[ [167] Watt to Boulton, 8th August, 1778. Boulton MSS.
[ [168] Watt to Boulton, 29th August, 1778. Later, Watt wrote from Redruth, “Captain Paul desires me to attend at Wheal Virgin meeting on Thursday, where several Tingtang people will be; but I shall only write, as I know they will be just in the worst of humours about Wheal Virgin affairs, and they are very disagreeable at the best. Every article must be settled and sealed with Cornish adventures before we begin, otherwise never.... Do not let Chelsea begin until signed and sealed. I hope you will not take amiss my writing so positively on this subject of agreements; but really my faith in mankind will carry me no further, and if I can’t get money, I’m resolved to save my bacon and to live in hunger and ease. As it is, we don’t get such a share of reputation as our works deserve, for every man who cheats us defames us in order to justify himself.”—Watt to Boulton, 6th September, 1778. Boulton MSS.
[ [169] “With all the faults of the Cornish people, I think we have a better chance for tolerable honesty here than elsewhere, as, their meetings being public, they will not choose to expose themselves any further than strict dealing may justify; and besides, there are generally too many to cabal.”—Watt to Boulton, 29th August, 1778. Boulton MSS.
[ [170] During his absence Mr. Keir took charge of the works at Soho. It had been intended to introduce him as a partner, and he left the glass-making concern at Stourbridge, into which he had entered, for the purpose; but when he came to look into the books of the Soho firm, he was so appalled by their liabilities that he eventually declined the connexion.
[ [171] Matthews wrote him on the 8th October, 1778, that he had met a Mr. Boldero at the Goldsmiths’ Hall, who had much influence in Cornwall, and that he expressed the opinion that, if the engines could do what Boulton and Watt promised, they might soon get from 40,000l. to 80,000l. for them in Cornwall. Matthews accordingly recommended Boulton to apply to Elliot and Praed, the Cornish bankers, for an advance on security of the engine contracts.—It would appear from a letter written to Boulton a few days later, by Mr. Barton, Matthews’s partner, that Boulton was, amidst his many speculations, engaged in a privateering adventure during the war of the American Revolution:—“It may give you some pleasure,” wrote Barton, “to hear we are likely to receive some produce from our adventure to New York. One of the vessels our little brig took last year was fitted out at New York, and in a cruise of 13 weeks has taken 13 prizes, 12 of which are carried safe in, and we have advice of 200 hogsheads of tobacco being shipped as part of the prizes, which, if now here, would fetch us 10,000l. But while the embargo on shipping at New York continues, they cannot stir out of port. However, I think we shall see them before you raise that sum from your engine concern, and yet I hope that is not very far off.”
[ [172] Watt to Black, 12th December, 1778.
[ [173] Watt to Boulton, 15th Jan., 1779.
[ [174] M. Perrier, of Paris, ordered an engine early in 1779, and the materials were despatched to Nantes by the end of May in the same year. The engine was erected by M. Jary at a colliery near Nantes, but the fitting was so bad—the steam-case having been forgotten—that it went only four strokes per minute. As Boulton and Watt sought a patent for France, it was necessary in the first place that Commissioners should certify that the new engine was superior to the common engine. This they could not do, and the patent was not secured. Watt feared that there was “a plot” against him; as Perrier immediately proceeded with a manufacture of steam-engines after the alleged invention of M. Betancourt, though this “invention” turned out to be a close copy of the engine M. Betancourt himself had imported from Soho.
[ [175] Watt to Boulton, 27th January, 1779. Boulton MSS.
[ [176] The following is Watt’s letter, written in a very unusual style:—