In 1801 thousands of people stood on the banks of a river in France. They ware watching an odd-looking boat. It had no sails. It had no cabins. It was just a bare shell of a boat. Inside ware two men, Robert Fulton and his helper. Before the eyes of everyone, the boat went under water.

Would the boat come up again? The people waited five minutes-ten minutes-fifteen minutes. But the boat was still out of sight. No men could stay under water for so long and live.

Five more minutes passed. Then many feet from where the boat had gone down something was coming up! It was the odd-looking boat. The top of the boat opened up and two men looked out. Robert Fulton had shown everyone that a boat could stay under water for a long time. He also proved that it could move under water.

What made the boat go under water and come up again? Robert Fulton had opened a small door. The water came in fast and filled a large tank inside the boat. This made the boat heavy enough to go under. When Fulton was ready to come up again, he pumped the water out of the tank. Now the tank had only air in it and the boat was light enough to rise. The submarines of today go down and come up in the same way.

Fulton made his boat move under water by pushing a rod back and forth. Today, of course, motors and unclear power make submarines move.

Just six years later, in 1807 many people were watching another strange boat. This time it was on the Hudson River in New York. This boat had a long pipe sticking up in the air. From the pipe came heavy black smock. On each side of the boat was a large wheel. On each wheel were paddles. Stream would make the wheels turns and make the boat move.

Hardly anyone believed that the boat would work. They made fun of Fulton and his boat. On board were many fine people. Most of them were afraid and wished they had not come.

Soon the wheels began to turn. Quietly and smoothly the boat started up the river against the water and wind. The people cheered Fulton had done it again!