His vessel was propelled by a paddle-wheel on each side, worked by forty men.

But nothing came of the experiment.
Many other efforts of a similar kind were made,--by Savery among others,[4]--until we come down to Patrick Miller, of Dalswinton, who, in 1787, invented a double-hulled boat, which he caused to be propelled on the Firth of Forth by men working a capstan which drove the paddles on each side.

The men soon became exhausted, and on Miller mentioning the subject to William Symington, who was then exhibiting his road locomotive in Edinburgh, Symington at once said, "Why don't you employ steam-power ?" There were many speculations in early times as to the application of steam-power for propelling vessels through the water.

David Ramsay in 1618, Dr.Grant in 1632, the Marquis of Worcester in 1661, were among the first in England to publish their views upon the subject.

But it is probable that Denis Papin, the banished Hugnenot physician, for some time Curator of the Royal Society, was the first who made a model steam-boat.