Life of Co2tnt Rumford. 53 



you. I ha,' e, therefore, taken the liberty to propose the follow- 

 ing Problem, which I send you not so much for the difficulty as 

 the oddness of the Solution. 



" A certain Cistern has three Brass-Cocks : one of which will 

 empty it in 15 minutes, one in 30 minutes, and the other in 

 60 minutes. Qu ? How long would it take to empty the Cis- 

 tern if all three of the Cocks were to be opened at once ? 



" If you are-vfond of a correspondence of this kind, and will 

 favour me with an easy question, Arithmetical or Algebraical, I 

 will endeavour to give as good an account of it as possible. I 

 you find out an answer to the above immediately, I hope you 

 will not take it as an affront, my proposing anything which you 

 may think so easy, for I must confess I scarce ever met with 

 any little notion that puzzled me so much in my life. 



"You must give me leave to complain a little of your un- 

 kindness in not letting me have so much as one line by so good 

 an opportunity as Mr. Richardson. You used to profess friend- 

 ship for me, I really thought it was not mere profession only. 

 And I cannot but have charity for you yet. I suppose business 

 the cares of the world prevented. Pray, don't fail to let 

 me hear from you as often as possible. And believe me Really 

 to be your Sincere friend, and 



" Humble Servant, 



BENJ> THOMPSON. 



"P. S. Please to make mine and Mrs. Thompson's com- 

 pliments to your Parents and Lady. 



" To MR. LOAMMI BALDWIN, Merchant in Woburn." 



It would have been natural, and according to the 

 common precedents of the time and of the community 

 in which he lived, for this promising and well-supported 

 young man to have looked for civil office, first as a 

 representative of Concord in the Provincial Assembly 

 of New Hampshire, and then as one of the Governor's 

 Council. But he would have needed what he seems 

 not to have secured or enjoyed, the hearty confidence 



