[citation needed] Nautilus was designed between 1793 and 1797[1]: 36  by the American inventor Robert Fulton, then living in the French First Republic.

His second, also unsuccessful, proposal to them was that he be paid nothing until Nautilus had actually sunk merchant shipping, and then only a small percentage of the prize money.

Nautilus was designed from the start to carry what Fulton called a "carcass", a naval mine intended to be dragged into contact with an enemy ship.

[1]: 38 Through friends like Gaspard Monge and Pierre-Simon Laplace, Fulton obtained an interview with Napoleon, but was unable to garner support for his vessel; however, Fulton's friends pushed the Minister of Marine into appointing a scholarly panel, to consist of Volney, Monge, and Laplace, to assess the submarine.

One of the renovations included a 1+1⁄2-inch-diameter (40 mm) glass in the dome, whose light he found sufficient for reading a watch, making candles during daylight activities unnecessary.

Fulton suggested that not only should they be used against specific ships by submarines, but be set floating into harbors and into estuaries with the tide to wreak havoc at random.

In September, Napoleon expressed interest in seeing Nautilus, only to find that, as it had leaked badly, Fulton had her dismantled and the more important bits destroyed at the end of the tests.

Despite the many reports of success by reliable witnesses, like the Prefect Marine of Brest, Napoleon decided Fulton was a swindler and charlatan.

The French navy had no enthusiasm for a weapon they considered suicidal for the crews even though Fulton had no problems and despite evidence it would be overwhelmingly destructive against conventional ships.

[1]: 43 Though knowing the French had no further interest, the British wished to ensure a man of Fulton's talents were on their side; offering him £800 to come to England (his original planned destination before going to France) and develop a second Nautilus for them.