the water, defying the winds and tide, and breathing flames and smoke." "She had," he proceeds to say, "the most terrific appearance from other vessels which were navigating the river when she was making her passage. The first steam-boats, as others yet do, used dry pine-wood for fuel, which sends forth a column of ignited vapour many feet above the flue; and whenever the fire is stirred, a galaxy of sparks fly off, which, in the night, have an airy, brilliant, and beautiful appearance. This uncommon light first attracted the attention of the crew of other vessels, notwithstanding the wind and tide were adverse to its approach. They saw with astonishment that it was rapidly coming towards them; and when it came so near that the noise of the machinery and the paddles were heard, the crews, in some instances, shrunk beneath their decks from the terrific sight; and others left their vessels to go on shore ; while others prostrated themselves and besought Providence to protect them from the approach of the horrible monster which was marching on the tides, and lighting its path by the fires which it vomited."

The struggles and aspirations of years had now their realisation. The thing was done, and became an accomplished fact. Had Fulton not succeeded, had there been some trifling mistake in the machinery, or some obstacle which even the most searching foresight might not have discovered, he would have been laughed at for his pains. There are always plenty in the world ready to deride the visionary and the utopiost, forgetful, even, with all the examples which history affords of the development of ideas into facts, that the man of thought must bring materials to the man of action, and the dreamer precede the doer. But let the ideal be consolidated into the real, and the same multitude will crown with a similar precipitancy that they would before crucify. Satisfactory as it must have been to the witnesses of this first voyage of this first steam-ship, how much more satisfactory must it have been to him who had called it into existence. How welcome the emotions of joy and gladness which must have welled up from his heart when he saw the reward of his labours and the realisation of his hopes. Other men had gone out over the waters of speculation

before him, and brought him the results of their labours. He had embarked in the same sea, and through gloom and discouragement had combined these results into one harmonious whole, and presented it to the world as the legacy of Labour.

But he was not even now to enjoy the sunshine. Difficulties soon arose, arising from patent rights and legal differences, which embittered the inventor's happiness. Fulton is not alone in such matters. Arkwright in the manufacture of cotton, and Watt in the improvement of the steam-engine, had to fight their way inch by inch, in preventing others invading their patent rights, and entering into a reward of their labours. But before alluding further to this, we desire to chronicle an event which augmented the happiness of Fulton.

man.

The success of his first experiment was speedily followed by his marriage. On his arrival in the United States, his connection in business with Chancellor Livingstone brought him in contact with the relatives and friends of that gentleOf this circle, Miss Harriet Livingstone, the niece of the Chancellor, was at that time the ornament. Pre-eminent in beauty, grace, and accomplishments, she speedily attracted the ardent admiration of Fulton; and this was returned by an estimate of his talents almost amounting to enthusiasm. The epoch of their nuptials, the spring of 1808, was that of Fulton's greatest glory. Everything appeared to concur in enhancing the advancement of his position. Leaving out of view all questions of romance, his bride was such as the most impartial judgment would have selected: young, lovely, highly educated, intelligent, and comparatively wealthy. His long labours in adapting the steamengine to the purposes of navigation had been crowned with complete success, and that very success had opened up to him, through the exclusive grant of the navigation of the Hudson, the prospect of vast riches. Esteemed and honoured, even by those who had been most incredulous while his scheme was in embryo, he felt himself placed on the highest step of the social scale. Nothing, in short, was wanted to complete the blessings of his lot. Labour had won Love; and, as in mythological times, Vulcan had stepped forth hand-in-hand with Venus to receive the patrimony of Hymen. Having basked for a moment

in the sunshine, Fulton had soon again to walk through the shadows. Opposition steam-boats were constructed in other parts of America, and Fulton and Livingstone had great difficulty in getting legal remedies. This opposition was supported by those who anticipated injury from their success. When it was

proved that such apprehensions were nearly groundless, and that Albany, so far from being injured was to be largely benefited by the steam navigation of the Hudson, other causes of discontent and opposition speedily arose; and great as were the services conferred upon travellers, and the community in general, by the introduction of steam-boats, those of Fulton and Livingstone speedily ceased to enjoy popularity. Litigations of a costly and cumbrous character ensued, which involved Fulton in debt and difficulty. Though those law-suits and opposition squabbles occupied much of Fulton's time, and, no doubt, prevented him devoting his inventive mind to something useful, it is scarcely necessary to enlarge upon them here. Steam-boats were multiplying, opposition companies using all their influence for their own purposes, while Fulton was embarrassed, and must have tasted the bitter fruits of disappointment.

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It so happened that Stevens, another American, had, during all the time that Fulton was bringing his plan to perfection, been maturing one himself. "We may here pause to remark," says Dr. Renwick, the American before quoted, on what small circumstances the claim to original invention may rest. Stevens had now been engaged for seventeen years in attempts to apply the steam-engine to navigation purposes, and was on the very eve of success when forestalled by Fulton, while the latter was entitled to the right of priority by no more than a few weeks. It is to be remarked that the engine with which Fulton's successful experiment was made had been planned and constructed several years before; and it appears probable that the exertions of Stevens and of his son, who had now come forward as his father's engineer, were stimulated by the knowledge of Fulton's confidence in a succcessful issue of his experiments. If, however, it were necessary to decide to whom, of all the rivals of Fulton, any share of the honours of success are due, there would be no hesi

tation in awarding them to Stevens." Dr. Renwick, in this instance as in others, speaks as an American, and not as a cosmopolitan. He was biassed by national preferences and prejudices, as he would have attributed more honour to Symington.

Pecuniary difficulties and vexatious law-suits did not prevent Fulton endeavouring to apply the steam-engine to navigation purposes more extensively. He was successful in introcducing the steam ferry-boat, by which an immense advantage was gained. From the magnitude of the American rivers row-boats were an unsafe mode of communication, and large sail-boats, though safer, were, in consequence of the rapidity of the tides and the irregularity of the winds, liable to great uncertainty in their passage. That these difficulties might be overcome by steam was now evident, and Fulton tasked himself to contrive the most appropriate means of applying that mover to the object. It appeared necessary that the vessels for crossing the river should be so constructed that carriages might be driven into them without difficulty. This induced Fulton to adopt the plan of the twin boats-an idea he took from Symington. Fulton had found no difficulty in the navigation of rivers, in the direction of their length, by a single boat with wheels on each side; but the circumstances of the case were far different when a moveable road, bearing both foot passengers and carriages, was to be employed in crossing a wide and rapidly-flowing stream. The twin boats were found to be accompanied with a serious disadvantage, as the wedge of water which lies between the two conjoined boats must be removed before the vessel advances; and, of course, a greater resisting power had to be met. With this exception, the ferry-boat of Fulton is to be classed with the very few machines which came perfect on the first trial from the hands of the inventor; and with the substitution of a single hull for the twin boat, it has, in its arrangement and distribution, undergone little or no change. Steam ferry-boats were first established between New York and Brooklin; and very soon afterwards, between the former city and Paulus Hook. The latter was completed shortly after the breaking out of the war between Great Britain and

the United States. This afforded an immediate opportunity to prove the practicableness of the invention, as it became necessary to transport a troop of flying artillery, with its battery of guns and other carriages. The whole were conveyed across the ferry, whose breadth is about a mile, in less than an hour, by a single boat, although comprising upwards of a hundred men, and more than twenty carriages, each drawn by four horses.

Several steam-boats now moved up and down the Hudson. And Fulton superintended the construction of another vessel which he thought would exhaust the power of steam in navigation, as he intended to give it the speed of nine miles an hour. And it is a remarkable fact, which manifests his acquaintance with theory and skill in calculation, that, in all cases, he predicted, with almost absolute tainty, the velocity of the vessel he caused to be constructed. Subsequent experience has abundantly testified that Fulton was wrong in his estimate of the powers of steam as applied to propelling vessels.

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Having succeeded so far, why not accomplish still more? Vessels were vessels, whether they sailed on the river or on the ocean. And why should not the same power conquer the waves and the winds of the Atlantic, as well as run against the rushing tide of the Hudson? So Fulton, like an all-subduing hero, went to work again with the intention this time of constructing a steam-ship which would cross the seas, and pay its respects to the Old World. While the intention was being carried into action, a greater conqueror than Fulton interrupted his plans and purposes. Just when he was about to add to his glory, as the first constructor of a successful steam-boat, that of being the first navigator of the ocean by this new and mighty power, Death stepped in, and, with his irreversible fiat, summoned him to another scene of action.

During the time these harassing litigations and disputes were going on, and while the steam-boat system was developing itself, and also while he was applying it on a larger scale, Fulton devoted some of his time and energy to the improvement of his torpedo and other modes of warfare. He clung with firm tenacity to the

thought, that it was in his power to give to navies a destructive agency which they did not possess. In this effort he was no doubt encouraged by the hope, that, were he successful, his native country would be safe from the aggression of European powers. The war of 1812 had given an impulse to his wishes. He had, however, almost immediately after his return to the United States, instituted a set of experiments with his torpedo, and he was successful in destroying a vessel anchored in the bay of New York. When the entrances of some of the American harbours were blockaded by the British Fleet, Fulton's talents were called into the service of the American Government; but as his enterprises were conducted with the most profound secrecy, little was said of them at the time. His motions were watched by spies, and regularly reported to the British Commander, who on one occasion landed a strong party, which surrounded the house in which Fulton intended to sleep. By a lucky accident he was prevented reaching his intended quarters, or he would certainly have been made a prisoner.

In the course of his experiments upon the mode of attaching the torpedo, he had planned an instrument by which a cable was to be cut. This

consisted of an arrow projected beneath the surface of the water by a small piece of ordnance. A trial of this instrument showed the practicability of firing artillery beneath the surface of the water. He next directed his attention to the construction of a war vessel, to be moved by steam, and he succeeded in producing a formidable engine of naval war; but, as it was intended solely for the defence of harbours, its value, when compared to subsequent improvements, is not easily estimated. When death arrested the career of Fulton he was busily engaged in constructing an improved form of the submarine vessel which he had used in France. Its object was to furnish a safe and convenient mode of using his torpedoes and submarine guns. He, however, was destined once more to be baffled in his attempts. In crossing the Hudson in an open rowboat he caught a severe cold, which was followed by a severe illness. Before he had wholly recovered, his anxiety in relation to the steam-frigate

and his submarine vessel was such as to induce him, in defiance of the suggestions of prudence, to visit the navyyard at Brooklin, and expose himself for some hours upon the deck of the former. The result of this imprudence was a relapse of such violence that his constitution, enfeebled by constant labours and anxieties, was unable to resist it. His death took place on the 24th of February, 1815.

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An American writer, well able to judge of Fulton's character, says :Rarely has it happened that the natural death of any citizen excited so general mourning as that of Fulton. Cut off in the very height of his usefulness, and in the zenith of his reputation, his countrymen felt it as a loss almost irreparable. Fulton was in person considerably above the middle height; his countenance bore marks of intelligence and talent. Natural refinement, and long intercourse with the most polished societies both of Europe and America, had given him grace and elegance of manners. His great success, and the belief that his invention had secured the certainty of great wealth, however unfounded this belief was proved to be after his death, never, for a moment, rendered him arrogant or assuming. Fond of society, he was the soul of the intelligent circle in which he moved, and of which his hospitable mansion was the centre. The fine arts, once his chosen profession, were his recreation and delight in after years, and he not only practised them himself, but bountifully encouraged the efforts of others." J. P. E.

THOMAS HOOD.

JUDGING from past history, the influence of great comic writers upon the manners and opinions of the people have been almost as important as those exercised by the philosopher, the politician, the historian, and the divine. Many formidable evils have been put to flight by the tickling sting of witty satire, where the ponderous weapons of fact and argument have failed; many a noisy faction has been disarmed, many a threatening altercation has been dissipated, many a dismal face has been illuminated, by a graceful and well-directed play of humour, where legal enactments, moral aphorisms, and religious exhortations have

The

been comparatively fruitless. There are thousands who can laugh much better than they can reason; who can see the folly of an undertaking much clearer by a stroke of wit than by a chapter of logic. Indeed, there are certain triflers in society whose follies are too light for the application of a solemn castigation; who are better treated in the hands of the witty satirist. Hence, neither Reynolds nor Wilson could have wielded the startling power, the cutting humour, the homely thrusts of Hogarth their appeals were to one class of society, his to another; their province was with the world of taste and elegance, his with its vulgarities and absurdities. imperfections and irregularities of men, so long as they do not assume a tragic mien, are fit subjects for the sportive pen. Do we see a man carry himself beyond the limits of propriety, does he annoy you with the obliquity of his views, the absurdity of his dress, or the flippancy of his manners? He is, you feel convinced, fair game for the play of wit and raillery; which, if bestowed with nicety, may curb his folly and conceit. Out of numberless illustrations, one now occurs to our memory. A young preacher had delivered a discourse of common-place merits to a congregation, among whom was the celebrated Robert Hall. The conceit and bombast of the young aspirant did not initiate him in the favour of Hall. At the conclusion of the service the former was extremely solicitous to gain the verdict of the great preacher; and, after fruitlessly alluding to this point and the other illustration, asked Hall, "which was the best passage he had made?" "Sir," said the orator, "I consider the best passage you made was from the pulpit to the vestry." Thus dumfoundered, it is not unreasonable to suppose that Hall corrected this young fisher for compliments with more efficiency than by the delivery of a long and sage discourse. We believe you can shame a man out of a folly sooner by well-administered wit than by subtle argument or eloquent declamation. Let him be extremely attentive to the decoration of his person, you may reason with him upon the folly and expense of his conceit without effecting the slightest impression; but, laugh at him, burlesque him, twit him with the length of his tailor's bill,

confront his fopperies with a little well-seasoned sarcasm, and you will find he cannot hold out long. This is easily explained-for the mere fact of his being so completely absorbed in these outward decorations, shows that he cannot be sensible to any intellectual argument; but, meeting him and paying him off in his own currency, combatting folly with folly, brings him down to the level of common sense and

reason.

What is here applied to individuals is equally applicable to society at large. If a number of people meet, and make themselves egregiously ridiculous, either by their acts or their proposals, they are far more effectually chastised by a few sentences in Punch than they probably would be by a "thunderer" in the Times. We cannot bring down the folly of a man, or a company of men, with more success than by making them the subjects of mirth or ridicule. Moreover, the numerous auditory which we are sure to secure, renders the infliction poignant to a degree.

The sway, then, which great comic authors have exercised, from one generation to another, upon the people, must be computed by no ordinary measure. In one country a Cervantes, in another a Rabelais; here an Ariosto, there a Molière; now a Farquhar, a Congreve, and a Steele; then a Butler, a Swift, and an Addison; what associations we have with the names of these! what a powerful influence they exercised upon the people among whom they lived! Thou sportive spirit of Mirth, what votaries thou hast had in these! How these have sped thy merry reign, supported thy frolicsome kingdom, paid court before thy joy-inspiring throne! Turning from these, our eyes rest upon one on whom their mantle seems to have descended; one whose piquant wit, racy humour, and prolific fancy have cheered many a drooping heart, illuminated many a sunken eye, corrected many a ridiculous error, and shed around our hearts and homes a halo of mirth and pleasantry.

What we have briefly adverted to in the commencement has been fully illustrated in the writings and career of Thomas Hood. Rather indirectly than directly, Hood's comic genius has, doubtless, exercised a considerable influence over those classes of society

whose foibles are better corrected by the sting of wit than by the gravest lectures on wisdom. His humorous satires on passing events, on the littleness of this subject and the folly of that; his hatred of all cant; his aversion to all oppression; his quick pene tration of the grotesque absurdities of human nature, prove to us that his drollery was turned to a very important account, that the office which he filled was of eminent service to the age. Withal he carolled on with a light spirit and a feeling heart; and, even in his most scornful moods, forms a perfect antithesis to the bull-dog ferocity of Swift, or the subtle irony of Addison. Warmth of heart is a leading characteristic of his writings, and although he might sting your follies, and denounce your anti-Chris

tian enormities in the treatment of your slaves of the needle, there beats a heart in Thomas Hood overflowing with human love and charity.

The subject of our sketch was born in London, in 1796. His parentage was somewhat of a literary character, his father being a bookseller in the city, we understand, of the firm of Vernor and Hood. Of his childhood we have no particulars beyond those given in his "Literary Reminiscences," which appeared in "Hood's Own." Like

Hazlitt and others, he often turns round and breaks out in rapturous enthusiasm on the past-on the golden dreams of life's happiest hours. "Thus my birth," he says, was neither so humble that, like John Jones, I have been obliged amongst my lays to lay the cloth, and to court the cook and the Muses at the same time; nor yet so lofty that, with a certain lady of title, I could not write without letting myself down. Then, for education, though, on the one hand, I have not taken my degree with Blucher; yet, on the other, I have not been rusticated at the openair school, like the poet of Helpstone." Hood's parents were of that class who could just give their son a respectable education, the acquisition of which, however, gave him a certain degree of experience of school-training which he has turned to considerable advantage in some of his productions. In the Carnaby Correspondence," droll as it reads, there is doubtless much of the author's own experience. He passed his educational courses in one or two

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