That man, whom we imagine said this, and who appears, without doubt, to have inspected the Charlotte Dundas, was Robert Fulton, who, with his companion, Livingstone, claim to have invented steamboats in the United States.
This, then, in brief, seems to be the story. While bearing in mind the efforts of others, yet it would seem that Miller, Taylor, and Symington invented steam navigation, utilising improvements of Watt on the steam engine; but Fulton, in America, and Bell, in Britain, seeing something of these experiments, developed them to assured success.
What were Fulton’s adventures?
CHAPTER II.
TO THE NARROW SEAS.
“I should not like to risk my money in the thing.”
“Nor I, she will never pay.”
“I reckon she will burst up before the day is over.”
“Well, she is about to start now.” A few minutes more, and the smiles on the faces of the speakers changed to expressions of astonishment. The boat was actually “walking the waters like a thing of life,” and gathering speed as she drew away from the pier.
“Why, stranger, this thing’s going to succeed.”