226 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



opinion. You will remember I mentioned this thing before 

 we parted, although not with a view of profit. Now I think 

 the thing perfectly practicable. You must collect all the 

 historical evidence. I will do everything connected with 

 mineralogy and chemistry, and together, and with the occa- 

 sional aid of brother Day, we wijl state and refute the 

 prevalent theories and magnify our own and make it honor- 

 able. I am confident the thing may be done in high style. 

 With this view I have determined not to leave our commu- 

 nication with any of them, especially as it contains all my 

 original chemical matter, and this is capable of much am- 

 plification and illustration. Dr. Seybert is the only man 

 here who has perused it. He gives it full credit and says 

 that my views of the effects of heat, connected with the 

 experiments, are demonstrative. I have not communicated 



the piece to , nor said anything to him about it. I am 



convinced, from what he has told me, that his own analysis 

 was altogether loose and not to be depended on, nor am I 

 at all afraid of any publication of his. Seybert advised me 

 not to trust him ; said he would play me some trick, for 

 instance, purloin and publish it as his own ; and averred 

 that he did not know how to analyze a stone, and that he 

 had not a single sure test or agent of any kind to do it 

 with. 



's reputation is up, both here and at New York, for 



unfair dealing and in matters affecting scientific reputation. 

 I leave this place on Wednesday morning for Princeton, 

 and shall be in New York on the succeeding Monday; 

 there let a letter meet and tell me that you have been em- 

 ployed every leisure moment in attending to this business. 

 It will be very important that the work come out soon. We 

 shall not lose reputation, and some money we shall cer- 

 tainly gain. Now don't trifle with it ; close in with the 

 proposition ; the bones of the business are already together. 

 If you do not undertake it, I shall do it without you. Elihu 

 Chauncey says, " Publish the journal by all means ; one 



