“Birmingham, June 30th, 1779. “Hallelujah! Hallelujee! We have concluded with Hawkesbury, 217_l._ per annum from Lady-day last; 275_l._ 5_s._ for time past; 157_l._ on account. We make them a present of 100 guineas-- Peace and good-fellowship on earth-- Perrins and Evans to be dismissed-- 3 more engines wanted in Cornwall-- Dudley repentant and amendant-- Yours rejoicing, JAMES WATT.” Watt continued for some time longer to suffer great annoyance from the shortcomings of his workmen. He was himself most particular in giving his instructions, verbally, in writing, and in drawings. When he sent a workman to erect an engine, he sent with him a carefully drawn up detail of the step by step proceedings he was to adopt in fitting the parts together. Where there was a difficulty, and likely to be a hitch, he added a pen and ink drawing, rapid but graphic, and pointed out how the difficulty was to be avoided. It was not so easy, however, to find workmen capable of intelligently fitting together the parts of a machine so complicated and of so novel a construction. Moreover, the first engines were in a great measure experimental, and to have erected them perfectly, and provided by anticipation for their various defects, would have argued a knowledge of the principles of their construction almost as complete as that of Watt himself. He was not sufficiently disposed to make allowances for the workmen’s want of knowledge and want of experience, and his letters were accordingly full of complaints of their shortcomings. He was especially annoyed with the mistakes of a foreman, named Hall, who had sent the wrong articles to Cornwall, and he urged Boulton to dismiss him at once. But Boulton knew better. Though Watt understood engines, he did not so well understand men. Had Boulton dismissed such as Hall because they made mistakes, the shop would soon have been empty. The men were as yet but at school, learning experience, and Boulton knew that in course of time they would acquire dexterity. He was ready to make allowance for their imperfections, but at the same time he did not abate in his endeavours to find out and engage the best hands, wherever they were to be found--in Wales, in Cornwall, or in Scotland. He therefore kept on Hall, notwithstanding Watt’s protest, and the latter submitted.[177]