OPINION. 383 



consequence was that a gentleman who had helped this 

 scheme with his money wrote : 



" My case with Trevithick is strictly this ; he was represented 

 to me as a man of property ; and as to his talents for mechanics, 

 no man could be in his company long without being struck with 

 them. I was induced to trust him to the amount of nearly 

 500Z., and I then learned for the first time that it was only on 

 the possible contingency of a grant from Government that he 

 relied for the payment of my claim." 



A company called the New Improved Patent Steam- 

 Navigation Company was formed, of which Trevithick 

 was a member, though apparently not a subscriber, for 

 a note in November, 1831, informed him that "if in 

 seven days he did not pay up his calls, his shares would 

 be entirely forfeited." This company, among other 

 proposals, opened negotiations for sending steamboats 

 to Buenos Ay res to help in the commerce of the port 

 and inland river. 



In 1832 the Waterwitch Company made experiments 

 with those plans, propelling by forcing water through 

 pipes, since which a Government ship of war called the 

 4 Waterwitch' has been so propelled. Twenty years 

 ago the writer saw steamboats so propelled in daily use 

 on the Meuse ; they needed no rudder, for by turning 

 the mouth of the exit-water pipes on either side of the 

 ship it was made to turn in its length, or even to move 

 sideways. 



Messrs. John Hall and Sons, of Dartford, also experi- 

 mented on these two patents, and from this the tubular 

 condenser was called Hall's Condenser. I think the 

 boat it was first tried in was called the ' Dartford.' 



Trevithick's difficulties in urging so many and great 

 changes in marine propulsion may be estimated by the 

 acts of other engineers. 



