"Sir,--Your favour of the 9th instant, dated from Falmouth, I
received, and in return wrote to you immediately--directed for you at
Messrs. Campbell and Co.'s, London. As you said in your last letter,
that immediately on your arrival in town you would write to me, I have
expected every post since last Tuesday would have brought me a letter;
but as I have not received it according to your promise, I am fearful
that your letter may be unexpectedly detained, especially as you told
me the last time I saw you at Falmouth, that you would enclose me
a bank post bill. All the founders and other tradesmen are in full
employ on your engines.
"I intended to have left Cornwall for Wales and Shropshire by
this time, with the founders' articles for execution; but being
disappointed in not hearing from you, agreeable to our appointment, I
shall delay it until I hear from you, which I must request you to have
the goodness to do by return of post, because those delays make very
much against the execution of your work; and as time is of so great
a consequence to you, I hope you will not lose a moment in writing
and giving me the necessary instructions, with a few drops of that
essential oil that you proposed sending me on your arrival in town.
"R. T."
The sugar rolling-mill engine that had been made for the West Indies
so pleased Uville that he purchased it at once, intending it for the
Mint at Lima. He also ordered one or two winding engines, in addition
to the pumping engines. Trevithick had arranged that no piece should
exceed 560 lbs. in weight. Then came Uville's order, "if possible to
be reduced so as to be carried on the backs of mules." Since that time
the path on the mountains has been improved, yet the present limit
of weight is 300 lbs. The absence of the promised bank post bill was
another difficulty.
[Rough draft.]
"CAMBORNE, _June 23rd, 1813_.
"MR. FRANCIS UVILLE,
"at MESSRS. CAMPBELL AND CO.'S, Park Buildings, London.
"Sir,--Your favour of the 19th instant came safe to hand.
"I was in hopes that I should have found a remittance enclosed. All
the tradesmen that I have employed on your work were to have been paid
every Saturday, and I made my arrangement with you accordingly. Unless
this mode of proceeding is followed up, you cannot get your work done
in any reasonable time, especially as you are an entire stranger. For
my own part I have placed the greatest confidence in your honour, with
which I am fully satisfied.
"But I have to get this work from a great number of different
tradesmen, and must make regular payments agreeable with my
engagements with them. As the articles are about to be executed by
different tradesmen, regular weekly payments ought to be established,
of which I informed you before the work began.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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