it was
acknowledged by The Times of the day that the Novelty was Stephenson's
sharpest competitor.

Ericsson had a wonderfully inventive brain, a determined purpose, and a
great capacity for work. When a want was felt, he was immediately
ready with an invention. The records of the Patent Office show his
incessant activity. He invented pumping engines, steam engines, fire
engines, and caloric engines. His first patent for a "reciprocating
propeller" was taken out in October 1834. To exhibit its action, he
had a small boat constructed of only about two feet long. It was
propelled by means of a screw; and was shown at work in a circular bath
in London. It performed its voyage round the basin at the rate of
about three miles an hour. His patent for a "spiral propeller," was
taken out in July 1836. This was the invention, to exhibit which he
had a vessel constructed, of about 40 feet long, with two propellers,
each of 5 feet 3 inches diameter.

This boat, the Francis B. Ogden, proved extremely successful. She moved
at a speed of about ten miles an hour. She was able to tow vessels of
140 tons burthen at the rate of seven miles an hour. Perceiving the
peculiar and admirable fitness of the screw-propeller for ships of war,
Ericsson invited the Lords of the Admiralty to take an excursion in tow
of his experimental boat. "My Lords" consented; and the Admiralty
barge contained on this occasion, Sir Charles Adam, senior Lord, Sir
William Symonds, surveyor, Sir Edward Parry, of Polar fame, Captain
Beaufort, hydrographer, and other men of celebrity. This distinguished
company embarked at Somerset House, and the little steamer, with her
precious charge, proceeded down the river to Limehouse at the rate of
about ten miles an hour. After visiting the steam-engine manufactory
of Messrs. Seawood, where their Lordships' favourite apparatus, the
Morgan paddle-wheel, was in course of construction, they re-embarked,
and returned in safety to Somerset House.

The experiment was perfectly successful, and yet the result was
disappointment. A few days later, a letter from Captain Beaufort
informed Mr. Ericsson that their Lordships had certainly been "very
much disappointed with the result of the experiment." The reason for
the disappointment was altogether inexplicable to the inventor. It
afterwards appeared, however, that Sir William Symonds, then Surveyor
to the Navy, had expressed the opinion that "even if the propeller h