March, 1785, The letter asserted to have been written by M'' Buckley is incontrovertibly fixed between this date and the 1st. of December following, the time sworn to for corapleating of the steam engine ; therefore as M^ Rumsey quitted his setting poh' scheme and " pursued the perfecting his steam engine witli increased ardor (page 3) on the receipt of this letter ; it becomes of moment to ascertain its exact date ; and I shall show that this letter vol., IT. 67

1058 EARLY STEAM

which set Messrs. Rumsey and Barns to work in such haste and with such " increased ardor" was not written until near a year after the time it is pretended, and the copper works said to have been made in 1785, were not begun until 1786 -- so that this machinery completed so briskly and sworn to have been on board in December 1785 has made a jump of just twelve months, in order to persuade the public into a belief that M"" Rumsey's works were begun time enough to supplant mine. -- " At that critical minute^'' says he . " Came out a M"" Fitch asserting I had got what small knowledge, I had from him" -- At what critical minute I ask? M"" Rumsey's third page will tell us -- In March 1785 he informed General Washington by letter that he intended applying steam to boats ; in December following, Messrs Barns and Morrow swear the boat was ready ; and his exhibiting this boat, he confesses was hurried on by the intelligence received from M^' Buckley ; consequently this work and this " Encreased ardor" was subsequent to the date of the letter from M^" Buckley. Then if I can fix the time of M"^ Buckley's writing the letter, I shall establish a certain fixed period at which M"" Rumsey acknowledges his works were not on board his boat.