Scheme of the Chapter--Mr. Brunel’s Position in relation to the Companies of which he was Engineer--_Letter on the Direction of Railway Works in Italy_ (March 4, 1845)--_Letter on the Position of Joint Engineer_ (October 16, 1843)--_Letter on the Position of Consulting Engineer_ (December 30, 1851)--_Letter on the Position of the Engineer in relation to the Contractors_ (May 26, 1854)--_Letters on the Position of the Engineer in relation to the Directors_ (April 15, 1850, December 6, 1851, January 22, 1857)--Mr. Brunel’s Assistants--_Letters on Interference of Directors with the Assistant Engineers_ (January 19, 1842, January 28, 1842, January 12, 1851)--Mr. Brunel’s Pupils--His Relations with other Engineers--Inventors--_Letter in reply to an Inventor_ (September 17, 1847)--Mr. Brunel’s Views as to State Interference--_Letter on the Royal Commission on the Application of Iron to Railway Structures_ (March 13, 1848)--_Letter on a Proposal to obtain the Recognition in England of Decorations conferred at the Paris Exhibition of 1855_ (February 9, 1856)--Mr. Brunel’s Opinion on the Patent Laws--_Memorandum for Evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Lords on the Patent Laws, 1851_--_Extract from Observations on the Patent Laws, made by Mr. Brunel at a Meeting of the Society of Arts,_ March 26, 1856.....474 CHAPTER XVII. _PRIVATE LIFE._ Reminiscences of Mr. Brunel’s Private Life--Removal to 18 Duke Street, Westminster--His Marriage, 1836--Special Constable in 1848--Mr. Brunel’s Love of Art--His Journey to Italy, 1842--Accident with the Half-Sovereign, 1843--Purchase of Property in Devonshire, 1847--His life at Watcombe--The Launch of the ‘Great Eastern,’ 1857--Mr. Brunel’s Failing Health--Journeys to Switzerland and Egypt, 1858--_Letter from Philæ_ (February 12, 1859)--His last Illness--His Death, September 15, 1859--Funeral--Address of Joseph Locke, Esq., M.P., at the Institution of Civil Engineers, November 8, 1859.....499 APPENDIX I. Report to the Directors of the Great Western Railway on the Broad Gauge, &c. (August 1838).....525 APPENDIX II. Report to the Directors of the Great Western Steam-Ship Company, recommending the Adoption of the Screw Propeller in the ‘Great Britain’ Steam-ship (October 1840).....539 INDEX.....559 LIST OF REPORTS AND OTHER ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. PAGE 1. Extract from Mr. Brunel’s Diary (December 26, 1835).....78 2. Letter on the Box Tunnel (June 21, 1842).....81 3. Extract from Report to Directors of the Great Western Railway Company on Break of Gauge (December 13, 1838).....105 4. Extract from Report to Directors of the Great Western Railway Company on the Permanent Way (February 1837).....109 5. Letter on various Points relating to the Broad Gauge (August 4, 1845).....120 6. Extract from Letter on Atmospheric System (April 8, 1844).....137