Ten years have elapsed since a committee of the British Association reported upon the Analytical Engine of my father, Charles Babbage, and I desire now, while offering a few remarks upon that Report, to endeavour to convey some idea of the mechanical arrangements of the engine to those who may be interested in it.

2. I am well assured that a time will come when such an engine will be completed and be a powerful means of enlarging not only pure mathematical science, but other branches of knowledge, and I wish, as far as in me lies, to hasten that time, and to help towards the general appreciation of the labours of my father, so little known or understood by the multitude even of the educated.

3. He considered the Paper by Menabrea, translated with notes by Lady Lovelace, published in volume 3 of Taylor's “Scientific Memoirs,” as quite disposing of the mathematical aspect of the invention. My business now is not with that.

4. The idea of the Analytical Engine arose thus: When the fragment of the Difference Engine, now in the South Kensington Museum, was put together early in 1833, it was found that, as had been before anticipated, it possessed powers beyond those for which it was intended, and some of them could be and were demonstrated on that fragment.

5. It was evident that by interposing a few connecting-wheels, the column of Result can be made to influence the last Difference, or other part of the machine in several ways.