Fitch's assertion, by producing a boat with which steam had nothing to do ; these considerations compelled me to pursue the perfecting my steam engines willi increased ardor." Thus I have a proof from himself, that the certificates from General Washington, &c. (which procured his laws in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania) had 710 reference to steam consequently my laws for the exclusive use of steam applied to boats, cannot interfere either with his laws, or his expectations at the time of asking for them. I applied to the several legislatures openly and unguardedly without friends and without patrons ; and from the pure merit of my pretensions, met with success, without a whisper being breathed, that I was interfering with M''. Rumsey. I am confident that he never conceived me to be a rival in navigating boats, until he found his own plan hopeless and mine likely to succeed.

In his third page he says, " I wrote to General Washington 10th March 1785, that I intended applying both powers to a boat built after the model of the one he saw at Bath ; but the disadvantages before mentioned still remained and as I could gain truth only by successive experiments, incredible delays were produced -- and though my distresses were greatly increased thereby, &c." -- It is truly amazing that though he had long before this letter, been making progress in Steam engines, and gaining truth by successive experiments, and incredible delays, insomuch that at the time of his proposing to get cylinders cast at Governor Johnson's works in October 1785, he had the principal part of his work untouched ; I say it is amazing, that these incredible delays should all vanish as .n an instant, and that between the time of bin failing at Governor ■ v.hnson's works in Octooer or November 1785, and the first of December following, he should have completed his whole machi-