to that
higher world wherein he hears the same "good and faithful" from the
mouth of his Redeemer.

Inventions.

It may be worth a page if I record here sundry inventions of mine,
surely bits of authorship, which I found out for myself but did not
patent, though others did. As thus:--

1. A simple and cheap safety horse-shoe,--secured by steel studs
inserted into the ordinary soft iron shoes.

2. Glass screw-tops to bottles.

3. Steam-vessels with the wheels inside; in fact, a double boat or
catamaran, with the machinery amid-ships.

4. The introduction of coca-leaf to allay hunger, and to be as useful
here as in Chili.

5. A pen to carry its own ink.

6. The colouring of photographs on the back.

7. Combined vulcanite and steel sheathing.

There were also some other small matters wherein authorial energy busied
itself. But although I had models made of some, and wrote about others,
no good results accrued to me. 1. As for the horse-shoes, blacksmiths
did _not_ want to lose custom by steel saving the iron. 2. For the
glass-stoppers, I had against me all the cork trade, and the
wine-merchants too, who recork old wines. 3. The steamers were never
tried on a large scale, and models are pronounced deceptive. 4. The coca
loses most of its virtues when in a dried state. 5. The pen (I had it
made in silver, a long hollow handle ending with a conical point) either
grew clogged if the ink was too thick, or emitted blots when too thin.
6. An establishment in Leicester Square has since worked on this idea.
7. I also troubled the Ordnance Office, and had an interview with Sidney
Herbert about two more futile inventions! one a composite cannon missile
of quoits tied together: another of a thick vulcanite sheathing for
ships, over either wood or iron. I have letters on these to and from
the office. Briefly, I did not gain fortune as an inventor: though I
urged my horse-shoe at least as a valuable thought, and one worth a
trial, to save our poor horses on asphalte pavements and in hard frosts.
It is a losing game to attempt to force an invention: so many vested
interests oppose, and so many are the competitors: moreover, some one
always rushes into the pool of Bethesda before you.

I thought also that there might as well be "essence of tea," as well as
of coffee; but nothing came of it. Also amongst other of my addled eggs
of invention, I may mention that in my chemistry days as a youth I
suggested to a scientific ne