284 Life of Count Rumford. 



above mentioned. As soon as I was acquainted with the loss 

 of these Letters, I immediately wrote to my friends in America 

 to acquaint them with that accident, and to request them to 

 send me duplicates of their last letters ; but since that time 

 I have received no news whatever from your side of the 

 Atlantic. 



" My letters of February last related chiefly to arrangements 

 which were necessary to complete the business relative to my 

 donation to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, in 

 which business I had requested and duly impowered you to take 

 a principal part. And I trust you will have found means to 

 complete those arrangements in a manner satisfactory to the 

 Academy. Should anything more be necessary to be done by 

 me, you will be so good as to indicate to me what is farther 

 necessary, and I shall lose no time in doing it. 



" I have now, my Dear Sir, to request your friendly assist- 

 ance in a matter of a more private and confidential nature, and 

 which I have much at heart to have properly arranged. Many 

 years ago I wrote to a man in America, whose name I cannot 

 pronounce without indignation, to desire that he would take the 

 care, &c., &c. 



"There is another affair of a very interesting nature, at least 

 very interesting to my feelings, in which it is in your power to 

 render me a very . important service. My Daughter (who 

 charges me with her best compliments for you and your Lady) 

 never ceases her solicitations to engage me to pay a visit to my 

 friends in America. And her wishes are so powerfully sec- 

 onded by my own feelings and longing desires to breathe once 

 more my native air, that I have come to a resolution to make 

 the journey as soon as the restoration of Peace and the arrange- 

 ment of my concerns in this country will permit it. If the 

 public affairs of Europe and of America take the turn I ex- 

 pect, and if no unforeseen event should happen to prevent my 

 carrying my Schemes into execution, I think you will see 

 us in America in 15 or 16 Months from this time. In the 

 meantime, there are several private family concerns which I 

 could much wish might be arranged and settled before my 



