1895 J 483 



That Franklin visited Gottingen, we have ample evidence in the 

 reports of the Gottingen Academy of Sciences, to be found in the library 

 of this Society. In the llOlh issue of the Obttinger Anzeiger, bearing 

 date of September 13, 1766, the statement is made that the session of the 

 Royal Academy of Sciences, held on the 19th of the preceding July, was 

 more impressive than usual, as the two famous English scholars, the royal 

 physician, Mr. Pringle, and Mr. Benjamin Franklin from Pennsylvania, 

 who happened to be at that time in Gottingen on a trip through Ger- 

 many, took their seats as members of the Society. The same periodical 

 in its issue of September 27, 1763, says that Pringle and Franklin visited 

 Mr. Hartmann in Hanover in order to see his apparatus for strong electri- 

 cal experiments. 



Franklin appears to have been gone on this trip about two months. In 

 the collection of Franklin's letters possessed by this Society, I found one 

 or two references to this trip ; but nothing which throws any light upon 

 what cities he visited, or what eminent men he met. One of the pro- 

 fessors at Gottingen, the famous statistician Achenwall, had a long con- 

 versation with Franklin about the American colonies, which he subse- 

 quently published in the Hannoversches Magazin, and some account of 

 which I gave in a letter to the New York Nation, printed in the issue of 

 April 18, 1895. 



Very truly yours, 



Edmund J. James. 



Copy of a letter in the University Library at Leipzig addressed to " The 

 Rev. Mr. Stiles, Newport, R. I :" 



Philadelphia, December 13, 1763. 



Dear Sir : 



According to my Promise 

 I send you herewith the Prints copied 

 from Chinese Pictures concerning the 

 Produce of Silk. I fancy the Trans- 

 lator of the Chinese Titles, has some- 

 times guess'd and mistaken the Design 

 of the Print, in his Account of what 

 is represented in it. But of this you 

 will better judge than I can. I 

 have some Accts. of the Silk in Italy 

 which I will, the first Leisure I have, 

 transcribe and send you. I am with 

 great Esteem, Dear Sir, 

 P. S. Did I leave with Your most obedient 



you Aepinus's Discourse humble Servant, 



on the Distribution of Heat over B. Franklin. 



the Earth ? If not, I have 

 forgot what I have done with it. 



