Fendler, A. 



1877, January 12th 



Wilmington. Del. 



YIUNSLATION 



612 Jefferson Street, Wilmington, Del. 

 January 12th, 1877. 



Dear Doctor, 



Yesterday I received your letter of January 7th. Many thanks for the 

 meteorological observations contained therein. .... Since I have become very 

 sensitive to coldness and expected a rather unusual stormy winter, I decided 

 to daly my trip to Trinidad for a few months. Also, I have to find the best 

 way to sell my book. I wasunable to make a deal with Cassino of the Naturalists 

 Agency. Then I asked Colby & Rich, publishers of the Banner of Light in Boston 

 and sent them a copy. They liked the contents, but found the price too high? I 

 told them that if I fixed the price at 4 1.5° 8*ve them kO percen discount for 

 selling the book, I could send them at the present twenty copies, which I did. 

 Yesterday, J received the same offer from another publishing house. 



ShortJJybefore my trip to Germany, I emptied my barometer and sold the quick- 

 silver in St. Louis, But since I believe that this instrument is an absolute 

 necessity in Trinidad and since it furthermore has become very rusty through 

 continuous use and does not look very good, I all the mfe&al parts of the instrument 

 apart so that not a single screw remained undisturbed, boiled the smaller parts 

 in a strong pot-ash solution — rubbed off the lacquer off the larger parts which 

 did not fit in the pot and treated them with same hot solution. Then I dipped the 

 various parts into saltpeter acid in order to give them a new shine, rinsed them 

 off in clear water, threw them quickly in a pile of sawdust and wiped them dry ikix 

 with this. Then I put lacquer on with a hot solution made with alcohol of seed-lac, 

 turmeric and dragon's blood and now the instrument looks like newly gilded. I also 

 obtained from Philadelphia clear, once distilled quicksilver which the barometers 

 need and filled the glass rube with it, which I first emptied of all air and steam by 

 a coal fire. ... But soon the quicksilver was escaping through the little leather 

 sack and I was therefore forced to take off the barometer. I had had to glue the 

 little leather sack onee before in Venezuela and find now that it has to be replaced 

 by a new one. However, I was unable to find the necessary leather here in Wilmington 

 and have to wait until I go to Philadelphia again. I also fca^e to see what can be 

 done for the thermometer which feelongs to the barometer and which broke in Venezuela. 

 The highest mountain range in Trinidad (running along the north shore) reaches a height 

 of only 3000 feet, however, it would be of the greatest interest to learn about the 

 meteorological conditions of this mountain area since the island is very peculiarly 

 located. 



