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.

rl left New Yoi-k on ^Monday at one o'clock, and arrived at Clermont, the seat of Chancellor Livingston, at one o'clock on Tuesday -- time, twenty-four hours: distance, one hundred and ten miles. On Wednesday, I departed from the Chancellor's at nine in the morning, and arrived at Albany at five in the afternoon -- distance, forty miles; time, eight hours. The sum is one hundred and fifty miles in thirty-two hours, equal to near five miles an hour.

126 The Hudson River

On Thursday, at nine o'clock in the morning, I left Albany, and arrived at the Chancellor's at six in the evening: I started from thence at seven, and arrived at New York at four in the afternoon -- time, thirty hours; space run through, one hundred and fifty miles; equal to five miles an hour. Throughout mv whole way, both going and returning, the wind was ahead; no advantage could be derived from my sails: the whole has, therefore, been performed by the power of the steam-engine. 1 am sir, your obedient servant, ' Robert Fulton.