I thought he was hardly sorry for the accident, as it afforded him an occasion of showing how ingeniously he kindled a fire.  He had an electric machine brought to him, by means of which he set fire to a few grains of gunpowder; this lighted some tinder, which again ignited spirits, whose blaze reached the lower extremity of his lamp.  Taking the precaution of keeping the stove open this time, the air was again exhausted at the farther end of the pipe, and in a little time the flame was seen to ascend even to the air-pump, and to scorch the parts made of wood; whereupon I saw a glow of triumph on his face, which amply compensated him for his wound and vexation.  There was a grand machine for roasting, that carried the fire round the meat, the juices of which, he said, by a rotary motion, would be thrown to the surface, and either evaporate or be deteriorated.  Here was also his digestor, for making soup of rams’ horns, which he assured me contained a good deal of nourishment, and the only difficulty was in extracting it.  He next showed us his smoke-retractor, which received the smoke near the top of the chimney, and brought it down to be burnt over again, by which he computed that he saved five cords and a half of wood in a year.  The fire which dressed his victuals, pumped up, by means of a steam engine, water for the kitchen turned one or more spits, as well as two or three mills for grinding pepper, salt, &c.; and then, by a spindle through the wall, worked a churn in the dairy, and cleaned the knives:  the forks, indeed, were still cleaned by hand; but he said he did not despair of effecting this operation in time, by machinery.  I mentioned to him our contrivance of silver forks, to lessen this labour; but he coldly remarked, that he imagined science was in its infancy with us.

He informed us that he had been ten years in completing this ingenious machine; and certainly, when it was in full operation, I never saw exultation and delight so strongly depicted in any human face.  The various sounds and sights, that met the ear and eye, in rapid succession, still farther worked on his feelings, and heightened his raptures.  There was such a simmering, and hissing, and bubbling of boiled, and broiled, and fried—­such a whirling, and jerking, and creaking of wheels, and cranks, and pistons—­such clouds of steam, and vapours, and even smoke, notwithstanding all of the latter that was burnt,—­that I almost thought myself in some great manufactory.

After having suffered as much as we could well bear, from the heat and confined air of this laboratory of eatables, and passed the proper number of compliments on the skill and ingenuity they displayed, we ascended to his hall, to partake of that feast, to prepare which we had seen all the elements and the mechanical powers called into action.  There were a few of his city acquaintances present, besides ourselves:  but whether it was owing to the effect of the steam from the dishes on our stomachs, or that this scientific cookery was not suited to our unpractised palates, I know not, but we all made an indifferent repast, except our host, who tasted every dish, and seemed to relish them all.