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TJje following is a Letter to me^ from Captain 
Ellis, viz. 
S I R, 
48. ‘‘ O U L D any thing increafe the pleafure I 
‘‘ have in a literary intercourfe with you, it 
“ would be to find, that it anfwered your end in pro- 
“ moting the public good. The Vis inertice of 
“ mankind is not the only difficulty you have had 
“ to encounter, but their ignorance and prejudices, 
“ which are almofi: infuperable. It is to your per- 
“ feverance and refolution, that the little progrefs 
“ you have made is due : Indeed I ought not to fay 
little ; for it is a great ftep to have found the few, ' 
“ that have hearts good enough to reliffi your plan, 
“ and heads fufficiently clear to difcern the mofi: 
“ effedlual method of advancing it. It does honour 
“ to thofe noble and other worthy perfonages, that 
join you in ads of fuch extenfive humanity, as 
“ the introdudion of ventilators to hofpitals, prifons, 
“ ffiips of war and tranfport, as they mufi; ne- 
cefiarily render the miferies of the firfi: more fup- 
“ portable, and the clofe and conftant confinement 
“ of the others lefs prejudicial and fttal to their health 
and life. It is to be lamented, that they are not 
“ more generally made ufe of j for, notwithftanding 
“ their advantage is apparent and inconteftable, it 
“ is fcarce credible how few are to be found among 
“ the vaft number of ffiips daily employed in car- 
“ rying paflengers. Haves, cattle, and other perifii- 
“ able commodities. Thofe of your invention, 
which I had, were of fingular fervice to us ; they 
kept 
