Excerpt from A Short Narrative of Facts Relative to the Invention and Practice of Steam-Navigation The practical system of modern steam-navigation may be said to consist of two distinct parts. These are, in the first place, the application of wheels or rotatory paddles to the pro pulsion of vessels; and, in the second place, the substitution of the irresistible power of steam in place of animal strength, or any other species of mechanical force, in the working of those rotatory paddles. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.