g^ ON MILITARY ROCKBTSv' 



A short deficient. Thei-e were no iron rockets in use when I had 



v''.'^^""']"'' °' the honour of being examined by GeneralsCongreve, Llojdj 

 Drunirnond (since dead, I believe,) and others, who formed 

 that Committee of Colonels and Field-officers of the Koyal 

 Artillery, As the sketches and drawings, which I took 

 with me to assist in description, were some years in tht 

 Royal Arsenal^ it is no unreasonable question to osk, why 

 uiy papers were not instantly sealed up, and, if not returned 

 to me, carefidly [ire^erved iVom the inspection of those, who 

 had no official concern with them. That these papers were 

 liof so preserved, there is no difficulty in proving ; and I am 

 compelled to say in the mildest terms, that the whole trans- 

 action bears the appearance of gross partiality and injustice 

 against myself, as an humble individual, who stipulated for 

 neither favour nor reward. I beg, once for all, to declare, 

 that, of the gentlemen who composed the committee, speak- 

 ing of them individually y 1 have no certain reason to com- 

 plain ; at the same time, 1 must consider the whole question 

 open on all points for discussion, if it should ever be neces* 

 sary. 



I am perfectly aware of a " Reply*" to one of my letters ; 

 to this however I shall never make any specific rejoinder, till 

 the name of its authov is acknowledged by the editor of that 

 newspaper; when 1 shall most willingly attend to all that 

 this reply contains, as well as to many important circum- 

 stances, which for plain reasons its author has concealed. 



Lest I be charged with asserting any of the above parti- 

 cnlars, I shall close this subject by tranf^cribing the -las,! 

 letter I received from the Board of Ordnance; and this i;^ 

 given to you rather as a voucher, that, ( have had some con- 

 w^.rion with that department, than as a proof of the validity 

 •f iny claim. This letter was in answer to my last request, 

 •* to have the papers and sketches returned with an official 

 signature annexed." I should observe, however, that, when 

 I first applied for them, the answer contained these words, 

 #0 which I shall now make no comment. — " [ am to ob- 

 serve, that I cannot discover those papers were ever re- 

 ceived in my office". The following ik a copy of the last 

 tetter, ^ which I have above alluded. 

 * Times, Oetob-.-r, 16. 



» SIR. 



