20 THE EOYAL INSTITUTION. [CHAP. I. 



agreeable and profitable civil situation, in the hopes of 

 being useful to his country, and by his military conduct, 

 shewing himself not unworthy of the protection which you 

 have granted to him. If you do him the honour to 

 converse with him, you will find him well informed, and, as 

 far as theory goes, a good officer in whatever you may 

 think fit to employ him. I can answer for his honour and 

 his ability, and I am persuaded he will ever feel himself 

 attached by gratitude to you for the very kind and oblig- 

 ing manner in which you have protected him and the regi- 

 ment under his command. 



I am, Sir, with great regard, your Excellency's faithful, 



humble servant, 



GEORGE GERMAIN. 



On October 4, 1781, Colonel Thompson appointed Mr. 

 Fisher, a clerk in his office, as his attorney, to receive 

 his pay (thirteen shillings daily) and to attend to his 

 clothing commission. He soon after left England in the 

 6 Rotterdam,' a fifty-gun ship, for New York, but con- 

 trary winds compelled him to disembark at Charlestown 

 (South Carolina). 



In his paper on Gunpowder he shows that he was busy 

 during his passage : 



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 experi- 

 ments 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. 



He arrived towards the end of December. Lord 



