In 1801,
however, Robert R. Livingston came to France as American
Minister. Livingston had already made some unsuccessful
experiments with the steamboat in the United States, and, in
1798, had received the monopoly of steam navigation on the waters
of New York for twenty years, provided that he produced a vessel
within twelve months able to steam four miles an hour. This grant
had, of course, been forfeited, but might be renewed, Livingston
thought.
Fulton and Livingston met, probably at Barlow's house, and, in
1802, drew up an agreement to construct a steamboat to ply
between New York and Albany. Livingston agreed to advance five
hundred dollars for experimentation in Europe. In this same year
Fulton built a model and tested different means of propulsion,
giving "the preference to a wheel on each side of the model."*
The boat was built on the Seine, but proved too frail for the
borrowed engine. A second boat was tried in August, 1803, and
moved, though at a disappointingly slow rate of speed.
* Fulton to Barlow, quoted in Sutcliffe, "Robert Fulton and the
Clermont", p. 124.
Just at this time Fulton wrote ordering an engine from Boulton
and Watt to be transported to America. The order was at first
refused, as it was then the shortsighted policy of the British
Government to maintain a monopoly of mechanical contrivances.
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