Life of Count Rumford. 375 



have, therefore, thought whether it would not be best to en- 

 deavor to provide him a place for a year or two with some 

 gentleman in the mathematical line of business in Europe, who 

 is actually in the occupation of making and vending mathe- 

 matical and optical instruments in an eminent degree ; perhaps 

 a character something similar to what the late Mr. George 

 Adams of London was, might suit. It may be that you know 

 of some good place. In this I wish for your good assistance so 

 far as to make inquiry whether he could get admitted, what the 

 terms would be, what kind of rank he would be considered to 

 have in such a place, where he might work at some branches of 

 the business as well as attend on customers ; in short, I wish to 

 know all about it. Perhaps he may settle a profitable corre- 

 spondence in trade with the same gentleman when he comes to 

 return to this country again. He is very lively, ready, and 

 enterprising, and has ever sustained a good character. I have 

 raised expectations of his usefulness, if I can but hit his prevail- 

 ing genius. 



" I have also one favor more to ask, which is to request your 

 attention to the little memorandum that I have taken the liberty 

 to enclose, for a number of articles which I cannot readily pro- 

 cure here, and the amount of the bill I will pay to your mother 

 or your daughter, or remit it to yourself, as you may please to 

 order. 



" In the cask of fruit which your daughter and Mr. Rolfe 

 have sent you, there is half a dozen apples of the growth of my 

 farm, wrapped up in papers with the name of Baldwin apples 

 written upon them. If those apples should continue in a state 

 of preservation until you receive them, and you happen to be in 

 company with any good connoisseurs in the distinguishing char- 

 acter of that kind of fruit, it would gratify me much to know 

 the true English name of it. However, I rather doubt whether 

 the nice characters of this apple will answer exactly to any par- 

 ticular species of English fruit, as it is (I believe) a spontane- 

 ous production of this country, that is, it was not originally 

 engrafted fruit. 



" I have made an apology for not writing you so much, and 



