!"

To return to "Screw" Smith, after the successful trial of his little
vessel at sea in the autumn of 1837. He had many difficulties yet to
contend with. There was, first, the difficulty of a new invention, and
the fact that the paddle-boat had established itself in public
estimation. The engineering and shipbuilding world were dead against
him. They regarded the project of propelling a vessel by means of a
screw as visionary and preposterous. There was also the official
unwillingness to undertake anything novel, untried, and contrary to
routine. There was the usual shaking of the head and the shrugging of
the shoulders, as if the inventor were either a mere dreamer or a
projector eager to lay his hands upon the public purse. The surveyor
of the navy was opposed to the plan, because of the impossibility of
making a vessel steer which was impelled from the stern. "Screw" Smith
bided his time; he continued undaunted, and was determined to succeed.
He laboured steadily onward, maintaining his own faith unshaken, and
upholding the faith of the gentlemen who had become associated with him
in the prosecution of the invention.

At the beginning of 1838 the Lords of the Admiralty requested Mr. Smith
to allow his vessel to be tried under their inspection. Two trials were
accordingly made, and they gave so much satisfaction that the adoption
of the propeller for naval purposes was considered as a not improbable
contingency. Before deciding finally upon its adoption, the Lords of
the Admiralty were anxious to see an experiment made with a vessel of
not less than 200 tons. Mr. Smith had not the means of accomplishing
this by himself, but with the improved prospects of the invention,
capitalists now came to his aid. One of the most effective and
energetic of these was Mr. Henry Currie, banker; and, with the
assistance of others, the "Ship Propeller Company" was formed, and
proceeded to erect the test ship proposed by the Admiralty.

The result was the Archimedes, a wooden vessel of 237 tons burthen.
She was designed by Mr. Pasco, laid down by Mr. Wimshurst in the spring
of 1838, was launched on the 18th of October following, and made her
first trip in May 1839. She was fitted with a screw of one turn placed
in the dead wood, and propelled by a pair of engines of 80-horse power.
The vessel was built under the persuasion that her performance would be
considered satisfactory if a speed was attained of four or five knots