1 have from the time of my first thought pursued my scheme with unremitted application, without a suspicion of an interruption, until the circulation of Mr. Rumsey's invidious Pamphlets, the contents of which I now find it necesssary to take under consideration, not doubting but that the design and tendency of that production will be a sufficient apology for the plainness with which I shall treat it. Mr. Rumsey says in page 2, "That in the month of September, 1784

lOib EARLY STEAM

\vf exhibiteil the model of a Boat I.0 iiis Excellency General Washington at Bath in Berkeley county, calculated lor stemming the current o{ rapid rivers only ^ (consivwcie A on principles very different from (his) present onej satis^lied of the experiment of her making way agiiinst a rapid stream by tke force of the stream the General was piiased to give me a most ample certificate of her efficacy." Here it is to be observed, that no mention was made to General Washinuion of steam at the time of such exhibition ; the principles on wl Ich the Boat was pro})elled, were entirely unconnected with, an. I distinct from steam ; being simply a model propelled by water wheels, cranks, and setting poles ; a mode which was many years •ago tried on the river Schuylkill by a farmer near Reading, but without success. From an exhibition of this plan it was that M*". Rumsey procured the certificate from General Washington, and on that certificate were Mr. Rumsey's laws founded. In his petitions to the several legislatures, he prayed for no exclusive right, for the use of Steam Boats ; neither did he make mention of Steam, to their committees ; or even suggest an idea of the kind ; as proof of which, I offer the following petition to the Assembly of Pennsylvania, the certificate from General Washington, accompanying it, and the certificate of Manuel Eyre, Esquire, who was one of the committee of Assembly, who reported in M"^.