"A man's labour for one day is about 500 tons lifted 1 foot high, costing 3s. 6d.
"I have had repeated trials of the water lifted by coals, horses, and men, proving that where a bushel of coal can be purchased for sixpence, that sixpence is equal to 20s. of horse labour, and to 3l. 10s. of men's labour.
"If you calculate a man to lift 500 tons 1 foot high, it is equal to 100 tons lifted 5 feet high; a very hard task for a man to perform in a day's work.
"This calculation proves the great advantage of elemental power over animal power, which latter I believe can in a great part be dispensed with if properly attended to, especially as we have an inexhaustible quantity of coals.
"To prove to you that my ideas are not mere ideas, in general my wild ideas lead to theory, and theory leads to practice, and then follows the result, which sometimes proves of essential service to the public.
"About six years ago I turned my thoughts to this subject, and made a travelling steam-engine at my own expense to try the experiment.
"I chained four waggons to the engine, each loaded with 2½ tons of iron, besides seventy men riding on the waggons, making altogether about 25 tons, and drew it on the road from Merthyr to the Quaker's-yard (in South Wales), a distance of 9¾ miles, at the rate of four miles per hour, without the assistance of either man or beast, and then, without the load, drove the engine on the road sixteen miles per hour.
"I thought this experiment would show to the public quite enough to recommend its general use; but though promising to be of so much consequence, has so far remained buried, which discourages me from again trying, at my own expense, for the public, especially when my family call for the whole of my receipts from my mining concerns for their maintenance.
"It is my opinion that every part of agriculture might be performed by steam; carrying manure for the land, ploughing, harrowing, sowing, reaping, thrashing, and grinding; and all by the same machine, however large the estate.