"Sir,—Your favour of the 19th instant came safe to hand.
"I was in hopes that I should have found a remittance enclosed. All the tradesmen that I have employed on your work were to have been paid every Saturday, and I made my arrangement with you accordingly. Unless this mode of proceeding is followed up, you cannot get your work done in any reasonable time, especially as you are an entire stranger. For my own part I have placed the greatest confidence in your honour, with which I am fully satisfied.
"But I have to get this work from a great number of different tradesmen, and must make regular payments agreeable with my engagements with them. As the articles are about to be executed by different tradesmen, regular weekly payments ought to be established, of which I informed you before the work began.
"I am ready for my journey to Wales and Shropshire, but cannot proceed with further engagements until I hear again from you. I have placed the fullest confidence in your word, a proof of which you have in the great exertion I have made to get the work done; but unless you in return place some confidence in me, or any other engineer that you may employ, a work of this magnitude cannot be carried on with promptitude.
"As the whole of the work in my part has been put into immediate operation, it would be a very serious loss both of money and time to discharge the hands. I hope you will fully consider this business, and must beg you will have the goodness to write to me by return of post. On receiving the needful from you I shall leave Cornwall for Wales and Shropshire.
"R. T."
Trevithick for once in his life was wise, and would not start on his journey to Bridgenorth until the money had reached him. This prudent resolve was soon forgotten in the love of making the steam-engine useful; and as such creations in his hands grew into shape and size before other men would have got through preliminary discussions, pecuniary difficulties sprang up, as mushrooms do in a night.
[Rough draft.]
"Camborne, September 4th, 1813.
"Messrs. Hazeldine, Rastrick, and Co.,