departure from his process. Iron bottoms have been substituted for sand and by building the furnace somewhat larger, a second charge of cast-iron is introduced and partially heated during the finishing operations in the first, as conducted at the present day. All that has been done in the last seventy-three years has been in the way of adding to and perfecting Cort's furnaces, as experience has from time to time suggested." Cort's method of passing the piled wedged-shaped bars of iron through grooved rollers has been spoken of by another competent authority as of "high philosophical interest, being scarcely less than the discovery of a new mechanical power in reversing the action of the wedge, by the application of force to four surfaces so as to elongate the mass instead of applying force to a mass to divide the four surfaces." The principal iron masters soon heard of the success of Cort's new inventions, and visited his foundry for the purpose of examining his process, and of employing it at their own works if satisfied with the result. Among the first to try it were Richard Crawshaw of Cyfartha, Samuel Homfray of Penydarran (both in South Wales), and William Reynolds of Coalbrookdale. The two first-named at once entered into a contract to work under Cort's patents at 10_s._ a ton royalty; and the quality of the iron manufactured by the new process was found to be so superior to other kinds, that the Admiralty directed it, in 1787, to be used for the anchors and other iron-work in the ships of the Royal Navy. The merits of the invention were now generally conceded, and numerous contracts for licenses were entered into with Cort and his partner, by the manufacturers of bar-iron throughout the country, and licenses were taken at royalties estimated to yield 27,500_l._ to the owners of the patent. Cort himself made arrangements for carrying on the manufacture on a large scale, and with that object entered upon the possession of a wharf at Gosport belonging to Adam Jellicoe, his partner's father, where he succeeded in obtaining considerable government orders for iron made under his patents. This period, apparently the crowning point of Cort's fortunes, was but the commencement of his ruin. In August, 1789, Adam Jellicoe died, and defalcations were found in his public accounts to the extent of 39,676_l._ His papers and books were at once seized by Government, and on examination it was found that a sum of 54,853_l._ was owing to Jellicoe by the Cort partnership for moneys advanced by him at different times to enable Cort to pursue his experiments, which were necessarily of a very expensive character. Among the sums advanced by Jellicoe to Cort was found one of 27,500_l._ entrusted to Jellicoe for the payment of seamen and officers' wages. As Jellicoe had the reputation of being a rich man, Cort had not the slightest suspicion of the source from which the advances made to the firm were derived,