I therefore wrote to General Washington, the 10th of March, 1785 (No. 19) that I intended applying both powers to a boat built after the Model of the one he saw at Bath ; but as I was under many disadvantages, arising from my remote situation, and could gain truth only by successive experiments, incredible delays were produced ; and though my distresses were greatly increased thereby, I bore the pelting of ignorance and ill-nature with all resignation, until I was informed some dark assassins had endeavoured to wound the reputation of his excellency, and the other gentlemen who saw my exhibition at Bath, for giving me a certificate. The reflections

1016 EARLY STEAM

upon these worthy gentlemen gave me inexpressible uneasiness, and I should certainly have quitted my steam engines, though in great forwardness, and have produced the boat for which I obtained the certificate for their justification and my own, although I had actually made several experiments on a boat with steam, but M"^ Fitch came out at this minute with his steamboat, asserting, that "he was the first inventor of steam, and that I had gotten wliat small knowledge I had from him, but that I had not the essentials." (vide No. 18.) There was no time to lose, for had I delayed a moment, all my time which was several years with the closest attention, all my expences, which had been ver^^ g^'eat, to the most of all I had, would have been irrecoverably lost ; besides had I exhibited my first boat, it would have been construed into an acknowledgment of M*". Fitch's assertion, by producing a boat with which steam had nothing to do. These consideratiens compelled me to pursue the perfecting my Steam Engines with encreased ardor, and happy am I to inform the public, they are now so far completed, as to manifest their valuable purposes for the navigations before-mentioned, applicable to vessels of all dimensions, equal to forcing boats by the assistance of poles, worked by the same machine, against any rapid the same boats can with safety come down ; and for raising water, for grist or saw mills, watering meadows, or purposes of agriculture, cheaper than races can be dug of any considerable distance, or dams made, No. 9 whilst M^ Fitch was praying the different Assemblies for four years longer to perfect his machine.