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 INIr. Miller. 



In March 1797, Mr. Miller says, "Unless Nightingale 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 error, 

 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. 



"I am 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 pres- 

 ent overshadow our affairs, shall not abate my ardor in laboring to 

 burst through them, in order to reach the dawn of prosperity, that 

 has so long been withheld from our view." 



Notwidistandiug 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 upon me, 

 are now become so great, that it will be impossible for me to struggle 

 against them many days longer. It has required my utmost exer- 

 tions to exist, without making the least progress in our business. I 

 have labored hard against the strong current of disappointment, which 

 has been threatening to carry us down the cataract, but I have labor- 



