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Jonathan Hulls' steamboat towing a British warship, historical artwork. A patent for this steam-powered tugboat was taken out by the British inventor Jonathan Hulls in 1736. It used a Newcomen engine to power a paddlewheel in the stern. However, the boat was never built as the engine was thought too cumbersome for the vessel.(KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY SPL/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)