PREFACE.

Among the many important inventions and im-provements of the present age, none has proved ofgreater utility than the adaptation of steam to thepurposes of navigation. It is, therefore, much to beregretted that he who accomplished so arduous anundertaking, was rewarded, except by a few intelli-gent and spirited individuals, with treachery, in-gratitude, and neglect.

In the prosecution of his plans, the best of hisdays were spent; lucrative engagements abandoned;and his private means, and even those of his family,expended.

He lived to see that realised which, before heshowed its practicability, was generally reckonedchimerical: and to observe others reaping the fruitsof his labours, without the honesty to acknowledgeto whom they were indebted.

The following narrative i3 drawn up from a memo-rial presented to the Lords of His Majesty’s Trea-sury, in behalf of William Symington ; and fromdocuments in the possession of his family.