COMMUNICATION OF J. FRANCIS FISHEK. 157 



J. FKANCIS FISHEE TO PETER S. DuPoNCEAU. 



June 30, 1840 

 My dear Sir, 



There are one or two observations which I would 

 make on the apparent discrepancies between your 

 Account of the American Society and the letter of 

 Charles Thomson. 



Is it not very extraordinary that he should write 

 '"You remember the Society to which I belonged" if 

 Franklin had ever been a Member of it himself! 



Again, he says "from some conversation I had with 

 you, some few of us exerted ourselves to revive it 

 again." Now, this must refer to the time Franklin 

 was in Pennsylvania, in the interval between the two 

 Minute Books which deficiency you think was filled 

 with a third record book now lost, which would have 

 shewn the part taken by Franklin in the Society 

 while here. But I ask would Charles Thomson have 

 written thus to D r Franklin if the latter had attended 

 any of their meetings? Would he not have alluded 

 to his .presence and the part he took in the concerns 

 of the Society? I certainly do infer from the letter 

 that the only interest shewn by Franklin in it was by 

 his advice. It seems to me, he was too elevated in 

 Science to take part in such enquiries as occupied the 

 American Society in its early days. 



My Opinion is that the old Junto still survived but 

 in a different form Consisting now of. perhaps only 

 a few survivors of Franklin's personal & early 



