STEAM. 207 



The Spanish archives of Simancas contain the fol- 

 lowing document : 



"Blasco cle Garay, sea captain, submitted, in 1543, 

 to the Emperor and King Charles Y., a machine for 

 propelling ships and large boats, even in calm weather, 

 without oars or sails. Despite the obstacles and diffi- 

 culties which the project encountered, the Emperor 

 ordered trial to be made of it in the port of Barcelona, 

 which trial took place on the 17th of June, in the 

 said year 1543. 



" Garay would not entirely divulge his discovery. 

 But it was observed at the time of the trial that 

 his machine consisted of a large cauldron of boiling 

 water and of revolving wheels attached to both ends 

 of the vessel. 



" An experiment was made on a 200-ton vessel called 

 the Trinity Captain, Peter de Scarzo which had just 

 arrived from Colibra with a cargo of wheat. By 

 order of Charles Y., Don Henry of Toledo, the Gover- 

 nor Don Peter of Cardona, the Treasurer Eavajo, the 

 Yice- Chancellor, and the High Steward of Catalonia 

 assisted at these experiments, and in their reports to 

 the Emperor they spoke approvingly of the invention. 

 The Treasurer Eavajo, however, who was opposed to 

 the project, said that the vessel would not travel more 

 than two leagues in three hours, that the machinery 

 was very complicated and expensive, and that there 

 was a great danger of the boiler bursting. The others 

 affirmed that the vessel put about as readily as a 



