256 Life of Count Rumford, 



"MUNICH, I4th February, 1797. 



" SIR, I have received your very obliging letter of the I4th 

 November, 1796. The honor which the worthy President and 

 the Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 

 have conferred on me by accepting the proposals I took the 

 liberty of making to them in my letter to the President, of the 

 I2th July, 1796, has given me the highest satisfaction; and I 

 beg, Sir, that you would express to them my warmest thanks, 

 and assure them that it will be the study of my life to deserve 

 this flattering proof of their esteem and regard. 



" I am much obliged to you, Sir, for the pains you have 

 taken to make me so completely acquainted with everything I 

 could wish to know respecting the business of transferring 

 American Stock. Enclosed I "send you a power authorizing 

 the two Gentlemen you proposed and two Gentlemen more 

 agreeable to me could not have been found to transfer * to 

 the Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,' 

 Five Thousand Dollars, assured debt, entered to my credit in 

 the Books of the Treasury of the United States, for which a 

 certificate numbered 2633 was issued in my name on the 

 Fourth day of March, 1796. That this stock actually stands 

 in my name in the Books of the Treasury of the United States, 

 I am assured by a notarial Declaration of Peter Lohra, Notary 

 Public for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, residing in the 

 City of Philadelphia, dated the 27th October, 1796, a copy of 

 which is inclosed. But, very unfortunately, the vessel in which 

 the original certificate (with two others of equal amount) was 

 sent to Europe was lost on her passage. How long this acci- 

 dent will delay the completion of the business in question I 

 know not, but nothing in my power shall be left undone to fin- 

 ish it as soon as possible. In the mean time I have taken the 

 most effectual measures I could devise to secure to the Acad- 

 emy the property they have done me the honor to accept, and 

 have given directions that the Interest of the Five Thousand 

 Dollars three per cent Stock in question should be paid regularly 

 to the Treasurer of the Academy from the first of January, 

 1797, till the transfer of the Capital can be made. In short, I 



