? 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.