28(3 GUN-CAKRIAGE. 



" HAYLE, CORNWALL, 21st February, 1828. 



" MY LORD COCHRANE/ 



" With great pleasure I read in the papers the announce- 

 ment of your arrival again in England, and am much gratified 

 to find a person of your superior natural and practical talents, 

 so rare to be obtained, to whom I may communicate my views. 



" I have proposed to Government to build an iron ship, and 

 a gun on a new principle, which are to undergo an investiga- 

 tion, and have lodged a drawing of the ship and a model of the 

 gun with my friend Mr. Gerard, a gentleman who returned with 

 me from America, and who will present to you this letter with 

 the above-mentioned drawing and model. 



" I have had an iron boat made for the purpose of sending it 

 to London, to show the method of constructing ships on this 

 plan, roomy, strong, and cheap. Also a wrought-iron ship with 

 a steam-engine on an improved principle, which in a few days 

 will be laid on the stocks at the Hayle Foundry iron manu- 

 factory." 



Though Lord Cochrane was just the person to be 

 interested in such schemes, it does not appear that he 

 took any part in them. At that time he was at work 

 on his own particular ideas for marine propulsion. 



" MY DEAR SlR, " LONDON, February, 1828. 



"Immediately after the receipt of your last, which I 

 only received after twelve o'clock on the 7th, I went to the 

 Ordnance Office, where, though Colonel Gossett was no longer 

 an official personage, I had the good luck to meet him. He 

 told me that the model of the gun was at Woolwich, and could 

 not be got at in time to stop the progress of the other patent, 

 and which he considered of but little moment, as he thought it 

 very unlikely there could be any collision between the two 

 inventions. He likewise said that from the official changes 

 that had taken place in the office, much loss of time might be 

 incurred by recalling the model, which was in train of being 

 examined. To-day I have received a letter addressed to you 



1 Hough draft, by Trevithick, of unfinished letter. 



