DACOSTA AND THE MINE 117 



of Mr. Miers Fisher, who is not in favor of it, has made me 

 change my mind in the meantime. If your plan succeeds, as I 

 wish it may, this part of the farm would become almost in- 

 dispensable for exploitation [of the mine]. Moreover, has not 

 Mr. W. Thomas intentions, which we do not know? Might it 

 not be possible that in this very same part he had made more 

 valuable discoveries than those which he has shown us? In 

 all these matters, however, I rely entirely on the wisdom of 

 Mr. Miers Fisher and of yourself, and I thank you for your 

 willingness to remain in charge of my affairs, 6 by accepting 

 anew the power of attorney, which he sends me together with 

 the indenture to be signed by my wife and by myself in presence 

 of witnesses. But you ask that this should be done before the 

 mayor of Nantes, while we have been living, since you departed, 

 in the commune of Coueron ; accordingly this will be taken be- 

 fore the mayor of that commune, and legalized by a prefect of 

 the department. That, I believe, will fulfil the same obliga- 

 tions, for should it be necessary for my wife to come to Nantes 

 in the weather that we are constantly having it might cause a 

 delay that would be prejudicial to us. Remember, my dear 

 Sir, I expect that if your plan succeeds, my son will find a 

 place in the works, which will enable him to provide for himself, 

 in order to spare me from expenses that I can, with difficulty, 

 support. Your first letters have almost persuaded me that this 

 so-called mine was of little or no account, but the arrange- 

 ment that you have made with W. Thomas is so important that 

 I do not doubt you made certain of the value of the object be- 

 fore deciding to grant him a recompense, which was to be 

 only in the thing itself. In this work we should then be making 

 a very great sacrifice, and it would be a loss. If, however, 

 you propose to forestall the payment of the sums that you owe, 

 I accept [the proposition] to be paid in Philadelphia; I will 

 reflect upon it, and will look into it. If I can arrange matters 

 for this [plan] with Mr. Dupuir, my next will be more explicit 



6 That is, after having become a part owner of the "Mill Grove" 

 property. 



