1801. &T. 23.] PEOFESSOR DAVY. 321 



Count Rumford professes that it will be kept distinct 

 from party politics. I sincerely wish that such may be 

 the case, though I fear it. As for myself, I shall become 

 attached to it, full of hope, with the resolution of employing 

 all my feeble powers towards promoting its true interests. 



I have been pursuing galvanism with labour and some 

 success ; I have been able to produce galvanic power from 

 single plates, by effecting on them different oxidating and 

 deoxidating processes. 



After the llth I shall be in town my direction, Royal 

 Institution. 



I am, my dear Friend, with respect and affection, yours, 



HUMPHRY DAVY. 



At the meeting of the managers of the Royal Insti- 

 tution on February 16 (present. Sir J. Banks, Earl 

 Morton, Count Rumford, and Mr. R. Clark, Chamberlain 

 of the City of London), it was resolved 'that Mr. 

 Humphry Davy be engaged in the service of the 

 Royal Institution in the capacities of Assistant Lecturer 

 in Chemistry, Director of the Laboratory, and Assistant 

 Editor of the Journals of the Institution ; that he be 

 allowed to occupy a room in the house, and be fur- 

 nished with coals and candles ; and that he be paid a 

 salary of one hundred guineas per annum.' 



On March 16 Count Rumford, after reporting that 

 a room had beeen prepared and furnished, stated that 

 Mr. Davy had arrived at the Institution on Wednesday, 

 March 11, and taken possession of his situation. 



Davy gave three courses of lectures in the spring of 

 1801. 



His first course consisted of five lectures on the 

 ' New Branch of Philosophy ' the galvanic phenomena. 



T 



