Letter from IV. Thornton, Esq. 261 



Society, the apparatus made use of for obtaining the mu- 

 riatic acid was constantly covered with a glass receiver, or 

 bell glass, which prevents the contact of the air surrounding 

 the pile, and preserves such gases as may he liberated. This 

 receiver does not seem to injure the experiment, the success 

 of which chiefly depends on the number of plates or metallic 

 disks, as well as on the cleanness of their surface. The 

 greater the number is, the more muriatic acid is formed. 

 As to the extent of surface, that augments very little the 

 action in this experiment, as has been demonstrated when 

 plates of more than a foot of surface have been used. 



yilN. Letter from IF. Thornton, Esq. to the Mevilers of 

 the North Carolina Gold Mine Company. 



-J- GENTLEMEN, 



1 LATELY visited the land in North Carolina belonging io 

 the company, and rode several days in various parts ot it. 

 The fertility of the soil exceeded very much the most fa- 

 vourable idea I had formed of it. I saw some of the best 

 corn in it that I saw during our whole route through Vir- 

 ginia and North Carolina, and I was informed by general 

 Steele, late comptroller of the United Slates, who reside'^ 

 not far from the lands, that he had made particular inquiries 

 respecting them, since my former visit, and learnt that they 

 were very good corn and cotton lands, and it was his opinion, 

 if the company kept the lands a little while till they coukl 

 select such portions for the trold as they might incline to re- 

 tain, they might sell the rtmaindcr for the whole purchase 

 money they gave, viz, 1 10,000 dollars. Some of the corn I 

 thought so fine, was in ground that had been in cultivaliati 

 lor ten years^— and this is the driest yc.ir that the oldest in- 

 habitants remember tbr fifty years. 



The grounds, except in a few cultivated places, are gene- 

 rally covered with good timber. Some conipany viewing 

 the land with me, mea>uvcd one of the trees by the road 

 side, and found it nine feet six inches tircumfgrence, and 

 above a hundred feet high : orchards of apples, pc^achea, Sec. 

 K 4 llouriih 



