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My dear Son,
As Mr. Wilkinson hath spent the first part of his Christmass at Soho, I accompany'd him to Bradley on New Year's Day, in order to see the result of a new mode of makeing good bar iron without the use of any forge, or any charcoal de bois, which experiment fully answer'd our expectations. As the day was fine, and the dawn of the new year prosperous, I could not help expressing to your sister (for she dined at Bradley) a wish to find at my return to Soho a letter from you as a compleation of the day and as a happy prognostick of the year. It was the first thing I enquired after, and the first thing I found was yours of December 18th, A.P.
I agree with you in not publishing any proposals respecting my new mode of coining, particularly as I believe I shall begin the copper coinage for this kingdom about Lady Day next, and that will take me 1½ year to compleat, there being 1500 ton order'd.
Pray remember that my primary object was-and all my experiments have tended to accomplish-the means of preventing counterfeit coin, in which I have succeeded, although at the expence of many thousand pounds. It therefore now becomes my duty to my family that my secondary object should be to refund me my expences, at least, and, if possible, to increase my property rather than deminish it.
As I shall be bound in a penalty of ten thousand pounds to fulfill my contract, and as it will be an immense piece of work for me to fine rolle 6 ton of copper per day and begin and finish 4 ton of the finest copper coin that ever was made, and to do that six days a week (= 24 ton)-I say, to do this, without the interference of any of my clarks or assistance in my other branches of business, will require a greater exertion of my own body and mind than I fear I am equal to, and therefore it is not improbable but I may in the spring call you to my assistance; and yet I am unwilling to take you off from your present persuits. However, it is a reason that you should apply close to the German language, as well as to chymistry. I am sorry to learn that you have lost your German master, and beg you will find another without loss of time. Perhaps Mr. Wigleb could find you one. Query, if the minister of your church could not, for a proper consideration, be prevail'd upon to assist you in the acquireing a perfect knowledge of the German grammer, orthography, composition, and stile of language. You know it is a common thing for the clergy about London to get money by teaching foreigners English. Pray endeavour to acquire a habit of writing a good hand, in English and German, for 'tis a matter of habit only.
A quantity of wood equal in weight to about 1½ C. will raise
500,000 cubic feet of water one foot high, or
50,000 ditto ditto ten feet high, or
5,000 ditto ditto one hundred feet high, or
500 ditto ditto one thousand feet high, or
the like quantity may be raised with 112 pounds, viz. 1 cwt., of common English coal, or with 84 pounds of good Newcastle coal. If the Germans would seek they would find, and if they had engines they would seek, but remember that I say you will never find coals in a country of chalk, except in one case, which is now too long for me to explain.
I find Mr. Wigleb's theory corresponds with my own respecting phlogiston, but I am stagger'd by a new experiment made by two Dutch men, who say the mode of combineing inflamable and dephlogisticated air by dephlagration in a close vessell evedently makes water; and they say that the same water may be again decomposed in a close glass vessell and again resolved into inflamable air and dephlogisticated air, by a repatition of electrick sparks given to the said water, which produces air, and that air dephlagrates, which proves it to be a composition of inflamable and vital air; but it requires a long and tedious process with the electrical machine. However, it was agreed at our last Lunar meeting that Dr. Priestly [Priestley] should hire a man to work a whole week at the electrical machine in the decomposing of water, the result of which I will inform you.
I wish to buy the translation of Mr. Wiegleb's book in English; pray what is the title of it?
The case of minerals I sent at the time I advised you of it, to Mr. Bush, merchant, Hamburgh, requesting him to forward it to you with all speed; and if it is not come to hand, pray write to him at Hamburgh for it. There is a catologue of the ores sent, and a general one of those I have. I have just got a new supply of terra ponderosa aerata, and will send you some by way of Amsterdam. I lately took the specific gravity of mealiable platina, and found it to water as twenty two and 3/4 is to 1-say, as 22,77:1. I am most in want of specimens of ores of semi metal, such as cobalt, nickel, tongstein, and some of the fine specimens of copper ores from the Bannett and Transilvenia; also a cristal with a loose drop of water in it, or any thing you don't find in my catologue, or some specimens of Bohemian tin.
I approve of your takeing in Crell's Annals. Pray tell me if you understand a German conversation as well as a French one. Pray practise constantly speaking German, for that habit can only be acquired in Germany. I shall pay a proper attention to your recommandation, and shew him Lawson's drawings of the Cornish mines. How many months will Mr. Wiegleb's lectures continue? and what are your own ideas about the time of returning to England? I will send you some press copys in my next.
Your sister and Miss Mynd join in wishing you health, happiness, and prosperity for many, many, succeeding years. Hopeing to hear from you soon, I remain, my dear son, your truly affectionate father,
Mattw. Boulton
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