ied himself that he could have sufficient light when under
water; that he could do without a supply of fresh air for a considerable
time; that he could descend to any depth and rise to the surface with
equal facility; his next object was to try her movements as well on the
surface as beneath it. On the 26th of July he weighed his anchor and
hoisted his sails; his boat had one mast, a main-sail and a jib. There
was only a light breeze, and therefore she did not move on the surface
at more than the rate of two miles an hour; but it was found that she
would tack and steer, and sail on a wind or before it as well as any
common sail-boat. He then struck her masts and sails; to do which, and
to perfectly prepare the boat for plunging, required about two minutes.
Having plunged to a certain depth he placed two men at the engine which
was intended to give her progressive motion, and one at the helm, while
he, with a barometer before him, governed the machine which kept her
balanced between the upper and lower waters. He found that with the
exertion of only one hand he could keep her at any depth he desired. The
propelling engine was then put in motion, and he found that on coming to
the surface he had, in about seven minutes, made a progress of four
hundred metres, or five hundred yards. He then again plunged, turned her
around, while under the water, and returned to near the place he began
to move from.

He repeated his experiments several days successively until he became
familiar with the operation of the machinery, and the movements of the
boat. He found that she was as obedient to her helm under water, as any
boat could be on the surface, and that the magnetic needle traversed as
well in the one as in the other.

On the 27th of August Mr. Fulton again descended with a store of
atmospheric air compressed into a copper globe, of a cubic foot
capacity, into which two hundred atmospheres were forced. Thus prepared
he descended with three companions to the depth of five feet. At the
expiration of an hour and forty minutes, he began to take small supplies
of pure air from his reservoir, and did so, as he found occasion, for
four hours and twenty minutes. At the expiration of the time he came to
the surface without having experienced any inconvenience from having
been so long under the water.

Fulton, about this time, hearing of Fitche's experiments in the United
States with steam, became more than ever interested in the subjec