That  his  inventions  to  avoid  the  Fulton  Patent  are  pretences  ruinous
to  his  employers.  It  is  said  that  one  of  Brown's  boats  lays  useless
in  the  Delaware,  that  another  is  abandoned  and  the  one  at  Salem
was  much  injuried  in  her  passage,  ft  has  failed  in  some  thing  on
every  attempt.  It  is  said  in  the  experiment  last  made  the  steam
unsoldered  some  parts  of  the  works.  Indeed  some  imitation  has  ap-
peared from  the  want  of  public  confidence.
July  1,  1817.  An  invitation  to  celebrate  4  July  with  the  Me-
chanic Association.  The  Letter  is  from  Thomas  Needham,  Secre-
tary, ft  Samuel  Gray,  Chairman.   The  order  of  procession  ft  place  of


462  DIABT  OF  [J^y

Dinner  are  announced.  It  is  expected  the  Company  will  be  large  &
the  escort  will  be  the  Mechanic  L.  Infantry.  The  Steam  Boat  will
go  to  Boston  to  meet  the  Pr[e8ident]  on  the  morrow.  The  first
Company  will  be  Proprietors.  We  do  not  hear  of  pressing  requests
to  be  admitted  on  the  first  trial.  John  Prince,  Esqr.,  Marblehead,
with  me  tells  of  finding  parts  of  fossil  bones  on  M.  Neck.  He  de-
scribes them  of  mammoth  size  &  since  the  first  has  found  a  second  in
the  same  place.  He  is  enthusiastic  in  his  purposes  to  preserve  the
history  of  the  Naval  adventures  of  Marblehead.  He  claims  the  hero-
ism of  taking  the  British  Sloop  of  War  Lively,  Capt.  Michael  Stan-
hope, Conmi.,  Nov.,  1782,  &  of  carrying  her  into  Havanna.
