In making his experiments, Mr. Fulton not only remained a whole hour under water with three of his companions, but had the boat parallel to the horizon at any given distance. He proved that the compass points as correctly under water as on the surface, and that while under water, the boat made way at the rate of half a league an hour, by means contrived for that purpose.

If we may judge of the future from the past, it would seem necessary for the success of these projects, to obtain the consent of those who are to be "de

tions on French politics to Lord Stanhope, who appears to have been his intimate friend; but though designed for the public, they attracted little of the public attention, as his biographer does not even know whether they were ever in fact published or not. In 1797, he took lodgings at an hotel in Paris, with Mr. Joel Barlow, with whom he formed so strong a friendship, that when Mr. B. soon after removed to his own hotel, he invited Mr. F. to reside with him, and for some years Mr. Fulton was a member of the family of Mr. Barlow. He composed," which has not yet been projected a panorama, which proved done. Mr. Fulton was therefore never successful and beneficial, and made able to demolish an English ship, alsome experiments upon the explosion of though he watched long and anxiously gunpowder under water. The French such as approached the French coast, Directory gave him hopes of patroni- for that purpose. The rulers of France zing these attempts, but at length with being at length discouraged, and Mr. drew their support. He offered the Fulton thinking that the all-important project to the Dutch government, but object was to blow up ships, and so it was declined. It was then offered to that were effected, it was no great matBonaparte, who had become first consul, and he appointed a commission with funds and powers to give the required assistance. While in France, and probably about this period, he formed an intimate acquaintance with Chancellor Livingston, and at that period those gentlemen laboured conjointly in their attempts to introduce steam navigation, which was afterwards attended with such brilliant success. In 1801, he made several experiments with a plunging boat, designed for submarine warfare, with a degree of suceess which seems to have been satis

factory to himself. The following very flattering account of it was given by St. Austin, a member of the tribunal.

The diving boat, in the construction of which he is now employed, will be caRacious enough to contain eight men, and provision enough for twenty days, and will be of sufficient strength and power to enable him to plunge one hundred feet under water, if necessary. He has contrived a reservoir of air, which will enable eight men to remain under water eight hours. When the boat is above water, it has two sails, and looks just like a common boat; when she is to dive, the mast and sails are struck.

ter to what power they might happen to belong, turned his eyes for patronage to the English government-or they turned their eyes to him. Mr. Colden seems very properly aware that this conduct of his friend might make an unpleasant impression on the minds of those who were not, like his biographer, acquainted with the elevation and philanthropy of his views, and seeks to justify him by the following defence:

It must be recollected, that Mr. Fulton's

enthusiastic notions of the advantages of an universal free trade and the liberty of the seas, had led to the inventions which

he was then endeavouring to employ, and which, as he supposed, would annihilate naval armaments, the great support in his estimation of what he called the war system of Europe. He was persuaded, that if this system could be broken up, all nations would direct their energies to education, the sciences, and a free exchange of their natural advantages. He was convinced, that if, on the contrary, the Europeans continued to cherish this war system, and to support and augment their great naval armaments, his own country would be driven to the necessity of protecting herself by similar establishments, which, as he thought, would be inimical to her republican institutions, and de

But the

structive of her happiness. Without re- and three, Mr. Fulton went from Paris to ference, therefore, to the merits of the Amsterdam for this purpose. then existing contest, the grounds of agent with whom he was to confer did not which were constantly changing; without arrive; and after being in Amsterdam feeling a partiality or enmity to either of three months, he returned to Paris. the belligerents; he was desirous of engaging one of the nations at war, to give him an opportunity of trying the efficacy of his inventions. If they were proved to answer his expectations, he was indifferent as to the temporary advantages it might give either over the other. He believed

that the result would be the permanent happiness of all, and that in the general good, his own country would largely participate. He considered himself as introducing a new military science, which he wished to prove, and in which he had a desire to perfect himself for the benefit of his country, and of mankind. His sentiments on this subject were not novel, nor without the sanction of the nations which they most immediately concerned. Neither France nor England has hesitated to encourage their citizens, with a view to their improvement in military science, to serve in the armies and navies of foreign states at war, when they have been

neutral.

We cannot resist the impression that some light is thrown upon Mr. Fulton's conduct by the evidence adduced for another purpose, by Mr. Colden, from Lord Stanhope, his early friend and correspondent.

Lord Stanhope in the House of Lords, soon In a speech on American affairs, made by after these experiments were made, he is reported in an English newspaper, to have said, "it was not, perhaps, sufficiently known that, at that very moment, exertions were making in America to carry into effect a plan, for the disclosure of which an individual had, a few years before, demanded of the British government fifteen alluded to a plan, he said, for the invisible thousand dollars, but had been refused. He destruction of shipping, and particularly of men of war. That the inventor of this

scheme was then in America, and it was ascertained that it would not, on an ave rage, cost twenty pounds to destroy any ship whatever."

"Whatever" says Mr. C." may be the just force of this reasoning, it sway- While he was labouring for his new ed the mind of Mr. Fulton to honest employers, some of his torpedoes were conviction." It is doubtful whether it thrown from British boats upon French

will produce a similar effect on any

other mind.

From the following passage we infer, that the negotiations between Mr. Fulton and the English ministry were clandestine, and were carried on at a time when he resided in France, and was ostensibly attached to her interests:

It has been mentioned, that the Earl of Stanhope had taken great pains to inform himself as to Mr. Fulton's proceedings in

France. This nobleman's mathematical and mechanical mind, perceived what consequence might result from the application of Mr. Fulton's inventions. The information he obtained was communicated to the British cabinet, and excited alarm. It was determined by the British ministry, if possible to withdraw Mr. Fulton from France. Lord Sidmouth, who was then one of the ministers, contrived to have a communication with Mr. Fulton, while he was in Paris, and obtained his consent to meet an agent of the British government in Holland. In October, eighteen hundred VOL. I. NO. IV.

vessels, but they exploded without ef fect-a circumstance which Mr. Fulton attributed to a slight, and easily rectified mistake. To evince the correctness of this opinion, in October 1805, he did blow up with complete success a brig provided for the purpose. Still, however, the British ministry were incredulous, and "Mr. Fulton, wearied with incessant applications, disappointments, and neglect, at length embarked for this country."

Mr. Colden here fairly states

It would be doing injustice to the me mory of Mr. Fulton, as well as that of another ingenious native American, not to notice, before we leave this subject, that Mr. Fulton did not pretend to have been the first who discovered that gunpowder might be exploded with effect under water; nor did he pretend to have been the first who attempted to apply it as the means of hostility. He knew well what had been done by Bushnell in our revolu 2 K

tionary war. He frequently spoke of the greater effect in proportion to the supegenius of this American with great re- riority of their naval force. But no such spect, and expressed a conviction that motive can be ascribed to the French his attempts against the enemy would have been more successful if he had had republican government, and they rejectthe advantages which he himself derived ed it—no such suspicion can lie against from the improvements of nearly forty Bonaparte, and after a full trial he reyears in mechanics and mechanical philo linquished it-or against the Dutch sophy. government, and they declined it-no We cannot but think, that it is a very such policy is to be attributed to our exaggerated estimate of the efficiency administration, and still we are told by of Mr. Fulton's contrivances which in- Mr. Colden, (page 207,)" Mr. Fulton's duces Mr. Colden to suppose, that "the plan for submarine warfare met with British ministry never truly intended to no countenance from the government. give Mr. Fulton a fair opportunity of He had not been able to inspire the trying the effects of his engines." executive officers with any confidence The object may have been to prevent in them [it]." We presume, also, that their being placed in the hands of an ene- Commodore Rodgers is not to be accumy; and if that was accomplished, it was sed of connivance in a similar design. the interest of England, as long as she was Besides, Mr. Colden should have ambitious of maintaining the proud title of mistress of the seas, to make the world be weighed the matter well before he made lieve, that Mr. Fulton's projects were chi- a charge which necessarily implies that merical. Nothing could be more likely to all the experiments made by such men produce this effect, than abortive attempts as Mr. Cavendish, Sir Home Popham, to apply them. This would prevent other Major Congreve, and Mr. Rennie, (the natius from making similar experiments, commissioners appointed by the British and discourage the inventor.

In June, the British ministry appointed ministry) were intended to be decepa commission to examine Mr. Fulton's tive, and that their report was meanly projects. The commissioners were Sir fraudulent and false. Joseph Banks, Mr. Cavendish, Sir Home Popham, Major Congreve, and Mr. John Rennie. Many weeks passed before Mr. Fulton could prevail on them to do any thing, and finally, when they met, they reported against the submarine boat as being impracticable. In a letter to the ministry, Mr. Fulton complains that this report was made without his having been called upon for any explanations, and although the gentlemen who made it had before them no account of what had been done Indeed, in the first interview which Mr. Fulton had with Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville, the latter condemned the Nauti

lus without a moment's consideration.

Mr. Colden has so far suffered bis imagination to predominate over his better judgment upon this subject, that he seems really to have supposed [see page 206] that during the late war it was a main object with the British where Mr. Fulton might reside, and to navy to ascertain the part of the coast avoid it as the peculiarly fulminating point of this terrific submerged thunder.

Mr. Fulton arrived in New-York in December, 1806, and immediately renewed the pursuit of the objects upon which he had recently been engaged in If these engines were, in truth, as terri- Europe, that is, submarine war and steam ble as the biographer imagines, it would navigation. He was encouraged by the not be strange that the British ministry American government, and in the sumshould choose to preserve their navy by mer of 1807 made several experiments, almost any means, from entire demoli- and one of them upon a large hulk brig, tion; and they might oppose the intro- (an unresisting subject) was completely duction of a mode of warfare, which, successful. The narrowness of our though in the first instance it was exert- limits-the necessary length of this ar ed against their enemies, would infal- ticle-and the notoriety of these atlibly re-act against themselves with tempts, which were made in the vicinity

of this city, render it unnecessary for paramount importance, he is entitled to us to detail them with minuteness. In praise enough to fully satisfy the amMarch, 1810, Congress passed an act bition and affection of his friends. The making an appropriation for trying the increased facility of intercourse in many use of torpedoes and submarine explo- parts of the world, and especially on sions. Commissioners were appointed this continent, is such as twenty years to observe the success of the experi- ago it would have required a bold imaments of which the sloop of war Argus, gination to conceive. Can any man commanded by Captain Lawrence, was doubt that Mr. Fulton has been mainly to be the subject. These commission- instrumental in accelerating, if he did ers differed considerably in their reports not exclusively produce this state of of the result to the government. Chan- things? The whole progress of the arts cellor Livingston, with whom, as we shows that the first discovery of a prinbefore mentioned, Mr. Fulton had form- ciple is usually very remote from the ed a very intimate acquaintance and perfection of the practice. This is connexion in France, which subsisted strongly exemplified by some facts during their joint lives, was rather fa- stated by Mr. Fulton himself.-In 1320 vourably impressed. General Lewis gunpowder was discovered; 150 years ("whose long military services and ex- after that period iron balls were first perience," Mr. Colden thinks," render used; muskets were unknown until his judgment on this subject, deserving 200 years from the same time; and in of the highest consideration,") was ve- these the cumbrous match lock did not ry sanguine of their ultimate success; give place to the fire-lock till the beand such, also, was the opinion of the ginning of the 17th century, that is, biographer, then one of the cominis- 280 years after the first knowledge of sioners. gunpowder.

Commodore Rodgers also made a report, which contained a journal of the daily proceedings of Mr. Fulton and the committee, and very minute descriptions of the machines and experiments. His opinion was entirely against Mr. Fulton's system, and he concludes, that every part of it would be found totally impracticable.

"In the year sixteen hundred and sixty. three, the Marquis of Worcester discovered the expansive power of steam. Thirtythree years afterwards, Captain Savary took out a patent for a steam-engine, to pump the mines of Cornwall. In seventeen hundred and five, Mr. Newcomen thought of a piston to the cylinder; but he worked A great portion of the work is occuat it nine years before it was sufficiently pied by a statement of Mr. Fulton's Fifty-two years after Mr. Newcomen's disimproved to give a fair prospect of utility: merits, and those of his chief friend and covery, Mr. Watt thought of another im associate, Chancellor Livingston, in rela- provement, which was the separate contion to steam navigation. The infor- denser. Thus it was a hundred years mation prevalent upon this subject-the from the time of the Marquis of Worces legal discussions which have already ter, till Mr. Watt's discovery gave the been had, and which may steam-engine, in any degree, its present hereafter perfection; and rendered it so simple, faarise in relation to it,-and to speak miliar, and useful, as to be adapted to the honestly, a little distrust of our own many important purposes to which it is judgment, induce us to refrain from a now applied." minute examination of the claims which Another striking illustration to the are advanced in favour of those gentle- same effect, and which may serve to exmen. It is but fair, however, to remark, emplify the nature as well as to manifest that even if it be admitted that Mr. the degree of Mr. Fulton's benefactions Fulton has done no more than to re- to the public, is to be found in the gra duce to successful practice previously dual improvements effected in his steam existing theories upon a subject of such boats since their establishment. We

believe that the average passage of the first boat between Albany and this city fell little short of 36 hours, and in some of the present boats it does not exceed 21 hours.

Mr. Fulton's attention was strongly attracted during several parts of his life to the subject of improving internal navigation by means of canals, and in particular, he entered with his characteristic enthusiasm, into the magnificent project which our Legislature is now attempting to realize. In 1811 he was appointed one of the commissioners upon the subject, but he did not sanction the Report which in the subsequent year was returned to the Legislature. It is not claimed by the biographer either that this scheme in particular, or generally this branch of improvement, has received any eminent benefit from the genius or industry of Mr. Fulton.

In February, eighteen hundred and fourteen, he addressed a letter to Gouverneur Morris, Esq. President of the Board of Commissioners, in which he shows what would be the advantages of the proposed canal, and exhibits very interesting and curious calculations of the comparative expense of transportation upon land, upon rivers, and upon canals.

The same year Mr. Fulton, with the other commissioners, made another report to the legislature: this is the last service he rendered this magnificent project.

perhaps this invention is hereafter destined to display.

The occasion and manner of Mr. Fulton's death is thus related.

In January, eighteen hundred and fifteen, Mr. John R. Livingston, who owned the steam-boat which plyed between NewYork and New-Jersey, but which was stopped by the operation of the Jersey laws, petitioned the legislature of that state for their repeal. After hearing witnesses and counsel for several days, the laws were rescinded. It was upon this occasion that Mr. Fulton was examined as a witness, as we have before stated. The weather, while he was at Trenton, where he was much exposed in attending the hall of the legis lature, was uncommonly cold. When he was crossing the Hudson to return to his house and family, the river was very full hours on the water in a very severe day. of ice, which occasioned his being several Mr. Fulton had not a constitution to encounter such exposure, and upon his return he found himself much indisposed from the effects of it. He had at that time great anxiety about the steam-frigate, and, after confining himself for a few days, when he was convalescent, he went to give his superintendance to the artificers employed about her: he forgot his debilitated state of health in the interest he took in what was doing on the frigate, and was a long time, in a bad day, exposed to the weather on her decks. He soon found the effects of this imprudence. His indisposition returned upon him with such vio

lence as to confine him to his bed: His disorder increased, and on the twentyfourth day of February, eighteen hundred and fifteen, terminated his valuable life.

As soon as the legislature, which was death of Mr. Fulton, they expressed their then in session at Albany, heard of the participation in the general sentiment, by resolving that the members of both houses should wear mourning for some weeks.

We presume that our readers will readily excuse our omission of any account of Mr. Fulton's well-known and very extensive experiments in relation to the various modes which he devised for submarine attack, and for transferring a large portion of naval warfare beneath the surface of the ocean. We It will appear, by the above slight are told by Mr. Colden that the steam sketch of the life of this valuable citifrigate, that imposing if not effective zen, that the three great subjects of his engine of war, owes its origin to these attention and efforts, were the improveexperiments, although it is not apparent- ment of the art of making canals, subly connected with them. The untime- marine warfare, and steam navigation. ly death of Mr. Fulton ;-the cessation In relation to the first, we are not aware of the war; and the imperfections in- that he has effected much; in the seseparable from the infancy of all im- cond, he has displayed great talent and provements, may have prevented the wonderful industry, the effects and full developement of the powers which utility of which time is hereafter to de