RETURN TO ENGLAND.
In the early part of October, 1827, the writer, then a boy at Bodmin
school, was asked by the master if any particular news had come from
home. Scarcely had the curiosity of the boys subsided, when a tall man
with a broad-brimmed Leghorn hat on his head entered at the door, and
after a quick glance at his whereabouts, marched towards the master's
desk at the other end of the room. When about half-way, and opposite
the writer's class, he stopped, took his hat off, and asked if his son
Francis was there. Mr. Boar, who had watched his approach, rose at the
removal of the hat, and replied in the affirmative. For a moment a
breathless silence reigned in the school, while all eyes were turned
on the gaunt sun-burnt visitor; and the blood, without a defined
reason, caused the writer's heart to beat as though the unknown was his
father, who eleven years before had carried him on his shoulder to the
pier-head steps, and the boat going to the South Sea whaler.
During the next six months father and son sat together daily, the
one drawing new schemes and calculations, the other observing, and
learning, and calculating the weight and size and speed of a poor
swallow he had shot, that the proportions of wings necessary to
carry a man's weight might be known. In these calculations cube
roots of quantities were extracted, which did not accurately agree
with Trevithick's figures, who, asking for explanations, received a
rehearsal, word for word, of the school-book rule for such extractions,
which threw no more light on his understanding than did his own
self-made rule on the writer's comprehension, though both methods
produced nearly the same result.
Within a month of that time he heard of the arrival in England of
Mr. Gerard, his companion in travel, from whom he had separated at
Carthagena.
"MY DEAR GOOD SIR, "HAYLE FOUNDRY, _15th November, 1827_.
"I cannot express the extreme pleasure that the receipt of your
favour of the 11th inst. from Liverpool gave me, as I had almost
given up hopes of ever seeing you again, which you will see from the
letters that I wrote Mr. Lowe; and after the severe rubs that we have
undergone together, the parting us by shipwreck, as I supposed, at the
close of our hardships, I doubly felt, and from your long absence, I
supposed you must have encountered some severe gales; but thank God
that we are safe landed to meet you and the dear boys again soon. We
had a very good passage home, six days from Carthagena to Jamaica,
and thirty-four days from thence for England; and on my return was so
fortunate as to join all my family in good health, and also welcomed
home by all the neighbourhood by ringing of bells, and entertained at
the tables of the county and borough members, and all the first-class
of gentlemen in the west of Cornwall, with a provision about to be
made for me for the past services that this county has received from
my inventions just before I left for Peru, which they acknowledge to
be a saving in the mines since I left of above 500,000_l._, and that
the present existence of the deep mines is owing to my inventions.
I confess that this reception is gratifying, and have no doubt but
that you will also feel a pleasure in it. I should be extremely happy
to see you down here; it is but thirty-six hours' ride, and it will
prepare you for meeting your London friends, as I would take you
through our mines and introduce you to the first mining characters,
which will give you new ideas and enable you to make out a prospectus
that will show the great advantages in Costa Rica mines over every
other in South America. I think it would not be amiss for you to
bring with you a few specimens, and after you have seen the Cornish
mines and miners I doubt not but we shall be able to state facts in
so clear a light that the first blow well aimed will be more than
half the battle, and prove a complete knock-down blow, which in my
opinion ought to be completed previous to your opening your mining
speculation in general in London. I have made a very complete model of
the gun, and it is approved of by all who have seen it. Be so good as
to remember me to the lads and the Manilla man, and write me by return
of post. I have not as yet made any inquiry about the probability of
getting adventurers for this new concern. I hope and trust that I
shall see you in Cornwall previous to our being together in London, as
it is my opinion that the nature of the concern requires it.
"I remain, Sir,
"Your humble servant,
(Signed) "RICHARD TREVITHICK.
"MR. JNO. GERARD,
"_No. 42, St. Mary Axe, London_."
Trevithick's hopeful character enabled him to enjoy life in the
midst of neglect and poverty. During the eleven years of absence in
America his wife and family received no assistance from him. Shortly
after leaving his Quebrada-honda mountains of gold and silver, he was
penniless at Carthagena. On reaching England he possessed nothing but
the clothes he stood in, a gold watch, a drawing compass, a magnetic
compass, and a pair of silver spurs. His passage-money being unpaid, a
chance friend enabled him to leave the ship. In a month from that time
he counted on getting a share of the 500,000_l._ saved in the Cornish
mines by the improvements he had effected in their steam-engines. The
ringing of bells and the talk of the neighbourhood made him forget that
he was a poor man, and the Costa Rica mines were, he believed, soon to
be in full working, though not a single adventurer had been found.
The two lads Montelegre, coming to England to be educated, were sons of
a gentleman of influence and authority in Costa Rica. On their perilous
journey an attack of measles increased their discomforts. Probably one
of those gentlemen has since filled the honourable position in this
country of minister representing the Republic of Costa Rica.
"MY DEAR SIR, "LONDON, _November 17th, 1827_.
"I arrived here from Liverpool last night, and this morning had the
pleasure of receiving your kind letter of the 15th. The brig 'Bunker's
Hill,' in which we came from Carthagena to New York, was wrecked
within a few hours' sail of the port. We were in rather a disagreeable
situation for some time, but more afraid than hurt. The cargo was
nearly all lost. The ship was got off, but a complete wreck. The
cause, however, of my delay in arriving arose from the want of the
needful. You recollect Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Empson, agents for the
Colombian Mining Association, whom we met at Carthagena. They kindly
offered to supply me, but having determined to visit the celebrated
Falls of Niagara, they insisted on my accompanying them, which I did.
"I am truly rejoiced to learn that your countrymen retain so lively a
sense of the importance of your services. I think with you that before
sounding the public or proceeding further, it might be well we should
meet quietly to talk over everything and arrange our ideas, and that
Cornwall, for the reasons you mention and others, would be the better
place.
"The boys are well, and desire their respects to you.
"Your sincere friend,
"J. M. GERARD.
"CAPT. TREVITHICK."
Trevithick was friendly with George Stephenson when, in 1805, he nursed
little Bobby. Twenty years afterwards, when George had comprehended
Trevithick's locomotive, and desired his son's return to England to
assist him in making it useful, Robert Stephenson, grown to manhood,
met his father's friend in the wilds of Central America, both of them
having been engaged in mining operations, and both on their return to
England. George Stephenson's son made for himself a fortune and a name,
his friend earned poverty and neglect. These two men, though well known
to the engineering world, had no mutual attraction, and in their native
land remained strangers to each other.
"MY DEAR SIR, "42, ST. MARY AXE, _January 13th, 1828_.
"I had very unexpectedly a letter from Costa Rica this morning by the
way of Jamaica, including two for you, which I have the pleasure of
transmitting. Mine is from Montelegre, begun on the 25th of August,
and finished on the 11th of September, when Don Antonio Pinto, with
some people from the Alajuela, was to start by the road of Sarapique
on his way to Jamaica. His intention was to find a better route as far
as Buona Vista, after which he would probably nearly follow our course
to the Embarcadero of Gamboa.
"Whether he succeeded in finding a less rugged road to Buona Vista
I do not know. That he reached his destination seems clear from
our letters having come to hand; but from their old date it would
appear that he had either met with difficulties on the road or with
considerable detention at San Juan. Montelegre writes me that Don
Yonge had effected a compromise on your account with the Castros.
Gamboa got back to San José on the 18th August, twelve days after he
parted from us, to the great joy of our mutual friends. Mr. Paynter
had been unwell after our departure. Both he and Montelegre desire
their kindest recollections to you
"Yours most sincerely,
"J. M. GERARD.
"CAPT. TREVITHICK."
The newly-discovered track taken by the homeward bound over the
Cordilleras soon brought Don Antonio Pinto and others into the field
in search of passable roads to the Atlantic. Twelve days required by
Gamboa to effect his return to San José, a distance of perhaps sixty
miles, indicate the difficulty.
Mr. Gerard passed some weeks with Trevithick in Cornwall arranging the
best means of getting together a company to work on a large scale the
Costa Rica mines.
"DEAR SIR, "HAYLE FOUNDRY, _January 24th, 1828_.
"Yesterday I saw Mr. M. Williams, who informed me that he should
leave Cornwall for London on next Thursday week, and requested that
I would accompany him. If you think it absolutely necessary that I
should be in town at the same time, I would attend to everything that
would promote the mining interest. When I met the Messrs. Williams
on the mining concerns some time since, they mentioned the same as
you now mention of sending some one out with me to inspect the mines,
and that they would pay me my expenses and also satisfy me for my
trouble with any sum that I would mention, because such proceedings
would be satisfactory to all who might be connected in this concern.
I objected to this proposal on the ground that a great deal of time
would be lost and that the circumstances of your contracts in San
José would not admit of such a detention; for that reason alone was
my objection grounded, and if that objection could have been removed
I should have been very glad to have the mines inspected by any able
person chosen for that purpose, because it would not only take off the
responsibility from us, but also strengthen our reports, as the mining
prospects there will bear it out, and that far beyond our report. Some
time since I informed you that I had drawn on the company for 100_l._
to pay 70_l._ passage-money, and would have left 30_l._ to defray my
expenses returning to London. The time for payment is up, but I have
not as yet heard anything about it, therefore I expect there must be
an omission by the bankers whose hands it was to have passed through
for tendering it for payment. Perhaps in a day or two I shall hear
something about it; I would thank you to inform me should you know
anything about it. The unfavourable result of the gun I attribute in a
great measure to the change in the Ministry and my not being present
to explain the practicability of making the machinery about it simple.
When Lord Cochrane has seen it, and a meeting takes place with him,
my return to London may again revive its merits. This unfavourable
report does not lessen its merits, neither will it deter me from again
moving forward to convince the public of its practicability. I shall
make immediately a portable model of the iron ship and engine, as they
will be applicable to packets, which have been attempted at Falmouth,
but found that the consumption of coals was so great that the whole
of the ships' burthen would not contain sufficient coals to take them
to Lisbon and return again, and on that account it was discontinued.
That insurmountable object will now be totally removed, and I think
that Lord Cochrane will make a very excellent tool to remove many weak
objections made by persons not having sufficient ability to judge
for themselves. His Lordship, being a complete master of science, is
capable of appreciating their value from theory and from practice. I
should not be surprised to see him down here to inspect it. It will
be very agreeable if his Lordship comes here at the same time as
yourself; he is a remarkably pleasant companion. My hearty thanks for
your mother's good wishes towards me.
"Your humble servant,
"RD. TREVITHICK.
"MR. JNO. GERARD,
"_No. 42, St. Mary Axe, London_."
Gerard and Trevithick believed in the great value of the Costa Rica
mines, and in the feasibility of working them profitably could capital
sufficient be obtained. After a year or two passed in fruitless
attempts to form a mining company in England, Mr. Gerard visited
Holland and France with no better success; and while on this mission
died in poverty in Paris, though brought up in youth as the expectant
inheritor of family estates in Scotland. One of his letters says:--
"Robert Stephenson has given us his experience that it was unwise
to take many English miners or workers to such countries. The chief
reliance must after all be placed on the native inhabitants, under
the direction and training of a small but well-selected party of
Englishmen.
"Mining operations in that country are of such recent origin that a
mining population can scarcely be said to exist. English workmen are
not so manageable even in this country, and much less so in Spanish
America, where they are apt to be spoiled by the simplicity and
excessive indulgence even of the better classes, and where the high
salaries they receive place them far above the country people of the
same condition. All this tends to presumption and intolerance on their
part, and ultimately to disputes and irreconcilable disgusts between
them and the natives."
Mr. Michael Williams, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Macqueen, and others, were
anxious to take up the mining scheme. The former proposed to send a
person to examine the mines. This was a safe course, but not convenient
to those who had made engagements to return without loss of time with
miners and material to Costa Rica.
Mr. M. Williams informed the writer's brother that at a meeting of
several gentlemen in London, a cheque for 8000_l._ was offered to
Trevithick for his mining grant of the copper mountain in South
America. Words waxed warm, and the proffered money was refused. The
next day Mr. Williams said to him, "Why did you not pocket the cheque
before you quarrelled with them?" Trevithick replied, "I would rather
kick them down stairs!"
In the end Trevithick got nothing for either his South American mines
or those in Costa Rica.