After slaving night and day on Thursday and Friday, a letter came from Wheal Virgin that he must go instantly to set their engine to work, or they would let out the fire.

He went and set the engine to work; it worked well for the five or six hours he remained.

He left it, and returned to the Consolidated Mines about eleven at night, and was employed about the engines till four this morning, and then went to bed.

I found him at ten this morning in Poldice Cistern, seeking for pins and castors that had jumped out, when I insisted on his going home to bed." On one occasion, when an engine superintended by Murdock stopped through some accident, the water rose in the mine, and the workmen were "drowned out." Upon this occurring, the miners went "roaring at him" for throwing them out of work, and threatened to tear him to pieces.
Nothing daunted, he went through the midst of the men, repaired the invalided engine, and started it afresh.
When he came out of the engine-house, the miners cheered him vociferously and insisted upon carrying him home upon their shoulders in triumph! Steam was now asserting its power everywhere.

It was pumping water from the mines in Cornwall and driving the mills of the manufacturers in Lancashire.