date

1 Who would have thought, my dear Sam; that
1 Who would have thought, my dear Sam; that I should have had to date my letter from such a scene of desolation! Will you believe your own eyes when I tell you that London is in the condition of a beseiged town. If I open my window I see two fires before me at a view: one is the King's Bench Prison, the other is somewhere to the Eastward. How many more there may be God knows | When I wrote the above I thought to have given you a narrative — But there was no finding time for it.

2 Oars = Sweeps

It seems that Oars are used on board of our small ships of war. In the Whitehall Evening of 23 d Oct.1779 mention is made of their being used on board the Atalanta of 16 guns. They are called Sweeps. This I find upon looking over my Index — I forgot to mention it at the time. 3. Mirrors burning

An apparatus of proposed as a kind of pre-arms. Each Soldier to carry one Button to melt lead at 120 feet distance and 400. See Brydon's Travels in July & March . I. 284.

4. Mortars

Mortars at Malta made by hollowing out the Rock. The charge a barrel of gunpowder at a time ib. 330. You have no rocks I believe that would do any where in the Russ. dominions. Anderson says he has heard of such a thing being at Gibraltar.

5. Schule. Heat & Light — Inflam. Air.

The translation of Schule is not out yet, but will be soon. His positions according to Bergman are, to that the matter of heat is nothing but resperable in combined ( intwine) with a determinate portion of phlogiston: 2. that inflammable air is resp. air combined with a greater proportion of phlog: and 3. that light

again consists of the same elements only the proportion of phlogiston greater still. And that the hepatic air (of which Bergman ) consists of sulphur dissolved in the matter of by the intermediation of phlogiston. These positions Bergman says agree admirably with the phenomena hitherto known under Volume 2.201 June 20 Kit

I agree with you and Plesch. perfectly in some of your remarks, and do not disagree with you in any. It shall be new-doctored according to the best of my poor abilities in conformity to your good pleasure. Perhaps you may have it by next time I write. The letters to the other people whom you mention you shall likewise have time enough for me to have the benefit of your observations. You will find them fierce enough for you I imagine. After all, it is not a cursed thing that I must not say to that sermon what is true, because other people in whose mouths perhaps it might not be true might perhaps be for saying the same thing. Parcel for S.B.

Here's another plague has happen'd about your things. Mair was applied to about them by Wilson to give him notice when the fleet would sail. Mair chose not to say a syllable about the matter till Sunday on which day he called on W. and told him that the fleet was allready gone down to the Hove that it was uncertain whether a parcel could be sent after them, but that however he would try, if it was sent to his counting house in Cloak Lane Dowgate-hill. On that day there was no such thing as sending it. For you are to know that Q.S.P. an age ago had been making a roul about the , and nothing would serve him but he must have them unpacked for him to pore over and sit in judgement on. Being completely tumbled I did not choose to trust to any repackage I could give them, but determined to send them to M r Ramsden for that purpose. I thought the later this was done the better, in order that whatever other things there might be might go with
Similar Items
  • Title: [? 1780 15. If you were to]
    Description: ? 1780

    15.

    If you were to agree with C possibly you might persuade them to let send you go and take a peep at the Venetian Galleys: when you were so far on your way, you might stretch on as far as Naples, & see whether you liked that place better.

    16. Mittenda to S.B.

    I shall send you a copy of Bergman's in Latin price 7 d 8 vo and I believe a little tract of his on the use of the blow-pipe. I think I may be able to send you a little acid of sugar discovered by him. Anderson will get me Schiller's book on first light from Saunders the lecturer & is just coming.

    17

    I forget whether I mentioned in my last Fordyce the Bankers Manufactory at Shields for making Alkali (Barilla) from Common Salt. I believe he makes use of clay to diminish the attraction between the acid and the alk. upon application of heat, & so drive off the acid. Anderson has some of the residuum that is left after driving off the acid. I shall probably send you some.

    18. Tourmalin Stones

    The summer before last a mine of Tourmalins was discovered in the mountains of Tyrol (Pilak's country & Fontana's ) by Müller Counsellor of the board of Mines & Mint-works in Transylvania. Swede has just imported an account of this translated into French from Muller's German by one De Launay: of Bruxelles & presented at Brussels in 1779. pp. 35 4 to including the translators' notes. The Tourmalin you remember properly is a kind of inferior precious stone which becomes electrical by being heated, as glass goes by being rubbed. By applying thin a quantity of "moving "heat" you precipitate a quantity of the electric fluid (is that the case?) (if so the electricity should be negative. Qu) or dispose the stain to attract a certain quantity of that fluid from the atmosphere. Hitherto Tourmalins have not been known to come any where but from the Dutch Island of Ceylon in the E. Indies. Stones which have the electrical property of the Tourmalin but do not agree with it in some other properties

    19

    I send today May 9th to Raikes to enquire when Ships go to Petersburgh.

    20. Terms v.6.

    In case of a rupture between this country and that, you must not continue in that service. Stipulate therefore for half-pay during such war. Do not engage without written articles signed by C. Ask what deductions there will be for fees of office. & c & make him guarantee you against such deductions. Don't engage in any expence for them, without writing, for fear of misunderstanding.

    21

    What you said about my not liking Pet. gh was I hope ostensible only, not sincere. If she will give me that business to do, I don't see how it is possible I should not like it. I could bring more of my ideas to bear there in a month than here in my whole life. Those are the only terms, my Sam, upon which we shall ever meet there. Don't think I can bear to go about to foreign Courts, dragging about an obscure & insignificant existence. But more about this in my next.

    22

    I have cut to pieces Ingenhouse's book to send you that part of the Preface which contains a summary of everything in it that is material. I wish I had done it before. I fear the Book may have reached you before now. The book itself will go with your things, and then you must patch it together again.

    18 continued

    properties are brought from Brazil Bergman has given an a chem: analysis of the Tourm. in Memoirs. Where entire it is brown like rosin, but unlike Muller by cutting it transversely & obliquely and grinding it as thin as paper has made it green. This with an account of the manner of its appearance in the place of its growth is all there is new in Muller's book. Ergo I don't send it you. 21 Welch Don't sell Welch's apparatus so as to lose by it. If you can not get what it cost, send it back: Sw. desires you will.

    22. Spanish Sheathing Lohmen

    Did I tell you in my last that Lohmen send me in a letter a small specimen of sheathing that was upon one of the Spanish prizes? I wrote the letter you desired to him directing it to him on board with Com. Walsinghame Torbay or elsewhere: but have received no answer.

    23 Dict y Living

    Anderson knows a Scotch Parson who will read a book through & remember it verbatim. Such an animal might be made of use. D'ailleurs

    he is quite a ninny; as your great memory men frequently are.
  • Title: [rather advise you to go from London to Gothenburg]
    Description: rather advise you to go from London to Gothenburg or Copenhagen by sea and from Venice by land to Petersburg or Stockholm which is a very quick journey in winter (in sledges). — I have received a letter from Bergman last week, and likewise the 3 d Volume of which you shall have a copy. Bergman gives to my knowledge two courses of chemistry, of which that of the winter season is the compleated and best, but I do not recollect now when it begins, but I have it written down somewhere in my Notes. I am yours, and am happy to hear of your brother's establishment Edinb g 4 th Nov. 1789

    Schwediauer

    1783 Nov. 4

    Swediar — Edinburgh to J. B. Linc. Inn. Route to Petersburgh
  • Title: [Jan.y 2 d 1782 O.S. When the Baron]
    Description: Jan.y 2 d 1782 O.S.

    When the Baron asked me what I thought of the management

    & Mechanism in his Saltworks I could not but

    tell him that though better could not well be expected

    from such as the peasants who are employed in them: yet

    that there was room for great improvements, as well

    in the chemical process as in every part of the Mechanism.

    In answer to this he said much of the peculiar importance

    the construction of machines was of in this

    part of the country, and of the disadvantage they

    laboured under in having no Mechanicians.

    That people offered from time to time to act in

    that capacity; but without being any way qualified

    for it. That England was the country for

    mechanics. I told him the reason for that was

    the encouragement which people of that profession

    met with there from their inventions, That

    here such people were not paid by Salaries but

    by a proportion of the profits which their improvements

    produced. I told him as an example

    what I understood to be the terms on which

    Bolton of Birmingham gives the use of his improved

    Steam Engine, namely that he for a

    certain number of years should receive 1/4 part

    of the saving in coals. He admired that

    mode of payment much, and lamented that

    there was no body who would make such offers

    here. How much he would wish to find an

    ingenious man who could introduce a better

    economy in is works on such terms. I told

    him that perhaps such a man might be found who

    might be induced to come over from England if he could

    be assured of the following proportion of the profits

    which would arise from his inventions. 1 er the extra

    profits should defray the extra expences incurred before

    he should begin to reap any advantage. 2 d from that

    time for the first year he should receive 1/2 the

    extra profit, for 2 following years he should receive 1/4

    and the tenth & last year 3/4. 3 dly that this same

    man might upon the same terms introduce improvements

    in the workings of mines or any other works about the country.

    He said for his part he should desire nothing better than such

    terms and he could almost answer for the other proprietors

    being of the same opinion. That he would be very much obliged

    to me to find him such a man, and that by the time I should

    be come back to Petersbourg he means to set about in earnest the

    his estates and that if such an English man was

    to be found he would come himself again to the Falls

    so as and spend a year or two and serve him as Interpreter:

    not that he speaks English, but he imagines

    all the english of any knowledge speak french.

    I told him I probably might be able to find him a man;

    but did not know whether it would be permitted that

    he should leave the country for that purpose. Not but what the

    improving a Chemical process on which all the world may

    publish what they know, seems to be a very innocent

    object for a man to go for to a foreign country.

    A man I dare to say may be found, but why not undertake

    it myself? to clear by the saltworks only about

    50 or 60 thousand pounds in 10 years without any capital

    and without the necessity of above one or two years residence

    on the spot is no such contemptible object. I have already

    pretty well invented all the mechanisms necessary

    for the improvement of these works. To be sure the boiling

    apparatus itself which indeed is the most important would

    require a few experiments. I should not only confine the

    heat as much as possible to the boiler; but the vapour

    I would make deposit its heat to more solution in another

    vessel which would thus be prepared for the boiler. The vapour

    having deposited its heat would become distilled water.

    This must be caught, more to prevent its getting to the

    solution than for its value. Now if a current of

    air be directed on the surface of the boiling solution it stands

    fair into the evaporation by dissolving the water but if it be

    cold it would impede the boiling and thus perhaps upon the

    whole retard the operation, but if a current of heated air be

    found on the surface it would no doubt assist the operation.

    The heating of this air would take up a part of the heat produced

    by the fuel. Quere whether a part of the heat produced

    would to better account by being given to air to be blowed

    on the surface and thus assist the operation by the property

    of the solubility of water in air, or whether it would be better

    that all the heat produced should be employed in

    turning the superabundant water of the solution into Vapour.

    If the former should be found by experiment preferable

    my idea is to direct the air from bellows

    worked by wind machines on the surface of the boiling solutions

    and that this bellows should take the air from the ash hole

    of the furnace and other parts of the apparatus where necessarily

    some part of the heat flies off.