CAUSES OF DELAY.

23

interesting series of experiments you have been so kind as to undertake.The vast and gigantic character of the object we have in view, will, how-ever, I trust, protect me from this suspicion.

Your last letter, reporting progress, was extremely satisfactory, and Iwas delighted to hear that you had succeeded in obtaining the assistanceof Hodgkinson. I hope sincerely he will continue to aid us in our in-vestigations. I purpose being in London all next week, when I shouldbe glad to meet you at Mill wall. It now becomes a matter of necessitythat I should spend some time with you, because I am compelled to leavefor Italy towards the end of the month, and before my departure wemust decide upon some course for the two succeeding months.

I am pretty well decided as to the masonry, which should be very shortlycommenced, but I must have some discussion with you beforehand.

Yours faithfully,

William Fairbaim, Esq., Engineer, Manchester. Robert Stephenson.

From the month of October till nearly the end of NovemberMr. Stephenson was professionally engaged abroad, and, duringthat time, little or no progress was made in the experiments.Several letters however were written, and numerous suggestionsmade, relative to the construction and form of the cells and otherparts of the tubes. Among others was that of December the3rd, wherein the form of preparing the report is stated*, and alsothe shape of another experimental tube, which was suggestedfor the purpose of rendering the experiments previously madestill more conclusive and satisfactory.

The time occupied in Mr. Stephenson’s journey to Italy afforded opportunities for consideration, as to the best at-tainable means for the connexion and form of the materialto be used in the construction of the large tubes. Many

* The Directors up to this time evinced a great deal of patience, andwatched with considerable interest the progress of the experiments made atMillwall , They however became anxious about the report, in order that theymight have something definite to lay before the shareholders at their nextgeneral meeting.