did. The power was 33 horses, and with an 11-inch pump barrel, 150 feet

of 11-inch pumps, a winch, and all apparatus necessary for draining the mine, the cost was but 1400_l._

[Rough draft.]

"PLOUGH INN, BLACKWALL, _December 28th, 1813_.

"MR. RASTRICK,

"Sir,--I am requested by Mr. Uville to write to you, to push the boilers as fast as possible. A ship will sail for the South Sea fishery in about five weeks, and will engage to take the whole of the engines. We have not finally closed with her, because we cannot state the exact time until we hear from you. You must not lose a moment in sending the boiler to town. I should have gone to Cornwall before this, but have been detained, getting a ship; and I do not like leaving until my agreements are executed, which cannot be done until the beginning of next week.

"I have been obliged to have all the transactions between the mines, and the Spanish Government, and Mr. Uville, translated into English, before the outlines of an agreement could be drawn up, which has been a most tedious job.

"Most of the people have been out of town, and those that were not would do no business in the Christmas, which has occasioned a loss of near ten days.

"As soon as the agreements are executed, I will immediately send to you money from this place. I have been kept so long here, that it will not be worth returning to Cornwall until after Mr. Uville sails. I shall be at Bridgenorth in about ten days, and will remain until the work is finished. Write how the work is getting on, and what state the winding engine is in.

"Yours, &c.,

"RD. TREVITHICK."

[Rough draft.]

"DEAR SIR,

"CAMBORNE, _March 4th, 1814_.

"Your favour of the 23rd February was sent to me from Bridgenorth. I have also received your favour of the 1st instant, and will attend to the drawings you mention, and be prepared to meet you as early as you please, only give me as much notice as you can.

"I hope by this time that Mr. Page has done something toward the needful, to be at your service. I have, agreeably with your letter this day, desired Capt. Thomas Trevarthen to hold himself in readiness for London about the end of this month. I have not yet seen Bull. I wish you to write me if I am to give him notice also to hold himself in readiness for town. I fear that those two persons will not be sufficient to conduct the work with speed, especially if Capt. Trevarthen should be unwell; he is a good miner and pitman, and could assist in fixing the engines. Bull can only act as an assistant to an engineer, therefore neither of them can take the sole direction of the work.

"There will be those four large boilers to be put together on the spot, which neither of those persons know but little about. I think it would take a great charge and care from your mind to have a third person with you that could go through the whole of the undertaking, especially as the distance from England is so great. This undertaking of such immense magnitude and value ought not to depend solely on your own health, as neither of the other two could get on without your assistance in laying down and planning the outline of the whole of the work belonging to the machinery. If any one of the parts should be lost or broken, it would require some ability in that country to contrive a substitute. The expense of a third able man might prevent much loss of time and difficulty, and would not be an object in a business of such a scale as you have commenced with.

"I recommend a third person, that you might count on a speedy and effectual start. Even in this kingdom, where machinery is so well understood, I have known several good undertakings fail, from not employing at first an experienced engineer to conduct the work; which I am doubtful would be the case at Pascoe, if you were not able to attend yourself to the erection, and do not take a person with you for that purpose. I beg your pardon for thus attempting to recommend to you a third person to go out; but I think a work of this magnitude, where expedition is important, ought not to rest on the health of one man, especially under a changeable climate. Please to consult your friends, and give me your opinion on it in your next.

"My health is much improved; my wife desires her best respects, and thanks for your present. Please to write soon.

"Yours, &c.,

"RD. TREVITHICK.

"MR. UVILLE, _12, East Stien, London_."

[Rough draft.]

"MR. PAGE,

"CAMBORNE, _March 8th, 1814_.

"Sir,--Yesterday Mr. Joseph Edwards, of Truro, informed me that Teague had given notice of trial, and that the case would come on at the Assize on the 26th, and requested me to desire you to write to him immediately, and give him the whole of the transaction relative to Mr. Uville's arrest in London.

"He also wishes that some attention had been paid to the threat that Mr. Uville received from Teague's so-called friend, so as to ascertain whether it came direct from him, which he thought would have some weight in court. I shall attend to give evidence at the Assize with Mr. Edwards. I shall anxiously await a reply to my last. How does Harvey's business get on?

"My respects to Mr. Day, and shall be very glad to find him recovering his health as fast as I am. A crust of bread and clear air are far preferable to luxuries enveloped in clouds of smoke and heaps of filth.

"Your obedient servant,

"RD. TREVITHICK.

"P.S.--I hear that Teague is still in London, and that his furniture is removed to his friend's house, to save it from the hands of surrounding evil spirits."

Trevithick showed no undue amount of discontent on discovering that Uville had led him into pecuniary difficulties, and even his tendency to interfere in engineering matters was not hastily resented.

In December, 1813, while in London, arranging for a vessel to convey the engines to Lima, and also to secure written agreements with Uville, who expected to leave England in a week or two, the going into the documents made known many weak points, one of them being shortness of money. The expected week or two had lengthened out to three months, and Uville was still in London, and Capt. Thomas Trevarthen and Bull were to be there, ready to start, about the middle of March, 1814. Four large boilers, in pieces, were to go for the pumping engines, to be put together in the mines; and Trevithick strongly recommended the sending a third man, to take general charge of the practical work, which Mr. Uville thought he himself could manage.

Page and Day were lawyers, who drew up very long documents. Money to pay expenses was raised by the sale of shares in a company formed by Uville without sufficient authority, and Page was to go to the mines to look after his own and the English shareholders' interests; between them Uville was arrested, apparently for some trifle.

[Rough draft.]

"MR. UVILLE,

"CAMBORNE, _March 15th, 1814_.

"Sir,--I shall write to him again by this post, and push him to send down the transfer of my shares, already agreed on, for my execution, and hope I shall be able to meet Messrs. Hazeldine and Co.'s demand before it will be due. The young man Bull has been with me. I told him I expected that you intended to take him with you, and Capt. Trevarthen is making preparation for going. I am glad you intend to take a third person with you. I have not thought or said anything to anyone about this business. Mr. Vivian informed me that, from the conversation he had with you on the subject, he had expected to hear from you. I can answer for Mr. Vivian's honesty, ability, and pleasant behaviour, and he is a person very suitable for the engagement, only that one failing of making too free with an evening glass, which you were not unacquainted with while in Cornwall at Dolcoath Mine. I do not like to take an active part in this business, because if any accident should happen to him, my sister or his family might charge me with being accessory to his going; therefore I must beg to be exempt from taking any part in this engagement.

"I remain, Sir, yours, "RD. TREVITHICK."

[Rough draft.]

"MR. PAGE, "CAMBORNE, _April 9th, 1814_.

"Sir,--I have your favour of the 5th instant. I intend to be in town on Sunday week, but this need not prevent their writing to me here; and both you and they may still be doing your best towards disposing of shares.

"Your obedient servant, "RD. TREVITHICK."

[Rough draft.]

"MR. UVILLE, "CAMBORNE, _April 9th, 1814_.

"Sir,--I intend to be in London on Sunday, the 17th, and shall call immediately on this person for money, which shall be at your service. Wheal Alfred and Wheal Prosper agents wish you a prosperous voyage, and success in your mines.

"I remain, Sir, "Your obedient servant, "RD. TREVITHICK."

Trevithick was now embarked with a crew of speculators, and in payment for his services was made a partner, and sold a portion of his shares to pay for the engines which Uville had ordered.

Henry Vivian, his brother-in-law, and the brother of his late partner Andrew Vivian, wished to be the third person engaged to go with the machinery to America. Trevithick spoke of his honesty and ability, but declined, on account of the family relationship, to take any part in the appointment.

The two notes on the 9th April, 1814, close the correspondence. Page was busy selling shares to raise money, and Trevithick was to get some money, which was to be at the service of Uville.

The delay between this period and the time of starting was mainly caused by financial and other arrangements managed by Uville. On the 1st September, 1814, Uville, Henry Vivian, Thomas Trevarthen, and William Bull sailed from Portsmouth for Lima in the 'Wildman,' taking with them four pumping engines, with pump-work and rods complete; four winding whim-engines, with all winding apparatus complete; one portable locomotive engine on wheels, to be used for a rolling mill or other purposes; one mill for grinding ore; and one rolling mill, probably for the Mint at Lima. These nine steam-engines, with their apparatus complete for work at the mines, cost 6838_l._; the grinding and rolling mill cost 700_l._ more; but various other expenses more than doubled the amount, which reached the large sum of over 16,000_l._

On reference to the conditions of agreement under which Uville acted, dated 17th July, 1812, Don Pedro Abadia, Don José Arismendi, and Don Francisco Uville, were partners engaging to drain a range of mines. Uville was to go to London to purchase two steam-engines, and was authorized to expend $30,000 (say 6000_l._). $2000 (say 400_l._) was to be paid to him as the value of Trevithick's model, which he had a few years before bought in London for 21_l._ He was to engage one or two English workmen. No new partner was to be allowed. They also contracted with the various workers of mines in Yauricocha, Yanacancha, Caya Chica, Santa Rosa, and in the mining ridge of Colquijilca, for a period of nine years, to commence within eighteen months of that time, to sink a general pit for the drainage of those mines, and to pump out the water by steam-engines. The payment for this drainage was to be one-twentieth part of the ore raised by the different mines.

"An agreement made at London this 8th day of January, 1814, between Don Francisco Uville, of Lima, in the Viceroyalty of Peru, of the one part, and Richard Trevithick, of Camborne, in Cornwall, engineer, of the other part. Whereas, by an agreement of partnership made and signed at Lima, and whereas the said Francisco Uville did in pursuance of his contract with the said miners soon after the ratification thereof, embark for England, for the purpose of fulfilling the same on his part, and on his arrival there in the month of April last, made application to the said Richard Trevithick, who is an experienced engineer and miner, and requested him to assist him in promoting the object of his journey, which the said Richard Trevithick (being penetrated with a high sense of its utility) agreed to do, and hath accordingly applied himself wholly to that object, ever since the arrival of the said Francisco Uville in England: And whereas under the direction of the said Richard Trevithick, and by the orders of the said Francisco Uville, various machines and engines have been made for the purposes of the said concern, a part of which has been already paid for by the said Francisco Uville; but several of the bills brought by him to England not having been honoured, by reason of the absence from England of the parties upon whom they were drawn, the said Francisco Uville hath not at present sufficient funds to answer the engagements he has entered into in this country, and Don Juan ..,[**] to whom he was in that case directed by his partners to offer shares in the said concern, and from whom he could have received supplies, not being at this time in London, the said Francisco Uville has agreed to admit the said Richard Trevithick to be a partner in the concern, upon his advancing and paying a proportionable part of the expenses necessary for carrying on the same. Now these presents witness that in consideration of the said Richard Trevithick having paid and agreeing by these presents to pay certain bills for machinery ordered by the said Francisco Uville to the amount of 3000_l._ or thereabouts, the particulars of which have been ascertained and settled by and between the said Francisco Uville and Richard Trevithick, and also in consideration of the services which the said Richard Trevithick hath already rendered to the said undertaking, and of the future benefits which he is expected to perform for it, the said Francisco Uville for himself, and on the behalf and in the name of the said Pedro Abadia and José Arismendi (who will ratify these presents in the capital of Lima as soon as it shall be produced to them, to which the said Uville holds himself bound), Doth, by virtue of the power and authority given to him by his said partners, agree to admit the said Richard Trevithick to be a member of the said company, and doth hereby declare him to be a member thereof and a partner therein to the extent of 12,000 dollars, and as such, entitled to a share and interest in all the profits and advantages of the company in the proportion which the said sum of 12,000 dollars shall bear to the amount of capital employed by the company in the purposes of their establishment, which proportion will amount as nearly as can now be ascertained to one-fifth of the capital stock embarked in the said concern.

"FRAN. UVILLE. "RICHARD TREVITHICK.

"_8th January, 1814._"

So Trevithick paid 3000_l._ and received nothing for his engineer's work, to be made a partner, contrary to Uville's limit of authority, in a speculation that proved to be not worth a farthing.

The following is a summary of the detail invoice of engines and machinery which left London for Lima in September, 1814, in charge of Uville, just fifteen months after his landing at Falmouth in search of Trevithick:--

"Invoice of four steam-engines, four winding engines, one portable rolling engine and materials for ditto, two crushing mills, four extra-patent boilers, spare materials for engines, boring rods, miners', blacksmiths', and carpenters' tools, &c., shipped on board the 'Wildman,' John Leith, master, from London to Lima, by, on account and risque of Don Francisco Uville, Don Pedro Abadia, and Don José Arismendi, merchants at Lima. Dated 1814.

To four steam-engines of 33-horse-power each £ _s._ _d._ (complete for lifting water with under-adit and house lift-pumps, and wrought-iron pit-work, rods, &c., at 1399_l._ 13_s._ each 5,598 12 0

To four winding engines of 8-horse-power each, with whims, barrels, shafts, &c., complete for lifting ore, at 210_l._ each 840 0 0

To one portable steam-engine of 8-horse power, for rolling, with its chimney, axles, carriage-wheels, &c. 400 0 0 ----------- 6,838 12 0

A mill for grinding ore £517 0 0 A rolling mill 204 0 0 Duplicates, sundries, freight, insurance, &c., &c. 8,592 9 1 ------------- 9,313 9 1 ------------- £16,152 1 1"

The nine steam-engines, including a locomotive, with its chimney, axles, carriage-wheels, &c., a crushing mill and a rolling mill, cost but 7560_l._ Other expenses, for freight, insurance, &c., &c., increased the amount to 16,152_l._

William Williams,[123] on his return from the Cerro de Pasco Mines, states:--

[Footnote 123: Residing at Angarrack, near Hayle, 1872.]

"On the 3rd March, 1872, I saw in Yauricocha Mine two of Mr. Trevithick's engines at work; one of them was a horizontal 12-inch open-top cylinder pumping engine, about a 4-feet stroke; there were two fly-wheels about 10 feet diameter and a cog-*wheel 7 feet diameter, giving motion to two wrought-iron beams working a 10-inch pump bucket. The other was a 12-inch cylinder winding engine with a large fly-wheel. Three Cornish boilers, about 5 feet 6 inches diameter, with 3 feet 9 inch tube, 30 feet long, made of 7/16ths of an inch plates, supplied steam of 40 lbs. on the inch."