"Sir,—I intend to be in London on Sunday, the 17th, and shall call immediately on this person for money, which shall be at your service. Wheal Alfred and Wheal Prosper agents wish you a prosperous voyage, and success in your mines.
"I remain, Sir, yours,
"Your obedient servant,
"Rd. Trevithick.
Trevithick was now embarked with a crew of speculators, and in payment for his services was made a partner, and sold a portion of his shares to pay for the engines which Uville had ordered.
Henry Vivian, his brother-in-law, and the brother of his late partner Andrew Vivian, wished to be the third person engaged to go with the machinery to America. Trevithick spoke of his honesty and ability, but declined, on account of the family relationship, to take any part in the appointment.
The two notes on the 9th April, 1814, close the correspondence. Page was busy selling shares to raise money, and Trevithick was to get some money, which was to be at the service of Uville.
The delay between this period and the time of starting was mainly caused by financial and other arrangements managed by Uville. On the 1st September, 1814, Uville, Henry Vivian, Thomas Trevarthen, and William Bull sailed from Portsmouth for Lima in the 'Wildman,' taking with them four pumping engines, with pump-work and rods complete; four winding whim-engines, with all winding apparatus complete; one portable locomotive engine on wheels, to be used for a rolling mill or other purposes; one mill for grinding ore; and one rolling mill, probably for the Mint at Lima. These nine steam-engines, with their apparatus complete for work at the mines, cost 6838l.; the grinding and rolling mill cost 700l. more; but various other expenses more than doubled the amount, which reached the large sum of over 16,000l.
On reference to the conditions of agreement under which Uville acted, dated 17th July, 1812, Don Pedro Abadia, Don José Arismendi, and Don Francisco Uville, were partners engaging to drain a range of mines. Uville was to go to London to purchase two steam-engines, and was authorized to expend $30,000 (say 6000l.). $2000 (say 400l.) was to be paid to him as the value of Trevithick's model, which he had a few years before bought in London for 21l. He was to engage one or two English workmen. No new partner was to be allowed. They also contracted with the various workers of mines in Yauricocha, Yanacancha, Caya Chica, Santa Rosa, and in the mining ridge of Colquijilca, for a period of nine years, to commence within eighteen months of that time, to sink a general pit for the drainage of those mines, and to pump out the water by steam-engines. The payment for this drainage was to be one-twentieth part of the ore raised by the different mines.
"An agreement made at London this 8th day of January, 1814, between Don Francisco Uville, of Lima, in the Viceroyalty of Peru, of the one part, and Richard Trevithick, of Camborne, in Cornwall, engineer, of the other part. Whereas, by an agreement of partnership made and signed at Lima, and whereas the said Francisco Uville did in pursuance of his contract with the said miners soon after the ratification thereof, embark for England, for the purpose of fulfilling the same on his part, and on his arrival there in the month of April last, made application to the said Richard Trevithick, who is an experienced engineer and miner, and requested him to assist him in promoting the object of his journey, which the said Richard Trevithick (being penetrated with a high sense of its utility) agreed to do, and hath accordingly applied himself wholly to that object, ever since the arrival of the said Francisco Uville in England: And whereas under the direction of the said Richard Trevithick, and by the orders of the said Francisco Uville, various machines and engines have been made for the purposes of the said concern, a part of which has been already paid for by the said Francisco Uville; but several of the bills brought by him to England not having been honoured, by reason of the absence from England of the parties upon whom they were drawn, the said Francisco Uville hath not at present sufficient funds to answer the engagements he has entered into in this country, and Don Juan .... , to whom he was in that case directed by his partners to offer shares in the said concern, and from whom he could have received supplies, not being at this time in London, the said Francisco Uville has agreed to admit the said Richard Trevithick to be a partner in the concern, upon his advancing and paying a proportionable part of the expenses necessary for carrying on the same. Now these presents witness that in consideration of the said Richard Trevithick having paid and agreeing by these presents to pay certain bills for machinery ordered by the said Francisco Uville to the amount of 3000l. or thereabouts, the particulars of which have been ascertained and settled by and between the said Francisco Uville and Richard Trevithick, and also in consideration of the services which the said Richard Trevithick hath already rendered to the said undertaking, and of the future benefits which he is expected to perform for it, the said Francisco Uville for himself, and on the behalf and in the name of the said Pedro Abadia and José Arismendi (who will ratify these presents in the capital of Lima as soon as it shall be produced to them, to which the said Uville holds himself bound), Doth, by virtue of the power and authority given to him by his said partners, agree to admit the said Richard Trevithick to be a member of the said company, and doth hereby declare him to be a member thereof and a partner therein to the extent of 12,000 dollars, and as such, entitled to a share and interest in all the profits and advantages of the company in the proportion which the said sum of 12,000 dollars shall bear to the amount of capital employed by the company in the purposes of their establishment, which proportion will amount as nearly as can now be ascertained to one-fifth of the capital stock embarked in the said concern.
"Fran. Uville.
"Richard Trevithick.
"8th January, 1814."