Altogether, she was something of a monstrosity, as compared with the river boats of to-day. A contemporaneous account of the trial trip of the

Fulton and the Hudson River Steamboat 125

CIcnuoiit, in the summer of 1807, makes interesting reading. d Nothing could exceed the surprise and admiration of all who ....nessed the experiment. The minds of the most incredulous were changed in a few minutes. Before the boat had made the progress of a quarter of a mile, the greatest unbeliever must have been converted. The man who, while he looked on the expensive machine, thanked his stars that he had more wisdom than to waste his money on such idle schemes, changed the expression of his features as the boat moved from the wharf and gained her speed; his complacent smile gradually stiffened into an expression of wonder. The jeers of the ignorant, who had neither sense nor feeling enough to suppress their contemptuous ridicule and rude jokes, were silenced for a moment by a vulgar astonishment, which deprived them of the power of utterance, till the triumph of genius extorted from the incredulous multi- j tude which crowded the shores, shouts and acclamations of / congratvilation and applause. ^^-l Fulton, in a letter to the American Citizen, in sentences that show a stern repression of the pride that must ha\'e made his nerves dance, speaks of the achievement of his cherished plans. He states, briefly, that he has returned from Albany, and modestly mentions his hope that "such boats may be rendered of great importance to my country." He then proceeds to the statement of facts regarding his voyage.