Mr. Michael Williams, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Macqueen, and others, were anxious to take up the mining scheme. The former proposed to send a person to examine the mines. This was a safe course, but not convenient to those who had made engagements to return without loss of time with miners and material to Costa Rica.
Mr. M. Williams informed the writer's brother that at a meeting of several gentlemen in London, a cheque for 8000l. was offered to Trevithick for his mining grant of the copper mountain in South America. Words waxed warm, and the proffered money was refused. The next day Mr. Williams said to him, "Why did you not pocket the cheque before you quarrelled with them?" Trevithick replied, "I would rather kick them down stairs!"
In the end Trevithick got nothing for either his South American mines or those in Costa Rica.
[CHAPTER XXV.]
GUN-CARRIAGE—IRON SHIPS—HYDRAULIC CRANE—ICE MAKING—DRAINAGE OF HOLLAND—CHAIN-PUMP—OPEN-TOP CYLINDER—HAYLE HARBOUR—PATENT RIGHTS—PETITION TO PARLIAMENT.
Trevithick's Gun-carriage and Friction Slides, 1827.
"Richard Trevithick, of the parish of Saint Erth, in the county of Cornwall, civil engineer, maketh oath and saith that he hath invented new methods for centering ordnance on pivots, facilitating the discharge of the same, and reducing manual labour in time of action. That he is the true inventor thereof, and that the same hath not been practised by any other person or persons whomsoever to his knowledge or belief.