The certificate of M"" Jonathan Morris, inn-keeper, which confirms the assertion of Governor Johnson's . letter, that the " Designed purpose of the cylinders was a subject of pretty general conversation " in Frederick-town, and therfefore had it been prior to my petition to the assembly of Maryland the middle of December, 1785, M^ Foy, the member of assembly resident in that town must have known it, and the house have received information from him, when probably they might have assigned other reasons for rejecting my petition than mere bareness of finances. If all the machinery was ready to put on board, as M^' Morrow swears, on the first December, it must have been a fact notorious to the whole town ; but the following declaration shows that so far from being on board in December, 1785, it was shut up as a secret even so late as the latter end of March following ; so that thi? " pretty general conversation," which Governor Johnson speaks of, could not have happened until about this time, and all the evidences I produce confirm my assertion, that M"" Rumsey did not begin his steam-

NAVIGATION. 1069

engine, until I had published my plan all through Maryland and Virginia. -- The certificate is as follows :

Frederick-town^ \Wi. April 1788. This may certify that I the subscriber was towards the lattei end of. March 17S6, informed that M'^. Matthias Ziramers had begun some machinery for M^'. Rumsey's Steam-boat. Accordingly I called on M^'. Zimmers to see it, but was refused the sight of it, as it was then retained as M"^ Rumsey's secret -- but was informed that it was begun in the beginning of the same month, this I declare to be the truth as near as I can recollect -- As witness my hand.