30 VARIOUS INVENTIONS. 



thick for a moment became worldly wise, and asked for 

 a written agreement before sending his locomotive 

 boring engine to the breakwater. 



[Rough draft.] 

 " ME. FOX, " CAMBORNE, Uth March, 1814. 



" Sir, I expect to be called to London immediately 

 after the end of this month. The engine with the boring- 

 apparatus for Plymouth remains at Kedruth. I very much 

 wish to see you on that business before I leave home, and would 

 be much obliged by your dropping me a note by post, saying 

 what day it would be convenient for me to wait on you. 



" E. T." 



The rock-boring machine was completed, and reached 

 the breakwater two months after his interview with the 

 Foxes, who were prominent in the quarrying work. 

 " The engine for Plymouth will be put to break the 

 ground as soon as I can find time to go up there." 1 It 

 was impossible for any one man, single-handed, to make 

 perfect such numerous practical inventions as were un- 

 dertaken by Trevithick at that time. His. letter of a 

 few months before 2 reveals the facility with which be 

 moulded the steam-engine to his requirements. " The 

 ploughing engine that I sent you a drawing for, after 

 being used for that purpose, was to have been sent to 

 Exeter for pumping water. I have been obliged to 

 take the small portable engine from Wheal Alfred 

 Mine, and have a new apparatus fitted to it for Ply- 

 mouth Breakwater. A small engine which I had at 

 work at a mine I have been obliged to send to the 

 farmers for thrashing." Messrs. Fox would probably 

 require many engines for the Plymouth Breakwater, 



1 Trevithick's letter, May 20, 1813, chap. xxi. 



2 See letter to Mr. Kastrick, January 26, 1813, chap, xviii. 



