"
"Oh!" cried Jack, "we invented a machine of that kind for our canoe,
with a turnspit. Do you recollect it, Fritz?"
"Yes, I recollect it well enough; and I also recollect that the canoe
went much better without than with it."
"You spoke just now," continued Willis, "of rival nations, who pounce
like birds of prey upon every new invention; and so it is with the
steamship. An American, named Fulton, made a trial in the Hudson with
one in 1807--that is about five years ago--and I believe the Yankees,
in consequence, are laying claim to the invention."
"Now that you bring the thing to my recollection," said Fritz, "the
idea of applying steam in the arts is by no means new, although, I
must candidly admit, I never heard of it being used in propelling
ships before. The Spaniards assert that a captain of one of their
vessels, named Don Blas de Garay, discovered, as early as the
sixteenth century, the art of making steam a motive power."
"I don't believe that," said Jack.
"Why?"
"Because a real Spaniard has never less than thirty-six words in his
name. If you had said that the steam engine was discovered by Don
Pedrillo y Alvares y Toledo y Concha y Alonzo y Martinez y Xacarillo,
or something of that sort, then I could believe the man to have been a
genuine Spaniard, but not otherwise.
Pages:
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323