Sketches from Formosa.

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SKETCHES FROM FORMOSA
upon it, in the centre of which there was a two-inch
opening bushed with brass. The side of the cylinder at
its upper end had also an aperture with sliding iron
cover for the in-flow of water, the lower end being simi-
larly furnished for its out-flow ; while on the central part
of the ground inside the cylinder there was fastened a
thick plate of brass having a deep cup-like depression in
the middle.
Second : Through the upper cover of the cylinder there
was inserted a two-inch-thick malleable iron rod of twentyeight
feet in length, its rounded lower end being made to
rest in the before - mentioned cup-like depression or
socket ;
while along nine feet of the rod inside the cylinder,
and forming part of the rod itself, there was a spirallyarranged
plate of wrought-iron bevelled towards its outer
edge, and which wound round the rod for about eight
inches from its surface ;
this whole part of the machinery
thus presenting the appearance of a huge flattened cork-
screw. Moreover, the upper end of the rod which
stood about eight feet from the cover of the cylinderhad
a strong cog-wheel firmly fastened to it.
Third : The next noticeable thing was a horizontal
wrought-iron bar about forty feet long, and made to
revolve in bushed iron brackets fastened under the ceiling
of the adjoining workshop. The end of this bar outside
the right-hand gable-wall of the building had also a
strong cog-wheel, which was set in motion when the
cog-wheel at the upper end of the before-mentioned iron
rod was made to revolve, after the water had first caused
the spirally-shaped turbine-wheel to whirl round inside
the upright cylinder. Of course, too, at intervals along
the horizontal iron bar there were hollow metal drums,
over which leather belts were wound, so as to communicate
motive-power to the turning-lathes, sawing, planing,
mortising, punching, and drilling machines, which