I also pray you Sir as soon as this shall come to hand to let me have information by Post otherwise for fear of miscarriage in a reasonable time I shall have to be at the expense and trouble of forwarding another Package to you which will ever lay me under the obligation of subscribing myself

your most devoted much obliged

and very humble Servant

John Fitch. To the Honourable the Speaker of the Assembly of New York. Endorsed^

John Fitch Papers and certificates relative to his steam Boat. Addressed,

Hon'ble Speaker of the General Assembly of the State of New York at Albany.

This may certify that I have been made acquainted with M^. John Fitch's plan of Propelling vessels thro' the water by the force of steam and if it should answer in practice as well as in theory I am of opinion that it promises success and deserves the notice of the Legislature.

Christopher Colles.

New- York February 22^. 1787.

1086 EARLY STEAM

State of Pennsylvania In General Assembly- Friday September 8th. 1786 A. M.

The report read September 6 on the petition of John Fitch was read the second time as follows, viz.

The committee on the petition of John Fitch, report That they have received his model of an invention for moving a boat by means of a steam-engine, of which they entertain a favorable opinion.

That the said Fitch represents to the committee, that he has begun a boat for navigating on the river Delaware ; but which from the narrowness of his funds he shall not be able to compleat without some public assistance.