Livingston's chief honour as a man of science, and promoter of useful interests, is derived from his aid and encouragement in eff'orts which resulted in the entire success of steam navigation. As early as 1797, he was engaged with an Englishman named Nesbit in experiments. They built a steamboat on the Hudson river, at a place now known as De Koven's Cove, or Bay, about half a mile below TivoH, or Upper Red Hook Landing. Brunei, the engineer of the Thames Tunnel, and father of the originator and constructor of the Great Eastern steamship, was the engineer. The enterprise was not successful. Livingston entered upon other experiments, when he was interrupted by his appointment as United States minister to the court of France. In Paris he became acquainted with Robert Fulton's experiments there. With his science and money, Livingston joined him. They succeeded in their undertaking, as proved by demonstrations on the Seine, returned to America, and in 1806 imported a steam-engine, made by Watt and Bolton, in England. A boat was constructed at Brown's ship-yard, in New York, and was completed in August, 1807, when it was propelled by its machinery to

THE HUDSON.

Hobokcn, on the Jersey shore, where John Stevens (Mr. Livingston's brother-in-laTv) had been experimenting in the same direction for fifteen years. That first successful steamboat was named Clermont, in compli-

IKW AT DK KOV

ment to Chancellor Livingston, and made her first voyage to Albany at the beginning of September, 1807.-^

At Tivoli is the mansion of John Swift Livingston, Esq., built before