of applying the
principle he had in mind: consequently his rich friends closed their
purses, and left him entirely to his own resources. A newspaper
publication, in giving some of the facts in regard to Longstreet's
efforts, says that he and his steamboat were made the subject of a comic
song:--

"Can you row the boat ashore,
Billy boy, Billy boy?
Can you row the boat ashore,
Gentle Billy?

Can you row the boat ashore
Without a paddle or an oar,
Billy boy?"

Though he had failed many times, Longstreet was not disheartened. He
continued his experiments, and at last succeeded in making a toy boat,
which he exhibited to a few friends. His idea at this time, it seems,
was not to construct a steamboat, but merely to convince some of his
friends that steam could be used as a motive power. But in this he was
not very successful. His toy boat did all that he wanted it to do; but
his friends declared, that while steam might be used to move a small
boat, it could never be used to move a large one. The experience of a
new generation showed that there was one wise man in Augusta and a great
many fools. Nevertheless William Longstreet determined to show that
a large boat could be moved by a large amount of steam as easily as a
small boat could be moved by a small volume.

Now, while he was making his experiments; and trying to overcome the
difficulties that presented themselves, Robert Fulton was living in
Paris with Joel Barlow. He was in Paris when Napoleon became first
consul. At that time he was experimenting with his diving boat and
submarine torpedo. Napoleon was so much interested in this work that
he gave Fulton ten thousand francs to carry it on. The inventor was
in France in 1803 when Napoleon organized his army for the invasion of
England. He was surrounded by influential friends, and he had money at
his command.

Compared with William Longstreet, Robert Fulton was "in clover."
Longstreet was compelled to work without money, and in the midst of a
community whose curiosity had developed into criticism and ridicule.
Thus it was not until 1806 that he succeeded in completing a steamboat
that would accommodate twenty or twenty-five persons. He went on board,
accompanied by such of his friends as he could persuade, and in the
presence of a curious and doubting crowd the first real steamboat was
launched on the Savannah River. Some of the friends of