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.

Let me pursue his explanation still further, and ask, what could be the use of secresy in this business, if M"^. Rumsey, as he alledges, was secured in the use of the invention by law 1 Could he expect any countenance from the public, for a scheme wrapped up in secresy and which is confessed by Governor Johnson to have remained so until after I had published ?ny p/a/i, both in Maryland and Virginia -- M'". Rurasey and his confidential friends might have died, and then no advantage could have arisen to the community ; and until such advantage was publicly imparted, certainly nothing could be expected from the public.

In page 16 he inserts part of a letter from General Washington in answer to his of the 10th. March 1785 : " It gives me much pleasure to find by your letter, that you are 7iot less sans^uiiic in your boat project, than when I saw you at Richmond, and that you have made such further discoveries as will render them more extensively useful than was at first expected'' -- but still it is plain that the General only alluded to the setting pole plan, for in his answer to Governor Johnson (even after my petition was before the Assembly of Maryland) he sfi/l thought that M>'.