«4 



REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



came to see it, nor did he send any one, but left the whole 

 to myself till she was delivered to him at Bristol. What 

 struck me most in this and the many other transactions I 

 had with Mr. Smith, was the complete confidence he placed 

 in me from first to last, to which I responded by doing 

 everything I could to meet his wishes, and on the lowest 

 terms I could, as I knew he did not build his vessels for 

 mercantile purposes, but purely for the improvement of steam 

 navigation. So sensible was Mr. Smith that I wished to 

 serve him in the most liberal manner, that he seldom would 

 look at my accounts beyond a glance at the sum total. This 

 I did not like at first, as I knew he was very particular in 

 his business dealings with others. As another proof of his 

 kindness and confidence, I may mention that he more than 

 once volunteered to become my security when I was making 

 heavy contracts for vessels or machinery with the Govern- 

 ment or East-India Company. The following are the dates, 

 names, tonnage, and power of the eight steam-vessels sup- 

 plied by me to Mr. Smith, viz. : — 



"In 1843 I built for him the Water Cure, a very small 

 iron sailing vessel with two sliding keels. It is but justice 

 to state that every one of the foregoing vessels was con- 

 structed entirely according to Mr. Smith's own designs, and 

 that with the exception of the Water Cure they were all 

 successful, and realised the objects he had in view. The 

 Menai and Fire-king were built of wood, all the others of 



