principle to General Washington, as I thought,* tho' perhaps mistakenly, at the time your model and experiment were exhibited before the General ; and with the approbation of the committee, wrote to the General on the subject ; his answer now before me, is to this effect, that "at that time, September, 1784, nothing was intimated of Steam ; that the November following, in Richmond, you spoke to him of the effect of steam, and of the conviction you were under of the usefulness of its application for the purpose of inland Navigation," but the General seems to have thought it an immatured idea, that he did not then imagine you relied on.

Mr. Fitch having often mentioned the time (I think April 1785) when the idea first struck him, and yours being prior, the committee could not report in favor of Mr. Fitch, the Gen. added to his answer, " It is proper for me herewith to add, that sometime after this Mr. Fitch called on me, in his way to Richmond, and explaining his scheme, wanted a letter from me introductory to the Assembly of this (Virginia) state, the giving of which I declined, and went so far as to inform him, that though I was enjoined not to disclose the principles of Mr. Rumsey's discovery, yet I would venture to assure him, that the thought of applying steam was not original, but had been mentioned to me by Mr. Rumsey.

I esteem myself no ways competent to decide on philosophical or mechanical principles, but if you can simplify the steam engine, render it cheap, and apply its powers to raise water in great quantities for the purpose of agriculture and water works of all kinds, or apply the powers more immediately, as has been much the subject of conversation between us at times, every man may easily perceive a vast field of improvement will thereby be opened, which I most sincerely wish you may largely reap the good fruits of,