Now, Sir, soon as the haughty foe Shall feel a meditated blow, Their ships, perhaps, they will abandon, That you with ease their coasts may land on; Or, England, if I don’t befriend her, May quickly all her fleets surrender. Now rendered master of the seas, You may let ports out as you please; These can be rented, understand, Just as some kingdoms are on land; England, then prostrate at your feet, For peace, on any terms, may treat; Be this your language firm and bold, “While yet the brand of war I hold, As you are most completely beaten, This basis only will I treat on— That you, without the least delay, Two millions to Bob Fulton pay.” CHAPTER IX BUILDING THE FIRST STEAMBOAT For the time England and France were at peace. No need now for weapons of warfare, so Fulton set aside his plan for submarine torpedo-boats and began to devote his attention to an idea of greater importance,—the invention of a steamboat. The thought was not new to him for he had pondered over it since 1793 when he had submitted a description of an original model to Lord Stanhope. Now he bent all his energies to the task and commenced a series of new experiments. He made many sketches of engines, paddles and boats. Some are yet in existence, notably one made June 5th, 1802. It bears a pen-drawing of a steamboat, with side paddle-wheels, a forward smokestack, a covered cabin amidships, with upper deck occupied by imaginary passengers, a pointed bow and a square stern,—not in reality the shape of the later product of his skill, but a fanciful sketch of the form then in mind. How far ahead his imagination darted, in time and space, may be seen from the inscription, “The Steamboat from New York to Albany in 12 hours.” It was a brave prediction! In 1804, when General Armstrong was appointed Minister to France, he lived in the house formerly occupied by Joel Barlow; and upon the walls of Fulton’s room he found, plans of steamboats sketched, as a panorama. Even then the thought had so taken possession of Fulton’s mind that he lived with it day and night.