"Penydarran, Cardiff, January 5th, 1804.
"Mr. Giddy,
"Sir,—I received yours a few days since, and should have answered it sooner, but I was at Swansea for the last four weeks, and wished to return here to give you as full an account of our proceedings as possible.
"We have had an 8-inch cylinder at work here by way of trial; it worked exceedingly well a hammer of the same size as is now being worked here by an atmospheric engine 28 inches diameter, 5-feet stroke, which does not master its work with greater ease than the 8-inch cylinder. The 8-inch is now removed to Swansea, and is winding coals; the baskets hold 6 cwt. of coal; it lifts 80 yards in a minute and a quarter, and burns 6 cwt. of coal in twenty-four hours. There were twelve horses on this pit before, lifting 80 tons of coal in the course of the twenty-four hours. You may fairly state that the 8-inch cylinder does between thirty and forty horses' work in twenty-four hours, with 6 cwt. of coal.
"One of Boulton and Watt's 18-inch double engine, about half a mile from it, lifting baskets of the same size, and with the same velocity, burns above three times the quantity of coal.
"The 8-inch engine requires the steam to be about 46 or 48 lbs. to the inch to do its work well. The standers-by would not believe that such a small engine could lift a basket of coal, but are now much pleased with it, and have given orders for several more. There will be another at work here for the same purpose in about six weeks, a 15-inch cylinder, 6-feet stroke, which is a great power for a winding engine.
"Mr. Watt says, in a letter to Mr. Homfray, that he could not make any of his experiments in strong steam answer the purpose. It is my belief that he never made any experiments of any consequence in strong steam.
"A great number are building at different foundries. Mr. Sharratt, a founder at Manchester, who has four in building, said that he would not pay the patent right; on giving him notice of a trial he agreed to pay the patent right.
"I have received a letter from London, saying that an engineer called Dixon has two engines on the same plan working; and says that he shall not pay anything to the patentee; that the words in Mr. Watt's specification are enough to indemnify him from my threats. We have had three counsels' opinions on the subject, and they all agree that the patent is good. Counsels Marratt and Gibbs principally treated on the construction of the engine, more than on the principle; but Erskine was principally on the principle of the engine, and said very little of its construction. They all say the words in Mr. Watt's specification will have no weight whatever against us.
"I shall leave this place to-morrow for London to make inquiry into those engines, and to get the business into court if they will contend. I shall be at No. 2, Southampton Street, Strand, and expect to be in town about five or six days, and if you will be so good as to return here, from Oxford, with me, I will call on you in my journey down. It is but 50 miles from Bristol, and not so much as 100 miles from Oxford, and the coach passes very near this place.