1773. JEr. 20.] COUNT EUMFOED. 5 



regiment. The favour of the Governor made all his 

 brother officers his enemies. 



The following letter to the Eev. Mr. Williams, at 

 Bradford, afterwards Professor at the college there, 

 shows the influence of Thompson with the Governor, 

 and also some of his scientific thoughts and aims : 



Concord, Monday, January 17, 1773. 



DEAR SIE, Last Friday I had the honour to wait upon 

 his Excellency, Governour Wentworth, at Portsmouth, 

 where I was very politely and agreeably entertained for the 

 space of an hour and a half. I had not been in his company 

 long before I proceeded upon business, viz. to ask his 

 Excellency whether ever the White Mountains had been 

 surveyed. He answering me in the negative, I proceeded 

 to acquaint him that there was a number of persons who 

 had thought of making an expedition that way next 

 summer, and asked him whether it would be agreeable to 

 his Excellency. He said it would be extremely agreeable, 

 seemed excessively pleased with the plan, promised to do 

 all that lay in his power. to forward it, said that he had 

 a number of Mathematical instruments (such as two or 

 three telescopes, Barometer, Thermometer, Compass, &c.) 

 at Wentworth House, (at Wolfeborough, only about thirty 

 miles from the mountains), all which, together with his 

 library, should be at our service. That he should be ex- 

 tremely glad to wait on us, and to crown all he promised, if 

 there were no public business which rendered his presence 

 at Portsmouth absolutely necessary, that he would take his 

 tent equipage and go with us to the mountain and tarry 

 with us, and assist us till our survey, which he said he 

 supposed would take about twelve or fourteen days ! ! ! 



During 1773 he was chiefly farming. Whilst on a 

 visit with his wife to Boston he was introduced to 



