Extensive exports of English ordnance
  Destruction of timber in iron-smelting
  The manufacture placed under restrictions
  The Sussex furnaces blown out

CHAPTER III.

IRON SMELTING BY PIT-COAL—DUD DUDLEY.

  Greatly reduced production of English iron
  Proposal to use pit-coal instead of charcoal of wood in smelting
  Sturtevant's patent
  Rovenson's
  Dud Dudley; his family his history
  Uses pit-coal to smelt iron with success
  Takes out his patent
  The quality of the iron proved by tests
  Dudley's works swept away by a flood
  Rebuilds his works, and they are destroyed by a mob
  Renewal of his patent
  Outbreak of the Civil War
  Dudley joins the Royalists, and rises to be General of artillery
  His perilous adventures and hair-breadth escapes
  His estate confiscated
  Recommences iron-smelting
  Various attempts to smelt with pit-coal
  Dudley's petitions to the King
  His death

CHAPTER IV.

ANDREW YARRANTON.

  A forgotten patriot
  The Yarranton family
  Andrew Yarranton's early life
  A soldier under the Parliament
  Begins iron works
  Is seized and imprisoned
  His plans for improving internal navigation
  Improvements in agriculture
  Manufacture of tin plate
  His journey into Saxony to learn it
  Travels in Holland
  His views of trade and industry
  His various projects
  His 'England's Improvement by Sea and Land'
  His proposed Land Bank
  His proposed Registry of Real Estate
  His controversies
  His iron-mining
  Value of his labours

CHAPTER V.

COALBROOKDALE IRON WORKS—THE DARBYS AND REYNOLDSES.

  Failure in the attempts to smelt iron with pit-coal
  Dr. Blewstone's experiment
  Decay of the iron manufacture
  Abraham Darby
  His manufacture of cast-iron pots at Bristol
  Removes to Coalbrookdale
  His method of smelting iron
  Increased use of coke
  Use of pit-coal by Richard Ford
  Richard Reynolds joins the Coalbrookdale firm
  Invention of the Craneges in iron-refining
  Letter of Richard Reynolds on the subject
  Invention of cast-iron rails by Reynolds
  Abraham Darby the Second constructs the first iron bridge
  Extension of the Coalbrookdale Works
  William Reynolds: his invention of inclined planes for working canals
  Retirement of Richard Reynolds from the firm
  His later years, character, and death

CHAPTER VI.

INVENTION OF CAST STEEL—BENJAMIN HUNTSMAN.

  Conversion of iron into steel
  Early Sheffield manufactures
  Invention of blistered steel
  Important uses of cast-steel
  Le Play's writings on the subject
  Early career of Benjamin Huntsman at Doncaster
  His experiments in steel-making
  Removes to the neighbourhood of Sheffield
  His laborious investigations, failures, and eventual success
  Process of making cast-steel
  The Sheffield manufacturers refuse to use it
  Their opposition foiled
  How they wrested Huntsman's secret from him
  Important results of the invention to the industry of Sheffield
  Henry Bessemer and his process
  Heath's invention
  Practical skill of the Sheffield artisans

CHAPTER VII.

THE INVENTIONS OF HENRY CORT.

  Parentage of Henry Cort
  Becomes a navy agent
  State of the iron trade
  Cort's experiments in iron-making
  Takes a foundry at Fontley
  Partnership with Jellicoe
  Various improvers in iron-making: Roebuck, Cranege, Onions
  Cort's improved processes described
  His patents
  His inventions adopted by Crawshay, Homfray, and other ironmasters
  Cort's iron approved by the Admiralty
  Public defalcations of Adam Jellicoe, Cort's partner
  Cort's property and patents confiscated
  Public proceedings thereon
  Ruin of Henry Cort
  Account of Richard Crawshay, the great ironmaster
  His early life
  Ironmonger in London
  Starts an iron-furnace at Merthyr Tydvil
  Projects and makes a canal
  Growth of Merthyr Tydvil and its industry
  Henry Cort the founder of the iron aristocracy, himself unrewarded

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SCOTCH IRON MANUFACTURE—Dr. ROEBUCK—DAVID MUSHET.

  Dr. Roebuck, a forgotten public benefactor
  His birth and education
  Begins business as a physician at Birmingham
  Investigations in metallurgy
  Removes to Scotland, and begins the manufacture of chemicals, &c.
  Starts the Carron Iron Works, near Falkirk
  His invention of refining iron in a pit-coal fire
  Embarks in coal-mining at Boroughstoness
  Residence at Kinneil House
  Pumping-engines wanted for his colliery
  Is introduced to James Watt
  Progress of Watt in inventing the steam-engine
  Interviews with Dr. Roebuck
  Roebuck becomes a partner in the steam-engine patent
  Is involved in difficulties, and eventually ruined
  Advance of the Scotch iron trade
  Discovery of the Black Band by David Mushet
  Early career of Mushet
  His laborious experiments
  His inventions and discoveries in iron and steel, and death

CHAPTER IX.

INVENTION OF THE HOT BLAST—JAMES BEAUMONT NEILSON.

  Difficulty of smelting the Black Band by ordinary process until the
    invention of the hot blast
  Early career of James Beaumont Neilson
  Education and apprenticeship
  Works as an engine-fireman
  As colliery engine-wright
  Appointed foreman of the Glasgow Gas-works; afterwards manager
    and engineer
  His self-education
  His Workmen's Institute
  His experiments in iron-smelting
  Trials with heated air in the blast-furnace
  Incredulity of ironmasters
  Success of his experiments, and patenting of his process
  His patent right disputed, and established
  Extensive application of the hot blast
  Increase of the Scotch iron trade
  Extraordinary increase in the value of estates yielding Black Band
  Scotch iron aristocracy

CHAPTER X.

MECHANICAL INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS.

  Tools and civilization
  The beginnings of tools
  Dexterity of hand chiefly relied on
  Opposition to manufacturing machines
  Gradual process of invention
  The human race the true inventor
  Obscure origin of many inventions
  Inventions born before their time
  "Nothing new under the sun"
  The power of steam known to the ancients
  Passage from Roger Bacon
  Old inventions revived
    Printing
    Atmospheric locomotion
    The balloon
    The reaping machine
    Tunnels
    Gunpowder
    Ancient firearms
    The steam gun
    The