218 Memoir of the Life of Eli Whitney. 
abandoned all hope of affording the: promised succor, and thus Whit- 
ney was compelled to forego the great advantages he confidently 
anticipated from the voyage to England. : 
We regret that we have not been able to obtain the letters written 
at this period by Mr. Whitney to his partner, but the nature of their 
contents will be easily gathered from those of Mr. Miller. 
In March 1797, Mr. Miller says, “ Unless N ightingale should have 
the power to assist you with some supplies, which your letter fur- 
nishes little ground to hope, I foresee that our money engagements 
cannot be complied with; and we can only regret as a misfortune 
what we cannot remedy. In the event of this failure, I can only take 
to myself the one half of the blame which may attach itself to our 
misplaced confidence in the public opinion. I confess myself to 
have been entirely deceived in supposing that an egregious errors 
and a general deception with regard to the quality of our cotton, 
could not long continue to influence the whole of the manufacturing, 
the mercantile, and the planting interests, against us. But the reverse 
of this fact, allowing the staple of our cotton to be uninjured, has to 
our sorrow proved true, and I have long apprehended that our ruin 
would be the inevitable consequence. 
“Tam now devoting my time and attention, to prepare, in the best 
manner in my power, the suits which are to be tried in April; and 
am determined that all the dark clouds of adversity, which at pre* 
ent overshadow our affairs, shall not abate my ardor in laboring t 
burst through them, in order to reach the dawn of prosperity, that 
has so long been withheld from our view.” 
Notwithstanding the disastrous condition of the affairs of Miller & 
Whitney, Mr. Nightingale, who was of an adventurous spirit, having 
partially extricated himself from his own embarrassments, was ready 
to purchase a part of their concern, and offered upon certain condi 
tion to advance five thousand dollars to the company- 
We have before us a letter written by Mr. Whitney, dated Oct. 
7th, 1797, from which it will be seen what was the state of his affairs 
and of his feelings, at this period. “The extreme embarrassments 
(says he) which have been for a long time accumulating upo me, 
are now become so great, that it will be impossible for me f struggle 
against them many days longer. It has required my utmost exer” 
tions to exist, without making the least progress in our business: 2 
have labored hard against the strong current of disappointment, whue 
has been threatening to carry us down the cataract, but I have labor: 
