the Transactions of that body
sufficiently evince how highly he deserved that distinction. In 1759
he received by an unanimous vote their gold medal, for his paper
entitled 'An Experimental Inquiry concerning the natural powers of
wind and water to turn mills and other machines depending on a
circular motion.' This paper was the result of experiments made on
working models in 1752 and 1753, but not communicated to the society
till 1759, by which time he had had abundant opportunity of applying
these experiments to practice in a variety of cases, and for various
purposes, so as to assure the society that he had found them to
answer. He discovered by these means that wind and water could be made
to do one third more than was before known. In the year 1754 he made a
voyage to Holland, travelling for the most part on foot, or in the
trekschuiten or drag-boats, the national conveyance of the country,
and thus made himself acquainted with the most remarkable works of art
in the low countries.

In December 1755 the Eddystone lighthouse was burnt down. Mr. Weston
the chief proprietor, and others, were desirous of rebuilding it in
the most substantial manner, and through the recommendation of the
Earl of Macclesfield, whose friendly conduct to Smeaton we have
already noticed, they were induced to appoint Smeaton as the most
proper person to rebuild it.

Smeaton undertook the work, and completed it in the summer of 1759.
The history of this great undertaking belongs to another section of
this notice. The completion of the work does not seem to have had the
immediate effect of procuring him full employment as a civil engineer:
in 1764, being in Yorkshire, he offered himself a candidate for the
office of one of the receivers to the Greenwich Hospital estates[4];
and on the 31st December in that year he was appointed, at a full
board at Greenwich Hospital, in a manner highly flattering to himself.
In this appointment he was greatly assisted by his partner Mr. Walter,
who managed the accounts, and left Smeaton leisure and opportunity to
exert his abilities on public works, as well as to make many
improvements in the mills, and in the estates of Greenwich Hospital.
By the year 1775 he had so much business as an engineer, that he
wished to resign this appointment, but was prevailed upon to continue
in the office about two years longer.

Among the many valuable public services of Smeaton a few only can be
mentioned in this place. H