MEMOIR OF DANIEL TREADWELL. 433 



reaches jou. You will know from that letter all that had passed here concerning our cannon up 

 to that date, — that some trials had been made, a part of a full set of experiments ordered under 

 a Commission from the Government, and that so far the results had been very satisfactory. I 

 have thought it best to abstain from going to Vincennes, where the trials are made, from the time 

 I last wrote to you until to-day, as my presence might be embarrassing to the officers, and at the 

 . same time might show a want of confidence in them which had better be avoided. However, as 

 ten days had passed since I last saw the Commissioners, I went to the Castle to-day and found 

 them in a neighboring coffee-house playing cards {passer Ic temps'). They were very polite, and 

 told me that since 1 was last there they had fired seventy rounds of six pounds of powder and 

 one shot, tliat no effect was yet produced upon the gun, no lodgment as yet, and that they con- 

 tinued perfectly satisfied. On inquiring how long before they should get through with the 

 proofs, they said it would probably take till February ; that they should then make a complete 

 report of the facts to a general officer, who is at the head of the Commission, who would after- 

 wards make another report to the Minister of War. 



You will see that this is just the dilatory course that I predicted in my last letter would be 

 pursued. Any remonstrances against it would be useless, and perhaps improper, and so what 

 cannot be changed had better be submitted to with a good grace. I shall express no dissatisfac- 

 tion to the Commission at their slow operations. It was my intention, you know, when I loft 

 home, to spend a few months in Italy before my return, and I shall perhaps conclude to take 

 this time, which must otherwise be passed to no account in Paris, to accomplish tiiat object. If I 

 conclude to do this, I shall go very soon, so as to return in time for the report of the Commis- 

 sioners in the spring. They will, I have no doubt, inform me of their progress during my 

 absence. Tliey appear now well disposed towards me, and highly pleased with the gun, and I 

 think that my absence will appear to them as a show of confidence, which will operate in mv 

 favor in their report, more than anything I can do by staying about them. No officer lias yet 

 been found at Vincennes who could get through with my pamphlet. Tliey introduced me to one 

 to-day who reads a little English, who said he was laboring at it, and had mastered haK of it. 

 Yet many of these officers are from the Polytechnic Scliool, and perhaps half of them know 

 something of calculus. You will see that I have not absolutely determined on leaving, in the 

 present state of the experiments, for Italy, though my mind tends that way. I shall consider it 

 yet more carefully, and visit Vincennes again before my final conclusion, whicli, whatever it may 

 be, I hope you may approve. . . . 



Daniel Treadwell. 



" After finding," says Mrs. Treadwell, " that they had learned something of the 

 merits of the gun, and were favorably disposed, he seemed to think mostly of the 

 pleasure of the Italian journey before him. We took the route througli Aries, 

 Nisines, Avignon, to Marseilles. The grand old Roman ruin of the aqueduct of the 

 Pont du Gard, the amphitheatres of Aries and Nismes, the Maison Quarree, and the 

 Papal Palace at Avignon, where we recognized Dickens's old woman, who showed 

 US the oubliettes and acted the death of the prisoners, just as she did for Dickens, — 

 all these interested him greatly. In Italy he seemed to forget that art was for any 

 other purpose than to embellish life, and gave himself up to the enjoyment of pic- 

 tures and statuary as entirely as if he never modelled a gun or worked a printing- 



