Daniel Longstreth, the Rev^. Nathaniel Irvin and sundry other Gentlemen of Bucks county Pennsylvania.

About the beginning of June 1785, I went to Philadelphia and shewed it to D^. Ewing, M^". Patterson and other respectable characters in the city, from whom I met with no discouragement. In June and July I formed models and in August laid them before Congress, as will appear on their Files. In September I presented them to the Philosophical Society, as per certificate.

No. 3.

Philadelphia 1785. September 27*^. ]785. At a special meeting of the American Philosophical Society :

A model accompanied with a drawing and description of a machine tor w^orking a boat, against the Stream, by means of a Steam lijngine, was laid before the Society by John Fitch.

At a meeting of the American Philosophical Society, on December 2^. 1785.

A copy of the drawing and description of a machine for working a boat against the current, which, some time ago, was laid before the Society by M"*. John Fitch, he, this evening, presented to them.

Extract from the Minutes ' SAMUEL MAGAW

One of the Secretanes.

In October I called on the ingenious Mr. Henry, of Lancaster, to ta e his opinion of my drafts, who informed me, that I was not the first person who had thought of applying Steam to vessels; that he had conversed with M"" Andrew Ellicott as early as the year 1775, and that M^ Paine, author of Common Sense, had suggested the same thing to him in the winter of 1778 ; that some time after, he (M'" Henry) thinking more seriously of the matter, was of opinion it might be easily perfected and accordingly made some drafts might be proposed to lay before the Philosophical Society and which he then showed me, but added as he had neglected to bring