ENGINES FOR SOUTH AMERICA. 195 



CHAPTEK XXL 



ENGINES FOR SOUTH AMERICA. 



[Rough draft.] . 



" CAMBORNE, May 20th, 1813. 



" Yours of the 7th inst. I should have answered by 

 return, as requested ; but an unexpected circumstance pre- 

 vented my being at Swansea as early as proposed, which, as it 

 happens, best suits your purpose as well as my own. I shall 

 not be able to be there within twenty days from this time, of 

 which I will give you timely notice. I hope before that time 

 Mrs. Kastrick will be safe out of the straw. I have been detained 

 in consequence of a strange gentleman calling on me, who 

 arrived at Faimouth about ten days since, from Lima, in South 

 America, for the sole purpose of taking out steam-engines, 

 pumps, and sundry other mining materials to the gold and 

 silver mines of Mexico and Peru. He was recommended to me 

 to furnish him with mining utensils and mining information. 

 He was six months on his passage, which did not agree with 

 his health, and has kept his bed ever since he came on shore ; 

 but is now much recovered, and hopes to be able to go down in 

 the Cornish mines with me in a few days. I have already an 

 order from him for six engines, which is but a very small part 

 of what he wants. I am making drawings for you, and intend 

 to be with you as soon as they are finished. Money is very 

 plentiful with him, and if you will engage to finish a certain 

 quantity of work by a given time, you may have the money 

 before you begin the job. The West India engine will suit his 

 purpose. I shall have a great deal of business to do with you 

 when we meet. In the meantime please to forward the thrash- 

 ing engines to Cornwall as quickly as possible. The engine for 

 Plymouth will be put to break the ground as soon as I can find 



