542 



HISTORY OF THE SEA„ 



grandeur could have excited. She was described, by some who 

 had indistinctly seen her passing in the night, as a monster 

 moving on the waters, defying the winds and tide, and breathing 

 flames and smoke. She had the most terrific appearance from 

 other vessels which were navigating the river when she was 

 making her passage. The first steamboat — as others yet do — 

 used dry pine wood for fuel, which sends forth a column of 

 ignited vapor many feet above the flue, and whenever the fire 

 is stirred a galaxy of sparks fly off, and in the night have a 

 very brilliant and beautiful appearance. This uncommon light 

 first attracted the attention of the crews of other vessels. Not- 

 withstanding the wind and tide, which were adverse to its ap- 

 proach, they saw with astonishment that it was rapidly coming 

 toward them; and when it came so near that the noise of the 

 machinery and paddles was heard, the crews — if what was said 

 in the newspapers of the time be true — in some instances shrunk 

 beneath their decks from the terrific sight and left their vessels 

 to go on shore, whilst others prostrated themselves and besought 

 Providence to protect them from the approaches of the horrible 

 monster which was marching on the tide and lighting its path 

 by the fires which it vomited." 



Fulton himself wrote the following account of the trip up the 

 river and back, and published it in the American Citizen: — "I 

 left New York on Monday at one o'clock, and arrived at Cler- 

 mont, the seat of Chancellor Livingston, at one o'clock on Tues- 

 day : time, twenty-four hours; distance, one hundred and ten 

 miles. On Wednesday, I departed from the chancellor's at 

 nine in the morning, and arrived at Albany at five in the 

 afternoon : time, eight hours ; distance, forty miles. The sum 

 is one hundred and fifty miles in thirty-two hours, — equal to 

 near five miles an hour. 



"On Thursday, at nine o'clock in the morning, I left Albany, 

 and arrived at the chancellor's at six in the evening : I started 

 from thence at seven, and arrived at New York at four in the 



