| Description | 2 pcs. Concerning: the construction of the buildings for the Mint with comments on the President of the Mint Department's decisions; Count Vasilieff [Vasilyev]; Duncan and Speedyman's job of jointing the pipes; the state of the cutting out rooms, steam engines, and rolling mill; an estimate of the final completion date as next fall; the Russian workmen to be sent to learn from the Soho Mint Vasilieff [Vasilyev]'s surprise at Duncan's obstruction of 'a Mr Kakushkin (or some such name)' from making sketches of the engine, an account of why Walker believes him to be the same man who obtained models from Leizel at Soho and pawned them in London, and a lengthy account of his employment under the President and Walker's opinions of it; Walker's accidental finding of a paper signed by Count Vasilieff [Vasilyev] to appoint Kakushkin Superintendent General to the machinery of the Mint to take as many notes, sketches and drawings which 'might be eventually serviceable to the Mint Department' with an account of instructions for Duncan and the other workmen for how to deal with Kakushkin; the President's 'strange resolution' of only using the new Mint on a few tonnes of silver annually; Soblikoff's desire to be sent a steam engine; Boulton's lack of reply to Walker's desire to apply to Count Vasilieff [Vasilyev] for an augmentation of the worker's wages; Boulton's enquires into employing the workmen in Denmark; an account of the workmen's 'cold civility' and lack of friendship; Duncan married Miss Twycroft; James Walker's returning illness and Dr Leighton; Mr Gross' extreme illness from which he is not expected to recover on account of 'working hard & playing hard'; Mr Novazittzoff and his nephew sailing suddenly in a Russian ship of war for England with a threefold mission which Walker lists; the defeat of the Russian Army by the Persians;
[16 October 1804 N.S.; received 16 November 1804] |