Rumsey should have communicated this secret and requested his assistance in procuring castings immediately after my being with the Governor, as there was not time for it -- the engine being sworn as I have said to have been all compleated six days after that visit -- Then the following conclusion may be safely drawn, that Governor Johnson did at some subsequent day (so long after as that he forgot the letter he had given me) offer to assist M^'. Rumsey with castings ; which not succeeding, an application was made to coppersmiths in Frederick-town the ensuing spring, who in the course of the summer 1786, delivered their work to M'". Rumsey. -- About this time it was that the matter became a subject of " gejieral conversation ;" -- and if winter stopped the putting of the whole machinery into motion as was sworn to by Messrs. Barns and Morrow, it was the winter of 1786, which is long after my boat was built, and ray model of a Steam-engine compleated. -- Of this my readers will soon be fully convinced -- and a further weighty proof is -- that as Mr Rumsey professes his hurrying on his engine was on account of my setting up pretensionz, it cannot be believed that he v/ould suffer my oetition to lay before the assembly of

NAVIGATION. 1053

Maryland, and be reported on in my favour about the 20th December 1785, ninetem days after he says his boat and engine were linished -- M^. Foy the member from Frederick-town must have told the tale, and laid in a claim for his countryman, -- but I repeat it again, that I was in that very Frederick-town on my way to the Assembly in the fall of 1785, every \vhere publishing my scheme, and no Engine was began there during that year, nor until March following, as will be fully shewn -- but before I come to ray proofs I wish to confute him out of his own writings.