Life of Count Rumford. 123 



For them consistency and notoriety were pledges that 

 they might perform acceptable service. Their self- 

 committal gave them a claim to royal gratitude to be 

 met only by exchanging their provincial commissions 

 for others which should raise them to and confirm them 

 in honorable positions in the regular army of Great 

 Britain, with opportunities for promotion, pay, half- 

 pay, and pensions accordingly. 



Thompson himself said that he "went out to America 

 to command a regiment of cavalry which he had raised 

 in that country for the King's service."* But little 

 could be done in England for that enterprise, except 

 the procuring of commissions and funds. The work 

 was to be accomplished here, and Thompson essayed it. 



True to his devotion to scientific experiment in the 

 subject which he had investigated from his boyhood, 

 Thompson so far redeemed what in our eyes must be 

 regarded as the inglorious purpose of his sea voyage. 

 He says : 



"His Majesty having been graciously pleased to permit -me 

 to take out with me from England four pieces of light artillery, 

 constructed under the direction of the late Lieutenant-General 

 Desaguliers, with a large proportion of ammunition, I made a 

 great number of interesting experiments with these guns, and 

 also with the ship's guns on board the ships of war in which I 

 made my passage to and from America. "f 



Pictet gives us the following account from his friend's 

 confidential communication of this incident in his life: 



" The regiment of cavalry called the King's American Dra- 

 goons was raised at this time in his native country by his 

 friends and agents, and he was then commissioned as its Lieu- 



O * 



tenant-Colonel Commandant. This circumstance led him to 



* Essay on Gunpowder. t Ibid. 



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