sleep and re- pose, the same power would be equal to 200,000 men's. Imagine such another surface just behind or before the former at one mile's distance, parallel to the first and in the same circumstances. This second surface would
12
tluMi receive the same power of wind again aslhe first; for the distance being twenty-five times greater than their height, tlie one line could not intercept the wind from the other in any considerable degree, both lines would receive the full power of wind, as soon as the direc-' tion of it would deviate from the horizontal more than about two degree*. Jt may be easily observed, that the wind will generally strike the ground in a steeper di- rection, and therefore admit a closer approach of such parallel surfaces. That the wind strikes the ground obliquely is evident on the high sea. Else whence the disturbance and rise of the waves on it? — Jf the wind moved parallel to the ground, the surface of the sea could not be affected by it, and would remain smooth for ever. But such is never the case. The least breeze ruffles the surface of the water. And it is too well known, to what size and powerful effects the waves may be raised by wind. Moreover, experi- ences in navigation teach that vessels of the first rank sailing along a shore of about 200 feet high, trees, Sec. included, at their wind-side, at a distance of one mile, will not suffer any considerable diminution of wind. If the supposed two surfaces will receive such a power of wind as stated, that is, each equal to 200,000 men's power, a third surface of the same height at the same distance, and parallel to the former under equal circum- stances, will receive the same quantity of power; so a fourth, fifth, and so on, as far as may be chosen. The length of each such surface may, under the supposed circumstances, be prolonged as far as we please, the power of wind will be every where the same. Now, if we find the power of wind to be at the end of every
J3
mile eqiial to 200,000 men's po^ver, and so for every mile, in breadlh, it follows, tlmt every one square mile affords such a power. — What an immense power? — The most populous countries in the world contain in an average from 100 to 200 individuals on every square mile, of which hardly one-half is able to work, or to he counted for full hands to work. But suppose even 100 full hands to work on one square mile, the power of wind within their places of habitation will be 2000 (imes greater. Yet this will not be the whole power of wind at their disposal. We are not limited to the height of 200 feet. We might extend, if required, the application of this power to the height of the clouds, by means of kites. If we extend it, for instance, to but 2000 feet high, we might increase the power ten times as much, that is, 20,000 times greater than the inhabitants of ibe most populous countries could effect with their nerves and sinews. Yet we will get a more proper conception of this power, in extending this comparison over the whole globe. The surface of the globe is about 200,000,000 square miles. Accord- ing to the foregoing statement of 200,000 men's power for every one square mile, the whole extent of the wind's power over the globe amounts to about 200,000,000 times 200,000, i. r. to 40,000,000,000,000 men's power. Tlic number of all human individuals on earth will not exceed 1000,000,000,of which hardly the half may be counted for full hands to work, that is, 500,000,000 ; consequently, the stated power of wind is 80,000 limes greater than all men on earth could effect with their nerves, when the wind is used but to the height of 200 feet.
14
It may now be objected, that this computation in- cludes the surface of the ocean and uninhabitable re- gions of the earth, where this power could not be ap- plied for our purposes. But you will recollect, that I have promised to show the means for rendering the ocean as inhabitable as the most fruitful dry land ; and 1 do not even exclude the polar regions.
It may be questioned, how surfaces 200 feet high may be exposed perpendicularly to wind for opera- tion ? — It may be done in the usual manner of wind- mills, but with great advantage in a different way contrived by me, so that every square mile may be surrounded by a continued line of surfaces or sails to the height of 200 feet, moveable around an axis, and occupying not one-tenth of the ground with all their machineries.
What a gigantic, awful power is this ! 80,000 times greater than all men on earth could effect by the united exertions of their nerves ! — at the least calcu- lation. Suppose even one-half should be lost by fric- tion of the machineries, or more, we need not econo- mise with such an immensity of power, let but one- eighth of it be used, it would amount still to 10,000 times the power of all men on earth. . If men were all and continually employed to work for useful purposes, they would effect a great deal morv^ than we actually see, and might give to the world a far better appear- ance and a greater plenty of necessaries and comforts of human life. But if 1 0,000 times more can be done, if in one year, consequently, can be affected as much as hitherto in 10,000 years! — to what awful grandeur may not the human race exalt themselves ? ! The
15
greatest monuments and wonders known or left us to admire from our progenitors, which required many millions of hands, and many centuries to be finished, are nothing- but childish, insignificant trifles, in com- parison to the stupendous works that may be affected by these powers. Yet it is not the only power we have at our disposal. You may startle at this idea ; you may ask again and again, can it be possible, that there is such a power for our use ? — like I have done. Am I perhaps grossly mistaken in my statement.? Js it perhaps nothing but a fancy ? — a deception of my imagination .•' I have taken the most common experi- ences of sails and \\indmills for the basis of the state- ment. It is now for you to judge, whether the state- ment of these experiences are true or materially false. It will be an easy matter to decide this question. Ask the navigator, ask the wind-miller; or observe the power of wind yourself in any way you please. The re- sults of your inquiries or observations may vary, they may show more or less power than I have stated ; but suppose even the result to be but a small portion of what I have stated, we should still have an enormity of power. However I am confident a close investiga- tion will show a far greater power than I have stated. If my statement of experiences is materially true, is there perhaps some gross mistake in my conclusions and computation ? — This may easily be ascertained. If you find no material mistake in my present statement, is it possible for rational men to behold this power with indifference? — Does the subject not deserve our great- est attention and reflection ? — You may ask, how is it that no application of great extent was ever made yet ?
16
— In navigation we do make a considerable use of this power, and on land in some places by windmills. But it will occur now to your mind, that this power, on ac- count of its irregularity, cannot always, nor any where, be applied. Hcie I have to repeat, it can. There is a material difference between the manner of application used hitherto and that which f propose. Hitherto the power of wind has been applied immediately upon the machinery for use, and they had to wait the chances of the wind's blowing; where the operation is stopped, as soon as the wind ceases to blow. But the manner, which I shall state hereafter, to apply this power, is to make it operate only for collecting or storing up the power in a manner, and then to take out of this store of power, at any time, as much power for final operation upon the machineries as may be wanted for the intended purposes. The power stored up is to react, just as it may suit the purposes, and may do so long after the ori- ginal power of wind has ceased. And, though the wind should cease at intervals of many months, we may have by the same power an uniform perpetual motion in a very simple way.
If you ask, perhaps, why is this power not more used, if the statement be true ? — I have to ask in return : whyisthepowerofsteam so lately come to application? So many millions of men boiled water every day since many thousands of years; they must have frequently seen, that boiling water in tightly closed pots or ket- tles will lift the cover or burst the vessel with great vehemence. The power of steam was, therefore, as commonly known, down to the least kitchen or wash- woman, as the power of wind. But close observation
17
and reflection was bestowed neither on the one nor the other. It is by calm reflection, by linking the elements, or first and simple observations and ideas derived there- from, together by little and little, that man is only ca- pable to discover truths, which escape to immediate observations. It is thus often the case, that we arrive at truths which we never fancied or expected, begin- ning with the most simple truths known to every one, comprehensible even to little children, and which truths, therefore, would seem to be below the attention of mature men : man reasons from these first elements of his comprehension, he links them together into a chain, extends them further and further, applies them, and startles at last at the result : he mistrusts his judgment, suspects errors, goes back again to the most simple elements of conceptions, pursues again and again the course of his reasoning with the minutest at- tention, to discover errors, compares his theory with experiments, and sees finally compelled his reason to admit the discovered truth. Encouraged by the sur- prising result, he proceeds further with heightened curiosity. Thus mathematics took their origin, and in their consequences all sciences of certainty. Be- ginning with the most simple conceptions, which seem to the beginner to be the most insipid trifles un- worthy his attention, he cannot seethe reason why this minuteness of inquiry into these most simple things; he is led gradually into more complicated truths, and finally to astonishing results. He sees himself at last enabled to survey the universe without leaving his room ; he discovers the size, form, and motion of the whole earth, the distance of the sun, moon, and stars,
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their size, form, motions, and relations to each other; lie ascertains that th.cy are worlds, larger even than our parth, distant many millions of miles from us and from each other; he sees an universe of many millions of large worlds, whole systems of worlds ; new ideas start in his mind, he sees no end in his discoveries. But tell to the man of equal faculties, but who is unacquainted with the train of close reasoning that led to those results, — tell him all these discoveries! talk to him about size and distances of the sun, moon, <S:c., where never any human being was, nor can go ; tell these ma- thematical truths to him, whose mind is'perhaps filled with erroneous notions and prejudices, of which he cannot give any rational account, which he never thought to examine. What will he answer ?— He will deride the man of these knowledges, he will take him for a fool. — But when lie sees that the same man predicts with precision eclipses of the sun and moon, &c., when he sees this supposed fool makes books and astronomical tables, to show, out of his room, to the navigator the means of finding his w?.y through the vast ocean around the world, and many other strange things, of which he has not the most distant idea, — the poor man does not know what to think of it. — Truths like these are in our days generally ac- knowledged; but it is not long ago when they were not. And even now the reasons of tliese discoveries are by far not generally understood ; the results are but by a part of the multitude believed on authority of the learned men. Many cases might be alleged, how the multitude have lived always in the grossest errors, pre- judices, and ignorance, despising and deriding all at-
19
tempts of single individuals for discovering and apply- ing usefully new trutlis.
I have announced to show the means for creating a paradise, a new snperior world, to eflcct in one year more than hitherto could be done in thousands of years. People may ridicule the idea, or think the realization of such miraculous. But where is the wonder to effect these purposes, if we have powers enough and supera- bundant for it? If, e. g. you have to move a weight of one ton, and you know ten horses will effect it, but you have, instead often horses, 100; — where would be the wonder or the doubtfulness of being able to do it? Just so it is with my proposals. The removal of one ton by 100 horses, would certainly be less easy than to effect what I have promised by a power exceeding all imagi- nable wants. But you may ask now by what machi- neries can all the various purposes in view be affected in applying this power ? Machineries are but tools. The possibility of contriving tools for any certain pur- pose cannot be questioned. They may be of various constructions for the same purposes. If we have suffi- cient power and materials for the tools to be applied, we may easily contrive and shape the tools as we please, and as they suit our purpose. There is no reason to deem the making of adapted tools for certain purposes impossible. I, for one, shall resolve this problem in a very simple manner for all announced purposes. I shall speak of that hereafter.
I come now to the statement of the second power : viz,
THE POWER OF THE TIDE.
The tide is a continual change of ebb and flow, or
20
rise and fall at every six and a quarter hours nearly, throughout the ocean, though not equal in all parts of it, nor at all times in the same parts. It varies from two feet near the equator, to sixty feet towards the poles.
To form a conception of the power which the tide affords, let us imagine a surface of 100 miles square, or 10,000 square miles somewhere in the ocean, where the tide rises and sinks, in an average, ten feet. — How many men would it require for emptying a basin of 10,000 square miles of area, and ten feet deep, filled with sea water nsix and a quarter hours, and filling the same again in six and a quarter hours? — Whether this be caused by the gravity of the moon, or by labour of men, the effect and requisite power is the same.
Experience teaches, that a common labouring man may raise twenty pounds two feet at every second by continual labour. To empty a basin ten feet deep, the labourer would in the beginning have but little to raise, but he would have to raise the water higher and higher in proportion he would get nearer to the bottom of the vessel, till at the end of ten feet high. His labour would, therefore, be equal, by the best contrivance, to the raising of the content of the basin five feet high. K one man raises twenty pounds two feet at every second, he can raise the same five feet at every two seconds and a half, and one cubic foot of sea water in about eight or nine seconds, five feet ; but for the sake of round numbers, say at every seven and a half seconds, or eight cubic feet at every minute, which would amount to 3000 cubic feet at every six and a quarter hours. Suppose a geographical mile to be about 6000 feet long, one square mile consequently
21
equal to thirty-six millions of square feet ; and this area would, hy a depth of ten feet, eontain a mass of water of 360,000,000 cuhic feet. Allowing 3000 cubic feet for every man, the raising of such a mass would require then 120,000 men.
To fill the same basin to the same height again in the next ensuing six and a quarter hours, would re- quire again tlie same power; and so on continually. But as men cannot work continually during the whole twenty-four hours, but hardly one-half of the time, this work would require the double of that number for releasing each other. Hence a power to that effect of 240,000 men for one square mile. 10,000 square miles of the ocean would, therefore, require, for pro- ducing the eflect of a tide of ten feet, at least 2400,000,000 men, which is nearly five times as many as there exists on earth. Suppose the United States to have a coast of 3000 miles, and this power to be applicable for but 100 miles distance from the coast in an average, which would be an area of 300,000 square miles, and, consequently, afford a power of thirty times 2400,000,000, or 72,000,000,000 men.
You wiW ask now : how is this power to be rendered applicable ?
There have been made applications of this power, though very rarely and only by mere accident. When vessels run upon ground at the time of low water, they wait for high water, which will lift them up and make them afloat again ; what else could not be done, except by unloading the vessel or raising it by a power equal to tlie weight of the vessel and cargo, with which it lies upon the ground. Thus, what sometimes would
22
require a power of several hundred ton?, is effected by the tide. Suppose, for instance, a vessel, or ark, of 100 feet square, and sunk ten feet deep into water, just touching- the ground at high water ; the ensuing ebb to be ten feet. The vessel will then be entirely out of the water. Having been loaded with a weight so as to sink it ten feet deep into the water, its weight must equal to that of a mass of water 100 feet square, and ten feet high, which will be 100,000 cubic feet : suppose one cubic foot of water to weigh seventy pounds, the weight would be 7,000,000 pounds, which would be required to lift the vessel, and which the tide will effect of itself.
To give a clear idea how this power may be rendered applicable in a general way, I will state a simple contrivance for example. Imagine a chest or box one foot square and ten feet high, consequently ten cubic feet, fastened at one end of a balance, whose centre be supported or fastened by a chain, or in some other manner, either on shore, or at the bottom of the sea, and whose other end may bear a weight, or be con- nected with some machinery to be operated upon. The box be loaded with a weight j ust sufficient to sink it entirely into the water. Suppose further the other end of the balance be now fastened ; the low water begin and sink gradually ten feet, immediately with this sinking the weight of the box begins to draw at the balance ; but being made fast, it cannot yield, and the weight of the box increases in proportion the water sinks around it. At the end of the period, when the whole box is out of the water, the whole weight of it, i. e. often cubic feet of water, will draw at the balance.
23
When tlie balance is loosened, tlie box will thus lift at the other end a weight nearly equal to that often cubic feet of water. But as the box, by its sinking, will touch again the water, it will lose of its weight in pro- portion it sinks deeper into the water, till the whole weight at the balance will finally be annihilated when ten feet deep, and hence the effect will be but the half of the power raising uniformly ten cubic feet of water ten feet high. Now, at the period of the flow, the box will in the same manner be raised as was the weight at the other end of the balance before, and the latter end will be pressed down with a weight nearly equal to tliat of the box. Thus the balance may be kept moving up and down, like that of a steam- engine, only with that difference, that this motion would be slow, and at every six and a quarter hours but once, with a weight equal to that often cubic feet of water lifted five feet high, for one square foot of surface. But if we take, instead of a box of one square foot, a vessel of 100 feet square, i. e. 10,000 times as large, the power will be 10,000 times as great as the former. We may then easily remedy the slowness of the power, and give it any celerity by some contri- vance or other, by a few wheels, or hydraulic press, by causing a stream through a narrow passage, &c. If required, we might either employ larger vessels or a number of smaller ones, operating one after another upon the same machinery. This power is applicable on sea, near to or at any distance from the shore, even in midst of the ocean, provided some part of the contrivance can be connected, either by support or by chains &c. anchored on the ground. As we do not
24
know yet the greatest depth of the ocean, it is not for me now to tell, how far the application of this power may be extended, tljough it may possibly be made co- extensive with the whole ocean, by means which the immense powers of nature aflbrd. However, the ap- plication of the tide being by establishments fixed on the ground, it is natural to begin with them near the shores in shallow water, and upon sands which may be extended gradually farther into the sea. 'fbe shores of the continent, and of islands and the sands being generally surrounded by shallow water, not exceeding 50 to 100 fathoms in depth, for twenty to fifty till 100 miles and upwards, the coasts of North America, with its extensive sand-banks, islands, and rocks, may easily afford, for this purpose, a ground of about 3000 miles long, and in an average 100 miles broad, or 300,000 square miles, v. ith a power of 240,000 men per square mile, as stated at ten feet's tide, of 72,000 millions of men, or fur every mile of length of the coast a power of twenty-four millions of men. What an enormous power ! And this power may be rendered higlily be- neficial for men, without occupying even any room on dry land. In what manner? it will be asked. To answer this question now, it will have the appearance of fairy tales ; and reserving the answer, the state- ment of this gigantic power will appear useless. I will, therefore, give here some slight notice of its applications ; though perhaps not one-thousandth part of it may be wanted at our time, yet it will serve to remove the narrow conceptions, prejudices, and all apprehension of having not enough means for any pur- pose that will come into question hereafter. We have
25
to accustom ourselves to conceive a state of things, that must and will be the consequence of the applica- tion of these means, quite different from what we are wont to see.
Rafts of any extent, fastened on the ground of the sea along the shore, stretching far into the sea, covered witli fertile soil, bearing vegetables and trees of any description, the linest gardens equal to those the dry land may admit of, covered with buildings and ma- chineries, which )nay operate not only on the sea, where they are, but which also, by means of mechanical con- nexions, extend their operations for many miles into the continent. Thus this power may cultivate the artilicial soil for many miles upon the surface of the sea near the shores, and for several miles on the dry land along the shore, in the most superior manner imaginable: it may build cities along the shore, con- sisting of the most magnificent palaces, every one being surrounded by gardens and the most delightful sceneries; it may level the hills or unevennesses, or raise eminences along the shore, for enjoying open prospects into the country and upon the sea; it may cover the barren shore with fertile soil, and beautify the same in various manners ; it may clear the sea from the shallows, and make easy the approach, not merely of vessels, but of large floating islands, which may come from and go to distant parts of the world, islands that have every commodity and security for their inhabitants as may afford the dry land. All such things, and many others, which may seem now to be but extravagant fancies, require nothing but the raw
D
26
materials for their construction, and these are to be found in plenty.
Thus may a power, derived from the gravity of the moon and the ocean, hitherto but the object of idle curiosity of the studious man, be made eminently subservient for creating the most delightful abodes along the coast, where men may enjoy in the same time all advantages of sea and dry land. The coasts may be hereafter continual paradisaical skirts between land and sea, every where crowded with the densest population. The shores, and the sea along them, will be no more as raw nature presents them now, but they will be every where of easy and charming access, not even molested by the roars of waves, shaped as it may suit the purposes of their inhabitants ; the sea will be cleared of every obstruction of free passage every where; its productions in fishes, &c. will be gathered in large appropriated receptacles, to present them to the inhabitants of the shores and of the sea.
There is yet another power on sea of equal, if not of greater importance : it is the power of the waves, caused by the impression of the wind upon the surface of the water. Though this power is included in that of wind, and is therefore comprehended in the estima- tion of this power as stated ; and though, generally, it cannot exceed the power of wind, being but a reaction of it, yet it may be rendered very useful in cases where no wind or much less power of the same exists. The sea, when once disturbed in its equilibrium, continues for several days in its motion after the wind has sub- sided, like a pendulum or a flying wheel when put in
27
motion. This motion of the sea is not confined to the place where the wind just blows, but it extends itself over the whole surface of the ocean until it meets with some resistance. We have an image, on a small scale, of this motion, when we drop a stone into a pond. We see then a circular ring arising round the spot where the stone dropped into it. This ring is again succeeded by another around it, this second by a third, and so on with larger and larger rings extending finally over the whole pond. The nature of this motion is thus ex- plained : — The stone forces a mass of water out of its place, which is equal to the body of the stone ; but the water all around it pressing with its weight against it, the removed water recedes in that direction where the resistance is the least, that is, right upwards, or per- pendicularly to the surface. But here the water presses now with a greater weight, being risen higher than the next surrounding water. This again cannot yield immediately on account of the pressure of its sur- rounding water ; so it must move in that direction where the resistance is the least, this is, perpendicu- larly up to the surface ; forming, consequently, a ring. I n the same manner, and for the same reason, this ring forms a second ring around it, and so every succeeding one. The formation of these rings affects the water nut deeper than the rings themselves are high ; for if it did, it would raise the water higher than it was it- self, which is impossible. For the same reason the interval of any two rings next to each other cannot be larger than the rings themselves, and the basis of these must join each other; for if the intervals were larger, the rings would move water to the sides, where
28
it cannot recede on account of the greater resistance. Therefore, if, for instance, the rings he one inch high, they cannot affect the water deeper than one inch ; and if their basis be two inches broad, the distar>ce of the top of any two rings next to each other cannot be. more than two inches. The sura of the room of tlie intervals must be equal to the sum of the room of the rings, if a body, a ball, for instance, of ten feet in diameter, be sunk with sufficient quickness into the water, it will raise a ring ten feet high,' this a concen- trical ring of the same height, then a third, (Sec, leav- ing always an interval of equal breadth, and affecting thus the water not deeper than ten feet. What here is done by the weight of the body, is effected in the* same manner by the pressure of the wind in the forma- tion of the waves; if the wind would give but one single blow upon still water, the effect would be ex- actly the same ; but as it is blowing in a very irregu- lar manner, dashing in many places at once and in succession upctn the water, the waves caused by wind must move and rise very irregularly, following, how- ever, the direction of the wind. But whatever the irregularity of these motions be, the laws of nature are always the same, that is, the waves cannot affect the water deeper than they are high, and the intervals carmot be larger than the waves themselves. Thus waves of from ten to twenty feet high will affect the water generally not deeper than from ten to twenty feet. This is confirmed too by the experiences of divers.
This motion being but near the surface, the applica- tion of this power requires no connexion with the
' 29
ground, but can be made operative by a certain con- trivance of connecting the macliinery with the lower depth of still water.
The motions of the water are swinging like a pen- dulum, and subject to the same'law as the swinging of a pendulum, but counteracted in part by the pres- sure of the wind and of eacli other. Allowing in an average- for each swinging of waves of ten feet four seconds, or. fifteen in every minute, which will be slower than reality shows, we may form an idea of this power, in the same manner as for the tide's power is stated.
The computation shows, that a tide of ten feet affords lor every square mile, or 6000 feet square, a power of 240,000 men at every six and a quarter hours' rise or fall. The waves caused by wind, supposed to rise or fall at every minute fifteen times, or at every six and a quarter hours, 5775 times, that is, about 6000 times as quick as the tide, the power would, consequently, be a,s many times great. But the waves of the wind leaving always intervals equal to the waves, the quantity of the waves is but the half of what the tide raises, and the power, therefore,amountsto3000times240,000, or 720,000,000 of men's power. But covering the surface of the sea with any large square, it would obstruct the motions of the water, and be affected only along the wind-sides. Tlie resistance which is to be opposed to the motions of the waves is, therefore, to be but linear, that is, by long and narrow bodies receiving the motions of the waves from one side. For instance, a vessel 200 feet long and 50 feet broad would be fully affected by such waves, as experiences show by ships of the first rank. d2
30
But be it only twenty-five feet broad, its area would be 5000 square ftct. This is l-7200tli part of one square mile, calculated at 36,000,000 square feet. 7-^0,000,000 of men's power, as the power for one square mile, divided by 7200, gives 100,000 men's power for the area of the supposed vessel, being a square 200 feet long and 50 feet broad. The size of such a vessel would not equal to that of a ship of the first rank. Vessels may sail at the rate of fifteen miles per hour. A ship of the first rank propelled solely by the power of steam, might require an engine of about 200 horses, for to run at the rate of seven miles and a half in the high sea, a usual rate. To run fifteen miles, would require then 800 horses' power; for theory and prac- tice teach that the power is to be increased in the ratio of the square of the respective velocity. So a double velocity requires a quadruple power, and a treble velocity a power nine times as great. If we can apply a power of 100,000 men, or 10,000 horses, for propelling such a vessel, we may move it with a pro- digious celerity. If we suppose but 64,000 men's power, or an engine of 3200 horses' power, as the half of the former, with continual eff'ect, that is, four times as much as the power for the velocity at the rate of fifteen miles per hour, it would then have power for the rate of thirty miles per hour ; this would amount in twenty-four hours to 720, and in four days to nearly 3000 miles, the distance of Europe from America.
We need not be surprised at the stated power, when we observe how ships from 1 to 2000 tons are borne up and down by waves, and tossed powerfully in every
31
direction witliin a few seconds. What power of men would it require to raise witli tlie same swiftness such heavy weights? This \\ill give us, at least, an im- pression of this power.
Though the waves are not always ten feet high, they are often twenty to thirty feet high, yet the sea is never quiet : huge masses of water are almost continually rising and falling, though there be no wind for many days. We observe an almost continual violent break- ing of waves or surf along steep rocks.
Suppose the average height of waves to be half, or even one-third, of what is stated, there would still be power enough to cross the Atlantic Ocean in four to six days by this sole power, without any addition of that of wind or steam. What is true of one vessel is equally applicable to many hundreds when joined together, with this great advantage, however, that the foremost vessels, if closely joined in long rows fol- lowing each other, or all in one piece, will only have to cut the water, while those behind have only to over- come a comparatively very small friction of the water along their sides. Thus ten vessels following each other closely joined as in one piece, may require but the double of the power of one, while they afford the means of ten times as great a power. Several rows may be joined together in front, and form thus a float- ing island. But such an island need not be composed of vessels ; it may be constructed of solid logs of wood, which is specifically lighter than water, and which, therefore, can never sink, though they should be wrecked. Such an island, having the proper form,
32
laiij move at the rate of 1000 miles per day, and cross the ocean, to a certainty, in three or four days. The island may be covered with fertile soil in the highest cultivation, buildings, and every thing that men may want for their enjoyment and commodity. There will be no motion felt like on ships.
The same power will enable any single vessel or floating island to stand still at will under all circum- stances, against wind and waves, without anchoring. This affords, thereby, means for telegraphical lines across the ocean from one continent to another, and to send intelligence over the same in less than one hour.
These are but hints, how many may rule over the ocean without any danger or any incommodity to him- self, how he may convert the tremendous powers and motions of the sea to the most salutary effects and to the greatest gratifications of his desires and curio- sity ; how he may live and roam, in all imaginable enjoyments of life, in the most salubrious climates of the world ; for it is known that the atmosphere upon the ocean is temperate and the most salubrious, even within the tropical zone ; and how he may make thus, not some certain fixed spot of the earth, but the whole world, his delightful home.
May this idea be considered as a mere fancy or as something, that only a remote posterity may live to see? No, it is within our reach within less than ten years. The accomplishment of such purposes re- quires nothing but the raw materials for them, that is to say, iron, copper, wood, earth chiefly, and a union of men, whose eyes and understanding are not shut
33
up by preconception?. It is, however, not meant liere to begin with such projects, but to precede them with enterprises .of closer interest.
I have now to state a third power, to be derived from sunshine.
When a common flat looking-glass is held towards the sun, so as to reflect its shine into an opposite sliady place, it will be felt, or observed by the ther- mometer, that this reflected shine is warmer than the shade, and nearly as warm as the sunshine itself. When upon the same reflected sunshine another re- flection from a second looking-glass is cast iii the same manner, the spot of reflection will be still warmer ; for the second looking-glass has the same cff'ect as the first, and must, consequently, increase the heat on the spot where both reflections meet. When, then, a third looking-glass is directed again so as to cast its reflection of sunshine upon the same spot at the same time, the heat will increase still more. Thus, by a fourth, fifth, sixth, &c. looking-glass, the heat may be increased to any required or known degree; nothing else is required but asuflicient number of looking-glasses, or reflectors of any material, to produce any heat.
It is on this principle that artificial burning mirrors are constructed on a small scale. And it is on the same principle, that Archimedes, about 2000 years ago, contrived his burning mirrors, as history tells us.
The idea is very simple. There is no peculiar art or contrivance required. We need not just looking- glasses for these purposes: any thing with a polished surface answers the same purpose, be it of glass, metal, \vood, stone, even straw, paper, linen, &c,, pro-
34
vided it be polished or shining. There are many various means for rendering a surface sliining, if it is not so by nature ; varnishing, rubbing, pressing, (Sec. may effect it on various stuffs ; in fact, any thing that makes a surface quite smooth, such as oil, water, any liquid material, that hardens or congeals, poured upon a surface ; any hard material, stone, metal, wood, maybe polished, and rendered fit for ihis purpose, by a proper friction. It is immaterial, too, of what size, form, or colour the pieces of such a mirror be ; they are all to be of a flat surface. There is no curbature of their surface required like in the usual burning mirrors. All what is required for producing a focus, or burning spot, where all the reflections are concen- trated, is to give to each flat piece of such mirrors its proper place and inclination towards the sun. This requires no laborious computation or preparation ; but nothing more than an adapted contrivance for fixing every piece, and turning it until its reflection meets the destined spot. When once fixed, the whole con- trivance is fixed for ever, and requires nothing more than its proper stand opposite the sun, which may be kept either by a machine, or by a man, in moving the mirror to the sun's motion for casting its concentrated reflection or focus always upon the same spot. The size of the burning mirror depends, from the degree of heat that is required, from the size of the focus, or burning spot, which again is depending from the size of the machinery upon which it is to operate, and, finally from the distance of the focus from the mirror. If, for instance, a focus of two feet square, that is, four square feet, were required, the burning
35
mirror might be constructed of pieces of flat mirrors of less than two feet square, considering that its reflection will increase in size by the distance of it. Suppose such a mirror consisting of 100 pieces one above another in a row, and 100 such rows alongside of each other, every single piece in its proper situa- tion, the whole mirror would be less than 200 feet in diameter and have 100 times 100, or 10,000 flat mirrors. The heat in the focus would, consequently, be nearly 10,000 times as great as the reflection of one single piece, which would be a prodigious heat, and probably greater than any ever known. It is a fact of experiments, that small artificial burning mirrors may produce a greater heat than any fire in the hottest foundery. We shall not need such a heat for the pur- poses in view. A heat sufiicient to boil water would do already ; and for such a heat we need not one-hun- dredth part of what is stated ; and a burning mirror of one-hundredth of the mentioned size, that is, from ten to twenty feet in diameter, might answer. How- ever, we are under no limit for producing any quantity and degree of heat by this means.
The application of burning mirrors is, as will be already anticipated, for boiling water and producing thereby steam.
The advantages of this application are chiefly these; no material is consumed, consequently, no expenses and no labours for preparing and carrying the same to the spot of use are required ; moreover, no labour for keeping the fire is requisite. The machinery may be contrived so, that it operates of itself, whenever the sun shines, without even as much as a supcriutendence
36
of men. All material that is required is water, and of that there is no want any where. I am alluding not only to the springs, rivers, and seas, hut also to the water which is every where to be found under the ground, if wells are sunk sulhciently deep. So there is no exception in the application of burning mirrors for producing steam. But it will now be objected, that there is not always sunshine, that the nights and cloudy or foggy weather interrupt the effect.
To obviate such interruptions, there are two ways.
1. By enveloping the boilers with stuffs that keep the heat the longest in themselves; for instance, a thick coat of red-hot iron, or other hot metal, enve- loped in a thick coat of clay, loam, sand, or other earthen material. We might thus continue a heat sufhcient to boil water for many hours after the sun has ceased to shine, without consuming any material.
2. By contriving a reacting power, caused by the power of the steam, of which hereafter will be given the description, and by which many days, and even many months, the power of steam, caused by sun- shine, may react at will, and thus be rendered perpe- tual, no matter how often or how long the sunshine may be interrupted
The interruption of sunshine, in this application, is therefore immaterial.
To form an estimation of this power, in its utmost possible extent, would exceed all bounds of our ima- gination ; for the requisite stuffs for rendering this posver operative are but water and sunshine, which are co-extensive with the whole world. The appli- cation of this power requires but the confining of
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steam in cohesive solid material, wliicli must not just be iron or other metals, though they are the most con- venient ; hut stone, cast or moulded in a manner here- after to he described, may answer the same purpose. We are, therefore, under no limit as to the materials for engines neither.
To conceive how, instead of iron or other metals, stone may be used, I will state here one of the most simple construction of a steam-engine on a larger scale than hitherto used.
Suppose a shaft, cylindrical or square (quadrilate- ral), of stone in one solid piece of sufficient thickness, sunk vertically into the earth ; at the upper end closed by a strong cover of iron, or other metal, or stone, for- tified by cross bars, a stone tightly fitted in the shaft, so as to be smoothly moveable up and down, con- nected by a piston or bar with the cud of a l)a- lance ; when this stone is near the u])per end of the shaft, water pours into the interval between the stone and the cover of the shaft, which cover is to be heated immediately by being in the focus of the burning mir- ror; and converted into steam, the stone at the piston is now forced down the shaft by the expansion of the steam above it, and the air or steam underneath passes through a valve at the lower end of the shaft. When after this the stone moves up in the shaft, the steam above takes its vent through another valve at the upper end of the shaft. A second shaft of the same contrivance, whose piston is connected with the other end of the balance, alternates with the first in the same manner. Thus the water is alternately streaming in the one or the other interval between the moveable
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stone at the piston in the shaft and its cover, at every motion of the balance.
There is this difference, in heating the water, from the common way, that here the focus of the burn- ing mirror operates more powerfully than fire, and more uniformly, and by giving to the interval between the stone and cover, serving instead of a boiler, a pro- per shape, the water in it is to be heated momenta- neously; this is effected by presenting a flat, extensive surface to the heat of the focus, and so much the smaller a depth of water. The details of such an engine need not here be described. By such a contrivance the full power of the hottest steam can be brought to application, by the least quantity of materials for the engine.
The power of steam may thus be rendered far greater than in the usual application.
There is no power ever so great for any mechanical purpose, that cannot be produced by steam. A short sketch of what experiments have proved, will show this.
The power of steam is generally compared to the pressure of the atmosphere, and this is taken for a mea- sure. To understand the meaning of this expression, it is necessary to be acquainted with the elements of aerology. Some readers may not have directed their attention to this subject, and it may, therefore, not be superfluous here, to give briefly an idea of it, inas- much as it relates to the statement I have in view.
The air that surrounds the earth, or atmosphere, is an ocean of a ponderable fluid, which, although very thin or light, yet, by its extensive height of many
39
miles, presses with its weight upon the surface of the earth, like water in a vessel, river, or sea, will do upon its bottom. We do not immediately feel or perceive this weight or pressure of the atmosphere, because it presses equally in the inside and on the outside of our own body, and so on every other body or matter. But as soon as we destroy the equilibrium of this pressure by any artificial means, we discover the effect of this pres- sure, or weight, and may measure it perfectly. When we, for instance, take a pipe thirty feet and upwards long, in a vertical position, closed at the lower end, and open at the upper end, lill it w ith water, and turn it, in a proper manner, upside down, that is, tlie closed end uppermost, the water in it will not fall out alto- gether through the lower end, but remain about thirty feet high in the pipe suspended, though the lower end is open, and whatever be the diameter or width of the pipe. The reason of this phenomenon is, that the atmosphere presses with an equal weight against the lower end of the pipe, while at the upper one the same is intercepted by the closure of the pipe; which ap- pears to be true as soon as the upper end is opened when the water immediately rushes out of the pipe, the e(|uilibrium being then restored at both ends of the pipe.
This experiment shows, in the same time, that the atmosphere presses upon the surface of the earth, and any thing that is thereupon, with a weight equal to that of an ocean of water about thirty feet high.
The air, being elastic, may be compressed into a smaller room, and will then always resist with an ex- pansive power equal to thatapplied for its compression.
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Thus, when air is compressed into a room lialf as large as it was before, its rc.sistar.ee will be twice r.s i^reat as it was before; but being before counterbalanced by the pressure of the atmosphere, and therefore rot per- cepti1)le, it will now in its compressed state show a resistance equal to that of the pressure of the atmo- sphere. When air is compressed into one-third, one- fourth, &c. of its former room, it will resist with a power of expansion three, four. Sic. times that of the pressure of the atmosphere ;and the expansive power would be called three, four. Sec. atmospheres.
Steam is also elastic, and its expansive power, when confined, is thus measured and expressed by the num- ber of atmospheres that would counterbalance it. To find, the weight in pounds, which would counterba- lance a certain power of steam, the weight of a water column about thirty feet high, with a basis equal to that on which the steam is to operate, is to be found, and this to be multiplied by the number of atmo- spheres, that equal to the power of steam. If, for instance, a steam power of 100 atmospheres is to operate upon a piston of one square foot of surface exposed to the steam, the pressure or power of the steam will equal to the weight of a water column having for its basis one square foot, and being thirty times 100, or 3000 feet high. Now, for the sake of round numbers, suppose a water column of thirty feet in height and one square foot for its basis, that is, thirty cubic feet of w ater to be equal to 20,000 pounds, the pressure of 100 atmosph'^rcs upon one square foot would be equal to 2000 times 100, or 200,000 pounds.
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The expansive power of steam is not always the same, but increases uniformly with the increase of heat, when the quantity of applied water and the room of confinement remain the same.
Experiments have shown, that the pressure of steam is, by eighty degrees Reaumur, or the heat of boiling water, equal to one jvtmosphere, or about 2000 pounds on one square foot.
By .97 degr. 11. 2 atmospheres.
' 108 3
116,5 4
124 5 ;
130 6
135 7
140 8
148 10
270 100
300 150
370 309
400 400
440 547
460 631
600 820
680 2004
800 30S0
1000 5316
The pressure on one square foot being about 2000 pounds for one atmosphere, the pressure ai 1 000 de- grees K. of 5316 atmospheres, is equal to 10,630,000 pounds on one square foot.
If there is no substance more, the expansive power e2
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increases unirovmly, at every degree R. of increased heat, with 0,0047 pressure of one atmosphere.
With burning mirrors we may produce any Icnown degree of heat, without consuming any material. 1000 degrees R. is yet a moderate heal ; there is, heat used in founderies and laboratories of 16,000 degrees R. and upwards. If 1000 degrees R. may produce a steam with a pressure of more than 5000 atmospheres, or upwards of 10,000,000 of pounds upon one square foot; and if we suppose the surface exposed to the immediate effect of steam of ten feet square, or 100 square feet, and the motion of the piston at the rate of but two feet at every second ; we woukl liave a power equal to a weight of 100 times 10,000,000 of pounds, or 1000 millions of pounds, moving or rising at the rateof two feet per second. Experience teaches that a common labourer is able, by steady work, to raise twenty pounds two feet per second ; consequently, a power of 1000 millicms of pounds, with the same rate of motion, is equal to 1,000,000,000 divided by 20, or 50,000,000 of men's power. If we allow but six hours' sunshine every day in an average, and twelve hours' time for work for men, that power would still equal to 25,000,000 of men's power. But this in- stance shows, that we are under no limit of power for any purpose we may conceive, and that this power re- quires comparatively but little room in its application.
You may perhaps startle at the idea of immense ex- penses and materials for such a powerful engine. But here I have to recall to your mind what I have stated already concerning the construction of steam-engines; namely, we need no metals and no other expensive
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materials for ihc engine?, tlioiigh iron and otlicr cohe- sive metals are most convenient. The pipes, or rooms of confinement for the steam, may be made of one solid stone, cast or moulded, and baked to a hardness and consistency equal to the best stone to be found, of any thickness that may be required, and sunk into the ground. The head of the piston may consist of the same material. The piston itself and the cover may preferably be of iron. The baking of such stones is an olijcct of the sequel of my proposals.
However, there is iron in plenty over the whole world ; nothing is more universally spread in nature than iron : almost all stuffs are more or less impreg- nated with iron. Places of several square miles are full of iron ore. And though we have not explored one- hundredth part of the surface of the earth in that re- spect, yet wc have it at a cheapness little exceeding the expenses for labour in digging, preparing, and transporting it; and this price would be reduced soon to a trifle, could we save the human labour for procur- ing it, raid substitute labour by powers that cost us nothing, as the case really is to be proved. We have as yet used but a very small poriion of the immense store of iron that is discovered already in nature; and most probably, there is an nncomparatively greaterstore yet to be discovered. So there is no matter of doubt, that we are fully provided with tliis metal for all our possible mechanical purposes. lint say, we be not for future times ; then we may substitute this mrlal by other materials, as mentioned.
The power of steam is therefore suitjcct to no limits, its requisites being sunshine, water, and solid stuffs for
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confining and applying the steam, of which there is no limit, no materials heing consumed.
The generating of steam-power is not the only use to be made of burning mirrors ; they may be applied also to various other purposes of great importance, as I shall show hereafter.
Havel asserted too much, when promising to show that there are powers in nature million times greater than the whole human race is able to effect by their united efforts of nerves and sinew s ?
The power of steam and the power of wind may be applied over the whole globe, land and seas, either si- multaneously or alternately, as found convenient. The three gigantic powers of steam, wind, and waves may be applied on the high sea, simultaneously, or one or two of them in the failure of others. The four powers of steam, wind, waves, and tide, are at once at our disposal along the coasts and upon shallows of the ocean ; there will never be an entire stop of all at once. There are parts of the ocean where clouds and fogs with wind are, and other parts where a clear sky wiih calms are prevailing: in the former, we have wind and waves ; in the latter, sunshine for burning mirrors at our disposal. Jn making use of one or the other power, just as chance affords, we are enabled to cross the ocean in any direction with floating islands, at the rate of 1000 miles per day, in all commodities and enjoyments, that may be found on land, w ithout any danger. How to create rivulets of sweet and wholesome water on floating islands in the midst of the ocean, will be no riddle now. Sea-water changed into steam will distil into sweet water, leaving the
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salt on the bottom. Thus the steam-engines on float- ing" ishmds for their propulsion, and other mechanical ])urposes, will serve in the same time for distillery of sweet water, whicli, collected in basins, may be led tljrough channels over the island, while, where re- quired, it may be refrigerated by artificial means into cool water, surpassing in salubrity the best spring water, because nature hardly ever distils so purely water of itself, without some admixture of stuffs of less wholesome influence on the human body, as it may be done here artificially.
I have as yet stated but the chief and most univer- sal pow ers in nature, that are playing before our eyes without any benefit for men hitherto; which are to be applied without consuming any material ; ihey are de" rived, as has been seen, from the motions of the atmo- sphere, from sunshine, and from the motions of the sea, caused by the gravity of the moon or by wind. But these arc not the only powers of nature that may be brought to our disposal ; there are many others, though less universal and less important, whicli I shall at present not notice, as my object of showing that there is power enough, and superabundant fcr all pur- poses in view, is gained.
The statement can be made but in a general way, and no minutely-defined results can be expected in this new and universal matter, nor would it be of any utility. The question is not, whether the stated powers may be somewhat less or more than stated, but wlicthcr they arc of such a gigantic magnitude as to afford a sulHciency for all our wants. If the statement of the powers had rc>ulted in a Isirc sufficiency for the
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grand purposes in view, it would be material to ascer- tain, if possible, whether there might not be some small error, some inaccuracy, or some exaggeration in the statement of experiments ; but when it proves, by generally known facts, or well authenticated experi- ments, that there are, at the least estimation, thousand, and probably ten thousand times greater powers than we ever may possibly want, all doubts or apprehen- sions about insufficiency of powers must vanish for ever, and the mind be at ease on that account. It is for this purpose that I have endeavoured to state the whole extent of the powers to be applied for the great purposes in view. It is but owing to the narrow con- ceptions, to the inattention in respect to the things in nature, that may really be applied to the improvement of the human condition, to most deplorable prejudices in which we are generally trained up, and in which even the learned pass^ their lives, that proposals like mine may appear fabulous.
The studious, the reflecting mind will soon discover the connexions between the means and the effects to be produced thereby. But there will be also men, who are so ill favoured by nature, that they slovenly adhere to their accustomed narrow notions, without inquiring into the truth of new ideas, and will rather, in apology for their mental sloth, pride themselves in despising, disputing, and ridiculing whatever appears novel to them.
We have superabundance of power, powers without limits, million times greater than all men on earth could effect hitherto: this is proved : does it become to a rational man to continue looking with apathy and
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dulness at tliem ? — Has he not seen and learned enougli of experiments in machineries in our days, to rouse his mind to be alive at the great advantages they may afford more and more? — Will, at the contemplation of those gigantic powers that cost nothing to men, no new light dawn in the mind ?
Nature plays with these mighty powers before our eyes in the most irregular way. To apply them im- mediately upon machineries for certain final purposes, -would subject the latter to great irregularities and in- terruptions. It is probably owing to this circumstance, that men have made so little application of them as yet. Thiese inconveniences will be remedied in put- ting a medium between the powers and their final ap- plication, in order to convert them into uniform opera- lions, or, in other words, into perpetual motions with uniform powers. As we have superabundant powers, ' irregular as they be, we may then create perpetual mo- tions with any power that may be wanted, and any "where.
To effect this purpose, we have to cause a re-action of the power of wind, steam, &c. An image of re- action gives us the weight of a clock being wound up. The sinking of this weight is the re-action of the wind- ing it up. It is not just necessary to wait with wind- ing up the weight till it is entirely sunk down ; but it may be wound up at any time partly or totally ; and if done always before the weight reaches the bottom, the clock will be going perpetually. In a similar, though not in the same way, we may cause are-action on a large scale. We may raise, for instance, water by the immediate application of wind or steam, upon
4S
some eminence into a pond, out of wliicli llie water may, ilnougli .an outlet, fall upon some wluel or other contrivance for setting some machinery agoing-. Thus we may store up water in some eminent pond, and take out of this store, at any time, as much water through the outlet as we want to employ, by which means the original power may re-act for many days after it has cejised.
To form a proper idea, how long and how great a power may be rendered re-active m this way, it will be necessary to specify some cases here.
Suppose an elevation of ground about 100 feet high above the adjacent ground. Let this elevatibn be 1000 feet square, and surrounded by a wall twenty feet high. liCt, from one of the lower adjacent parts, water be raised, in the most convenient way, hymen. From the experience that a common labourer can raise twenty pounds two feet high per second con- tinually working, it follows, that he could raise twenty pounds in from fifty to sixty seconds, 100 to 120 feet high, that is, the height of the supposed elevation from the bottom to the top of the reservoir ; this would nearly be one cubic foot of water raised in three minutes to the. same height. He would, consequently, raise in twelve hours, or in a day, 2^ cubic feet, and in 1 00 days 24,000 cubic feet of w ater. The supposed reservoir is capable of holding (being 1000 feet square and twenty deep), 20,000,000 cubic feet. To fill this reservoir in 100 days, would therefore require from 800 to 1000 men's labour. A power that would effect the same purpose in 100 days would then be equal to 100 men's power. Jtis evident, without further de-
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monstration, that the \^ater of tlie reservoir, by falling down again, wouhl have the same power ; for it would, by its fall, be able to raise the same quantity of water ' within the sanie time to the same height again, de- ducting, however, what may be lost meanwhile by its evapora-tion, whieh may be in general very inconsider- able. This reservoir would, consequently, be capable, by the fall of its water, of a re-acting power of 1000 men for 100 days, or of TO ,000 men for ten days. A period of 100 days would exceed any continual calm ; and therefyre be far longer than might be wanted by the sole application of wind. A period of ten days would be more 'than sufficient for supplying continually the reservoir witK water, by the applica- tion of sunshine and wind together. Such reservoirs of moderate elevation or size need not just be made artificially, but will be found made by nature very frequently, requiring but little aid for their completion. They require no reg\ilarity of form. Any valley sur- rounded by elevations, with some lower grounds in its vicinity, would answer the purpose. Small crevices may be tilled up. Such places may be eligible for the "beginning of enterprises of that kind ; but thereafter, when the powers are rendered operative for the pur- poses in view, ^larger and more perfect contrivances may be made without expenses. Hills and mountains afford natural advantages for this purpose. The higher the reservoir the less room is required ; for the more power with the same quantity of water will then be effected by the greater fall. But suppose even an entirely flat country. By the application of any of the staled powers, we may, for instance, excavate a
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large hole of from 200 to 250 feet deep, and raise, uitli the stuff that is taken out of it, an elevation of 300 feet at its edge, so as to have then a height of from 500 to 550 feet. Suppose this elevation to be 2000 feet square, its water 100 feet deep, its fall in an average 400 feet ; then its re-acting power may be brought to eighty times as great as that of the reservoir before stated ; for its area will be four times, its depth live times, its fall four times, and consequently its re-acting power four times five times four times as great as the calculation in the first case shows. If then the former reservoir aftorded a power of 10,000 men for ten days, this will be capable of eighty times 10,000, or 800,000 men's power for ten days. Water enough may be found at such a depth any where. But say it were not; then we may use, instead of water, sand, stones, earth, &c., which will have the advantage of not evaporating, and of being heavier, and therefore requiring less room for equal quantity of power, while these dry materials will cause some- what more friction than water, which, however, will not counterbalance the advantages. The room in which this hole and the adjacent elevation occupies is not lost for cultivation of soil. Both surfaces may be covered with rafts decked with fertile earth and all kinds of vegetables, which may grow there as well as any where else.
The re-acting power is not required for all applica- tions, but only for such which admit of no delay, as, for instance, cultivation of the soil in its proper season. In other cases, and in the most of the applications it is indifferent, at which time the machinery be operating,
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or whether it operates continually or at intervals. In these cases the original powers of wind or steam, &c. may immediately be applied.
Thus the medium for rendering these powers per- petual, or operative at will at any time, may he chiefly confined to the cultivation of the soil.
However, if there were any occasion for rendering the re-acting power greater, on the same room, than exemplified, the contrivance might easily be extended to a larger scale. For instance, an elevation of 1000 feet above the bottom of the adjacent hole, and one square mile, or 5000 feet square, its water 400 feet deep, with a fall of from 600 to 1000 feet, or in an average of 800 feet, would afford for ten days a power — compared to a reservoir 1 000 feet square, 1 00 feet high, and its water twenty feet deep, of 10,000 men's power — of twenty-five times twenty times eight, or •10,000,000 men's power, a power exceeding all possi- ble wants on such a small room.
On the high sea, and along the coasts where more powers are concurring, and where hardly ever there is an entire cessation of all of them, there is little or no occasion for re-acting powers.
The raising of water or other heavy materials, as well as the falling of the same for this purpose, may be effected in vaiious ways, which 1 need not detail here ; localities must suggest the most proper mecha- nism, which, however, may be very simple in all cases. Common water-engines suggest already all what is here required. Both for the ascent and descent of the materials, if the height is very considerable, one roller at the top, and another at the bottom with a chain
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around them, at which huckets may he fastened in a proper manner, is sutlicient to effect the purpose. The contrivance lor the ascent of the materials may operate whenever nature affords a chance, that is, whenever there is sunshine or wind ; the contrivance for tlie descent may perpetually operate with uniform power upou some machinery which is to be connected with it. Both contrivances for ascent and descent may operate without any superintendence at all, except in cases where some alteration is to be effected.
Thus a power of many thousands or even of millions of men may perpetually continue its play until the machinery is worn out by length of time ; and but one or a few men will be required to keep it in order, and direct its application.
In stating the magnitude and regulation of the chief inanimate powers of nature, I have stated the basis of my vast proposals. When we see powers at our dis- posal million times greater, at the lowest estimation, than all our united efforts of nerves and sinews could effect ; when we see we have it in our power to render these powers perpetually and uniformly operative ; can we behold this discovery with indifference? When the first elements of mechanics teach that there is no motion imaginable, that could not be produced by- some adapted mechanism ; provided we have the re- quisite power, can we, as rational men, think of these gigantic powers without inquiring, why they should not be applicable and not be applied for the benefit of men? — Can it appear to a rational man any longer strange, that with powers exceeding the human bodily strength by ten thousands and millions of
53
times, might he effected in one year more than men could do hitherto in thousands of years ? — Can man with sound reasoning mind think it ahsurd, extrava- gant, to effect things, which he was not accustomed yet to see, hy the application of such enormous powers, that have played idly hitherto ? — Are these powers not sufficient to change the whole face of nature by a general application ? — What should hinder us from making the best use of them that we can think of, when they cost nothing? — We know already, thai, by a persevering industry for many centuries, a populous nation might change a barren forest into delightful gardens, intersected by canals for their culture, filled with mansions of splendour and ease, and provided with every comfort and enjoyment imaginable for human life. Where is the reason for supposing it impossible, to effect the same things, and more, by powers exceeding many thousand times all possible exertions of a whole nation for many centuries ? — There is no reason at all in such thoughts; tliey are nothing but a blind adherence to customary impres- sions of minds little used to reflection. Such a stupid adherence to customs is the most baneful and most degrading evil of the human creature ; for it ap- proximates man to the state of brutes, by neglecting the most precious gift of his Maker, the reasoning faculty, the only one that may raise him above brutes. Brutes, too, follow the customs without reasoning. The domestic animals, for instance, sneak to their accustomed stables and pasture grounds, though it be for enslaving or butchering them. ]\Ian is but little above thes? brute, if he is but a slave to customs in
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thinking and acting. He cannot claim even, with any pretence, indulgence, when he is so infatuated as to pride himself in this despicahle mental sloth. This evil is not only to be found among the lower untutored classes, where it is more pardonable, but also among high-bred and high-standing gentlemen, whom I pray to be assured, that I wish not to add any thing to the grievous affliction under which they labour without their suspecting it; I wish merely to diminish its effects upon themselves and others, as a physician will do with the sick of contagious diseases ; I will point out the symptoms of this affliction, as a warning that may be very useful to many ; the symptoms are generally: the patient is very arrogant and very ready in his judgment without giving or taking any reason, he surmises instead of rcas'Miing, he judges before he examines, and with all this insanity he self-pleasingly ridicules what he does not understand — beware of such a brute, you cannot reason with him.
If man ever forfeited the paradise by his sin, as we are told, it must have bfe^cn the sin of neglecting the most precious gift of his Maker, that reasoning fa- culty, that only gives him the dominion over the brutes, and may give him also the dominion over the inanimate creation, and niake thereby of the earth a paradise.
Man needs not to cat his bread in tlic sweat of his brow, and to pass his life in drudgery and misery, except he perseveres iiihis mental sloth, and foregoes the use of his reason.
We are trained up in the notion, that industry is a virtue and a necessity to man, and so it is truly— I do
not mean to apologise for, or to commend idleness and slolli — but it is so only relative to our -present state of knowledges ; for it is the only means to lead a decent life in society, lo preserve us from suffering and want, to procure us comforts, and even respect among our neighbours. With the same reason the savage counts it for his two most exalted virtues, to slay many enemies and kill many beasts in his forest; they only tend t6 his self-preservation and to that of his family. The better cultivated man wants to have other virtues. Useless or needless drudgery and toil ceases to be a virtue ; more exalted qualities step into their place, in a more relined and happier state of men. \\ hat virtue can there be in passing one's life like a prisoner in a treadmill ? The occupations of men in our present state of advancement are yet not much better: they are cither a monotonous drudgery, or some insipid occupation, which nothing but custom and necessity may vender tolerable in some degree, but which are the very means to keep the mind in inactivity, and low, trivial pursuits. 1 will not expa- tiate on this disgusting subject, for fear of being too prolix ; but look at the labourer of the field, at the mechanic in the shop, at any common occupation. How dull and tedious to pass the best part of one's life in the same ever- repeating mechanical motions or labours, and after they are ten thousand times re- peated, they are ten thousand times again and again to be done over. What is the mighty object of lead- ing such a life? — To get money, in order to buy what one wants. Is this the most exalted virtue, the highest destination of man's life that can be thought
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of in tills world? — Tt. may he a virtue or a necessary evil in a state of general ignorance and prejudices, but it is no virtue founded in nature.
Where did sciences end mental culture and the refinements of human life flourish the most ? — Not among people who passed their lives in drudgery. The Greeks deemed mechanical work a disgrace to a free citizen, and employed their slaves for that pur- pose. Hence their lofty sentiments, their high state of mental culture and refinements, superior to all their neighbours, even to the Romans. It is to these ancient Greeks that we owe chiefly our sciences of reason. Look at the same country now, at the de- scendants of the same Greeks, an ignorant, oppressed race of men ! The sciences of their ancestors would have been lost also for us, if not classes, devoted to religion and dominion, who thought mechanical occu- pation below their dignity, had preserved, by their literary pursuits, the wrecks of those ancient superior acquirements ; for the labouring classes, even of civi- lised Europe, never harboured sciences, philosophy, and refinements of human life ; they had other pur- suits, the bare necessaries of life, which left them neither time nor thought of higher pursuits ; happy enough, when money could exempt them in part from labour, physical wants, and fear of want.
It is often questioned, whether the life of a savage in his wilderness may not be preferable to civilised life with its appending labours and comforts?— But it is obvious, that one savage cannot live on an area where 100 laborious civilised men may live in plenty. Therefore, the life of a savage ought by no means be
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preferred. Man ought certainly be progressing, not retrograding, in improvements; and he will naturally be so, if not violently retarded or stopped in his course. We are actually in a progressing state, but only since a few centuries: men were fallen back into a state of greater barbarity before that period, as history proves. Ancient nations, several thousand years ago, in Asia and Africa, were further advanced in many knowledges than we are now ; their ruins and monu- ments, left to us, show this. We have made improve- ments in an increasing progression in the latter time. This is quite natural ; for knowledge begets know- ledge, just as wealth begets wealth. There is, how- ever, one fault in our system of education and public instruction up to the universities, which is an essen- tial impediment in our mental and physical progress ; this is, that the sciences of reason are less cultivated than those of memory and imagination. It is owing to this fault, handed down to us from an ancient state of barbarity, that people generally judge so very in- sane of any thing that appears new to them, they are not used to reflect much, to reason closely: the most useful knowledges of our days are cither not at all, or but faintly come to their notice. There are but few individuals who are versed in the knowledges of use- ful things of our days. The science of mechanics is but in a state of infancy. It is true, improvements are made upon improvements, instigated by patents of the government ; but they are made accidentally, or at haphazard. There is no general system of this science, mathematical as it is, which developcs its principles in their full extent, and the outlines of
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their application to uhicb they lead. There is no idea of comparison between what is explored and what is vet to be explored in this science ; no inves- tigation of powers, and their applications for the be- nefit of man, in all their ramifications and extents; Nve are in a manner groping along in the dark, and wonder at every new invention and improvement in mcchunics. People donbt, reject, and reason at ran- dom, with posilivcness on every thing that is new to them, without understanding, without even troubling themselves with examining the matter. It is thus a liard task to inform and convince them of any thing that may not suit their superficial or erroneous no- tions. The ancient Greeks placed mathematics at the head of their education, and deemed it indispensably to a liberal education, more for teaching and accus- toming the mind to good, sound, close reasoning, than even for the matter itself. But we are glad to have filled our memory with notions, without troubling ourselves much with reasoning about them ; if we do it at all, we may do it in secret. Hence this con- trariety of opinions, which prove but the state of errors we live in.
Did I assert too much? If I did, there would be no chance left to me for making such discoveries as I have related already, nor would the annunciation of them be gazed at as something out of all reason. Ar- chimedes knew and used burning mirrors for destroy- ing vessels of the enemy, 2000 years ago. The history of Greece has been taught in our school since cen- turies, and with it the story of burning mirrors, too, again and again ; but the schoolmasters thought this
story fabulous, and their scholars helieved it so, he- cause they saw no such a thing practised before their eyes, while the first elements of optics taught it to them with mathematical demonstration.
The discovery of the mathematical law of the lever made the discoverer exclaim — "Give me but a point of support, and I can unhinge the world." And I say with no less exultation, and I wish I could speak with a voice of thunder, and electrify the dull to sen- sibility at the greatest and most joyful news that ever could sound into the human ear : — '* Let me but find a union of a few inteUigent men who do not judge before they examine^ and grant me their attention, and 1 can change the world into a most delightful paradise /"
The law of the lever is known to be the fundament of mechanics, of which the effects may often, to the untutored, seem no less marvellous than my promised paradise. The fundament of ray assertion are the im- mense powers of nature that I have shown to be at our disposal, and the simple system of their applica- tion that I am prepared to show. Both are mathe- matical truths, and both are no subjects of opinion, dispute, or uncertainty, as soon as they are understood: none but an ignorant or an idiot would dote against the former, and will dote against the latter mathema- tical truth.
What mechanisms, what machines are to be applied, ■will be the question now, granted that there is power enough.
I shall give here a general outline of ihe system of machineries and establishments to be pursued.
Wc drudge and toil in agriculture, in architecture, in uavigatioD, in all workshops, and in manufactories
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for mating many useful aqd many useless tilings for human life, for supplying many various demands of necessaries, comforts, and luxuries of life, of fancy, and fashions. We little, care about the real benefit the produces of our industry m'ay afford to the buyer, provided we get pay for them, and make money by their sale. There is an endless variety of artificial productions of every kind, resulting from competition of the producers. I tave promised contrivances for superseding all human labour. To imitate minutely all the infinite variety of produces of human industry by machineries, would be an endless, ungrateful, and foolish undertaking, though it might be possible. It would nearly require to invent for every little work of man a particular automaton. This i.5 not my pur- pose. But the most simple contrivances 1 could thin*k of, and as few as possible, for producing, not the cus- tomary articles of human industry; but all things that mav either substitute or surpass the known necessa- saries, comforts, and luxuries of men, are my objects in view.
This problem is not so difficult as" might be ima- gined at first. There was never any s^-stem in the productions of human labour, but they came into ex- istence and fashion as chance directed men. Still less was there ever a thought exhibited to make a general science or system of providing for all artificial human wants. My object is to furnish, by an extremely sim- ple system, all what may be desirable for human life, without taking for pattern any of the existing things of industry. By abstracting from all what is in ex- istence and Aishion, I am enabled to devise means, without any artificial machinery, for producing every
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thinc^ tliat man may want for his nourishment, dwell- ing", garment?, furnitures, and articles of fancy and amusements.
But we have to relinquish entirely all our customary , notions of human wants, and substitute them by others of a superior and more systematic order.
.1 shall begin. with agriculture. . ■ The first object is here to clear the ground from all ■ spontaneous growth and stones^
1.. A machine of large size is to move along, and while moving, to tate the trees of all sizes with their roots out of the ground, to cut them in convenient pieces, to pile them up, and to take all stones out of the ground to any required depth.
2. A second machine is to follow, for taking up the piles of ^vood and atones, and transporting the same to the places of their destination; this machine may carry thousands of tons at once.
3. The wood removed to its places for final use, is then to be formed into planks, boards, beams, rails, pieces for fuel and for any other purpose, by a simple contrivance, from when.ce it is to be removed to the places where it be wanted ; this is done by one ma- chine, which may also cut stones of any size.
4. The first mentioned machine, with a little alter- ation, is then to level the ground perfectly, in planin<»' it, filling the excavations or taking olT the elevations of ground until all is level. If the hills or valleys are considerable, the same machine cuts terraces, windinsr around them up to the top in elegant shapes.
The same machine may make any excavation or elevation, cut canals, ditches, ponds of any size and
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shape, raise dams, artificial level roads, walls and tainparts \\h\\ ditches around fields as enclosures, with walks on their top, form walks and paths with elevated borders.
5. The same machine, with some other little alter- ation, is to give to the ground its final preparation for receiving the seed; it tills the ground, in tearing the soil up to any required depth, refining or mouldering the same, sifting all small roots and stones from it, and putting the seed into the ground in any way re- quired.
6. The same machine may take good fertile ground from one place to some other, for covering, at any re- quired depth, poor soil svith fertile soil of the best mixture.
7. The same machine, with a little addition, may reap any kind of grain or vegetable, thrash the seed out in the same time, grind it to meal, or press it to oil, it may also cut or prepare any other vegetable for final use in the kitchen or bakery.
8. Another small machine may sink wells and mines to any required depth and in any direction, aud take the contents of the same up to light, it may be in earth, rocks, swamps, or water.
Architecture. Earth may be baked into bricks, or even to vitrified stone, by heat. Stones may be cemented together, so as to break to pieces before their cement yields ; a proof that cement is then harder and more cohesive than the stones themselves. Sand and stones ground to dust may be turned into glass or vitrified substance of the greatest hardness and cohesion, by great hertt.
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Hence we may bake large masses of any size and form into stone and vitrified substance of the greatest dura- tion, even for thousands of years, out of clayey earth or of stones ground to dust, by the application of burn- ing mirrors. This is to be done in the open air with- out other preparation, than gathering the substance, grinding and mixing it with water and cement, mould- ing or casting it into adapted moulds, and bringing the focus of the burning mirrors of proper size upon the same.
Wood, cut and ground to dust, and then cemented by a liquor, may be also moulded into any shape and dried, so as to become a solid, consistent wooden sub- stances that may be dyed with various colours, and polished.
Thus we may mould and bake any form of any size, entire walls, floors, ceilings, roofs, doors, channels for canals, ditches, aqueducts, bridges, pavement of walks and roads, chimneys, hollow cylinders for machineries and mines and wells, plates for any purpose, vessels for holding dry and liquid materials, pillars, columns, balustrades, statues, postaments, and other ornaments, figures of any description, reliefs, sculptural works, pipes, furnitures for household, kitchen utensils, pieces of machineries, and numberless other things, of all shapes, sizes, colours, fashions, and fancy ; inshort, any thing of hard material. When once the mould is made, it may serve for ever for thousands of thousands of other pieces, no matter how artificially it be shaped, without ever requiring any further labour of man. The substance may be polished or glazed, and then serve for burning mirrors.
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Founderies of any <lescription iiic to be heated by buininsT' minors, and retiuire no labour, except the niakintr of tlie first moubls, and the superintendence for gathering the metal and taking the finished articles away.
Flexible Stuff.
There is one yet great desideratum ; this is the making of flexible or pliable stufls, and finishing all the articles out of them fur use, such as for garments, couches, and all other commodities and ornaments, without labour. If this can be effected without labour, then the problem of superseding all human labours is resolved completely.
This can be done, without spinning, weaving, sewing, tanning, &c., by a simple proceeding. There are cohesive substances in superabundance in nature, in the vegetable and animal kingdom, which need but be extracted ; they are of various ([ualities : some resist water, some heat, some both, some arc clastic, some soft, some hard. They all may be hardened or dis- solved into fluids, just as required. They are made use of already for various purposes. In dissolving them into adapted fluids, and mixing the same with fibres of vegetables of convenient fineness or other flexible stuffs fitly prepared, they will glutinate them together. By a proper contiivance sheets of any size and form may be formed, in a similar manner as it is done with manufacturing paper. Thi.5 stuff inuy be made as fine, and as thin or as thick as it may be desired. Tt may be made of any degree of stiflness or softness, which is depending from the mixture of
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stuffs, and from the mannerofpreparation and (inisliing. It may be calendered and polished for the sake of or- nament, or for mirrors. It may be made of any colour, or pattern, without any additional trouble, except admixture of dying stuff. It may then be used for any purpose, instead of any woven stuff", of leather, paper, fur, Sec. It may be cast not only in sheets of any size or form, butalsointo any shape whatever ; thus ready-made clothes of any fashion, vessels for holding dry or liquid materials, of any shape or size, any other article of commodity may be at once cast or moulded into the appropriated form or mould.
So there will be no sewing or any kind of finishing by hands. There is no object of pliable stuff' to be thought of, which could not be made completely in this way, so as to supersede all articles of that kind actually in use.
.Such are all the means for the application of the immense powers of nature for substituting all human labours that I have in contemplation. They are simple, of a very small number in kinds, hardly three or four diff'erent contrivances. So they arc by no means of such a nature as to scare the imagination from attempting the practice of them. They resolve completely the whole riddle of doing away all human labour, and make extremely easy and simple what was ever thought to be utter impossibility. But they do not only substitute all our present articles of human industry, but may create a great many things, which were never seen or thought of yet, to the greatest benefit of mankind. They are sufficient to create a paradise surpassing in splendour, delight, and enjoy-
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ments all what luiinan fancy ever conceived, a world altogether new for men, and this in a very short period.
Let us cast a view upon the things that immediately may be created by these means.
Any wilderness, even the most hideous and the most sterile, may be converted into the most fertile and de- lightful gardens. The most dismal swamps may be cleared of all their spontaneous growth, filled up, and levelled, intersected with canals, ditches, and aque- ducts for draining them entirely. The soil, if re- quired, may be meliorated, by covering or mixing it with rich soil taken from distant places. The same is to be mouldered to fine dust, levelled, sifted from all roots, weeds, and stones, and sowed and planted in the most beautiful order and symmetry, with fruit trees and vegetables of every kind that may stand the climate. The walks and roads are to be paved with hard, vitrified large plates, so as to be always clean from all dirt at any weather or season. They may be bordered with the most beautiful beds of flowers, fruitful vegetables, bushes, shrubs, and tiees, all rising gradually in rows behind one another, arranged so as to afford almost continually delight to the or- gans of sight, taste, and smell. Canals and aque- ducts with vitrified channels, and, if required, covered, filled with the clearest water out of fountains from the deep subterraneous recesses of water, which may spout and be led any where. Some canals may serve for fish-ponds, and for irrigating the gardens ; others for draining swampy ground. Some aqueducts may be used to lead water into all parts of the garden,
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for irrigating the ground whenever it be required ; this may be done by sprinkling tlie water in copious showers through moveable tubes with adapted large mouths. This water may be mixed with liquid ma- nure, derived from all the decayed vegetables, and other materials fit for manure, prepared and liquefied in proper buildings to that effect. Thus the fertility of the garden will not depend from weather. When it rains too much, it may be led off from the ground in proper channels. The canals may be bordered with beautiful growth in similar manner as the walks. The channels being of vitrified substance, the water being perfectly clear, and filtrated or distilled if re- quired, they may afford the most beautiful sceneries imaginable, while a variety of fishes is seen clear down to the bottom playing about; and while these canals afford in the same time the chance for gliding smoothly along and between these various sceneries of art and nature, upon beautiful gondolas, and while their surface and borders may be covered with tine land and aquatic birds. The canals may end or concentrate in large beautiful ponds, where the bottom is also of vitrified substance. Thus water, clear as crystal in beds or channels like crystal, sur- rounded and covered by enchanting sceneries, ferti- lises and beautifies the gardens, and gives them the relief of a paradise. The aqueducts may be sup- ported by the most splendid colonnades. The walks may be covered with porticos adorned with magni- ficent columns, statues, and sculptural works, all of vitrified substance, lasting for ever, while the beau- ties of nature around heighten the magnificence and
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deliciousness. Tlie ponds may also he sunounded by porticos. Tlicse porticos, the fountains, the green arbours and bowers may preserve continually fresh- ness of air and of growth of the vegetables, and afford delightful shelter against wet weather and heat.
The crops are gathered and prepared for use without any labour. There is nothing then but enjoyment and delight. Pastures may be out of such gardens, with establishments for milking and butchering, so that one or two men may do this wort in less than an hour every day for thousands of consumers.
The hills and mountains may be surrounded by the most beautiful terraces imaginable, which may wind in spiral form up to their tops, affording the grandest and most beautiful prospects, as well from below in the valleys, as from above down into the same.
This is what concerns agriculture, when I have supposed the most unfavourable spot to be found upon eiirth.
The dwellings ought to be also very different from- what is know n in that kind, if the full benefit of our means is to be enjoyed. They are to be of a structure for which we have no names yet. Tliey are to be neither palaces, nor temples, nor cities, l)ut a com- bination of all, superior to whatever is known.
It will be easily conceived, that the superintendence cf machineries and establishments requires no more men, when operating for, and supplying a whole com- munity of thousands of families with every thing they may want, than it would for each single family sepa- rately. It would be as improper to apply such mighty
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means for every family in particular, as it would be to provide every spinster, instead of lier spinning- wheel, with a large carding and spinning machine of many thousand spindles. It is, however, not un- derstood here, to make it a matter of necessity or compulsion, to live and use the benefits of these means together in communities. Every one may have liberty as much as he pleases, to join or live by himself, and still partake of a large share of the common benefits to be derived from the application of these means. Yet it will be soon found and per- fectly understood by every one, that it is of his greatest advantage, and but conducive to the greatest sum of his happiness, if he joins to a community of such a kind. So it may be first considered what may be done in, and for a whole community living together in all the enjoyments these means aftbrd, and then this life be compared to a separate one.
There is no limit to confine us in the use of our means, and neither sacrifice nor loss of time requisite for giving full application to these means. There- fore, it is neither an idle dream nor useless vanity, to draw the picture in full of what is easily attain- able for us ; nor forms it any part of wisdom to re- fuse 10 us, or to those who are endeared to us, and in general to our fellow-men, any thing that may in- crease our happiness and that of other men, while it is but beneficial in all its consequences for future times.
The object of forming a community is, to afford to every member the possible greatest sum of enjoyments,
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comforts, and pleasures, by the possible least attend- ance of men.
To obtain these ends, a system of building is to be contrived for lodging thousands of families together, without causing inconvenience to any of the inhabit- ants, and with every thing for their enjoyment with- in their reach at any time, without trouble, while it is put into every one's power to alford or to receive any sociarpleasure of refined society.
I shall merely draw the outlines of a plan here for attaining these great ends, leaving it to the option of others to finish the sketch at their pleasure.
Every adult member of either sex is to have an apartment for exclusive use, consisting of several rooms, such as for sleeping, bathing, dressing, and parlour. Children may be lodged under special care and instruction of certain appointed persons sepa- rately; but may also lodge with their parents, if de- sired. Every such private apartment communicates with the interior by a door to a spacious corridor, and with the outside of the building by a door to a gallery around the whole building, from thence to a flat roof of the building. Through every jirivale apartment pass pipes for affording at all times cold and warm water by turning a crank, others for gas- light, for meliorating the air, for balsamic scents, for tempering the air in rendering it cooler or warmer, just as the inmate desires, for moving into the apart- ment, or removing out of it any thing at the inmate*s desire. The victuals may, in this manner, be had separately. The apartment of every adult may ex-
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tend across the building, being then divided by the corridor into two parts. Suppose every adult occu- pies thus twenty-five feet in length on both sides of the edifice, and every apartment be subdivided into three or four rooms ; and suppose the width of the (edifice to be 100 feet, the corridor twenty, the apart- ments on both sides forty feet wide, so that every person has two spaces, each about twenty-four feet long and forty feet wide, for exclusive use. Sup- pose such an edifice to be 1000 feet long and 100 feet wide, it could then lodge, in this manner, forty persons. Suppose further, the edifice to be of ten stories, each twenty feet high, and consequently the wl\ole edifice 200 feet high, which would have then 400 such private apartments. Four such edifices joined together in right angles, so as to form a square of 1000 feet between them, could, in the above de- scribed manner, lodge 1600 persons, leaving yet at each of the four corners a square of 100]feet, which, in the ten stories, contain forty rooms each of 100 feet square : these may be use4 for dormitories of children. T\^
The inhabitants iifS^ ascend and descend, in the inside, that is, in the corridors, by commodious stairs; and at both oulsides, from the galleries that surround the whole edifice at every story, both inside of the square and outside ; they may ascend and descend in boxes, which are moveable up and down, without ex- ertion or trouble.
The square between these four edifices may be inter- sected by four walls in one direction and four in the other, so as to intersect each other in right angles, and
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fovra twenty-five squares, each of nearly 200 ieei square. Each of these squares may receive ils lif2:ht from above throup;h large glasses, or a cupola full of large windows. Those cupolas may, each by a num- ber of properly placed large reflectors, reverberate the day-light tlirough the glasses, and so augment the light inside, which again is to be received and reverbe- rated by shining walls or large mirrors, so as to dis- perse the light in the most proper manner every where in the inside.
All the walls, of the outside and of the partitions, need but to consist of colonnades, the intervals of their columns forming doors and large mirrors. Some of the twenty-five squares may, in the same manner, be sub- divided into smaller ones. These larger and smaller squares are to form halls for various purposes, such as fordining, reading, conversation, instruction, of children and of adults ; for amusements ; for general meetings, such as for public discourses, concerts, theatrical scenes, balls, &c. ; one for the kitchen department, and for stores of prepared and unprepared victuals ; the former stores are to be subdivided into chambers and moveable boxes. Every such box is to contain one portion of one kind of victuals for one meal of the community. It maybe moved, by a slight motion of the hand, into the kitchen, where it empties itself into the vessel ready for reception and final preparation in cooking or baking. One or two persons are suffi- cient to direct the kitchen business. They have nothing else to do than to superintend the cookery, and to watch the time of the victuals being done, and then to remove them with the table and vessels into
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the (lining hall, or to the respective private apartments, by a slight motion of the hand at some crank. From thence are thereafter the remaining victuals to be removed into the store of prepared victuals.
The cleaning of the vessels and all washing of uten- sils, floors &c., is to be done by streaming water ; the washing of other stuff's by steam. All this requires no work, but is done by slightly moving some crank. Any extraordinary desire of any person may be satis- fied by going to the place where the thing is to be had ; and any thing that requires a particular preparation in cooking or baking may be done by the person who desires it.
Thus there is no occasion for any work, except the superintendence of the kitchen department and some other machinery, which requires from one to three persons in all for the whole community. If done by turns, every adult member would hardly have one turn for one day's superintendence in the whole year. But it would probably be done voluntarily by the greatest part, without waiting for their turn ; it being but an amusement, aud no tedious occupation or labour.
The policy would be a matter of special arrange- ment of the community.
These outlines of the purposes of the edifice, and the materials, means, and powers that are at our dis- posal, give the ideas of the architecture to be adopted. I repeat it, it is not for a vain show and mere idle pomp, that I am drawing a fanciful picture ; but a perfect harmony of means and wants must dictate all the contrivances to be made ; and it is this intended
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harmony that induces me to give a fall sketch of the objects wiihin our reach.
The system of the building is to be adapted to give the most convenient lodgings, with the greatest com- forts and enjoyments by the least trouble, to the greatest sum of individuals in the smallest space These purposes seem to be attainable in the greatest perfection possible by the system as mentioned. A space of about 1200 feet square, or nearly one six- teenth part of a square mile, may contain, inclusive, children, 3,000 to 4,000 individuals, with the following conveniences: —
Each adult member has, out of his apartment, a free view into the envirions around the habitation, and an immediate communication with the halls in the inside of the square. He may walk, inside or outside of the square, upon the galleries that surround every story. He may Uscend to any story above his, or to the flat roof of the whole square, or descend to any gallery below bis story, or to the ground, in a box, without trouble, easy and quick, both inside and outside of the square. He may thus move without exertion, in a few seconds, to any part of the square, inside and outside, every individual having a box inside and another one outside for his own use, fixed in a proper manner at the galleries by his apartment. He may procure to himself all common articles of his daily wants, by a short turn of some crank, without leaving his apart- ment. He may at any time bathe himself in cold or warm water, or in steam, or in some artificially pre- pared li(j[uor for invigorating health. He may at any
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time give to the air in liis apartment that temparatnre that suits his feeling best. He may cause at any time an agreeable scent of various kinds. He may at any time meliorate his breathing air, this main vehicle of vital power. The science of chemistry, in our days, teaches this to be done in a high degree. Man is depending, physically and morally, from the things that surround him, and chiefly from the temperature and the qualities of the air he breathes and absorbs through his pores. Impure and and inferior air is more hurtful to health and temper than bad water ; the difference is only, that the bad qualities and impu- rities of water are partly seen and tasted, while those of the air are invisible. Nobody would like to drink out of a stinking pool ; still the invisible air, which is continually inhaled and immediately transformed into component parts of our own body and life, is of far greater importance for life ; so much, at least, that the same human individual, with the same food and habits, may in one kind of air lire with a decaying health, pale and sallow face, general debility, digestion and all other vital functions enfeebled, susceptible of vari- ous diseases, till finally premature death or accelerated decrepitude concludes his existence : while in another kind of air he may enjoy a vigorous health, a cheerful temper, possess a blooming countenance, and the best energies of all vital functions, and thus reach an age far beyond the common period of human life ; yet the difference of air would be neither seen nor smelt. 'I'lierefore, by a proper application of the physical knowledges of our days, man may be kept in a perpe- tual serenity of mind, and, if there is no incurable
disease or defect in his organism, in constant vigour of Lcnlll), and lluis his life he prolonged heyond any inown period of human life of our present time.
The edillce is to he provided with large ice-cellars, suflicient to furnish at all limes the inmates with cool streams of air or water through every private apart- ment, as well as through the halls. There is also a heating apparatus for procuring warm air or water "wherever it he desired.
All this is to be effected, not by a complicated ma- chinery, hut in the most simple way.
The character of architecture is to be quite different from what it ever has been hitherto. There are vehi- cles to be used for moving several thousand tons at once, and putting them into their destined place. Hence large solid masses are to be baked or cast in one piece, ready shaped in any form that may be desired. The building may therefore consist in columns 200 feet high and upwards, of proportionate thickness, and of one entire piece of vitrified substance. These columns may form colonnades both for surrounding the whole square and dividing and subdividing it into all the required larger andsmallersquares, for the private jipartments, the halls and their subdivisions. The floors and ceilings of each such square may be of one entire piece of the same or similar vitrified substance. The intervals of the columns along them are to form the doors, windows, mirrors, pictures, 6ce., for the parti- lions and outside walls. All these huge pieces are to "bemouldedsoas tojoin and hook into each other firmly, by proper joints or folds, and not to yield in any with- out breaking.
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Thus a system of buildings, indestructible for many thousands of years, consisting of but entire columns and plates of hard vitrified substance, is to be erected in a most simple way, without expense or labour, with but little time, after the first simple tools are made. And what difference between this system of building and the most magnificient palaces and temples that ever were known !
The substance may be died with various beautiful colours. So the colonnades with the reliefs, bas-reliefs^ pictures and sculptures, copied in a mechanical way, and ornaments of every kind, on and between the co- lumns, may all radiate with crystal-like brilliancy of the most beautiful and indestructible colours — all this reflected and multiplied by mirrors and reflectors of various kinds.
All parts of the edifice may be furnished with beau- tiful carpets and couches along the walls, which in the halls may rise amphitheatrically behind one another, moveable seats and tables, and every thing that may afford convenience or please the fancy.
The twenty-five halls in the inside of the square, each 200 feet square and high ; the forty corridors, each 1,100 feet long and twenty feet wide ; the eighty galleries, each from 1,000 to 1,250 feet long; about 7,000 private rooms ; the whole surrounded and inter- sected by the grandest and most splendid colonnades imaginable ; floors, ceilings, columns with their vari- ous beautiful and fanciful intervals, all shining, and reflecting to infinity all objects and persons, with splendid lustre of all beautiful colours and fanciful shapes and pictures ; every where the most elegant
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couches, seat?, tables, ^c ; all galleries, outside and Avithin tlie balls, provided with many tbousand commo- dious and most elegant vehicles, in wliich persons may move up and down, like birds, in perfect security, and "without exertion; the elegant galleries with beautiful balustrades and various ornaments; the flat roof of the Avhole square, 1:250 feet square, with its twenty-five cupolas, each upwards of 100 feet in diameter, with* mazes of pleasant galleries, turrets, places for various purposes, vaulted alleys, pavilions, and many various ornaments and commodities : at night the roof, and the inside and outside of the whole square are illumi- nated by gas-light, which, in the mazes of many co- loured crystal, like colonades and vaultings and re- ilectors, is reverberated with a brilliancy that gives to the whole a lustre of precious stones as far as the eye can see — such are the future abodes of men ! —
The environs of this residence are no less beautiful. The building is to be erected on an elevated spot, ar- tificially made, if not formed by nature already, with a commanding view,npon an extensive landscape, of the most fanciful and varied beauties of nature and art, Avilh all the luxuriancy and variety of growth that such a superior culture of soil and a fine climate afford. — And why pass a dreary winter every year, while there is yet room enough on the globe where nature is iljlessed with a perpetual summer, and with a far p'cater variety and luxuriancy of vegetation ? — More than one half of the surface of the globe has no win- ter. Men will have it in their power to remove and prevent all bad influences of climate, and to enjoy perpetually only that temperature which suits their
constitution and feelings l»cs(. . 'J'licro willhc afTovdcd the nio;-t enrapturing views to be faueicd, out oT the private apartments, from the galleries, from the roof, from its turrets and cupolas — gardens as far as the eye can sec, full of-fruils and llowers arranged in the most beautihil order, with walks, colonades, aqueducts, canals, ponds, plains, amphitheatres, terraces, foun- tains, sculptural works, pavilions, gondolas, places for public amusements, &c,. &c., delight the eyes and fancy, the taste and smell.
The night affords no less delight tx) fancy and feel- ings. All infinite variety of grand, beautiful, and fanciful objects and sceneries, radiating with crys- taline brilliancy of all colours every where inside and outside of the square, by the illumination of gas- light ; the human figures themselves, arrayed in the most beautiful pomp that fancy may suggest and the eye may delight, shining, even with brilliancy of stuff and diamond, like stones of various colours, elegantly shaped and arranged around the body ; all reflected thousandfold in huge mirrors and reflectors of various forms ; theatrical scenes of a grandeur and magnifi- cence and enrapturing illusions unknown yet, in which any person may be either a spectator or actor : the speech and the songs reverberating with increased sound rendered more sonorous andharmonious than by nature, by vaultings that arc moveable into any shape at any time ; the sweetest and most impressive harmony of music, produced by song and instruments partly not known yet, may thrill through the nerves, and vary with other amusements and delights.
Such is the life reserved to true intelligence, but
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withheld from ignorance, prejudice, and stupid adhe- rence to custom.
And what is all the material for so enchanting and unheard of abodes, sceneries, ornaments, dress, com- forts, luxuries, delights? Nothing but the most com* mon, the most neglected stuff in nature, earth, sand, clay, stones, the substances of vegetables that hitherto had no value and no use but for dung. And what is the expense for producing such great things? None, except for the first machineries, of very simple con- struction, and for the first moulds of all things to be artificially made; for the machineries themselves, as well as the moulds for casting the materials for use, are to be made by the same machineries, and may then be multiplied to any number required, without any labour or expense.
Such is the domestic life to be enjoyed by every human individual that will partake of it. How different from that of even the mightiest monarch, or the richest man of our times ? — No fear of beingrobbed or cheated^ no cares of managing the household, none even for the education of children ; for this will be provided for, by a ivise people, in a general way, for generating and cultivating good feelings and instructing the mind of all what is to be known ; no anxiety for preserving or increasing property, no disgusting objects and oc- cupations vexes there the mind ; no low vices and crimes, resulting from want, or fear of want, and po- verty, surround man ; there is but one desire predomi- nant in all ; — this is, to live as happy as they can, and in order to live so, to please and to be pleased. Love and affection may there be fostered and enjoyed with-
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out any of the obstriiclions that oppose, diminish, and destroy them in the present eommon state of men. The minds and feelings will be enlivened by nobler springs, in proportion of their physical and mental improvement, which therefore may cause a character as superior to the present civilized men as this is to that of savage cannibals ; for there will be no object, and no cause, any more for low cunning and deceit, for gaining advantage over his fellow-creature in for~ tune and rank ; the dealings between man and man within the community consist no more in selling as dear as possible, and buying as cheap as possible ; there is no traffic, because every thing is as cheap as water, and as free as air ; there is a very different kind of dealings to step into the room of our present market business : this is to eirjoy life as well as possible by mutual sociality, by social arrangements, by reciprocal communictions, by public pleasures and instruction. Man sees there himself, not waited upon and sur- rounded by low, miserable, degraded beings, which he has to watch, to pity, or despise. There he sees him- self and his endeared friends, and his fellow-men in general, raised to the highest station that human life be capable of.
Is this, perhaps, to be called but a fancy ? What should hinder man from enjoying his life in such a superior state of general happiness, when a plain way is shown to him for attaining it? There is a stronger impulse in human nature for enjoying happiness, far stronger than all futile sophistry could pretend against it. Man is made for society, not for solitude, like beasts of prey. He is made for joy, not for mourning his life
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away. He is a being capable of great sufieiings and of great enjoyments. The fears of the ones and the hopes of the others actuate him. It is but miscon- ception of our destination, barbarism, ignorance, super- stition, and insanity itself, that may prefer suffering to enjoyment, or a less sum of happiness to a greater one. The greatest sum of happiness is only to be found in social and friendly life : this will and must be courted, when the causes of enmity between man and man have ceased. These causes of enmity are unavoid- able in our present state of society and general poverty. But they all will and must subside in a state of super- abundance and liberation from all disagreeable labour and occupation, and opposite interest.
There is no variety of opinions to be dreaded. Let there be as many and different opinions as you please, there will be no compulsion ; every one may live as he pleases; but there will be no diflference in the desire of living happy, and therefore peaceably. This desire will be sufficient to let each other in peace, and to wish and seek friends with whom to communicate and par- take of the ideas and enjoyments.
Will it, perhaps, be said, man will grow weary of his time by living but in enjoyments and idleness.^ It is true, man will be no more a slave to work and drudgery and insipid occupations; he will be no longer under the sad necessity to struggle through life for life; his anind will no longer be absorbed by mechanical pursuits for his livelihood, for earning money ; he will no longer, like a beast of burden, live but for to work> and work but for to live. What, is man such a poor, miserable creature by nature, that he cannot live with-
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out living like a heast of burden, like a slave? Is there no better destination of the human being to be looked for? Is he, perhaps, of so corrupted and so hideous a nature , that he must he kept in fetters of slavery like a dangerous, mad animal ? A very fine doctrine, indeed, for all tyrants to keep their fellow-men in subjection and stupidity, in order to make use of it for themselves! No wonder if such doctrines were preached with great sanctimoniousness to the multi- tude, in countries of unlimited despotism ; and no wonder if such doctrines got so deeply inveterated into the minds, by length of time and continual repetition, that they were transplanted even to happier and freer countries.
Man will grow weary of any thing, where he sees nothing but sameness and tediousness. But does it follow thence, that he will grow less weary of his time when he is made less happy ? Will he grow less weary of time, when his resources of pleasures and enjoy- ments are made less, and his drudgery, cares, and vex- ations are made more? A curious piece of logic, to affirm such monstrous absurdity ! Yet it may be used by some who pretend to large share of wisdom.
Let us cast a glance to the resources that men will immediately possess in this new , happy condition for passing and enjoying their life,
Man may spend the greatest part of his life in com- pany of the objects of his love and aflection, increasing thereby his own happiness and that of his endearments in conversing with them, and imparting to and receiv- ing from them pleasure and instruction, in passing with them through an endless variety of pleasures and
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gratifications of senses, of feelings, of fancy, of intellect. There will be a continual feast, parties of pleasures, novelties, delights, and instructive occupations. INIan may rove about in the gardens, in pleasant walks of crystal, and between flowers and vegetables of infinite variety and appearance ; he may amuse bimself in ampbitheatrical and level places, filled and bordered with every thing that art and nature can produce for the delight of man ; he may glide in elegant gondolas upon water clear as crystal, beautified and enlivened with fishes and swarms of land and aquatic birds, bor- dered with the most beautiful sceneries, reflected again in the water. Is he fond of gardening ? — He may fol- low his inclination in the most agreeable manner; he may arrange and cultivate flowers, shrubs, trees, as fancy and notion, or curiosity for experiments dictates him; there will never be an end in objects and new experiments. Is he fond of mechanical occupation ? — He may exercise his dispositions and talents to an ex- tent beyond the present conceptions : he may form models and moulds, and see the objects multiplied for use and show to any extent, without any further trouble. Is he gifted with talents for drawing, painting, sculp- tures, &c. ? — He needs but to make one model of every figure, and it may then be nmltiplied to any desired number, by moulds, etching and printing machines. Is he fond of music? — Where could he find more op- portunity than in such a life ? He may at once delight and be delighted, by performances of his own and in company with other musicians: instruments and means are at his disposal unknown yet ; and his compositions may be repeated and multiplied by mechanical plays
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ali(\ machines. The cominunities will have means to command and procure whatever is to be found in the whole world for enjoyment,amusement, and instruction. The gardens, and the vast and numerous halls, are •adapted to I'eceive the objects. Is somebody inclined to the study and amusement of botany .''—lie may see, in a botanical garden, the plants in their natural state, and read whatever is known of the qualities and uses and organism of any one, in a particular book for every one, kept in a box at the side of the plant. Has one a notion to instruct and amuse himself of natural history and curiosities ? — He may go into the museum in one of the hulls, where he may see displayed all what na- im^e exhibits to man on the whole globe; he may read there the ample description and history of every indi- vidual or object in a particular book being at the side of it. Has any body a taste for mineralogy ? — He may gratify it to his satisfaction in properly arranged and described collections of minerals. He may read and study the ancient world in petrifactions of organic be- ings that are extinguished, arranged in their natural •connexions with each other and with those of the pre- sent world. Does he seek information in the history of .nations ? — He may see it, as much as there is known of it, displayed and explained on proper maps, with streams, branches, and ramifications of different colours, representing the times, and nations and their branches, from the remotest antiquity down to our time, by a cer- tain system of signs; he may see there, at one glance, the rise, increase, conquests, dominions, influences of some, and the downfall, subversions, and subjections of others ; the character, religion, system of state, man-
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ners and customs, occupations, resources, geographical situations, productions, climate, manner of living, &c,, of every people known in ancient and modern history; there he may trace the origin of the present nations, and their various relations to each other. Will he amuse and instruct himself in the details of history ? — He may read books on every nation. Will he take information in geography? — He may go into the hall, where not only maps and books are, but also large globes and maps in reliefs, representing mountains and heights of land in their natural proportion, also the ex- tent of notable large places of any description. Galle- ries of pictures and prospects may be exhibited every where in the square. In particular halls may land- scapes and prospects of foreign countries be represented in their natural size and appearance, by large camera obscura and clara, so that he may see all the most no- table curiosities, cities, and prospects in the world, with- out travelling thither. Has he a notion for reading ? — He may go to the reading-hall, where many thou- sand selected books on all subjects of reason and fancy are stored. Has he a mind to make himself acquainted with physics, chemistry, anatomy, mathematics, astro- nomy ? — He may go into the auditories and labora- tories, and see the experiments and observations made and explained. Will he hear and partake of philoso- phical and other speculative disquisitions and dis- courses ? — Ho may gratify his desire everyday, because there will never be a want of objects, nor of curiosity^ Will he sport in the news of the day?— He may amply satisfy his curiosity by reading the news of every day from all parts of the world, and also telegraphical
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news. A tachigraphy, with peculiarly adapted charac- ters, and lithography may be united, and printing esta- blishments, by which the composing of words may be effected as quick as one speaks, and the copies multi- plied without labour.
Whatan endless variety of highly instructive, useful, and amusing objects are there presented for one's gra- tification ! — The past and present world, the history of nature, not as imagined by the superstitious and igno- rant, but such as nature shows herself to the think- ing observer ; the mysterious and instructive opera- tions of nature ; the history of man, from antiquity down to us; the documental remnants of his former sci- ences, arts, customs, ideas, manners of living, &c. ; the endless variety of organic beings, their organisms, na- ture, and use for men ; the unorganic substances in na- ture, and their various uses ; the phenomena in atmo- sphere and water ; the visible universe of millions of worlds at night, beheld through mighty telescopes and explained; the worlds of beings presented to the eyes by microscopes ; optical instructive amusements of various kinds, views of landscapes and prospects with- out end; drawing, painting, sculpture, modelling, gar- dening, music, reading, theatrical sceneries of endless kinds, for amusing and cultivating the mind and the finer feelings; discourses, lectures, conversations, news of the day ; parlies of pleasures of various kinds, social plays and amusements of mind and body.
Can it be supposed with any shadow of reason, that man, in such circumstances, ever may grow weary of his time ? There is no laborious study or occupation ; it is but by amusement, by gratifying the curiosity
natural to man and child, thai man will thus get acquainted and familiar uith all knowledg^c of thing^s, that the whole world may present to the human obser- vation ; he has but to look at the objects, and receive the instruction about them by written or oral commu- nications ; he may see and handle them himself, whenever he has a desire to do so. The objects of human knowledges, nature herself, are displayed be- fore him ; they require no labour to sec and observe them ; he may familiarize himself in the same manneir as he does now with the products of his field and work- shop, or the articles in a market. They are so vast and numberless, so instructive, so important to use, reason, fancy, and feelings of man, that they alford a never-ending variety and novelty. And knowledge begets knowledge, ideas beget new ideas; the dor- mant faculties of men will be roused, a spirit of in- quiry kindled. Every day will bring forth new know- ledges to every individual ; the desire of knowing more, of communicating to others what has struck and amused the mind, is natural ; conversation will turn upon the subjects that are the most interesting to the mind, and will generate mutually new ideas and know- ledges. What an immense store and variety of sub- jects of the highest importance will then animate the conversation ! There will be hardly any time left for trivial phrases, and discourses, and occupations. The child will learn thus more, and in a more impressive manner, than what the most learned men at present have acquired with the most laborious study ; it will learn the knowledges of things in the same nianner us it learns its mother tongue, that is, without being
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conscious of learning, without disagreeable exertion, without compulsion. It is hut the light of true know- ledges, of knowledges of real things, the free and un- fettered exercise of the mental faculties, that can gradually dispel the gloom of superstition, errors and ignorance, the bane of human life, the disgrace of any people, and the greatest curse of the whole mankind yet.
Man will then soon learn, that he knew hitherto not one thousandth part of what he might and ought to know for his own benefit, and that he knew hitherto not one millionth part of what he was persuaded to know. Nature is veiled in myvSteries to our immediate perceptions. Our own life, the whole nature around us, continually active and pov;erful, are mysteries to us. A great deal is unveiled by assiduous observations and experiments of studious men in the latter times. An infinite greater deal is yet to be unveiled and applied to our great benefit, to the melioration of human life. It is hardly one century ago, that men would have been roasted alive, without pity, as sorcerers, not merely by the rabble, but by the sentence of the judges and laws of the then most civilized countries, ours not excepted, had they shown physical experiments that are known since. These, our forefathers, committed such horrid barbarities with all the gravity and honesty that any of us may be capable of, and would have looked upon any man as a horrid monster of infidelity, who had dared to deny the possibility of such a crime. Such are the necessary consequences of ignorance, prejudice, and stupid adherence to custom. Is, per- haps, our present generation free of irrationality and
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error? — Have \vc, pcrliap?, readied now the summit of liiiman wisdom, and need no more to look out for any menial or physical improvement? — This is ex- actly the way of thinkinu^ that ever barred the road to intelligence. Let us see whether we have some reason to suppose that we are just arrived at the period where every thing is so good and perfect, that there is no occasion to trouble ourselves any more about making improvements, that we have a right to treat all those as fools who attempt any thing towards the improve- ment of the human condition, and that we disgrace ourselves in paying any attention to new ideas. — A iine apology for mental sloth and stupidity !
Not one ten thousandth part of men in the most ci- vilized countries are actually engaged in any study or investigation of nature. — Still, is there any other source of true and useful knowledges!* — Only a few profes- sional men of learning occupy themselves with teaching natural philosophy, chemistry, and the other branches of the sciences of nature, to a very limited extent, for very limited purposes, with very limited means. The rest of men have to pass their lives in drudgery and trivial occupations, and in ignorance, in many erro- neous notions of nature, for want of means, time, and chance for information.
What would be the increase of knowledges, if a large community, with unlimited means, might follow the natural impulse of curiosity in investigating na- ture ? — Is it not most probable, that they would dis- cover in one year more than hitherto in centuries? — Man is a product of nature. His life is depending from the air he breathes, from the nourishments he
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tales, from various causes that surround him, visibly and invisibly. His life is liable to many evils, and to a very uncertain duration. He may remove or avoid the causes of many, if not of all evils ; he may in- vigorate and prolong his life. The more he learns to know the causes of evils, and the means of health and happiness, the more it will be in his power to increase his happiness, to preserve his health, and to prolong his life. AVho knows to what happy results a general spirit of investigation, with unboimded means, may lead ? — The ancients, among whom sciences flourished the most, knew probably more of nature already, thau we know now of it. In this new state of men, every thing that may be, found contributive to health and happiness, may be applied immediately after its being known. The more man understands to read in the infinite book of nature, the only fountain of true knowledges, the more eagerly he will read in it, and the more he will learn of it.
Can it be apprehended yet, that man, in this new, infinitely happier state of life, will grow weary of his time for want of occupation?
What immense difterence between such a life, and that which has hitherto been the lot of man ? — A life of information, of ten thousand times a larger sphere of activity, and of continual enjoyments, and satisfac- tions in endless variety, and of but friendly social inter- ..course ;— and a life of drudger}^, of trivial occupations, of tediousness, vexation, anxiety, want, and fear of want, and of general poverty in resources for pleasures and enjoyments, of general ignorance in the most im- portant knowledges of things, of opposite interests in
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society, of enmities, mutual distviist, mutual injus- tices, and crimes and barbarities !
But some are taugbt to say, a life of enjoyments, pleasures, and luxury, a life of happiness and wealth, will enervate and corrupt men. — Poor men ! They can- not think, perhaps, of enjoyments and luxury, with- out recollecting what they know or heard of the poor enjoyments and miseries of grog-shops, gambling- houses and bordels, where men, tired of their tedious life, and impatient of their misfortune, seek to drown their minds in oblivion for a short time, by making themselves crazy and miserable. Or they will allege examples of nations in ancient history, which kept themselves in a state of independence while they were poor and had to live in ignorance, by hard labour and robbery, like the ancient Romans and other nations, but lost their independence in the course of political events, or by corruption, caused by relative want and avidity of influential individuals after more wealth, information, and seductive means, were introduced. — Poor logic, that does not look at the real causes and consequences! — As well might we prefer the state of our savage Indians to our own. We are rising into a most powerful people, while we do not despise the comforts of life, when these unfortunate savages, by- all their hard life, dwindle away to nothing.
I have drawn but the sketch of domestic life within our immediate reach. But man is not to be confined to domestic life; he may roam over the whole world, not in hardships, perils, and deprivations, but, with his family and friends, in all security, refinements of social life, comforts and luxury, as well as he may
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enjoy at home. Large, commodious vehicles for car- rying many thousand tons, running over peculiarly adapted level roads, at the rate of forty miles per hour, or 1000 miles per day, may transport men and things, small houses, and whatever may serve for his comfort and ease, by land. Floating islands, constructed of logs, or of wooden stuffs, prepared in a similar manner as it is to he done with stone, and of live trees, which may he reared so as to interweave each other and strengthen the whole, may he covered with gardens and palaces, propelled hy powerful engines, and run at equal rate through seas and oceans. Thus, man may move with the celerity of birds' flight, in terres- trial paradises, from one climate to another, and see the world in all its variety, exchanging with distant peoples the surplus of productions. The journey from one pole to another may then be performed in a fort- night ; the visit to a transmarine country in one week or two ; a journey around the world in one or two months, by land and water. What new objects of in- quiry will then be afforded, and in what rapid succes- sion will the knowledges of men increase ?-^But not only the surface of the globe may be soon explored, but also (he interior of the earth. Man will have the means to search the bowels of the earth, and make the best use of it for his life. New sciences, new concep- tions of the earth, of nature in general, and of all her productions, will arise. Man may search into the earth, without labour or danger, many miles deep, and discover new things not known, and never ima- gine yet.
3y searching through the whole Nature after her
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hidden operations, under ground, over tlie whole sur- face of the globe, in her general and individual or- ganizations, by magnifying glasses, by experiments and observations of physics, chemistry, and of all objects of curiosity, on extensive plans, with un- bounded means, and thousands and myriads of ob- servers, men will discover gradually keys for disclosing one secret of nature after another, and apply the dis- coveries to his benefit. Who may say where such endeavours may end, which all, through mighty ex- citements and instruction, must be highly pleasant.
What objects for enterprising men will here be pre- sented ? — There are boundless fields for human acti- vity of superior order ; there are excitements and objects of the utmost importance for exercising the faculties of reason and fancy ; there the human being may and will rise higher and higher above brutes, and make himself more and more lord of nature.
How trifling, how insignificant, how tedious must all our present occupations and pursuits appear, when we compare them to this new sphere of actions ! —
There is no fear of wars, robbery and murder, any more. The powers and means of such a magnitude are here contemplated but for creating a paradisaical life; but they might also be used as the most terrible and irresistible weapons of protection. Wisdom and humanity will, however, never glory in the needless destruction and misery of fellow-men. Men of such exalted station of culture and happiness, as the new means afford, may to foreign people of a lower station of intelligence, tender with one hand large and sub- stantial benefits, and improve gradually their mental
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stale, until they become worthy associates ; while, with the other hand, they may keep them in awe by the exhibilion of destructive power; and thus effect, like gods, respect, awe, and gratitude, among all peoples with whom they have intercourse.
They may safely extend the benefits of these new means for human happiness upon all men on earih, without fearing any derogation or danger to them- selves; for the world is yet large enough to afford su- perabundance of all necessaries and comforts of human life, for many ages to come, for the whole human kind, even by the most rapid increase of population. The seas and ocean, and all sterile spots on the globe, may be rendered fruitful. The surface of the globe is about 200 millions of square miles, of which the half has no winter, that is, the belt of the globe, between about thirty degrees of north and south latitude, and may yield every where several crops in a year. So there are about 100 millions of square miles of the most delightful climate, and may produce the greatest luxuriancy and variety of vegetables. It is known that there, in some parts, one or two square rods may produce sufficient food for one man. But suppose, in the possible highest slate of culture, it should require ten square rods for every human individual, an esti- mation by no means out of reason, when we consider our new means for superior culture, and the richest soil artificially made, that never is deficient of plenty of water, the unparalleled great quantity of food that may be raised thereby, and that more than one of the most luxuriant crops is afforded every year, and the comparatively small wants of a man for his food, if
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properly managed : at this rate, one acl-e would nourish sixteen liuman individuals, and one square mile about 10,000. The most splendid and spacious habitations would hardly occupy one-sixteenth part of the area. Thus 100 millions of square miles might nourish 1 ,000,000,000,000 of human individuals, that is, about 1000 times as many as there are actually living on earth ; and all might enjoy all the happiness that human nature be capable of, and this world may afford for man. I am but speaking of the means known to me ; but who might assert that they may not be still farther extended ? — Chemistry, and other knowledges of nature, may teach other ways for mul- tiplying and accelerating the productions of nature for the nourishment of man.
Therefore, there is no cause for envy, fear, and en- mity, between man and man, or between nation and nation, except ignorance and error.
All men may plentifully partake of the benefits no/- ture affords to human enjoyment, by a wise applica- tion of her powers and means. It would be as ridi- culous then, to dispute and quarrel about the means for our life, than it would be now about water for to drink along mighty rivers, or about the permission of breathing air in the atmosphere, or about sticks in our extensive woods. Whatever we may buy now by- money, has its value derived from labour bestowed \ipon it, or from its scarcity. Where there is no la- bour required, an<l no want to be feared, there is no occasion for buying or disputing possession, just as it is with water, or air, or other articles of no value, though necessary to life^
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Tins happy period is to he loolvcd foi- at iio grestt distance ; it may he eftected \\ithin ten years. How- ever, the first ohject we have in immediate view is to gain wealth, or its representative, money, in order to procure wliat we want for our purposes.
We are used to estimate every thing by the price of money it may cost or bring ; every gain or loss is mea- sured by the difference between the price of purchase and sale. It is therefore natural that it will be ques- tioned, what pecuniary profit is to be obtained by these means ? — ^Though the answer to this question is but of inferior merit, as it tends not immediately to the improvement of the human condition, but merely to transient, limited advantages of individuals, — yet it will probably serve to elucidate, to the most common conceptions, the benefits of these means in the most striking manner.
There is no exact estimation of the pecuniary profit to be made, because this depends from localities, cir- cumstances, price of labour and materials, from con- junctures of commerce, from ihe extent of application, and various other particulars. But a general estimation at the highest or lowest calculation, according to general experience of prices of the concerning articles, may be formed. I shall make here the lowest estimation of gain, without however being positive, leaving it to others to correct or complete the calculation, after they are acquainted with the particulars of the enterprise.
The beginning of the execution of the proposals is to be made under all the most favourable circumstances that can be selected, as well with respect to locality as to other pecuniary matters. It will also no special
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proof requircj that by too small a principal, and by too narrow a limit in the oxecution of such a plan,, the gain would be of little consideration.
There are many enterprises of roads, canals, manu- factories, &c., executed in our country, at expenses of millions of dollars, which were brought up by volun- tary associations, with shares of fifty dollars, and le^s, so that even the poor could participate in the. enterprise without endanp;ering his small fortune. It may, there- fore, be considered as a moderate sum, brought toge- ther in a similar way, when rated at 200,000 to 300,000 dollars for the beginning, which may be sufficient to create the first establishment for a whole community of 3,000 or 4,000 individuals in the described manner. Suppose one year for the preparations. Suppose in ilie second year one man effects by the machinery as much as 1,000 men would do with working in the usual manner, — a very low estimation, considering what has been stated of the power and means. Suppose the work of a man for the whole year, to be worth 200 dollars, in an average. Tben one man, with this machinery, would gain the value of 1,000 times 200, or 200,000 dollars in the second year. But besides this gain, the machinery may be npjdied to convert all the raw materials requisite to establishments and ma- chineries of the new kind, into the finished pieces for use, so that they require but transporting and putting them together into machineries, &rc.
The machineries arc sim])lc, and are thus to propa- gate or multiply themselves without labour: — nine machineries would be a comparatively small object for being made by one established machinery in one
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year.. Thus there may be in the third year ten lua- chiilerics or establishments, in the fourth 100, and in the fifth, 1,000 machineries or establishments. The revenues would then he, in the tliird year, ten times 200,000, or 2,000,000 dollars; in the lourth, ten times as much again, or twenty millions of dollars, and so in the "fifth, 200 millions of dollars. Allo^inp^ the re- venues of the first four years for purchasing the required raw materials for the new establishments, there would still remain a gain of about 200 millions of dollars ; that is, each dollar for the beginning would have been increased to 1,000 dollars in five years. The productions of these establishments would all find every wher6 a sure market, because they would be but articles of necessaries, and real comforts of life, pro- duce of the ground or materials for use, surpassing what has been in use hitherto ; they would command the price, and their transport would require but a small portion of their value, by applying more perfect means than usual.
A share of twenty or fifty dollars for the beginning, would thus increase to 20,000 or 50,000 dollars.
But how would it be thereafter, in another period of five years, beginning with a principal of 200 millions of dollars ? — The extent of establishments would, at the supposed rate, increase to the number of millions, and might consequently comprehend the whole world and the whole human race, in the greatest perfection of the idea exhibited. The whole world might there- fore he really changed into a paradise of the descrihed kind, surpassing all conceptions hitherto, within the first ten years, beginning with but 200,000 or 300,000
100
dollars. If it be not, nothing but ignorance, prejudice, and dull adherence to custom are the causes of its being retarded any longer ; for it is not poverty, not insufficiency of means, as some lazy, prejudiced minds might plead for their excuse — not one thousandth part of the means within our possession is wanted ; it is not want of chance for information on the subject, which is offered here nearly gratis ; it is not want of clearness in the proposal, for every explanation that may be ■wished for, is promised to be given satisfactorily, as soon as an earnest desire and disposition for making the experiment is shown, hy organizing an association of a sufficient number of persons , with sufficient means, for transacting business in an orderly way, in examining the subject, and forming eventually the resolutions. Or do the facts exhibited, perhaps, not deserve any such attention ? — Examine them as close as you please, and see then whether they are not the most joyful and the most substantial truths that ever could be shown to men ?
There is no claim made upon you, so you have no imposition to fear; you are made acquainted with the principal ideas of the proposals, and it is offered to you all the specifications required to a perfect conviction. All is done, and shall be done, in an honest, sincere way ; there is no artifice, no enticement for vain and hazardous speculations. If I be in error, it will be an easy matter to discover and expose it. I defy any who thinks himself capable for it to do so; to that purpose I offer the opportunity for fair and open discussion upon the subject. But it is a mathematical matter, and none of vague opinion, or mere wordy dispute,
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as some might perliaps fancy. Any assertion witliout mathematical argument, will, and must be disregarded by me. For talking at random about mathematical subjects, and replying to it, is mere trifling, and to no purpose; and trifling on a subject of so serious and high an import as exhibited, is no mark of an intelligent mind desirous after truth.
It will now be plainly seen that the execution of the proposals is not proper for individuals. Whether it be qualified for the government at this time, before the subject is become popular, is a question to be decided yet by the government itself ; it would certainly be a great fortune and glory for the nation, if no pre- judice would prevent the majority of the government from bestowing attention upon the subject, and pro- moting to application for the public benefit whatever be found useful of it, by careful examination of some committee. But whether this be the case or not, it will not interfere with the interest of a society formed for the purpose of investigating, and eventually executing, the proposals; this might be supported by the government, and aid the government on their side in its acts.
The means for making the first experiment on a suf- ficient large scale, will be a trifle for a larse society: the principal required for the first establishment may be laid out in shares, not greater than the price of a lottery ticket, which may be subscribed previous to the resolutions of the society ; for the funds must be ascer- tained, before any resolution can be formed ujjon the execution of any plan. The subscriptions, however, need not be obligatory to the subscribers, but may be
K 2
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made on the express condition to withdraw the ohli- gation, in case general conviction of the practicahTlity and utility of the proposals he not established, and at least the majority of the subscribers do not concur in the assent to the execution of the proposals. Orderly free deliberations, and mutual communications, must determine the resolution, as it is the case in ^all well- regulated associations. For this purpose the following Constitution is proposed.
INTRODUCTION.
Improvement of our condition is, and. ought to he, our continual aim as long as we live. It behoves not to rational men to abandon their improvement to chance, or to the feeble inefficient efforts of individuals, but to seek and employ the means for it, in the best way that is in their power. Man, as an individual, is weak, and whatever his means or abilities be, they are always very limited, in comparison to those of many men joined into one body. His contrivances and pursuits can be but for his separate private interest, and must therefore be very limited and transient, like himself. He sees every where his interest opposed by all with whom he has to deal, and must therefore oppose his endeavours to all of those who deal with him. Therefore, nothing great for the improvement of his own condition, nor that of his fellow-men can ever be effected by individual enterprises. Man is powerful but in union with many.
The government of the state cannot interfere with the domestic concerns ; it can only regulate the means
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for keeping the citizens peaceably together, and for pro'tecting every one in his rights; it may favour and patronize improvements of any kind, but it cannot en- force them. Men must concur freely in any measure or enterprise for their own benefit, or else there is counteraction and dissatisfaction.
An upion of men who make it their purpose to deli- berate together upon all means for improvement of their condition, that may come to their notice, is yet a great desideratum. They may receive every propo- sal to this effect, from within and out of their union, examine the mertt of it, and deliberate upon. Majority of votes in some cases of minor importance, unanimity in cases of contribution, may decide the resolutions for the whole union, while parts of them^ when the whole union cannot agree, may form separate bodies for their own purposes, without separating from the whole union in all their other concerns. Individual prejudices against new things would thus, by a liberal spirit of deliberation, be weakened and removed, the minds en- larged, mutual confidence, good dispositions, and union promoted, and great things for improving mentally, and physically, the human condition, effected, which could never come to existence by mere individual endeavolirs. Inventions and discoveries of every description may find due rewards, in allowing a reasonable share of their advantages, while they are practised by the union, as encouragements to inventors for communicating them, which else might never be sought after, or never be communicated, and lost. The patents of the govern- ment, for inventions and discoveries, arc but for petty, private purposes, but not for improving the human
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condition at large; tlie)' can have, at best, but an in- direct and remote influence, by chance, upon improve- • ment in general.
The knowledge that is scattered among individuals, and employed only in the limited extent which petty private views will 'admit of, may be thus con- centrated and made known to all the members of the union ; a spirit for improvement will then be kindled, and, by contributing but small sums for enterprises to the benefit of the whole union, great things may be effected, without great sacrifices of property, — things of the greatest benefit, that by separate private enterprise could never be attempted. " * . '
The benefits of all new things tending to the im- provement of the human condition, will^hus be open to all, both to the rich and poor, whoever will pai^ci- pate of them, for a trifle if one chose, while larger contributions entitle to proportionate larger shares in the resulting benefits. The saving of human labour, the increase of productions, is then no longer a curse to the many, but a blessing, as it ought to be, to every one, rich and poor, in the union.
With these views and tendency towards improve- ment of the human condition, in physical, moral, and intellectual respects, we unite ourselves by this present, constitution, as follows:
1. The title of our union shall be,
" Association for the improvement of the human con- dition J^
2. Every person is admissible to our association
which pays at least one share of dollars into our
treasury.
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3. At the end of years, any membev may sepa- rate, and take his share of the common property out, . either in cash or productions of tlie estahlishmeuts of
the association, as the majority think proper. ' 4. At the end of every jear, concluding with the
-; — of , each memher is' entitled to receive his
* share of the net profi-t of the establishment which he ■ or she shares in. .
5. The majority of the society decide in all cases, , without, however, nullifying any existing obligati6n, in which cases unanimity is required. ' 6. Two-thirds of the members are at least required . 'ta form a^quorum in any assembly duly published be- fore to' all members, and are empowered to act for the ' sofc>ej,y. '.
7vln every asserably, the day and place of the next is to be appointed.
. 8. The society is to have one president, vice- presidents, one secretary, vice-secretaries, and
one treasurer.
9. The president is the organ through which all communications to and from the society are to be made ; in the meetings he has to watch over a proper decorum, and he may convoke extraordinary meetings when required,
10. The vice-president has to act in the place of the president, in case of absence or inability of the president.
11. The secretary controls and records all trans- actions of the president.
J2. The vice-secretary performs the ofiice of the
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secretary, in case of the secretary's aljsence or in- ability.
13. The treasurer receives and pays the money on order of the president and secretary conjointly ; he is subject to the special revision of the president and secretary fonjoinlly, \Ahenever they judge proper : he has to keep book in the prescribed method, and to give account to the society, whenever called for; and he is responsible for the treasury, for which he has to give security.
14. The association is limited to no particular coun- try or place, or number of members, and may extend to any part of the world, by co-ordinate branches, ccm- stituied in the same manner; which branches may be denominated by successive numbers; and every branch may again be divided into parts, each con- siliuted in the same manner as the whole. All branches are connected by deputies, in a central con- gress of the whole association, and the parts of a branch likewise by deputies in general meetings of the branch.
15. All branches, and parts of branches, communi- cate reciprocally all their informations received, or experiments made, when of general interest.
16. Any branch, and part of branch, may form separate establishments independent of more general enterprises.
1/. Any invention, improvement, or discovery enti- tles the inventor or discoverer, or his assignees or heirs, for the first ten years of their application, to one tenth of the advantages resulting therefrom to the
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association, or to any individual or individuals of the same, making separate or joint use with others of the invention, improvement, or discovery ; and thereafter, fur ever, to one-twentieth of the benefits resulting tlierefrom, to the same extent and meaning as ex- pressed, or to one-twentieth of the property invested in the application of the same invention, improvement, or discovery.
18. If any improvement be made on such invention or improvement, by some other person, it diminishes not the original share of the first inventor, as before stipulated ; but the inventor of the new improvement is entitled to one-tenth in the ten first years of its a-pplication, and to one-twentieth ever thereafter, only of those advantages that his improvement affords to the society, or any part, or individual or individuals, over and above the advantages of the original inven- tion, and so forth with every other, second, third, <Scc., improvement on what was known before.
1.9. Every member, as well as every branch or part ofbranch of the association, obligate themselves to the same conditions of the two foregoing articles, if they make use in any way of such invention, improvement, or discovery.
20. Tiie association, or any branch of it, or any part of branch of it, cannot dissolve, or dispose of any esta- blishment, before they have satisfied, as stipulated, the inventor or discoverer for his share in it.
21. Every member of the society, and every branch, or part oi branch, is to receive a copy of the Constitu- tion.
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Tlur^ you may spread a net over the whole world, not for ensnaring, oppressing;, and enslaving men, as has heen done hitherto, but for exercising the most beneficial influence, for preventing all hurtful and dangerous consequences, and violent revolutions that might follow from an introduction of these means without precaution ; for, by a system of association that opens the way to all the henefits to he derived from the new means for the poor and the rich, no Tiolence or opposition can ensue ; hut all men will simultaneously enjoy the benefits, wherever they are introduced, while the first undertakers reap all the fruits of their enterprises that can possibly be reaped, in perfect security. You have to offer to the human iind at large the most substantial gifts, the direct road to the greatest happiness that man is capable to enjoy in this world ; not vain, empty, delusive systems or doctrines, but all the physical enjoyments imaginable. Man must first be satisfied with his physical wants, and be liberated from the slavery of work, before his mind can be accessible to superior culture. After you have done with the physical wants, then you may gradually shed the mild beams of better information into the mind, and render it more and more adapted to enjoy a superior life of a refined society.
Who has to make a beginning with this great work ? You yourself, reader, whatever your station in so- ciety, your fortune, your education, be. You have no reason to stay behind any of your fellow-men, and wait for what he is going to do, as soon as you are convinced of the truth of what has been demonstrated ; for, if every one would wait for his neighbour, with acting his part, there would never be any acting, and man
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would be a ver^ ridiculous animal. Did you ever ask, who is to speak aiul to vote first or last in your public affairs? If a mountain of gold were shown to you, accessible to every one, would you ask who is to stir first, and wait for any of your neighbours ? Is what is here presented to you, perhaps, of less value ? — Exa- mine, reflect again. What is then to be done for your part, to promote this great cause ? — The same thing you do in public concerns ; express indepen- dently your conviction wherever you may have some influence. The constituting of a society, no matter how small, in your neighbourhood, is to be the first object; and on notice of it to me, under the direction given at the end of this book, further communication will be made. Thus you may give independently the first impulse to this great work, whatever your circum- stances be. Do not wail just for men of better learn- ing, or higher standing, or greater fortune ; for this is a matter of reason, and sound active reason is not the exclusive endowment of learning, fortune, or rank; none of these circumstances exempt from pre- judice and mental weakness ; experiences prove this amply every day. The way for putting ihe matter to the test is pointed out; it is plain, and without ex- penses: the execution of the proposals itself requires no fortune; small shares of twenty dollars will be sufll- cient; and even these may be accepted partly in work, after a small part is paid to the treasury of the so- ciety.
There is then no sacrifice, no risk, but incalculable fortune and glory attending to this cause. All what is to be done, is, to slop forth, after mature reflection,
L
no
to confess loudly one's conviction, and to constitute so- cieties, which are to increase hy offering reception to whomsoever will join, till the suhscribed shares afford sufficient means for making' the first experiment.
The names of the first supporters of this great and most glorious cause of human kind can never sink into oblivion, as long as there will be any record of the past, and any feelings of gratitude in the human bosom, and as long as the name of enlightemng will have a meaning; they will resound Avith grati- tude and respect in all languages of their cotempo- raries and after -ages ; they will be celebrated in feasts of public joy and grateful feelings, from one extremity of tlje world to the other, like you do now with those of your first brave assertors of yournational independence and the rights of man. Those bold and humane proclaimers of independence and liberty had put their lives, their fortunes, and their honour at slake. You have nothing to risk, nothing to en- counter, except perhaps the feeble efforts of vulgar prejudices and thoughtless frivolity, which are apt to throw the ridicule on whatever is above their little notions. Fouls will glory in ridiculing what they do not understand, because it gives them the appearance of wits in the eyes of weak minds ; but men of good sense will inform themselves before they judge of the n;atter. Is any of you perhaps afraid of the little endeavours of such fools ? — They might be easily silenced ; but you may as well let them have the little fun, and disgrace themselves as much as they please : men of good sense ought not ta be impeded by puerilities of others, in their proceedings for such a
Ill
serious and most important cause that ever could actuate rational men.
Is there, perhaps, any thing* unreasonable or imprac- ticable in the proposed manner of execution ? — There are extensive societies in our country for pecuniary and philanthropical purposes of various kinds. There are missionary societies for all quarters of the globe, with great expenses, and no pecuniary gain to the con- tributors. There are lyceum and other associations throughout the whole nation for the general improve- ment of man. There are many societies for humane purposes. There are societies for constructing canals and roads, with millions of dollars of expenses, with but uncertain prospect to immediate gain. There are social enterprises with large funds for hazardous com- mercial purposes on land and sea. There have been voluntary contributions of large amounts for the be- nefit of foreign peoples.
Arc the objects presented here less worthy of notice than any of those for which the people have spent vo- luntarily large sums.^ — Do the objects presented here not include every object of philanthropy and specula- tion of any kind, and infinitely more than ever has been thought of? — Or does the attainment of the grand objects in view require more means than there have been spent and are spending for purposes very inferior in every respect to the present?
The numerous expensive enterprises for improve- ments by associations, bespeak too manifestly the Ame- rican character and spirit for social great enterprises, as to require here my demonstration on the utility and practicability of social enterprises.
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Associations give decided advantages in all cases over individual enterprises ; and it is only hy associa- tions lliat our nation achieves great enterprises, and may gain the superiority over all other nations in every respect.
There is nothing in iny proposals that the Americans do not practise already, nothing new, but the objects themselves to be attained. Thus the manner, as well as the matter, as far as exhibited, leave no reasonable objection ; and if the execution of the proposals should be retarded nevertheless, it would be but owing to dull prejudice that prevents attention and reflection, — a dis- grace to the American people, which, for its conse- quences, could never be enough lamented.
Should, indeed, among twelve or thirteen millions of men that form our nation, not be found enough men capable of raising their minds above their every day's concerns! If this should be the case, then it is not true that the American nation is to be the first and most enlightened on earth ; for these means would then inevitably pass into the hands of some other people, \vhich might easily nsc them for making a prey or subject province of this country. When then hereafter the present exultation of the Americans in their na- tional progress, should be compared with their neglect of means, offered with all the evidence that can rea- sonably be desired, for raising them at once to the highest station of national power and influence over the whole world, and of general human happiness, — liow should the intelligent world then judge of our nation ? — Why, not better than we do now of the cotemporaries of Columbus, Galileo, and other dis-
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coverers of great truths contradictory to tlie vulgar erroneous notions of their times, when we read their history of the conllicts between the active reason of single individuals, and the slothful, brutal adherence to customary notions of the multitude — we deem our- selves happy to live in a better enlightened age, and among a more intelligent people. I have shown now, —
1. That there are powers at our disposal, million times greater than all men on earth could effect by their united exertions of nerves.
I have derived the proofs of them from the most common experiences.
2. How these powers may be converted into perpe' tual motions with uniform powers.
3. What system of establishments and machineries is to be applied for doing all works by machinery, without hibour; that there are but three or four simple contrivances required.
4. How by association, and shares of but twenty or fifty doHars, the first establishment is to be created; how, by means of this, the future establishments are to be created, without expenses and labour; and how, in five or ten years, even an universal paradise superior to all what is known may be created.
I have thus fulfilled my first promises. I ofi'er to give any further explanations on these subjects that may be required, as soon as an association is organized. I shall communicate all the required details of the mechanism of the machinery to be applied, when the association is large enough, and has at least 200,000
l2
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dollars subscribed for the first establishment, and agreed to the conditions in the proposed constitution expressed. This is necessary to insure success, and not to deprive myself of the means for being active in this cause. It is, however, uiklerstood, that the society keep all their funds to be applied in their own hands, and that I engage myself only to communicate all what is requisite for the execution of the plans. This communication shall be made in full, without any reserve, gratis, if I do not convince perfectly the society of the practicability of the proposals ; and I reserve only in the case of executing the proposals the share in the profit as stipulated in the proposed con- stitution.
Thus, every member will be at liberty to withdraw his obligation, after all communications are made of me.
I have thus done, and am willing to do, all what reasonably can be desired of me.
It is now put into the power of the intelligent reader to judge, whether my proposals are founded in reason, in evident truths, as I assert, or not. If they are, they must be the strongest inducement for further inquiry; they must anniLilate all the preconceptions against them, and convince the mind, that the attain- ment of the immense objects in view are by no means impossible; and that the application of the exhibited immense powers requires but adapted contrivances, of which the system is also stated. This is what I in- tended by this address ; and I have now to wait for the effect it \ull produce, before I can do any thing more in this cause. I consider this address as a touch-
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stone, to try whether our nation is in any way acces- sible to these great truths, for raising tlie human creature to a superior state of existence, in accordance with the knowledges and the spirit of the most culti- vated minds of the present time — or whether 1 have to look out for a more congenial spirit somewhere else. For it cannot reasonably be expected, that I should doom such glorious discoveries to the grave, merely out of regard to dulness and unjustifiable prejudice of any people in the world.
Americans ! you are offered things which you could not buy by mountains of gold, and if they were as large as your rocky mountains. You are offered to live henceforth in magnificent, beautiful, and brilliant palaces, which the mightiest monarchs on earth were too poor to have ; in blissful paradises, where all is splendour, beauty, and delight ; where luxuriancy of growth affords superabundance of all what is delicious to man ; where you may array yourselves in all what is beautiful and brilliant ; where you may lead a life of continual feast, free of labour, of want and fear of want, in endless variety of enjoyments and pleasures, in rapidly increasing knowledges for removing and lessening more and more the evils of nature incident to human life, and enjoying invigorated vitality. You are offered the dominion over the world, not by iron sway of tyrants, but by benign influence on the happi- ness of humankind, by attaching men to you by the most substantial blessings on earth. You are ofll'ered
U6
the means to change the whole face of nature, on land and sea, into whatever man wishes to see, by magic- like power. You have afforded hitherto an asylum to the oppressed and persecuted of foreign nations — a far greater glory is reserved to you. You may hence- forth cause a regeneration of mankind to a far supe- rior kind of beings, with superior enjoyments, know- ledges, and powers.
You have here the fundament of this discovery : some people may ridicule it, but they cannot disprove it; it is mathematically demonstrated before you. The remaining details shall be communicated to you, when you show an earnest desire for knowing them.
Look at the powers and means that are stated be- fore you with mathematical evidence. Can you discover any material error in the statement? If not, can any of you behold them with dull insensibility, or perhaps with childish derision ! — Can any of you refuse his most eager inquiry into the offered means ? Can any of you behold these joyful and awful means without trembling, for fear some foreign people may come to the knowledge and possession of them before you, and abuse them for enslaving you and tarnishing your national glory for ever ?
You are offered to associate into bodies, for close investigation and mature deliberation, to ascertain the merit of the proposals, without expenses : you may then induce your government to patronise or lead the applications of the means, if you think proper.
Ye, who form the councils of the nation, and who are the leaders of the people — here is an extensive un-
1!7
trodden field for the exercise of your wisdom, talents, patriotism, and beneficial influence on mankind at large — the time is come when you are put to the alternative, to show to the world, whether you are guided by wisdom or prejudice. It is not a mere transient, humble individual that speaks to you ; it is omnipotent truth proved and recorded, which will bear incorruptible witness to the world either for or against you.
THE
PARADISE
WITHIN THE REACH OF ALL MEN,
WITHOUT LABOUR,
BY POWERS OF NATURE AND MACHINERY,
AN ADDRESS
TO ALL INTELLIGENT MEN.
IN TWO PARTS.
BIT jr. A. £TZIi£Ifi.
SECOND PART.
Toil and poverty will be no more among men Nature affords infinite powers and wealth ; Let us but observe and reason.
The wise examines before he jud ges; The fool judges before he examines.
. LONDON;
JOHN BROOKS, 421, OXFORD STREET MDCCCXXXVI.
The first part explains the general ideas on the sub- ject of the paradise to he created for all men. This second part is to point out the gradual proceedings for the introduction of those means into our country.
1 shall here begin with the most simple and the least expensive experiment, and then pursue, step by step, the most natural course to be taken in this country, until all the ultimate objects of the paradise be attained.
No country in the world is evidently better situated and constituted for the application of the means in contemplation, without the least detrimental conse- quences to any person, than the United States. Free from the blast of arbitrary despotism, with an unculti- vated territory, sufficient for the reception of more than one hundred millions of men, which might revel here in superabundance of all necessaries, comforts, and luxuries of life, the United States might easily accelerate their march towards their supreme power and influence over the whole world, by inducing emi- grants from Europe to settle in our extensive wilder- nesses in the west, with the application of the proposed means. It would require from Congress nothing more than to grant tracts of land for settlements, on reason- able terms, with a credit for a few years. The pay for
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such land might be discharged by extensive improve- ments for the benefit of the nation, such as rail-roads, canals, draining of swamps, dams along rivers against noxious inundations, establishments for new settlers and travellers, vehicles for transporting men, and things of any bulk and weight, over land and water, to the immense benefit of the community at large, which the new means aff'ord.
The first society for the application of some or all the proposed means, after having made some small establishment for the practice and exhibition of them, may obtain from the government patents for their new inventions, and for tracts of land to be settled and cul- tivated by their new means.
The immense forests of the nation afford not the